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"Thine is the silent noon of night,

The twilight eve-the dewy morn;
Whate'er is beautiful and bright

Thine hands have fashioned to adorn :

Thy glory walks in every sphere,

And all things whisper-' God is here!'"

Mother. I have thought many times, my dear Annie, that I would devote an hour or so, at certain intervals, to the instructing of your mind in matters, which, though not taught at school, are, nevertheless, of importance that you should understand; because they concern your present and eternal welfare.

Annie. O mother, if you will be so kind as to teach me these things, I shall

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be very glad; and I will pay great attention to all you tell me, and endeavour to retain it too.

Mother. Well, my child, you seem to be so ready to hear, and promise so fairly, that I feel encouraged to begin my pleasing task.

Annie. And this will be a good time for you to give me a lesson; as we are quite alone, and nobody, I believe, is expected to visit us this evening.

Mother. I am not aware that any one will come to interrupt our converse; therefore, I will, at once, put my resolution into execution. I commence, then, by saying, you little know how often you come into my mind, and the anxiety you are the occasion of. The instant you were born, my love and care were exercised towards you; and, from that moment until now, the same warmth of feeling has been felt, and an equal, though somewhat different, care manifested.

When a helpless infant,

my unwearied attention was directed to the preservation of your body, merely, from harm; but, since you have arrived at riper years, and begun to employ your understanding, and to acquire knowledge, you occupy a position of far greater interest and consequence.

Annie. When I was a child, dear mother, I could not learn anything very well; but it is not so now that I can read correctly, and understand the meaning of what I read.

Mother. You are able to read, my love, and, I hope, comprehend, likewise, the subjects contained in your lessons: but, as I observed before, I desire to speak to you upon topics seldom taught at schools. Let me ask you-did you ever seriously consider, for a quarter of an hour only, how much better your condition is than a great number of children you meet with every

day? For instance, you have a parent, who is always watching over you for good:

you have never wanted either food, raiment, a comfortable house to dwell in, friends, or learning; whilst many around you are deprived of almost all these blessings.

Annie. I have not thought upon these things as I ought; but, you know, my dear departed father prospered more in his profession than the parents of those children, who are so badly provided for; and that is the cause of my being more comfortable than they is it not?

Mother. There is something you have overlooked, which is indeed too generally passed by. It is quite true, that your father had a thriving business, and, because he prospered in this way, your lot is rendered superior to that of others: but, who gave him the wisdom to plan, the strength to labour, the skill to execute, and crowned the whole with a successful result? I read in the Bible, that "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich." And did you never reflect, how dependent you are upon the

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