CHAPTER V.

'Tis granted, and no plainer truth appears, Our most important are our earliest years."

COWPER.

THE meeting of the orphan sisters combined every thing that was interesting in affection, and the heart of Mrs. Ranmore, adopted, with grateful joy, the child, who appeared to her the counterpart of the sister whose memory was so dear to her. Justina found her sister eminently lovely, both in person and disposition, "which was sportive and gay, as the wild bird in spring." She was not inferior in capacity to Justina, but she was two years younger, and had not had the advantage of such a devoted and judicious instructer as Justina had. Her aunt had taken care to guard her from every thing immoral in thought or action, and endeavoured to implant in her breast every precept our holy religion inculcates: for the acquirement of other knowledge, shc depended on the schools to which she sent her, as she was careful to send her to those that were esteemed the best. When at home, she employed her time as she pleased; her aunt did not dictate to her, for indeed she never was able to perceive that Augusta was prone to a single fault; whatever domestic cares or vexations disturbed

the serenity of Mrs. Ranmore, the presence of her darling niece always dispelled every cloud from her brow, and brought back smiles and sunshine. The vigilant, but gentle eye of Justina, however, soon discovered many faults which were the offspring of extreme indulgence. She found that Augusta knew but little of the value and regulation of time, and that every branch of education to which her attention had been directed, had been learned very superficially.-She rose just at what hour she thought agreeable, she generally depended on learning her lesson on her way to school, which her ready memory allowed her to do, but which was forgotten nearly as soon as recited. Her time at home was spent in reading just what she pleased, without order, or any design but amusement, or with talking and laughing with her aunt, or assisting her when she happened to be in a humour for it.

Justina represented to her, in the kindest manner, the consequences of these habits, and besought her earnestly to exert herself to break them. Augusta at first only laughed at her, and said, "she never intended to take her education so hard; that she did not consider it conducive to health or spirits to study or work too much." "To have a good conscience sister, said Justina, is good for both health and spirits, and surely yours cannot be satisfied with such a waste of time." By the

sweet influence of example, and the gentlest admonitions, pressed with earnest af fection, Justina, by degrees, excited her wish to become like the sister she began to love so dearly, and she became at her request her delighted instructress. She had brought with her the books she had used in her own education, and now pursued the same course of reading and study with her sister, that she herself had gone over in company with her father. Mournful, yet sweet were the remembrances that daily recurred to her mind; she explained difficulties that her sister met with, often in the same language that her father had explained them to her; for his words and his voice would be present to her memory. Sometimes she would say, "our dear father said it was so;" this would always instantly satisfy Augusta, who began to view Justina in a peculiar light, as one invested with authority by the father whom she revered, though she knew him not, to teach and guide her.

Justina's expressed wish she now never thought of disobeying; she rose in the morning as early as she called her, and learned whatever she bade her learn. Justina was in an ecstacy at the rapid improvement of her sister; "how pleased our dear father would be with you," she said to her one day. "Would he not be pleased with you too, dear Justina, who have taken such pains to make his ignorant wayward child

more worthy of him ?" "What a feeling of happiness has your sentiment given my heart," said Justina; "it more than repays what I have done for you." She selected for her sister the authors she thought most beneficial for her to read; she also taught her to draw, for which they both possessed a taste, and at the close of three or four years, the pupil of Justina knew nearly as much as herself. Their dispositions, however, in many respects, differed widely; Augusta derived sport from almost every object; without feeling any real malice, she saw things in a ridiculous point of view, and would describe them so ludicrously, that Justina herself could not forbear joining in her mirth. She herself, on the contrary, looked with lenity and tenderness on the faults or ludicrous appearances of all; chaste and simple in her own attire, and in all that surrounded her, she let other people adopt whatever style of dress they chose, and furnish their houses as they pleased, without censure or criticism; she let all their concerns so much alone, unless it was something in which she had power to assist them, that her aunt remarked, “that if it depended on Justina, she should never hear any news."-" There, Justina," said Augusta, "do you hear that; if it was not for me, our dear aunt would receive no entertainment from what happens abroad."

ers.

One day, on returning from church, Augusta was describing a number of new hats which had appeared that morning among the gay ladies of the congregation, none of which suited her taste; some flared too much from the face, some were too large or too scant, and some were too much overloaded with lace, gauze, feathers, or flowA descant on shawls next ensued, until her sister said, "one would suppose, Augusta, from your conversation, that people went to church only to see what each other had on." " Why, how can I help seeing," said Augusta," without I shut my eyes? and then I might go to sleep, you know, which you would approve of still less." "It is not my approbation that you must think of in church," replied her sister.

Mrs. Ranmore and her sister-in-law, in New-York. kept up a friendship which had commenced in childhood, and in which their children shared. Every summer, Harriet and Louisa Ranmore passed many weeks with Justina and Augusta, which was very pleasant to them all: these two young ladies, and the two Miss Marleys, who lived with their mother next door to Mrs. Ranmore, were the most intimate associates of the two sisters. Catherine Marley was a very lovely girl; she had much congeniality both in mind and heart with Justina. As there was seldom a day which did not bring the families together, a closc