A demand upon the duties of my sacred calling was more readily answered in that time of Pestilence, than would have been any appeal to my feelings as a man. The solemnity of the circumstances under which I had just quitted the congregation of St. Botolph, had impressed my mind in an unwonted manner with the awful responsibility of the ministerial character, and the unspeakable value of the Gospel Message, which, as God's ambassador, the minister is charged to deliver. "It will be a deed of mercy," thought I, " to visit the poor dying creature, who may perhaps have some perilous sin weighing upon the conscience, and who hears nought in the hours of mental agony, save the thunderings of Sinai. To such an one, the mild accents of the Gospel will fall soft as the dew upon the tender herb. There may indeed be danger, but I trow that whilst we walk in the path of duty, the Buckler of Faith in our Master is an invincible protector.

Whilst thus communing with myself, I entered the house, and was conducted by the woman who had addressed me, to the sick chamber. The room was partially darkened, but there was sufficient light to discover in one corner a low bed, on which lay a woman grievously ill, who seemed already

wrestling with mighty death-her eyes were closed, her hands gently folded across her bosom, and a comely lass, seemingly of about fourteen or fifteen years, was wiping from her forehead, with a napkin, the big drops of sweat which every moment gathered and hung upon it. My conductress approached the bed, and told the sick one, that a servant of God

was by her side.

She opened her eyes, and seeing

me, who was there close to her, she seized my hand in both hers, fervently ejaculating in broken accents scarcely louder than a whisper,

pray with me-pray for me.

"Pray with me

My time is short, and I stand in much need of holy consolation. Pray! pray! and let me once more hear the Word of God from lips which God hath sanctified to his service."

Without further delay I knelt, and poured forth my spirit in prayer; and the Lord vouchsafed his blessing upon the work I had in hand; for ere I had ended, a sweet serenity diffused itself over the countenance of the dying woman, which betokened how the soul was triumphing over the body; how the pangs of the latter, in the hour of sharpest anguish, were subdued by the new-born aspirations of the former, in its dawning glimpses of a glorified immortality.-Then did I rejoice, even

C

unto tears of gladness, in the fruits of my labour. On taking my leave, with a promise to the dying creature, that I would return the following evening, I questioned her kind protectress concerning the history of her charge.

It appeared that she was the only child of a merchant in the neighbourhood, who had but a few months before been in affluent circumstances; butbeing assailed by sudden reverses, his health declined, and he fell a victim to the Plague, after having been affectionately nursed by his daughter. The anxiety and danger necessarily connected with the performance of this duty, together with the sense of her unprotected and forlorn situation in the world, had greatly undermined her health; and the treachery and base desertion of a young man to whom she was betrothed, completed the sum of her wretchedness: sickness ensued, and in this condition my informant had humanely received her under her own roof.

Who the youth was, and how far the intimacy had proceeded towards marriage, she knew not, and indeed much of the story was a mystery ;— but, added the good woman, with sudden animation, as she closed her narrative, "I can well believe that she is pure and unsullied, for her life

hath been spent in meek and holy works, and such charitable duties as she might perform; the which, you know, sir, be the fittest garniture for the dying, and the flowers that smell sweetest on the grave."

On the even of the day following I again called, pursuant to my promise; and on entering the house, was informed by the landlady in a whisper, that the young man had returned penitent and humble, and was even then at the bedside of the forsaken one, bitterly reproaching himself with his cruelty. I would have retired, but that she entreated my stay, and motioning me to be silent, I followed her into the room adjoining that in which the sufferer lay.

66

The curtains of the bed were partly drawn, so as to conceal our presence; but the murmurs of anguish of the lover, and the low calm voice of her who essayed to control them, were distinctly audible. Oh, cease these self-reproaches!" she exclaimed, "Have pity on yourself and on me! Load not, I pray you, a soul preparing for its flight, with the sorrowing that belongeth only to earthly existence! My pardon dost thou ask? Oh! receive it, love, for all unmeet were it that human weakness should withhold reciprocal forgiveness. Alas! my too fond heart! I should not have cherished a

passion which, unsanctified by your earthly parent, could hardly be expected to have the dew of heavenly blessing on it. It was filial duty in you to pause in our career, and I only have been to blame; so that I rather have most need of the mercy which you crave. That Providence which knoweth the depth of woman's devotion, could alone guide her affections unto a place and Being worthy of their deepest and eternal fervour. And this hath been done for me, since my God hath at length fixed my wandering love upon Himself! I may well, therefore, be humble and grateful, for escape from the besetting dangers of the storm of earthly passion."

"Whilst I the demon who raised that storm around thee, must be abandoned, unblessed, and left to reap the whirlwind alone!" sobbed forth a voice, in tones of bitter anguish.—“But let me unburden my conscience, for I have been as unjust to my father's character, as false to thy love!".

"How!" murmured the dying sufferer, in a half reproachful accent, which instantly softened into tenderness, as she added, "but I can forgive thee still."

"Hear me," replied the youth, in a broken, though rapid voice, "know all the story of your wrongs, all the depths of my guilt; and then, if thou