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From this period Mary became the victim of cruel deception. A young man, five years older than herself, who had been an attendant at the same chapel during several months, now joined it in Church membership, and at once sought her as his wife. He was then in business, and prosperous. With much deliberation and inquiry both Mrs. A and Mr. L- were satisfied of the propriety of encouraging the wishes of the young person, to which Miss A- somewhat demurred. There was a flippant manner about him in conversing on religious subjects which, she always maintained in after-life, awed her, and ought to have been a sufficient warning to her of "the form of godliness" he possessed without its "power." But, alas! backed by the good opinion of Mr. L— and the still more influential favour of her beloved mother, she encouraged herself into the belief that they could not be mistaken in his character, and it was finally determined that she should accept Mr. Pas her husband.

My young readers may judge of the hypocrisy of this man's character when it is related that his boast after marriage was that, though he knew he had no religion himself, he was resolved he would not marry an infidel, and therefore, being satisfied of the genuineness of Miss A- -'s conversion, he sought her as his wife.

The bitter fruits of this unholy alliance soon manifested themselves in the family circle; prayer was abandoned, the Bible never touched by him, the house of God forsaken, the tavern frequented, the Sabbath desecrated; and as child after child was born, it was to witness an increase in his blasphemies against the God of his countless mercies; and the cruelties he practised towards his meek and patient wife increased. But as the fragrance of the

camomile is greater the more it is trodden on so the stedfastness of her love to Jesus, the Friend of sinners, shone brighter by her severe trials. Her husband now drifted into a profligate line of life, and was soon brought to a state of bankruptcy. The house to which he had taken his wife on their marriage, and where her eight children were born,was sold with the furniture. At this juncture the wretched husband destroyed himself; whilst the homeless widow, with a young family around her, mostly unprovided for, was compelled to seek a lodging in a garret, in the back streets of Clerkenwell. This heavy blow on a frame naturally very delicate, and heightened by the death of the only Christian relative into whose sympathizing ear she was wont to pour her trials, completely prostrated a mind formerly clear, active, and intelligent; and in a very short time she became unfit for the simplest mental employment.

It was one afternoon in the merry month_of May that a little mob of decent boys surrounded the door of my residence, whilst a female appeared amongst them, at whom some were throwing small stones, others insulting with rude laughing and jeering. She was admitted by my servant; but you must judge of my surprise when I recognized my poor Christian friend, Mary P-; her face was smeared with blood (apparently), and she carried a reticule tinged with the same: her dress tattered, her hair in such disorder that the boys had doubtless viewed her as one more fitted for Bedlam than for the crowded streets of London; yet, were this the case, it offered no excuse for their cruel behaviour. The sad tale was soon told; Mrs. P- had left her lodging in order to visit a lady in my neighbourhood to whom she was to give a lesson in painting. She could not

recollect the residence of her future pupil; she became much agitated, and in her distress, resolved on seeking my aid. Here again her memory failed her, and instead of coming at once to my door, she rang at the bells of several neighbouring houses, until one servant more severe than the others, vehemently scolded her, using many bad words, and threatening to give her in charge to the police; the boys soon echoed the servant's language, hooting after the poor creature. Nervous, and beyond all self-control, she fumbled in the reticule for the lady's note and address, but alas! her shaking fingers grasped a quantity of wet red paint, and with this she had disfigured her face in the manner described above.

After a little conversation she became calm; a note of apology was sent to the pupil, and the following day appointed for the lesson. I inquired for her children, but she could not then remember their names correctly; and, although one of her sons was residing at Liverpool, yet, so shattered was the memory of this dear saint, she positively affirmed that he had never been there. Just then, an aged Christian joined us. After hearing the foregoing particulars, he addressed Mrs. P. thus: "Well, ma'am,though you did not know the Doctor's address, you know the Lord Jesus as the Saviour of the lost sheep of the house of Israel '?" Indeed I do," she quickly replied; "and I hope He will know and own me also when I die."" But does He not own you now?" inquired he. "I love Him more than all things here below; but does He love me, I sometimes ask myself." Well, that is soon answered, by the beloved disciple John," rejoined the aged saint: "We love Him, because He first loved us.' They continued in the same line of conversaon for nearly an hour, during which it was truly

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marvellous to notice the clearness of her judg-
ment, and the warmth of affection in all things
connected with her spiritual state and everlasting
hope of salvation through the atoning blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. The state of her mind
at length became so feeble, that she was scarcely
able to connect the simplest events together, and
she much resembled in manner and in dress that
sad young maiden so touchingly alluded to by
Cowper, who, after losing her betrothed at sea,
and hearing the doleful tidings of his death,-
"Never smiled again! a tattered apron hides,

Worn as a cloak, and hardly hides, a gown
More tattered still; and both but ill conceal
A bosom heaved with never-ceasing sighs.
She begs an idle pin of all she meets,

And hoards them in her sleeve; but needful food, Though press'd with hunger oft, or comelier clothes, Though pinched with cold, asks never-Kate is craz'd!" But Kate was susceptible of the power of divine grace; and that eternal spark, when lighted in the breast of one who is a wreck both in body and in mind, shall shine, like its divine Author and Giver, unto and throughout endless ages of glory and of bliss. Such was the case with my friend. Mrs. Pbecame at length quite imbecile, and would sit for many hours striving to sketch or paint as heretofore; but this little amusement she was compelled to abandon in consequence of her hand and side being affected by a form of palsy. Bereft of all earthly comforts beyond the bare necessaries of life, left by her children, who were scattered in different places, but managed to supply a scanty means for her subsistence, she gradually sank into a fatuous state of mind, and the only theme which aroused her interest was that of the love, mercy, and goodness of the Lord.

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A short time before her death, a friend who had also been the subject of much mental trial, was speaking of God's mercy in the midst of deserved judgment. She interrupted him thus: "God's mercy! do you know what that means ?" Her friend replied, Yes, I hope I do, for it reached my desperate case when I had no more ground for salvation than the poor publican." Ah," she said, "it is the blessed foretaste of glory to enjoy the assurance of this salvation in the soul, and to be permitted to look up into the face of God the Father, and say, 'Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee, and desire Thee above all things.' Yes, to hear the sweet whisper of God the Holy Ghost in the heart: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love,' and then the echo within answering, 'Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee, dear Jesus.' After a pause, she said,

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"But may I hope that Thou wilt own

A worthless worm like me?'

Yes; He will not forsake the work of His own hands; if He did, creation would crumble to dust in nature and in grace too." Then raising her feeble voice, she emphatically repeated, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

"Thus, though a sinner, I am safe,
He pleads before the throne
His life and death in my behalf,

And calls my sins His own.'

Thus did God's grace continue to shine forth brightly in this dear saint to the hour when her disembodied spirit quitted the shattered frame, and took its flight to the bosom of her gracious Lord and faithful God. As body and mind'de

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