above a whisper; an accident is of so rare an occurrence as not to be calculated upon.

8. The cardinal secretary of state has a gallery in front of the church, to which foreign ambassadors, and a few other strangers of distinction are invited. I observed Captain Reed and his lady in this gallery, and many of our officers were promenading below. About an hour elapsed from the commencement, when the motion of a brighter light was observed towards the summit of the cupola, a large star seemed to shoot upwards to the cross, and, as if by a sudden flash from heaven, the whole edifice appeared to blaze in the glare of day.

9. A thousand lights, kindled by some inconceivably rapid communication, shed their beams upon every part of the building. Pillars and pilasters, with their vases, shafts, and cap itals; mouldings, friezes, cornices, pediments, architraves, panels, doors, windows, niches, images, decorations, enrichments, domes-all, all with their faint lines of golden light, now softened to a milder lustre, revealed in brilliant relief to the enraptured eye.

62. ILLUMINATION AT ST. PETER'S-continued.

1. THE fountains were magnificently grand, and richly pure, and softened into a refreshing white. The multitude was silent. The horses were still. The glowing cross, elevated above the Vatican hill, beamed to the wide plains and distant mountains its augury of future glory, because of past humilia tions. The crowd began to move; the low buzz of conversa. tion, and then the horses' tramp; then followed the rattling of wheels.

2. And while tens of thousands remained yet longer, other thousands moved in various directions to their homes, or to distant elevated points, for the sake of a variety of views. I went to the magnificent Piazza del Popolo. It was literally a desert; but in its stillness, and the dereliction of its obelisk, its fountains, and its statues, by the very contrast to the scene that I had left, there arose a feeling of new sublimity It

was more deep, it was more solemn; but it was less elevated, not so overpowering, nor so impressive as that to which it succeeded.

3. My object was to ascend from this place to the Monte Pincio, the commanding view from which would enable me to look over the city at the great object which attracted every eye. But the gates of the avenue at this side were clesed, and I had to go to the Piazza di Spagna, and there to ascend by the immense and beautiful flight of steps to the Trinita del Monti. Standing here, in front of the convent of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart, the view of St. Peter's was indeed superb.

4. I proceeded up towards the public gardens lately formed on the summit of this ancient residence of so many of the remarkable men of five-and-twenty ages. At various intervals, I stopped and turned to view the altered appearance presented by the mass of light, as seen from those different positions. As I contemplated it, I reflected that it must soon be extinguished, like the transient glories of the philosophers, the heroes, the statesmen, the orators, who successively passed over the spot on which I stood.

5. An humble fisherman from Galilee, and an obscure tentmaker from Tarsus, were confined in the dungeons of this city Seventeen hundred and sixty-eight years had passed away since one of them was crucified with his head downwards on the Vatican Hill, and the other was beheaded on the Ostian Way. They had been zealously faithful in discharging the duties of their apostleship.

6. In the eyes of men, their death was without honor; but it was precious in the sight of God. Grateful and admiring millions from year to year proclaim their praises, while the Church exhibits their virtues as proofs of the Saviour's grace, as models for the imitation of her sons. Oh, let my soul die [the death of] the just, and let my last end be like to theirs! Translated from this earth, they live in heaven. Tried for a time, and found faithful, they enjoy a glorious recompense!

7. The God that we serve is merciful in bestowing his

grace, and is exceedingly bountiful in crowning his own gifts, by giving to us, through the merits of his Son, a recompense for those acts of virtue which he enables us to perform. I found myself again near the summit of the steps. I descended, and retired to my home, reflecting upon the wonders wrought by the Most High, through the instrumentality of those two great saints, the celebration of whose festival had thus conmenced.

8. The ardent Peter and the active Paul. The name changed to signify the office to which he should be raised. The vicegerent of Heaven's King, bearing the mystic keys, with powers of legislation and of administration rested upon him; who of himself weak, but who, sustained by Christ, was strong. "Before the cock shall crow twice this night, thou shall thrice deny me. Yes! Satan hath desired to have thee, that he might sift thee as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And thou once converted, confirm

thy brethren."

