self, and of his religious thoughts, or feelings, or practices. This is the way in which Satan will try to gain entrance a second time into his heart, and to rob him of the benefit of any improvement that there might be in him. But this

is, of course, no reason why he should give up his prayers and endeavours, his repentance and selfexamination, his watchfulness and self-denial. These are plain duties, and, therefore, we cannot be too earnest or take too much pains with them, if only we remember that if we are proud or satisfied with ourselves on account of them, we throw away all hope of the blessing which we might otherwise have looked for from them. To do otherwise would be to distrust God, and to pretend to be wiser than He: it would be to say that the way which He has appointed for us to walk in is too dangerous for us, and that we must walk in a way of our own.

And as to its being said, that to make much of repentance is to draw a man's thoughts away from Christ, I believe that it is just the contrary. For what is repentance but seeking to know our sins, and to despise and loathe ourselves on account of them? and it is plain that he who has most of this selfabhorrence will be most ready to look to Christ for hope and pardon. But I must leave you now, Thomas, so good bye; God bless you."

THE EMIGRANTS TO BRAZIL.

THE EMBARKATION.

After a long and weary journey, Herman and his family arrived at length at Amsterdam. His first care was to find a lodging for his children he then directed his steps to the Port, where he had appointed Conrad to meet him. He found him already there, awaiting his arrival After their mutual greetings, Herman enquired of his son

whether he had secured their passage. "Yes, father," replied Conrad, "you will only have to pay 200 crowns; I have arranged all as well as I could." As he finished these words, the poor youth could hardly suppress a sigh.

How! 200 crowns! It is very little for five persons, besides a child. Did you tell the captain how many we are in number?"

"Yes, father, he is waiting for Let us make haste, the vessel is ready to sail.”

us.

"This captain then takes us across for charity? He must be a very worthy man!" This observation caused Conrad so painful an emotion that he turned away his face to hide his tears. His father perceived it. "Why, what is the matter?" asked Herman, astonished; 66 you appeared to me the only one of us who undertook this expedition with pleasure, and now you weep at the very instant you are setting off. Have you changed your mind?”

"No, father, this voyage is now our only resource; I undertake it with courage;-but let us go for my brother and sisters, for fear of the vessel starting without us; we might not find another which would take us on the same conditions."

Half an hour afterwards the vessel, which was already crowded whole family were on board the with emigrants.

"Here you are at last!" exclaimed the captain, who was a coarse looking man, with hard and repulsive features; pay me immediately the 200 crowns.

แ

I have been cheated more than once by people like you, and I do not mean to be so again."

"Do not be uneasy," replied Conrad firmly; "people like us do not cheat."

The honest Herman, mute with astonishment and indignation, handed his purse to his son. Conrad

followed the captain to his cabin, gave him the 200 crowns, and signed a paper which this unfeeling man coolly presented to him; but, as he signed it, a big tear rolled upon it.

"How!" exclaimed the captain, you are crying like a child! Once arrived at Rio de Janeiro, I beg you will not blubber in that way; no one would have anything to say to you, and our bargain would not be a good one for me.",

66

'Sir," ," said Conrad, "they are the last tears I shall shed over my misfortune. I am a man and a Christian, and my good father has taught me early the necessity of courage and resignation."

"Now that is what I call reasonable," said the captain, as he locked up the money and the paper, "then you will put a good face upon it, and I shall not lose by you. But, do you know, your younger brother is stout and strong; if you would propose to him-him-privately you understand for, according to what you have told me, the good man your father would not consent to it -if you could persuade him to sign an engagement like yours"

"God forbid !" exclaimed Conrad with horror."

"Faith! I am not asking you to do this for nothing," continued the captain; "I will give you fifty good crowns.'

"I sell my brother!" cried Conrad; no, never! It is enough to have sold myself. I have sacrificed myself for my father and my family. It was my duty, and I have done it."

"I will add ten more crowns," urged the captain, who was a man incapable of appreciating a noble sentiment.

"No, sir."

"I offer you seventy-five crowns." "No, no, a thousand times no, and always no, even were you to offer me a hundred thousand."

"You are a fool! Begone!" Conrad returned to his family, who were impatiently waiting for him.

"Is all settled?" asked his father. "Yes, dear father," replied Conrad, "they will show us directly a place below for ourselves and our baggage."

THE VOYAGE.

The place assigned to each passenger was not more than seven feet long and five feet wide. In this narrow space they had to move about, eat, sleep, and keep their luggage. Seventy other emigrants, almost all of the lowest class, and very dirty and coarse in their habits, were crowded with Herman and his family between decks, so that the air, contaminated by the breath of so many people shut up in such a small compass, was almost pestilential. Damaged provisions in insufficient quantities, were served out to these passengers. The sea biscuit, which formed the principal part of their food, was full of maggots, which they had to pick out before they could eat it. Their dinners consisted of dried peas and beans, boiled with rancid bacon, of which each received a small slice. Their only drink was bad water, in such small quantities, that they suffered from unceasing thirst, increased by the constant use of salt provisions. Herman bore his own sufferings with patience, but when he saw Margaret's sweet infant pining away day by day, grief overcame him, and he often reverently exclaimed, "Oh, God, take pity on us!" Providence had reserved for them a still more severe trial. babe, deprived of its proper nourishment, and breathing infected air, died during the passage; what a sight for a mother! The sailors tied its little body on a plank, and threw it into the sea, to become the food of the voracious sharks. Mar

The

garet sat bathed in tears, her family wept around her. "Thou art very unhappy, my child," said the father to Margaret, "but think on the sufferings of the Blessed Virgin, beside the cross of her Divine Son, our Saviour, and beg of Jesus Christ to give thee strength to bear thy affliction."

