MY AUNT KATE. THE following short narrative was written by the desire of the lady whose name is given above, with the especial intent that what is here related may be of use to parents and guardians who may be engaged in settling their families in the world, and as a warning to such as, being themselves professors of religion, allow worldly sentiments to intrude into their conversation, contrary to the command of Scripture,—Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. Phil. i. 27. For, as my aunt very properly observed, there is much more danger to young people in counsels of a worldly nature, proceeding from persons esteemed religious, than from the mere worldling. Christians are under the greatest obligation to avoid all sentiments which may inspire high thoughts, inflame covetous desires, or raise discontented feelings; and they should be specially careful lest, while they discountenance unlawful amusements, they cling to that worldly and ambitious spirit which constitutes, in general, the sin of those amusements. But, to explain my purpose more clearly, I will relate those facts which will speak for themselves. I am a clergyman; of more than thirty years of age; and have seen much of the world, while chaplain in a vessel of the line, and in other public situations. I was married to my first wife immediately on my ordination. I lived with her little more than four years, when I was deprived of her by death, and left the father of two daughters. I felt the loss of my wife, young as I was, the more on account of my infant children. They were, however, adopted by their maternal grandmother; and it was at that period that I entered upon the life of a chaplain in the navy. During the four or five succeeding years, I saw but little of my children and at the end of that time, my views of religion being changed, I became anxious for such a situation as might enable me to live in retirement, to study my profession, and preside over the education of my children. My earnest desires and secret aspirations on these subjects were not disregarded by my heavenly Father. I was unexpectedly endowed with a small living in a country place; and was scarcely inducted, when I saw again a young lady whom I had known in former years as a child, and who, though much younger than myself, appeared to me to be a person calculated to make my little parsonage like the Garden of Eden. I thought I had found in this young lady piety combined with cheerfulness, intellectual elegance with humility and ease, accomplishments without pretension, kindness without ostentation, and loveliness of person without vanity. I was not mistaken: in a great degree, all these qualities were united in this amiable individual. I obtained the prize and, as the young lady was an orphan, and residing with a worthy guardian, more was not required of me than was just. Preliminaries were soon settled; we were married, and went immediately to our parsonage, which as yet remained in the rough state in which I had found it, my young wife having justly observed that we should have much pleasure in arranging all things to our own taste. In the mean time, my little girls having lost their grandmother, had been placed at school; and as a few weeks only were wanting to the holydays when we arrived at our parsonage, we deferred the pleasure of seeing them for that short period, that we might get over a little of the bustle of arrangements. I must confess that I had some small apprehensions when, in the evening of the third day after our marriage, having been travelling from six in the morning, our hired chaise had attained the brow of an eminence, from which the parsonage-house was first seen, standing in a garden richly decorated with gooseberry-bushes and cabbage-stumps; for the late incumbent not having resided there, the place had been occupied by farmers; the appearance of the house was but ordinary, and though sufficiently roomy and substantial, there was no display of taste or fashion. I stole a glance at Lucy at the moment this object, then about half a quarter of a mile distant, burst upon our view, being assured that she must already have recognised her future home by its vicinity to the church, whose pretty gothic tower rose on the other side of the garden-wall. There was an expression of interest and curiosity in her countenance, but at the same time a placidity which augured well. "Do you see the parsonage, Lucy ?" I said. "I do," she answered; "but why did you describe it as you did?" "I told you it was but an ordinary place, my dear," I replied. 66 66 Ordinary!" she repeated; why, it only wants planting, and painting, and cleaning, and then it will be a delightful abode. For look round you; what a lovely country! see what orchards, and meadows, and little hills, and delightful lanes, winding in all directions! I am sure there are violets in those lanes. And what lovely little coppices here and there! And then it will be so pleasant for us to put our garden in order! we will have a porch over the door, and train honeysuckles before it; and we will have beds of flowers, nosegays of flowers, and bow-pots full of flowers. You remember what Herbert says 'Flowers are the country parson's jewels.' And Much more she added, and talked till her lovely face was all in a glow; while I (my mind being relieved from the apprehensions which had weighed upon it all day) more than partook of her gayety, and if ever I lifted up my heart in feelings of love and gratitude to God, it was at that moment. My dear wife approved of every thing about our new abode which was approvable; and, as if she had provided the place for me, and not I for her, she apologized for all that was amiss, saying every now and then, "You will be more comfortable when your books come, and the furniture is unpacked, and we shall have such pleasure in putting things in order!" "But, my love," I sometimes would answer, "you know that our income is small, and we have but little to make our house comfortable with." "We have every thing we want," was always her reply; "and things will look so different when the gar |