9. The strongest power that hell can muster in its gates to make a furious assault upon that Church, the weighty administration of which shall rest upon you, and upon those that shall succeed you, shall from time to time be marshalled and sent forth for the destruction of that body which the Saviour organized, like a well-ordered kingdom upon earth, for the attainment of heaven; but the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The dynasties of nations have perished, the palaces of the Cæsars are in ruins, their tombs have mouldered with the bodies they contained, but the successc of Peter continue.

10. Under the orders of Nero, the two apostles were consigned to what was imagined to be destruction. The vaults of the tyrant's golden palace are covered with vegetation. Standing on the unseemly ruins of the remnant of this monster's monument, by the side of the Flaminian Way, through the obscurity of the night the Christian peasant looks towards that blaze of light which, from the resting-place where the relics of the head of the Church and of the doctor of the Gentiles are found, breaks forth and irradiates the Eternal

City and its monumental environs. If Peter is elevated in station, Paul is not less glorious in merit.

11. He, too, looked back with sorrow on that day when he held the clothes of those who slew Stephen. But how nobly did he redeem his error! A vessel of election to bear the good odor of Christ into the palaces of kings! a torrent of eloquence flowing into the barren fields of a vain philosophy, to fertilize and adorn! A rich exhibition of virtue, winning by its beauty, attracting by its symmetry, and excit ing to activity by emulation! A glowing meteor of benediction, dissipating the clouds, and warming the hearts of the beholders to charity on earth, that they might be fitted for glory in heaven!

63. THE SON'S RETURN.

GERALD GRIFFIN.

1. On a sudden, she heard voices outside the window. Alive to the slightest circumstance that was unusual, she arose, all dark as it was, threw on her simple dress in haste, and groped her way to the front door of the dwelling. She recognized the voice of a friendly neighbor, and opened the door, supposing that he might have some interesting intelligence to communicate. She judged correctly.

"Good news! good news! Mrs. Reardon; and I give you joy of them this morning. What will you give me for telling who is in that small boat at the shore ?"

"That small boat!-what?-where ?"

2. "Below there, ma'am, where I'm pointing my finger Don't you see them coming up the crag towards you ?"

"I cannot-I cannot, it is so dark," the widow replied endeavoring to penetrate the gloom.

"Dark !—and the broad sun shining down upon them this whole day !"

"Day -the sun! O, my Almighty Father! save me." "What's the matter? Don't you see them, ma'am?" 3. "See them?" the poor woman exclaimed, placing her

hands on her eyes, and shrieking aloud in her agony: "Oh! I shall never see him more! I am dark and blind!"

The peasant started back and blessed himself. The next instant the poor widow was caught in the arms of her son.

Where is she? My mother! O my darling mother! I am come back to you. Look! I have kept my word."

4. She strove, with a sudden effort of self-restraint, tc keep her misfortune secret, and wept without speaking, upon the neck of her long-absent relative, who attributed her tears to an excess of happiness. But when he presented his young wife, and called her attention to the happy, laughing faces and healthful cheeks of their children, the wandering of her eyes and the confusion of her manner left it no longer possible to retain the secret.

5. "My good, kind boy," said she, laying her hand heavily on his arm, "you are returned to my old arms once more, and I am grateful for it—but we cannot expect to have all we wish for in this world. O my poor boy! I can never see you-I can never see your children! I am blind."

The young man uttered a horrid and piercing cry, while he tossed his clenched hands above his head, and stamped upon the earth in sudden anguish. "Blind my mother! O Heaven is this the end of all my toils and wishes? To come home, and find her dark forever! Is it for this that I have prayed and labored? Blind and dark! O my poor mother! O Heaven! O mother, mother!"

6. "Hold, now, my boy-where are you? What way 18 that for a Christian to talk? Come near me, and let me touch your hands. Don't add to my sorrows, Richard, my child, by uttering a word against the will of Heaven. Where are you? Come near me. Let me hear you say that you are resigned to this and all other visitations of the great Lord of all light. Say this, my child, and your virtue will be dearer to me than my eyes? Ah, my good Richard! you may be sure the Almighty never strikes us except it is for our sins, or for our good. I thought too much of you, my child, and the Lord saw that my heart was straying to the world again, and e has struck me for the happiness of both. Let me hear that