to submit to learn to dance, if his father required it, and to pay attention to his lessons.

The dancing-master was sent for, notwithstanding some private expostulations of Mr. Day: and, as Mr. Lambert insisted upon being present at Robert's lessons, they afforded one continued subject of dispute between the father and son; Robert becoming sullen, and Mr. Lambert constantly carrying on the comparison of the bear, by which he every day assimilated the manners of his son more and more nearly to those of the ungraceful animal in question.

It appeared likely to be long before Robert would be able to claim Lady V's promise of the ball; and, indeed, he had taken such a dislike to dancing, and to whatever had any connexion with it, that when Lady V. declared her intention of giving a ball on the arrival of Master Lambert's birth-day, which happened in the Christmas holidays, when he would enter upon his thirteenth year, he received the information with dismay, and even ventured to ask his father to excuse his presence on the occasion.

Mr. Lambert elevated his eyebrows, and shrugged his shoulders, with an air of the most lively astonishment, when he heard this request of his son. He expressed amazement at his peculiar taste, his extraordinary whims, and his singular fancies. "Robert Lambert," he said, "you will never be like other people: I have always predicted it, and I am now convinced that my predictions will be true. However, Robert, I shall not indulge you in this whim: you will, if you please, go to the ball; and I hope you will there behave like a gentleman."

Robert was extremely sulky from that day till the one fixed for the proposed amusement, and seemed determined to fulfil his father's predictions. He quarrelled with Frederick, was inattentive to his tutor, and absolutely impertinent to his father.

When Mr. Day expostulated with him on the roughness of his manners, he replied, "My father says I am a bear, and an oddity, and unlike a gentleman. How then am I to behave like other person any

י?

The great day of the ball at length arrived, and Robert and Frederick were dressed with the utmost care, and required to accompany Mr. Lambert to Clifton Castle.

On this occasion, however, poor Robert disgraced himself dreadfully in the eyes of his father. He could not be persuaded to walk across the room, and make a low bow, and ask Lady Augusta, in form, to dance; though, had he been left to himself, he would have done it in his own way, and in a manner much more befitting a boy of twelve years of age. In consequence of this, his father became very angry; and such a violent fit of sullenness took possession of Master Lambert, that he could not recover himself all the evening, and therefore acted his part of the bear to a degree of perfection which almost did credit to his father's discernment in suggesting the simile.

In the mean time, little Frederick, who had none of poor Robert's difficulties to encounter, and who was not allowed to dance on account of his health, made his way with an ease and simplicity which pleased every one; and Lady Augusta said more than once to him, during the evening, "I wish you might but dance, Frederick; I should so like you for my partner."

The evening concluded without Robert's having made any considerable departure from the character he had adopted, and, consequently, long and severe were the reproofs which he had to experience on his return home.

I am sorry to add, that on this occasion his tutor could not restrain him from breaking out into various impertinences against his father, whereby he irritated his parent so much against him, that Mr. Day the less regretted a change of plans respecting the boys, which was suggested about that time by the countess, who had sense enough to see that Mr. Lambert would ruin his son if he were left continually under his control.

The parish in which Clifton Castle and Lambert-Hall were situated was very extensive, the living was remarkably good, and the parsonage-house, though old, was large and beautifully situated. This benefice was in the gift of Lord V~~~, and it had for some time been arranged between the two families, that it should be given to Frederick Falconer when it fell vacant. Whether Mr. Lambert was to make any pecuniary acknowledgment to the earl on the occasion does not appear: but it was not expected that the incumbent, who was not a very old man, would die before Frederick Falconer should be of

an age to be inducted. The living, however, became vacant about this time; and it was suggested that Mr. Day should be requested to hold it for his pupil, and, at the same time, that Robert should be placed in a public school; while Frederick, on account of his health, was to remain with Mr. Day, who proposed to remove to the vicarage.

Mr. Day was sorry to part with Robert, whom he really loved, and pitied with equal sincerity. He, however, felt convinced, that almost any change from the present state of things would be for the best, and he therefore quietly acquiesced in the whole of the plan.

Robert evinced much of the natural warmth of his feelings when he took leave of his tutor, and he seemed for the moment even to have forgotten all that he had ever found unkind towards him in the conduct of his father. He also embraced his cousin with restrained tears, and sent a present of dried flowers and a pair of living doves, with his best love, to Lady Augusta.

