at his benevolence; page after page, as I turn over my New Testament, I read of Him, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, cleansing the leper; exhibiting the proofs of His divine mission in acts of mercy and brotherly kindness; feeding the many thousand with a supernatural supply of bread when they were hungry in the wilderness, increasing the amount of wine at the wedding of Cana, &c. Then, think of his affection to his friend Lazarus-His sympathy at the house of mourning-His patriotism-His filial affection-His love to little children-His forbearance and tenderness with the guilty-with St. Peter and the unbelieving Thomas and Magdalene :-and, Oh, Wallace, there is one instance of our Saviour's pity for his suffering and erring creatures, so touching, so exquisitely beautiful, that I can never read it without tears-I mean, when He said to the unhappy victim of an unholy affection, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more;" and, as if in tenderness to womanly sensitiveness, silenced the clamor of her accusors by His abrupt appeal to their own consciences. How unlike the sternness and severity of a merely human lawgiver!"

"It is not from the morality of the New Testament that I turn away," said Wallace, "I love-I venerate the pure principles of truth delivered from the lips of the great prophet of Nazareth. The doctrines of His disciples, as embodied in the Apostolic Epistles, are however, as repulsive to my feelings as the Evangelicalism and the Methodism of our own day; and appear to me rather the fantasies of superstitious and ill-regulated

minds than the inspiration of nature."

"I don't quite understand what you mean by the inspiration of nature," said Agnes; "nor do I think that I shall be able to draw the line between the teaching of Christ and that of his Apostles, since the instructions of their master are only committed to us in the writings of his disciples. I cannot perceive the slightest discordance between the doctrines of the four Gospels and those of the Epistles. There is just this distinction:-the truths which in the former, are barely stated as matters of history, in the latter, are brought home to our own feelings. As to the morality of the Gospel, the high tone of Christian principle displayed, in the sermon on the mount, for instance, perfectly harmonises with that in the Apostolic directions given afterwards to the churches. Read the 12th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and you will find that the same duties and graceful affections, which were enforced by Christ himself during the period of his ministry on earth, are explicitly enjoined by his Apostles upon the first Christian converts. It appears to me that one distinguished evidence of the divinity of our religion arises from its singular adaptation, even in its morality, to our wants and frailties. The God of nature is the God of revelation; and I know of no beautiful affection or virtue which gives a lustre to our character, or adds to our happiness, but it is not only sanctioned, but enforced, by Christianity. Unlike the system of the cold ascetic, it rather recommends the delightful interchange of feeling one with another, and the cultivation and enjoyment of friendship; and dreary

indeed, were our existence, had that Divine Being, who formed us dependent upon each other, commanded us to wander through life without the sunshine of affection.

"Aye, affection," interrupted Wallace, "love has been given us, as somebody says, to hide the image of death."

"Rather say to point us to the resurrection," replied Agnes. "There are depths in the human heart which the voice of love and sympathy cannot reach-moments of darkness, when the mind recoils upon itself, and turns back the pages of its past history, and communes in its solitude. There is a journey which each of us must take alone. The hour must come when the ear shall be sealed against the voice of sympathy, and the bright eye filmed against the look of kindness, and the cold lips refuse to return the last warm kiss of parting affection. This must be the hour of nature's utmost emergency, and the God of nature, who knows what is in man, arms us for its approach, by meeting us in revelation as the Resurrection and the Life-the man, Christ Jesus, who went down to the grave, and rose again in our own flesh, and is become the first fruits of them that slept. Do you believe this, Wallace ?" added his wife, looking him earnestly in the face.

"Go on, dear Agnes," was the answer, "I am never tired of hearing your voice; but you know I am not a believer, at least, not in your sense of the word. Can you not bear with my unbelief?"

Agnes turned away from the bright glance that accompanied the enquiry, for it made her feel that she

must bear with him.

"Let us talk of something else," said Wallace, "and meanwhile, we will hope that this difference of opinion between us upon so interesting a subject will be the means of increasing our affection, inasmuch as it gives us something further to wish."

The two walked on towards the white inn, but instead of talking of something else they looked into each others eyes and said nothing.

"This Mrs. Leonard Smith!" exclaimed Wallace, at length: "Have you answered her letter?"

"My dear, good Fanny!—I had quite forgotten her, but I will write this evening, and apprise the good people at Clifton of our arrival on Tuesday."

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take the good people of Clifton !-as you call them," said Wallace, sullenly, "I wish we were not going to Clifton.”

"But, why not?”

"No matter."

"Wallace ?" said Agnes, in her own soft, yet earnest tone of voice.

"Why do you wish to go?" said Wallace, "Richard will be in town shortly."

"Oh, for many special reasons."

"In the first place,"

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"And in the second place, and in the third place, I want to see Mr. and Mrs. Smith," said Agnes, laughing.

"Is it not very unlovely and ungracious in your friends at Clifton to attempt to alienate your affections from me, Agnes? pleading their own silly scruples, and-hang

their consciences!"-Wallace went on angrily, "What right have they to try to separate husbands and wives? Is this their Christian morality? Do not answer Mrs. Smith's letter at all."

But Agnes replied that she must answer it, and that Mrs. Smith was one of her earliest and best friends.

"I was wrong," said Wallace quickly, "but it is not strange that I, who love no living thing on earth but you, should be jealous of your intimacy with those who are trying to draw your heart from me. But I was wrong, I was selfish. It is natural that you with affection to your more early,-possibly, your more amiable friends."

should cling

"What sentimental nonsense!" said Agnes, laughing. They had reached the hotel, and she imposed silence upon her husband, as they threaded their way amid a group of hostlers who were standing in front of the house. "And, now, Wallace," she added, "I will answer Mrs. Smith's letter, directly; and afterwards join you at supper. Say I may, Wallace-say yes."

The Unbeliever held her hand within his; as she spoke he clasped it firmer, but did not reply.

Agnes disengaged herself. "Farewell," she said, “just for one half hour, and I will send your-what shall it be?-kind remembrances to the good people at Clifton."

"Thank the gods, we are not to stay at Clifton long!" said Wallace, and with this thanksgiving he walked into the travellers' room, took up the "Jurist," and was soon occupied in some interesting discussion.

Agnes retired to her own apartment, threw herself