son. The unbeliever. Power of Christianity. Particular case. Prisons. Old and new system of discipline. Stories of the convicts. The disobedient son. Conversation. Struggles with sin. Second story. Nature of ardent spirit. W.'s crime. Learning to read in prison. First lesson. Effect of the Bible upon W. Sins against God. W.'s mental sufferings. His prayer. His way of finding the 51st Psalm. His relief. Close of the convicts' stories. Charlestown state prison. Old build- ing. Crowded night rooms. Arms. Prison yard. Chapel. Prisoners going to Sabbath school. Aspect of the school. Prisoners' dress. Limited circulation of the Bible. Fear of death. The sick young man. Sting of death. The dying Way to study the Bible. The young man's experiment. The family circle. Distribution of books. Interest of the children. Particular directions. Familiar sounds. The motto in the school-room. Description from the Bible. Vivid concep- tions. Picturing the scene to the mind. Clear conceptions. West's picture of Christ rejected. Effect upon the assembly. Writing questions. God's command to Abraham. Questions upon the passage. Questions written by a boy. Many faulty. Utility of writing questions. Many questions on one verse. Experiment tried by a mother. A Sabbath school teacher. Re-writing Scripture. The boy's evening work. Actual case. Passage. Difficulty arising. Explanation of it. Story of Mi- cah, a specimen. Two specimens on the same subject. Ques- tions. Collating the Scriptures. Plan tried by James and John. Effect of this method. Three accounts of Paul's con- version. Advantages of the plan. List of lessons. Difficulties to be anticipated. Studying by subjects. The Sabbath. Je- rusalem. List of topics. Too little intellectual study of the Bible. Object of the historic form. Reading practically. Dai- History of the Sabbath. Change from Saturday to Sunday. Be- Spirit of the law. James' way of reading the Bible. A boy studying his lesson. The boat. The careful mother. Way to interest children. Conversation with the children. Ingenuity and effort necessary. The heart to be reached. Variety. Remarks of a clergyman. Necessity of variety. Religious 257 1. Nature of Trial. The steam-boat on trial. gineer. Improvements. Final results. and successful action. Life a time of trial. hood. The child and the forbidden book. Commands. Pain. Advantage of trial in childhood. Putting playthings out of reach. Conversation with a mother. Trials not to be shunned. 2. The uses of Trial. Self-knowledge. The deceived mother. True submission distinguished from false. The engineer was watchful. Trial a means of improvement. The boy studying division. The moral and arithmetical question. Practical di rections. God's providence universal. Losses of every kind 1. Moral Improvement. General improvement a Christian duty. Growing in grace. Unavailing efforts. The mother. The man of business. The dejected Christian. Direct efforts. Free- dom of feeling and freedom of action. Way to mold the heart. Metaphysical controversy. Story of the Duke of Gloucester. Richard's artful plan. The council. Violent measures. Murder of the boys. Analysis of the story. Rich- ard's wicked character. Sense in which character is volunta- ry. Distinction between character and conduct. Importance of it. Moral obligation. Ways of influencing the character. Effect of Christian knowledge. The mother. The child. Gra- titude. Christian action. Why Howard became interested for prisoners. Paul. Dependence upon the Holy Spirit. An evil heart. Divine influence necessary. 2. Intellectual Improvement. A finished education. Object of education. 1. To strengthen the powers. Robinson Crusoe's supposed experiment with Friday. Conic Sections. Difficult studies. 2. Acquisition of knowledge. 3. Skill. Three expe- riments with Friday. Teaching him to count. Study of Ma- thematics. Imperfect education. Neglect of important duties. Intellectual progress of a young mother. 1. Reading. Sys- tem. Variety. Thorough reading. Short works. 2. Con- versation. Difficulty of cultivating it. Means of cultivating it. Experiments proposed. Plans and experiments. Digesting knowledge. 3. Writing. Private Journals. Form and man- ner. Running titles. Family Journal. By brothers and sis- ters. Its advantages. Subjects. Notes and abstracts. True design of taking notes. Form of books. Plan. Variety. Specimens. Reynolds. Humboldt. Chronology. Syna- gogues. History of the Bible. Sir Humphrey Davy. Story of the sea Captain. Hiring children. The Savior's thirst on the cross. Deceiving children. Narratives. Ellen, or boast not thyself of to-morrow. The dying bed. The patient's in- terest in religion. Her address to her husband. Her affecting I wish, in this first chapter, to point out to my reader something in the nature and effects of confession which every one has perhaps, at some time, experienced, but which few sufficiently consider-I mean its power to bring peace and happiness to the heart. But to make myself clearly understood, I must suppose a case. Two boys, on a pleasant winter evening, ask their father to permit them to go out upon the river to skate. The father hesitates, because, though within certain limits he knows there is no danger, yet he is aware that above a certain turn of the stream the current is rapid and the ice consequently thin. At last, however, he says, "You may go, but you must on no account go above the bend." The boys accept the condition, and are soon among their twenty companions, shooting swiftly over the smooth black ice, sometimes gliding in graceful curves before the bright fire, which they have built in the middle of the stream, and sometimes sailing away into the dim distance, in search of new and unexplored regions. Presently a plan is formed by the other boys for going in a cheerful company far up the stream to explore its shores, and then return again in half an hour to their Story of the boys' disobedience on the ice. Consequences. fire. Our two boys sigh to think of their father's prohibition to them. They faintly and hesitatingly hint that the ice may not be strong enough, but their caution has no effect upon their comrades, and the whole set forth, and soon are flying with full speed toward the limit prescribed. Our boys think they may safely accompany them till they reach the boundary which they are forbidden to pass;-but while they do so, they become animated and intoxicated with the motion and the scene. They feel a little foreboding as they approach the line, but as it is not definitely marked, they do not abruptly stop. They fall a little in the rear, and see whirling through the bend of the river the whole crowd of their companions and, after a moment's hesitation, they follow on. The spot once past, their indecision vanishes; they press forward to the foremost rank,— forget their father, their promise, their danger. God protects them however. They spent the half hour in delight, return down the river to their fire,-and at the close of the evening they take off their skates and step upon the firm ground, and walk toward their home. The enjoyment is now over, and the punishment is to What punishment? I do not mean that their father will punish them. He knows nothing of it. He trusts his boys, and, confiding in their promise, he will not ask them whether they have kept it. They have returned safely, and the forbidden ice over which they have passed never can speak to tell of their disobedience. Nor do I mean the punishment which God will inflict in another world upon undutiful children. I mean another quicker punishment, and which almost alway scomes after transgression. And I wish my young readers would think of this more than they do. come. I mean the loss of peace of mind. As the boys approach their father's dwelling, unless their consciences have become seared by oft repeated |