Before they approached the Bra zilian shores, a furious tempest arose. The captain had all the passengers shut up below, for fear their alarms might make them hinder the sailors in navigating the ship. The pitching of the vessel threw them one against another; boxes and trunks rolled about in all

directions, and caused many hurts and bruises; added to which most of these unfortunate creatures were suffering from sea-sickness.

"God has ordered all for the best," said Margaret to her father, as the tempest subsided; "let us thank Him for having taken my poor child to Himself before this dreadful storm began. He could scarcely

have survived it, and might have been crushed to death in this rolling of the vessel. He would have suf fered more than he did, and so should we. Yes, all that God does is well done may His Holy Name be blessed for ever!"

THE MONTH OF MAY. Canticles ii. 10-13.

Of all the year, I love the month of May; For May is Love :-the love-lorn nightingale

Trills from her tree-top bower Love's roundelay;

Field, flood, and forest, echo the same tale.

At this sweet season Love descends in showers

Into the bosom of our mother earth, To impregn her fruitful womb with kindly flowers,

And all creation teems with a new birth.

The early rains drop warm from cloudless skies ;

The winds blow southly; the clear streams are curl'd;

The day shines bright; y-basked the swarmy flies

Dance with new feathers o'er the dodal world.

Then my young heart own the soft influ

ence,

And, like all Nature, spring with genial

sense!

THOUGHTS FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION.

29th of May, 1851.

Thou Festival of Mysteries sublime!
O Day of Separation, not of grief!
Ascension draws our spirits to a clime
Where all our toils and pains shall find
relief.

We rise, this day, to where our Lord hath gone;

That we, with Him, may never cease to dwell:

To God's Right Hand th' Eternal Son hath flown,

And in His flight He bids us rise as well.

The Same Who was in Bethlehem's manger born,

And died at Calvary, upon a Tree, And after, rose again, on Easter Morn,

Hath now Ascended through Infinity!

As Man-in human form and features clad

As Man-the very first-fruits of the

tomb

As Man-erewhiles so sorrowful and sad-GOD, rose triumphant from our world of

gloom

THE NILE-BOAT.

In the morning it was discovered that we had had a most providential escape, for that, at a very short distance below the place where the boat had been stopped, were some ugly rocks which could scarcely have failed (had we come against them) to have sunk, or materially damaged, the boat.

On the following day the wind continued, and little else was effected besides bringing back the unfortunate Lotus (for such was the name of our friends' boat) to her former moorings, and advancing a mile or two up the river.

In the way of scenery there was absolutely nothing attractive until we reached the rocks of Gebel-elTeir. In most places the coast was flat, although a range of rocks with flattened tops, commencing opposite Benisouef, extends up the eastern side of the river to Gebel-el Teir. As we approached the Mountain of Birds (for such is its English signification) the range of rocks rose more abruptly from the river and gradually grew higher and more imposing. Shortly before reaching Gebel-el-Teir, upon a low promonotary of sand, we perceived a crowd of diminutive looking objects which, by aid of the telescope, we discovered to be persons composing the procession of a Christian funeral. The neighbourhood of the Coptic Monastery of Gebel-el-Teir is inhabited by Christians, who, though holding the Coptic heresies, have professed constancy to the faith of the Redeemer, from father to son, since the days when the Martys of Alexandria, by faith, effected the overthrow of the time-honoured altars of Osiris. From this point

the rock rose precipitately and, at a short distance beyond, presented a perpendicular wall of vast height, indented with caves and crevices. At the summit of this huge rock, which is the Gebel-el-Teir, or the Mountain of Birds, is the ancient Coptic Monastery, which can only be reached from the river by means of ropes and pulleys. My companions were not inclined to delay our progress (especially as we had a fair wind) to visit this relic of the first Christian ages, and I was forced to console myself with the hope that I should be able to see it on my return-a hope, alas! not destined to be gratified. The Monastery, as I saw it from the river, appeared an irregular stone structure, rudely built, rising out of the rock of which it seemed almost to form a part. It was surmounted by two domes, marking, as I supposed, the positions of the two Churches, mentioned by Curzon as being some of the oldest Christian Churches remaining in the world. It is probable that one of them is of the third century. Much do I regret having missed seeing such remnants of antiquity as these,Churches built in the purest and brightest ages of the Faith!

The aspect of the present inmates of the monastery was not encouraging. As we approached the rocks of Gebel-el-Teir we saw various figures on the heights and others running down steps which have been cut for a certain distance in the rock and then cease. In a short time we saw naked men swimming around our boats in all directions, while two or three of them actually jumped on board in their anxiety to obtain "baksheesh”