indeed have mercy upon you! But might he not say, 'Why? On what ground? Have you not been taught by your Redeemer, whom I sent from Heaven, to pray to me daily, that I would forgive you your trespasses, on the very condition that you forgive them who trespass against you? But you have not performed this condition, and stand therefore self-condemned. You have passed judgment upon yourself, out of your own mouth, every time that you uttered that prayer. Your own son, the very fruit of your own loins, was unforgiven by you to the last moment.""

"I forgive him! Oh! I forgive him!" said the poor trembling man, quite overcome.

"God be praised!" I exclaimed, pressing his hand eagerly, and with an emotion which added, no doubt, to the efficacy of my words. "God be praised for working this change in your heart!" But soon recovering myself, and following the advantage that was gained, I proposed to send immediately for young Mr. Broom, that he might hear himself this joyful declaration of pardon from his father's own lips.

But he stopped me at once, and said, “Oh, no! I cannot see him! I have no wish to see him! I forgive him! Let that be enough!"

"Alas! alas!" I replied, "it cannot be enough, even to satisfy your own mind, to prepare you to meet your God with a perfect peace and tranquillity of soul. Much less can it satisfy your friends, your family, your once prodigal, but now afflicted, penitent son, who waits hourly at your door with tears and entreaties that he may be admitted to your sick bedthat he may throw himself upon his knees before

you-that he may receive from your own mouth for giveness and happiness."

"I wish him all happiness, from my heart," said Mr. Broom, catching my last word, and still dreadfully averse from any thought of seeing his son.

But how will he be assured of this, my good Sir, if you refuse him his just and natural desire, of seeing you; of confessing his own unworthiness before you; of asking pardon of you in his own person; of hearing you bless him with your expiring breath? Can he have any certainty of conviction in his own mind, that you have indeed forgiven him, and that you have sincerely prayed to God to bless and prosper him whilst you thus continue to cast him out of your presence? Will he not go down himself with sorrow to the grave; conscious, as he must be, that he has embittered your last days, and necessarily fearful that a father's curse will still cling to him, unless he both sees and hears you, before you depart for ever, in the delightful act of reconciliation and returning love? Ah, my good old friend! Pray to God to help you to secure the astonishing peace and satisfaction of mind which such conduct will give you. Pray to God to enable you to obtain this the hardest of all victories, this victory over yourself!"

He was touched, but he hesitated in silence. I too was silent. At length he said, "Spare me this new pain; the sight of him will kill me at once." His words were mingled with groans.

I was reduced for a moment to despair, and about to retire from the battle; but rousing myself once more and finally, I renewed the charge in the following manner.

"I came here, Mr. Broom, to join my prayers with your own, that it would please God of his gracious goodness to release you from your sufferings; but I see now too well the cause of those sufferings, and I see also that the purpose of them is not fulfilled; and therefore I cannot pray that they should yet be terminated. Sometimes the ways of Providence are dark and mysterious; but here his own finger is strikingly manifest. He is severe, but he is most mercifully severe. Had it been possible to save your soul without this protracted bodily pain, no doubt, at the age of eighty-five years, you would have fallen spontaneously, as it were, like the mellow fruit from the tree; or you would have been gathered to your ancestors, like the shock of wheat that cometh in in its season. But it could not be.Had you died so, you would have gone to meet Him, who came to make peace between God and you, with hatred in your heart; and you could not have stood before him. Behold then the infinite, unspeakable mercy of Heaven! God scourges; for thus alone could he effectually heal. He inflicts pain, agonizing pain; he prolongs it; he increases it, beyond what your advanced age might seem to be able to endure. The great act, for which he does so, he still puts into your own power. Oh! justify his doings by performing it; and then may you depart in peace, and in his favour!”

Ah!" he cried, "let it be as you will-Let my son be called."

What were the feelings of the old man at this instant I do not know: mine were overpowered, and floods of tears gushed forth from my eyes. I was wound up to the highest pitch by the length of the

exertion, by the uncertainty of the result, by the magnitude of the interest at stake; and now that the whole was suddenly crowned with success, I could bear it no longer. I kissed his hand with ardour, started from my seat, and rushed to the door. There I found the daughters and the servant, with streaming eyes and clasped hands, thanking heaven. They had heard all, and they showered their blessings upon me. Search was immediately made for young Mr. Broom; he was not to be found.

Ah! thought I, Providence will not always indulge our waywardness. This youth, who seeks a place for repentance with sighs and tears, cannot now find it; and this aged man, who, after the most painful struggle, has at last conquered himself, will not enjoy his victory.

However, it pleased God to decree otherwise. Young Mr. Broom arrived before it was too late. The scene was pathetic in the extreme. He threw himself at his dying father's feet, and scarcely rose from that humiliating posture till his father had breathed his last sigh. The trying interval was but short. The good Providence of God seemed to verify the account which I had given of it, afflicting only to save, and withdrawing the rod when the heart was changed.

I retraced my steps homewards, buried in deep thought upon the interesting and awful circumstances which had just passed; and at times glowing with inward delight and with gratitude to God for the noble opportunity of doing good with which my sacred office had furnished me, and which I would not have exchanged at that moment for rank, or wealth, or power.

CHAPTER V.

MRS. ATKINSON AND MRS. BRERETON.—

BAPTISM.

1. Mrs. Atkinson.

THIS Lady had been born and bred up amongst the Quakers; but, having married a Presbyterian without the permission of the congregation to which she had belonged, she was excluded from the fraternity altogether. From that time she attached herself to the Presbyterian forms of worship, and constantly frequented a chapel of that sect in her immediate neighbourhood. Meanwhile a numerous family sprung up, especially of daughters; the eldest of whom accompanied their mother to her chapel; but it was understood that in matters of religion they were to choose entirely for themselves. This was the wish of both their parents; their father was no bigot to his sect, but an advocate for perfect freedom of conscience; their mother, not having been brought up in Presbyterianism, had no hereditary predilection for it. The consequence was, that the daughters, having become acquainted with the then Curate of the parish, a man of zeal and ability in his profession, were gradually brought to be Churchwomen, upon principle and conviction; and they received the Sacrament of Baptism, when they were

VOL. I.

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