way teaching them to pray morning and evening, to beg God's blessing on each day, and to thank him at night for his mercies. He was strictly honest, and a pattern of temperance and sobriety. He had his amusements too; but they were not those of scandal-bearing, gambling, or drinking. His garden, which was neatly kept, so neatly, that it often attracted. the attention of the passing traveller,—was one of his chief sources of amusernent. In summer, after his work was over, he generally spent an hour in the evening in cultivating and keeping it in order. But the employment in which he took most delight was the instruction of his family. Though his children went every morning to the parish school, which was two miles distant, seldom a day passed of which he did not spend a part, in teaching them their catechism, or hearing them read their Bible. It was a pleasing sight, to see him sitting with his younger children, one on each knee, and the older standing round him, listening to his plain but sensible remarks as they went on.

Thus educated, James Meadows' children not only soon became useful, but they had the choice of the best services in the country. Their father, however, would suffer them to go only where the family was sober and regular,

and the master and mistress set a good example. "I have taken a great deal of pains with my children," James would say, "and my reward is to see them well placed. They can all work, thank God, and are all willing; and I am in no fear of their getting a livelihood anywhere." This spirit in the father gave credit and consequence to the children. Thus when Lady Stately wanted Betty Meadows for a house-maid, and sent her father word that she had made the necessary inquiries respecting the young woman's character, which had been satisfactory, he sent a civil excuse, well knowing that his girl would gain nothing in a house where irregularity and levity prevailed, and hired her, though for lower wages, to a clergyman's widow.

"You are now, my dear Bess," said he to the girl before she set out for her service, "going from your good mother, who has always given you the best advice. You will now have to advise yourself. I hope there is no occasion to give you any instruction about your duty to God, and reading your Bible: I shall only therefore give you a little about your new way of life. You are going into a good family, where you have every prospect of being comfortable. If you find yourself really so, do not be

in a hurry to leave it, though you may hear of other girls who have less work, and higher wages. Work seldom hurts a young woman in health; but laziness and idleness always do. And as to getting high wages, be more anxious about getting a good character. Staying long in a place is creditable. My good father used always to say, 'A long service is a good inheritance;' and I found his words true. I have only further to say, that if you find you cannot live happy in your present service, beware of being saucy or pert. It is a fault very common among servants now-a-days, in consequence of the great encouragement and high wages they receive. It must certainly hurt themselves more than their employers." After a few words from her mother about her dress, advising her to be always neat, but never tawdry, and not to ape in expensive clothes those whose circumstances can well enough afford them, Betty set out for her service.

Nor was it only in his own family that Meadows was of use; his friendly disposition was so well known, that wherever there was any distress, he was the first person applied to; and many a day's work he gave up to serve a friend. He was a man of such strong natural sense too, and so well informed for a person in his station,

that he had always something to say that was proper on every occasion. If ever he heard a lad swearing, for instance, he would tell him, swearing was hard work, whatever he might think of it. It was working for the devil without wages. "You will get nothing for your labour, my lad, and why will you do for the devil what you would do for no master on earth!"

How good a divine James was, will appear from the following little story. He was mowing one day with Bob Scott, a young fellow of the parish, who was not over fond of work; indeed, the only thing he liked was going out with his gun, when he could get poaching a little without being observed; an occupation which generally gives a man a distaste for any regular employment. After eating their dinner under the hedge, James had just given God thanks, when Lord Belmont came past in his coach. "Ay, there," says Scott, "is a man who has something to thank God for. He has nothing to do but ride about where he pleases, and has a good dinner to go to on his return home, with a glass of the best; while we poor beings, after a hard day's labour, are glad to get a bit of dried cheese to our bread, with a drink of water!" "How do you know," said Meadows, "that my lord is happier than you or I? Is it riding in a coach,

or eating a good dinner that makes a man happy? No, no, Bob, something else is necessary: he must have happiness within. And no doubt his lordship has grievances like other people. But suppose he was ever so happy, what then? Does that make us unhappy? I am sure there is as much happiness in my cottage as in Belmont-house. Besides, what matters it, during the little while we have to live in this world, whether we are lords or labourers? We are all travelling to eternity, Robert, Lord Belmont, and you and I alike. And what great difference does it make, though he were to go a mile of the journey in a coach, and we on foot? He must soon get out of his coach, and we will then be on an equal footing. Then happy he who has been most grateful to Divine Providence, and who has made the best of the talents entrusted to his care, whether they have been many or few. If we have lived well with our little, and done our duty as unto the Lord and not unto man, God Almighty will reward us, poor as we are, as much as he will reward my lord, though he may have done what good he could with his better means. What will it then signify how we have travelled the mile we have to go in this world? our business is to look to the long journey we have to go afterwards."