'Well, I believe you have got true discernment,' he said, with a smile that had something of sadness in it. 'And what do you think was the connexion?' 'My discernment could never make out that.' The most seemingly inappropriate one-a condemned cell.'

The words fell on my ear like the death-peal amid sounds of revelry: all around us was life, and light, and joyousness, and the contrast brought to the mind was gloom, despair, death.

"When I came along here this morning,' he continued, those hills were shrouded in fog, the clouds that had not dispersed after the night's rain rested heavily on them; now how bright, how clear they look; the change reminded me of the prophecy"At evening-time it shall be light."'

I looked in his face, in expectation of more.

'I was drawing a comparison, in my own mind, between the scene I had left and that.'

A contrast, you mean.'

'No, indeed, a comparison.'

"How? do you mean to say your doubts as to poor Tennisson are cleared up, and that he dies the death of the righteous?'

I trust he will do so. I do not wish generally to express a conviction of his innocence, because it might have a bad effect on the poor people here, who are always prone to say every culprit is sacrificed unjustly. A Christian dare not to cover his sin, and could not deny guilt, and I do trust that poor John is now made such.'

'You had always a good opinion of him.'

'Yes, as an upright, well-meaning young man, intelligent and industrious above most others; but

now,' he added, after a pause, and with a solemn look, like yon sun on the mists of night, I trust the Sun of Righteousness has arisen on his soul, and shone through nature's darkness; and the language of his heart, even from a condemned cell, is-He was made sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in him.'

I have seldom seen anything of more elevated holiness, anything more like to the expression of a pure spirit joying over a sinner that repenteth, than was that of the rector's countenance in saying these words.

'I said to Tennisson,' he resumed, as the tone of his mind gradually lowered, that the ways of God are sometimes inexplicable; that in his case they appeared so, and that we must rest in submission to his will until that day when the secrets of all hearts shall be made known.'

There is, sir, a mystery in them as regards me,' he answered; but I should wish to believe that the end to be effected is the salvation of my soul.'

We walked on some minutes in silence, each occupied in reflection. The subject of mine was soon made apparent, by such enquiries as these-Why do the innocent suffer?-why are they happy who deal treacherously?—why does the unrighteous cause prevail? and why do slanders, and calumnies, and wrongs disturb the peace of the peaceable?

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'My dear, fretful friend,' said the good man, Atheist argues from the existence of moral evil the non-existence of God. By suffering a weak, unsteady mind to run into such a channel as yours has just now taken, man becomes that most unhappy of beings, a sceptic; nay, man would fathom the coun

sels of Omnipotence. Because the prince of the power of the air appears evidently as the spirit that ruleth in this world, he disbelieves that he who ruleth on high is mightier. Because the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, he forgets that this disordered life is but an atom detached as it were from the eternity of man's existence; that if the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they may be cut off for ever; that a day is coming when the earth shall be judged in righteousness, and every one receive according to that he hath done.'

As he concluded, we stood on the steps of the halldoor: Nanny was there waiting for us: she received the intimation of the prisoner's state of mind with greater emotion than I expected. She hid her face on her father's neck and wept. Simple-minded and happy girl! even from her birth trained in the paths of piety and peace, she found them ways of pleasantness, and joyed that others should walk therein. This world, peaceful and happy as it was to her, was regarded merely as the way to a better; and her heart, glowing with all the fresh, warm feelings of nature and youth, softened and sanctified by grace, overflowed with deep and grateful emotion to learn that there was hope for a soul drawing so near to that eternity, with constant reference to which she was taught to live.

(To be continued.)

FEMALE BIOGRAPHY OF SCRIPTURE.

ABIGAIL.

No. II.

WHEN the tribes of Israel, wearied with their long wanderings of forty years in the wilderness, entered into that rest which Joshua gave, a rich and fruitful inheritance was reserved for the believing Caleb and for his seed after him; and it is in accordance with the declarations of the divine word, that we find one of his descendants long afterwards "living in prosperity:" for " a good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children. His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed wealth and riches shall be in his house; his horn shall be exalted with honour." Among the individuals of a tribe celebrated for its pastoral wealth, few could boast of larger possessions than Nabal, the unworthy scion of a worthy stock. This man is introduced to our notice, at a time when the rudest and most ungracious of the sons of men usually appear to advantage; at a time of feasting and jollity, when the fulness of earthly good disposes to self-complacency, and by consequence to a display of good humour towards others; for they who own not the discipline of principle are ever the changelings of temperament, and in the day of merriment even fools can be courteous.

The herdsmen of Caleb were shearing his three

thousand sheep in Carmel, and a feast was held in his house" like the feast of a king." There was at this time, while Nabal was receiving his good things, an individual of his own tribe in utter destitution; driven away from the fields of his paternal inheritance, and from the duties of his calling, and forced to wander whithersoever he could find shelter for his head or food for his hunger. At the head of a tumultuous and lawless band, whose hearts, embittered by misery, had turned to gall within them, David had been enabled so far to influence his followers, that they had respected in their need the property of the rich descendant of the line of Judah; while, at the same time, the presence of this troop in his neighbourhood had served to defend Nabal from the predatory attacks of other nomade bands. Conscious that Nabal could not be ignorant either of the services he had rendered to him, or of his own urgent need, David sent messengers to remind him of these things, and to offer, by the contrast of his own indigent circumstances, an additional claim to the rich man's bounty. The nature of David's request was as reasonable as it was humble. He did not ask to participate in the delicacies provided for Nabal's household: he did not ask the unusual luxury of the slaughtered flesh, with which his servants were about to be regaled. He did not stipulate, but was content to receive the crumbs of Nabal's bounty in what way soever he should think proper to dispense them.

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Say to him that liveth in prosperity, Give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand to thy son David." Had the love of God dwelt in Nabal's heart, he could not have borne to see a brother, a kinsman, hungry and destitute, and suffer him to go