And thus I conclude the early stage of the histories of Robert Lambert and Frederick Falconer, and shall proceed immediately to certain circumstances of their more advanced lives, in which my readers may perhaps take a livelier interest.

We will now fancy several years to have passed away, during which Frederick lived quietly with Mr. Day at his parsonage, and Robert made his way in a public school. Lady Augusta and her brother, at Clifton Castle, were continually acquiring new accomplishments, and advancing more and more towards the characters of a fine lady, and a fashionable gentleman. In the mean time, as if by tacit agreement of all parties, the young people saw less of each other than they had formerly done.

During this period the earl's family was much in London. Frederick visited his uncle daily, and, without entertaining any further view than what was merely suggested by filial piety and gratitude, he daily won more and more upon his affection. Mr. Day about this time employed some of his leisure hours in beautifying the house and gardens of the parsonage, considering them as the future possessions of his beloved pupil. In this work he did not, however, spend much money, although he exercised much taste; for he was a man of a humble VOL. IV. Q

Christian spirit, and earnestly endeavoured, with the divine blessing, to inspire his pupil with the same.

It was his constant maxim, that a lowly and thankful disposition--a disposition free from ambition---should habitually be cultivated by a Christian pastor; and he often took delight in drawing the character of a minister in such true and lively colours as he trusted might impress themselves on the heart of Frederick. "The very word minister, my Frederick," would this excellent man say, "denotes the nature of the office of the Christian pastor. A minister is one who serves, waits, and attends on another; as we find from the twenty-fourth chapter of Exodus, the thirteenth verse, wherein Joshua is described as the servant, or minister, of Moses. A minister of Christ is one who is appointed to fulfil the service of God in his Church, to dispense and administer faithfully and wisely the word, the sacraments, and other holy things. We have, in the first epistle to the Corinthians, the fourth chapter, and twelfth verse, a short and simple exhibition of the ministerial character-And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it. Furthermore, Christ our blessed Saviour, when he undertook the accomplishment of man's salvation, did not scorn the character of the minister and servant of his people; and hence the same mind should be in you, my son, who are to be a minister of God, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. ii. 6-8.)

"Contemplating, therefore, the character and office of a minister, and the example of Christ, can we suppose it possible that the pastor of a Christian flock can be too humble, too much separated from the world, and too devoted to his people? He ought to consider, that his reward is not to be expected upon earth, and that his crown is a celestial one. He should view earthly honours, distinctions, and pleasures, as things in which he can consistently take no part. He should delight himself in simple and humble habits. He should make the welfare

of his flock the object of his most ardent pursuit; and he should be at every instant ready to deprive himself of his earthly goods, in order to administer to the temporal wants of his people."

In this manner Mr. Day continually conversed with his pupil, and habitually set before him the glory of the spiritual world, and a union with his Saviour, as the grand end and object of his pursuits. The literary instructions which he imparted to him were also equally pure with those of a doctrinal and practical nature. He gave him a deep insight into biblical knowledge, causing him to study the sacred writings in their original languages. He introduced him to an enlarged view of history and prophecy; and, without presuming to speculate on the modes and manners of future events, he continually laid before him the promises of Scripture respecting the glorious kingdom of Christ upon earth, which is to be established in the latter times.

Such were the instructions communicated by Mr. Day to the youthful Frederick, while the recreations with which he supplied him were of a nature fully compatible with these instructions. He daily associated him with himself in his pastoral visits to his people; he allowed him to be the bearer of his alms and donations; he permitted him to assist in instructing the poor children; he engaged him in the pleasant work of embellishing his garden, in building root-houses, and in rearing trees and flowers, in collecting specimens of wild plants, and cutting paths in the deep recesses of the woods which adjoined the parsonage-garden and belonged to the glebe. He encouraged in the youth a talent for drawing; and, as he had also a taste for music, he procured him an organ, and delighted to witness his efforts to render the praises of God acceptable and pleasing during the period of family devotion.

And here let me pause for a moment, to make an observation on the propriety of Mr. Day's general procedure with his interesting charge; for it is highly important that, when the Christian preceptor interdicts to his juvenile pupil those worldly pleasures in which youth naturally delights, he should carefully direct his attention to other objects, of an exciting and pleasurable nature, by which he may be fully occupied and innocently de