NE day, while awaiting the return of a clerical friend, I beguiled the time by examining the pictures which hung on his walls. One out of the number arrested my attention. It represented a man, with a dog by his side, both gaunt with famine, seated on a raft in the midst of an open sea. The sky overhead was cloudless, and a bright sun dipping into the west illuminated sea and sky with a fiery glow. On the sun-lit horizon the man's eyes, shaded by his hand, were fixed with an earnest, longing gaze. The dog also seemed to be looking wistfully in the same direction.

APRIL, 1869.

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This engraving, which was entitled "The Castaway," tells its own sad story. There has been a shipwreck somewhere at sea, and all on board the vessel have perished with the exception of the melancholy occupants of the raft. They, it would seem, are only reserved for a more horrible, because lingering, death.

They are alone-he the solitary sailor, and his dumb companion; alone on a frail raft, amid a dreary waste of waters, at the mercy of wind and tide; the sun, whose presence alone cheered them, goes down, and no sail is visible.

My friend on his return found me standing before the picture; and he too stood and regarded it, but with an expression so sad that I said to him

"This picture seems to recall painful recollections. Have any of your friends suffered shipwreck?"

"No," was the reply; "it reminds me of that solemn and never-to-be-forgotten time, when I too was a castaway."

"You!" I said, in astonishment, with a glance at his clerical attire.

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Yes," he replied: "for the space of a day and two nights I was alone on the deep; and thanks be to God that it so happened. Solitude with Him caused me to look back on a mis-spent youth, and made of me what, I trust, I now am, an humble follower of Christ. Doubtless," he continued, after a brief pause, you are surprised, as were those other friends to whom I have already told the painful story. If you wish I will relate it again: I never weary of recalling the time when, in solitude, and face to face with death, I was brought, through God's infinite mercy, to a true knowledge of my lost condition, and my Redeemer's omnipotence to save.

"I was the only child of my parents. My father, as you may have heard, was also a Presbyterian clergyman in a large manufacturing town; and the dearest wish of his heart was to see me tread the same path. But alas! with every desire to please him whom I loved and revered beyond any other man, the temptations around me proved too powerful for my weak, impulsive nature to withstand. Step by step, insensibly, almost reluctantly, as it were, I fell away; until at length, no longer regretfully, but eagerly, madly I plunged into a vortex of dissipation, led on farther and farther as much by the desire to

drown the still small voice within,' as to gain the applause of my dissolute companions. Farther and farther I was withdrawn by my wretched associates from the sweet home influence which up to this time had, even in the midst of riot and excess, exercised a restraining power on me. Deeper and more deeply I plunged into guilt, until, finding myself destitute of money wherewith to purchase fresh pleasures, and goaded almost to madness by the demands of those who had me in their power, I descended to the guilty meanness of stealing from my father. The theft was almost immediately discovered; and my father's mild upbraiding look melted my heart, which was not as yet utterly callous. I knelt at his feet and besought forgiveness. The pardon asked for was freely granted; and once more a father's blessing, drawn forth by the sight of my penitential tears, descended on my unworthy head.

"Cut to the heart by the absence of anything like reproach, and indignant with myself for having sinned against so good a father-ah! at that time I thought only of my earthly father, not of the yet more loving heavenly Father I had so grievously offended!-I vowed for the future to lead a new life. For some time I adhered to my resolution, and conducted myself in a manner which filled my parents' hearts with hope and joy; but gradually I allowed myself to be laughed out of this better state of mind. What with the force of old habits, and the insidious counsels and flatteries of some of my former companions in guilt, it was not very long before I was treading the same path as before. To discharge a gambling debt, I repeated my former crime, and fled from my home a miserable outcast.

"Not daring to face my parents, and impelled by necessity to decide upon some course of life, I made my way to the nearest seaport, where I found the captain of a vessel bound for South America willing to take me with him, provided I worked my passage out. Joyfully agreeing to these terms, in the course of a few days I found myself on board.

