would often say, "I have not had one stroke too much; I required all these afflictions to bring me to a knowledge of myself; and had the Almighty spared me these trials, and left me to myself, I must have perished utterly. "be

"But praised, for ever praised," would he say, that redeeming love by which all things have been ordered and arranged for my everlasting welfare; and I commit my soul henceforward to the Lord, being assured that he will accomplish the work which he has already begun in me, and that I shall be enabled to persevere in the heavenly way even unto the end; and this is the ground of my assurance, because I place no confidence in myself, but in Him 'in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning.'"

As I have before remarked, the baron lay under a state of severe bodily suffering and weakness for some years, in a situation where, though most affectionately treated, he had little communication with his countrymen, and could procure no intelligence of his family, excepting that his daughter had married again, and had perished soon after her husband, during the period of the most severe trials of her country.

The disorder of the baron at length took a turn; he recovered his health and strength; and, hearing of the ameliorated state of affairs in his native land, he resolved to return to it, and endeavour if possible, to recover some part of his patrimony. He accordingly arrived in a state of disguise, privately, in this country: and while awaiting the kind offices of a friend who had some interest with government, he himself reached Normandy, where, while lodging in a neighbouring village under a feigned name, he endeavoured to procure what information he could of his daughter. He had, however, hitherto inquired with little success, because he had not ventured to seek information from those who had formerly known him.

In the mean time, he visited the haunts of his childhood, and spent many hours in the ruined chapel, in the vaults of which the ashes of his ancestors were deposited; and there he prepared his mind for whatever turn his affairs might take, by reading the holy book of God, and meditating on all the consoling promises, and assurances of divine care, with which that holy volume abounds for those who love the Lord, and have been

brought to accept salvation through the blessed Son of God.

The answer of the baron's friend was delayed some time; but the old gentleman was kept in perfect peace, and in a state of entire resignation to the will of God; and it was at the moment when, within the solitary area of the ruined chapel, he had just been enabled to devote himself and all his concerns to the divine direction, that the voice of Lucie calling her brother reached his ears. The sweet, clear, and plaintive tone of the child's voice, and the well known name which she repeated, struck so forcibly to his heart, that he rose in haste from his divine meditations, and advancing to the door, very eagerly sought the little creature whose cry and pathetic call on Florentin so deeply interested him.

Thus have we informed our reader of the history and name of this venerable stranger who accosted the little peasant, and given some idea of the feelings with which he thus unexpectedly beheld the children of his daughter.

As the young Florentin approached to meet his sister, leading in triumph the animal whose loss had occasioned such a variety of adventures, the baron had full leisure to examine his fine form and expressive countenance: neither did the animated and graceful compliment which was paid him by the youth, when he first beheld him, pass unobserved or unadmired. Florentin advanced, and the baron thus addressed him :

"Your little sister, my young friend, has been in great distress on your account. I have been witness to her cries: she made the very woods and rocks resound with the beloved name of Florentin."

There is a natural politeness often to be observed among persons of this nation-a politeness of that perfect and finished kind which many have laboured to acquire in polished cities and courts of kings, and have laboured in vain. Wherever it appears, this politeness is beautiful and attractive, and has not unseldom been the cloak under which depraved characters have been enabled to render vice more seductive and its allurements more powerful. It is, however, difficult to conceive how lovely, how captivating this natural charm of manner will be when it is the companion of pure Christian principles, inasmuch as true religion is often

found to soften and beautify the manners of those who are naturally rough and awkward.

Florentin possessed the natural elegance of which we have been speaking in no small degree; he therefore replied to the person who thus unexpectedly addressed him in the most gracious and obliging manner: and while he smilingly reproved his little sister for her unnecessary alarm, he returned her caresses in a manner most expressive of brotherly affection.

The baron every moment found his heart drawn more closely to this brother and sister. He had, as I before said, seen and loved the son of his daughter in his infancy, but had not yet been able to discover whether the child lived; but of a daughter he had heard nothing, and he hardly dared to hope such happiness as to find himself the grandfather of two such children. Being agitated, however, by various feelings, and experiencing the necessity of seeking that self-command and submission to the divine will which his religion required, he assumed as much composure of manner as he was able; and remarking that the youth looked hot and fatigued, he invited him to come under the shade of the ruins, offering him a part of some little refreshment which he had prepared for his own dinner.

