tiful and affecting histories her mother well knew to be nourishment peculiarly adapted to the youthful mind, and more gratifying to all its unsophisticated tastes and feelings, than the most elaborate fictions of later times.

It was long too, very long, since Mary had read and re-read the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles (their commentary, the Epistles, was reserved for a more advanced period)—and it now remained to be seen, by an anxious Christian parent, whether the softening and purifying lessons of the New Testament could, by the quick intellect and opening faculties of her child,—aided by maternal questions, and the inestimable teaching of the Holy Spirit,-be brought to bear upon, and to shed edification over, a perusal of those annals of the monarchs of Judah and Israel, which, to the superficial reader, unaccustomed to weigh all human events" in the balance of the Sanctuary," seem so often barren and unprofitable; while, to the humble disciple in the school of religion, "not a sparrow seems to have fallen to the ground," during their long succession, without a more or less obvious interposition of Divine Providence, and a fulfilment of threats or promises previously set forth.

From the earliest childhood of her daughter, Mrs. VERNON had pursued-(long before it formed

so prominent a feature in modern education)that system of judicious questioning, which, by exciting and drawing forth the latent powers and ideas of an infant mind, does more towards developing both, than the most laboured explanations; though the latter are doubtless often necessary to aid the imperfect conceptions, and rectify the mistaken conclusions, of inexperienced youth. But, before imparting to her daughter those sounder views which age and experience suggest, Mrs. Vernon always strove to elicit her pupil's crude, though often wonderfully acute, notions on the subject, that their accuracy might be confirmed, or their fallacy exposed, by appealing to her own more mature consideration.

A general knowledge of the chequered life and occasional failures of David, and of the early choice and subsequent desertion of wisdom by his son Solomon, had already afforded opportunities for exercising the youthful judgment of Mary, and enforcing a multitude of useful lessons; and Mrs. Vernon was not sorry to begin, with a pupil whose predominant failing, like that of most clever children, was rashness and self-confidence, their present course of Scripture History, with the memorable instance of both afforded by the conduct of Rehoboam.

MORNING FIRST.

LESSON.-1st Kings, Chapter XII. Verse 1st to 26th.

MAMA. Well! Mary! and what do you think in general of this story you have been reading?

MARY. Oh! Mama! I think Rehoboam was very foolish to bring mischief upon himself by such a silly answer. He might have been sure people would not stay to be governed by such a cruel and capricious king, if they could choose a better for themselves.

MAMA. Let us investigate this more closely, my dear Mary. In the first place, have we reason to think that Rehoboam had been carefully and wisely educated?

MARY. I don't know.

MAMA. Ah! but you might have suspected the contrary, had you recollected how sadly Solomon, his father, went astray in his latter days. Was a king, who forsook God, and allowed his wives to persuade him to idolatry, likely to bring his son in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord?"

up

MARY. No, Mama.

MAMA. And whose advice did the foolish youth prefer to that of his father's old grey-headed counsellors ?-that of his own idle inexperienced companions! Now, Mary, what sort of a character did this give tokens of?-a modest and prudent one? Mary. No, Mama.

MAMA. What, then?

MARY. A rash and hasty one.

MAMA. Do you know any body, Mary, who sometimes acts inconsiderately, and finds cause, like Rehoboam, to repent at leisure?

(Mary hung down her head and blushed, and said nothing.)

MAMA. But, Mary, we are yet ignorant how Jeroboam (who, we find, had been a fugitive in Egypt,) came to think of being king at all. You must turn back to the 26th verse of the preceding chapter, and tell me who this Jeroboam was.

MARY. The son of Nebat,-a servant of Solo

mon.

MAMA. Have we any account here of his character?

MARY. Yes. "The young man was industrious, and Solomon made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph."

MAMA. Does not this promotion appear very fortunate for a young man of humble birth?

MARY. Oh! yes, Mama!—and being promoted for good behaviour, too!

MAMA. Well, Mary! you shall tell me by-andby, when we have finished his history, whether he would not have been happier, an obscure but faithful servant, to the end of his days. But we have here a further proof that God sometimes raises up instruments more for his own glory than their own merits or advantage. What befell Jeroboam soon after?

MARY. The prophet Ahijah met him in the fields, Mama, and tore the new garment that was on him into twelve pieces.

MAMA. What could that signify, Mary?

MARY. It tells us below, Mama,-it signified the twelve tribes of Israel; and Jeroboam was to have ten of them, and Rehoboam only two.

MAMA. Dear, dear! that was a sore judgment on somebody's sins! Who had so far offended God?

MARY. (After a pause.) Solomon, I suppose, Mama,-for you know he worshipped idols in his old days; indeed, their names are mentioned here.

MAMA. A shocking catalogue! I wonder why God was merciful enough to leave such an idolater's family any share of the kingdom,-can you tell me?