"You may imagine that, removed from my former associates, and having leisure to reflect on my past misconduct, the remembrance of my loving parents and their anguish of mind would have exercised a softening influence over my feelings, and led me to better thoughts. But it

proved far otherwise. Once on board ship, and working like the meanest 'there, I felt as though a complete wall of separation had been erected between me and everything that was decent; that by taking this step I had disgraced my parents, and become an outcast for whom there was no hope here or hereafter. So believing, instead of re-echoing the publican's prayer, 'God be merciful to me a sinner!" I determined to drown remembrance of what might have been in the society of others like myself. Unfortunately there were but too many such amongst my new companions. The greater part of the crew were a rough, profligate set, having respect for no laws, whether human or Divine. And yet how superior they were to myself! What gospel truths had been instilled into their childish minds? Who had taught them to remember their Creator in the days of their youth? What loving hands and watchful eyes had directed their steps in infancy? me much had been given, and I abused these precious privileges. The most dissolute amongst the sailors were my chosen companions; and I felt proud when I saw that my profligacy excited their surprise.

To

At length one of the more decent of the crew, Robert Jamieson by name, a stout, active-looking seaman of about forty, whom I had often remarked for his sober, orderly conduct, became unable longer to witness my outrageous behaviour without remonstrance. One day, after a greater display than usual of recklessness upon my part, he called me to him as he sat on a coil of ropes by himself. When I approached him, wondering in my own mind what he could have to say to me, he took a Bible from his pocket, and opening it, pointed to the verse where it is written: 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' An impious reply hovered on my lips, but he checked it and said

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"Young man, I too was a reckless, hot-brained sailor, and cared for none of these things; still I was never so bad as you; God be praised for that! but I was bad enough, and might have become worse but for his mercy. Sunday, while on shore and having nothing to do, I strayed into the nearest church. The clergyman preached from this very text; and the picture he drew of what a wretched unrepentant sinner might expect at the hands of a justly offended God was so awful that from that day I became a changed man. I waited upon him the next time I got

leave, and told him the glad news. He gave me this Bible, and pointed to the words, "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Young man! that godly clergyman was your father. Yesterday I was told that you were his son, and in return for his having, under God, saved me from sin and misery, I would wish to reclaim his son.'

"It is too late!-too late!' I cried; and breaking from him, rejoined the knot of sailors I had quitted to go to him.

"Daily, hourly, this good man renewed his solicitations that I would cease from my evil ways and turn unto Him who saith, 'He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out;' but I turned a deaf ear to all his entreaties, repeating the same sad burden, 'Too late! too late!' as though it could ever be too late to come to Jesus!

"Thus weeks passed away, Jamieson still striving, praying, hoping; and I still unregenerate. We were being swiftly borne onwards towards the new world I intended should be my future home. But heaven willed it otherwise.

"I had not escaped reprimand from the captain for my too frequent neglect of my duties; indeed, upon more than one occasion he threatened to turn me adrift if I did not conduct myself better; but threats, like good advice, had no other effect upon me than to render me defiant and insolent. Seeing this, the captain made me do double work, and when I refused I was sent below by way of punishment. This species of punishment proved anything but unpleasant to me, as my friends generally contrived to provide me with rum, or some other liquor, and, once intoxicated, then I had temporary forgetfulness -- the drunkard's happiness! One stormy evening, being in a sullen, refractory humour, I refused to work any more, saying I had already done enough. Upon this I was peremptorily ordered below. Once below, a quantity of spirits soon plunged me into a profound slumber. From this I was suddenly aroused by some one pulling me by the arm. I looked up, and saw Jamieson standing beside me, his face pale as ashes.

"Get up! get up!' he cried; 'the ship is sinking! Make haste, or we shall be lost!'

"I started at once to my feet, thoroughly sobered by terror, and sprung after him up the ladder. It was a fearful sight