much to itself, and would amuse itself for hours on the carpet, playing with the kitten or its broken toys, while she was doing some work for her absent husband.

So time passed away.

84

Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

THE ANNUNCIATION.

"I HAD not seen Ellen since the day of her first going to church. I was going near her house a few weeks after, towards the end of March, and I stopped to see her. The month had been very cold, severely cold, and she had felt it; her weak frame could ill brook the winds of spring but she was always cheerful, always; and never would do any thing which might admit that she had any cause of suffering beyond weakness of body.

:

"It is very singular, but so it is; the birth of nature is the death of man: and the spring, with all its sweet lengthening days and early flowers, and returning birds, seems often only to bring them to cheer the last hours of some young sufferer, who is looking to an early death and an early grave beneath the first green grass. How

many an eye has gazed on the warm blue sky of April through the window of the room which will not be opened again till they are gone, and how often have some of the last expressions of earthly joy been spent on the coloured hyacinth, or some early rose. But, however, though such thoughts seem sad, there may be some deep and blessed lesson beneath it all; and the spring speaks of a happier world beyond, and is full of life to the dying sufferer. It speaks of the joys of the new earth and the new heaven, of reunion in perfect peace in the garden of the Lord above.

"When I went in, Ellen was in her garden; the sun shone rather warmly, more so than it had done for some days, and she had gone out to see some hyacinths she had planted in the autumn. As I approached she came towards me with three or four of them which she had just gathered.

"I had been out,' said she smiling, 'to see how these were going on; Arthur is so fond of them, and I planted them for his sake, though he does not come in often to enjoy them,' added she, sighing. But he promised to come in early this morning, and I have been to gather these as a reward for his kindness. Poor Arthur; I fear

I wear him out with my wish to have him with But he is always kind.'

me.

"But Arthur did not come in, and Ellen was dispirited, but she tried not to shew it, and talked cheerfully to me, though I noticed that at every sound she started, and half rose as if she thought he had returned. But he did not come, though hour passed after hour.

"I knew she was ever interested in things of a serious and holy nature; she was anxiously seeking for truth, and as the next day was the Annunciation I suggested the idea to her, and asked her if she remembered it.

"No,' said she, 'I knew to-morrow was what they called Lady-day, but I never knew it had any religious meaning.'

"Lady-day," said I, "simply refers to the Blessed Virgin, who is blessed among women, and whose day the Church keeps to-morrow.

"Tell me something of it,' said she, 'for you know how little I know of these things as I ought; I should like to know more. I always thought it was wrong to think very much of the Virgin Mary; I was told it was.'

"The Blessed Virgin," said I, "was declared to be blessed among women by the angel who, on this day, announced the birth of our Blessed

Lord; and she should by every Christian person be considered as holiest of women. Indeed, one could hardly imagine any Christian doing otherwise than feeling thus towards the mother of our Blessed Lord; besides this, her character is one of singular beauty.

"But you have not answered what I said, about the idea I had of its being wrong to think of the Virgin Mary.'

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Some have made too much of her," said I, "and worshipped her almost as God; and this of course is wrong; in truth, many have thought that the fact of her being so seldom mentioned in Holy Scripture, and a veil being drawn over her life and death, was intended, lest men should think too much of her.

"I was never struck with that,' said she, 'it is very true.'

"She is mentioned four times," continued I, "in connection with our Blessed Lord after His birth, and each time Simeon's prophecy was fulfilled, a 'sword piercing her soul.'

"Once when she was at the marriage-feast, and our Blessed Lord said, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee?' shewing her that He had a greater work to do than one belonging to an earthly relationship.