I shall not trouble my reader with the compliments which passed on this occasion between Florentin and the baron; suffice it to say, that after a while the youth consented to sit down at the door of the ruined chapel, while his cow grazed before him, and the baron regaled Lucie with such simple viands as he chanced to have brought with him for his dinner.

"You are of this country, my young friends," said the baron, as he turned from one to the other of his companions: "where do your parents reside?"

"We are orphans, monsieur," replied Florentin.

The baron changed colour, as his hopes were excited by this reply, and venturing another question, said; "Were your parents of this country?"

"Our parents are no more," replied Florentin: "they were unfortunate."

The manner in which the youth made this answer was such as seemed to preclude further inquiry. The baron felt this, and changed the subject. He spoke of the natural beauties which surrounded them, and of the infinite variety of the works of the great Creator.

The answers of Florentin to his remarks were not those of an untaught peasant; for as I have elsewhere observed, this youth had read and had acquired a taste for literature; and though his books had not been of a nature really to correct the natural depravity of his heart, or thoroughly to purify the taste, nevertheless, what he had read had given a certain grace to his expressions which astonished the baron, and rendered his interest in him every moment more lively; and he began to consider in what way he should introduce that which had occupied his whole thoughts for some years past, and in comparison with which he considered all other subjects of comparatively no importance.

While he was contemplating this matter, his eyes resting on the youth with a feeling of love and pity, such as he had never before experienced, Florentin himself, though unintentionally, led to the subject on which the baron was meditating, in a manner the most easy, by asking him what book it was which he held in his hand when he first accosted him. "I love to read," added the youth; "there is nothing I delight in more; but I have few books."

The baron looked at him with an expression of regard and pity. "You have few books?" he said; “and you love reading? Though I am a poor man, I perhaps may assist you with books, and may have it in my power to direct your studies." Florentin started on hearing this, and fixed his dark and expressive eyes on the baron.

"This book which you ask me about," said the baron, drawing the Bible respectfully from his bosom; "this book is the holy word of God."

"The Bible!" exclaimed Florentin, involuntarily stretching forth his hand to take it from the baron; "I have never seen a Bible."

The baron gave him the book, at the same time lifting up his eyes and heart to heaven in mental prayer, the subject of which was, that the Lord would open the path of heavenly knowledge to this unknown and interesting youth.

Florentin opened the Bible, and while he turned the leaves hastily over, Lucie got up, and coming close to him, looked eagerly on the sacred volume.

"I am an old man," said the baron to Florentin, "and was brought up (as too many are) in the utter ignorance of religion. I lived till I was more than forty

years of age without God in the world, following the vain and wicked desires of my own evil heart. The Almighty at length sent bitter afflictions upon me. I was deprived of all I possessed, and obliged to fly from my country. In the foreign lands to which I fled in order to save my life, I endured extreme distress for a while from poverty and sickness, and more than all from the rebellion of my own spirit; for I could not submit to the will of Providence, but thought my God unjust in thus exercising me with affliction. And in this miserable state I remained for a long while, until I was so blessed as to become acquainted with some poor good people, who took me to their house; and, while they administered to my bodily wants, they showed me the way of life and happiness.

"These poor people," continued the baron, “made me to comprehend, what I never before understood, though now it appears to me clear as the rays of light which strike through yonder cloud-namely, that the nature of man on earth is utterly depraved and wicked; -and they accounted to me for this depravity, by showing me from Scripture how the first man had been made originally innocent, and how he had fallen from that innocence by hearkening to the temptations of Satan, and swerving from obedience to God, thus admitting the principles of sin into his nature, through which all the human race has been rendered utterly corrupt both in mind and body.

"They also pointed out to me," continued the baron, "that all the disorders and confusion which I saw or heard of in the world were the consequence of this depravity of man's nature; and they showed me that true religion-that is, the religion of Jesus Christ-such as we find it in the Bible, affords the only remedy for all the evils of life. They finished by putting this holy book into my hand; and from that time," proceeded the baron," it has been my constant companion, my friend and comforter; insomuch that, when I have my Bible, I never appear alone and friendless; and, in solitary places like this, I enjoy pleasures superior to those which the courts of kings could supply."

The young Florentin hearkened to the baron with that expression of eager curiosity which we see in a fine countenance on occasions of the utmost interest;