'Her sorrow thus was hushed, and she enabled to rejoice that she had ever been so blessed as to become the mother of a child, early removed from her embrace to join the high and holy throng above.

'She often looked upon the child that remained, with indescribable tenderness, and remarked, 'If dear little Emily may but live to bless the world, I shall joy to leave her behind me. I have desired, if it be best, that she may be spared to do good; if she may not be destined to exert a good influence, I pray my heavenly Father may soon take her to Himself.' One of these desires she felt confident would be granted, and she sweetly acquiesced in the will of her Father, God.

'Mrs. Otis was confined many months in the room of sickness, but always exhibited a temper of mind that could not fail of hallowing the feelings of all who were permitted to spend even a few hours with her. So grateful and affectionate was she to all who attended her, during her protracted illness, that they felt it to be a great privilege to be allowed to take care of her.

'The dreaded hour drew near which was to remove from her friends one whose presence, even in suffering, cheered and supported them, as they watched beside her couch. At this solemn crisis, the virtues of this lovely woman shone with unearthly lustre; her countenance wore an expression almost angelic, and all around her felt that the chamber of death, from which her emancipated spirit took its upward flight, was not only devoid of gloom, but illumined with radiance celestial.

"O," said Mrs. Otis, a short time before her purified soul left the frail tenement it inhabited to dwell with kin

dred spirits in a fairer realm, "it is sweet to die! I love to think that I was born to prepare for this hour!"

"O, who would live alway, away from his God,

Away from yon Heaven, that blissful abode !"

To her husband, she bade a most tender and affectionate farewell, saying, "I shall expect to meet you in Heavendo not disappoint me." She kissed her dear child with much affection. To her widowed mother she expressed the liveliest emotions of love and sympathy, saying, “If I may but meet you in Heaven, I shall love you as I wish."

'When the pale messenger had near arrived, she exclaimed," Can this be death? O, how bright does eternity appear!" then with a smile of ineffable sweetness, in the words of the poet, added,

"Short is my passage, short the space
Between my home and me."

'Soon after, her disembodied soul was escorted by ministering spirits to that rest prepared for those who strive to imitate the example of their heavenly Leader.

The friends she had left, stood for a while in silent admiration, gazing upon the lovely remains of one too bright to be long beheld by mortal eyes-too fair for earth. Those who loved her, could not but feel, though deeply afflicted, that God, in love, had removed her to Heaven.'

Removal Simon

CHAPTER VIII.

- Legacy Mr. Oliver and his Aunt - Will al

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tered by stratagem · Simon and his nautical friend Mrs. Nelson - her visit to Brookfield.

A WANT of fixed moral principle in Mrs. Nelson, tinged almost all her actions with a hue not calculated to please.

After her last marriage, she removed to a place a short distance from that in which she had for some years resided, taking with her two or three, only, of her children. Loraine and Benjamin were abroad at this time; her eldest daughter married, and settled near the town her mother left; and the reader will recollect that when we last spoke of Simon, we left him in Brookfield, with the kind lady who took care of him from infancy. At the time to which we now allude, he was still with her; and remained there until her death, which occurred when the youth was about fourteen years old. At this crisis in the history of Simon, his thoughts very naturally reverted to his mother.

He had only a faint recollection of her, as it had been long since he had seen her; but his foster-mother had conscienciously taught him to regard his only remaining parent with a feeling of reverence becoming a child. Still, this kind and truly christian friend could not but

deeply regret the little apparent interest which his mother had felt for him during the few last years.

She had heard of the ill-timed connection this lady had formed, and lamented it deeply, for it had been her fond desire that Mrs. Nelson should purchase a small farm near her own quiet home, and thither remove with her fatherless children. She had suggested that happy results might be expected from such a course, and sometimes Mrs. Nelson had half resolved to comply with the wishes of this affectionate friend. Still there was one circumstance that operated strongly to deter her from doing what she afterwards regretted having neglected to perform.

It has been hinted, on a preceding page, that Mr. Savage, the beloved father of Mrs. Nelson's eldest children, was heir to a large estate. After the death of this la mented gentleman, there was a mistake made in settling his affairs, in consequence of his estate having been entrusted to an individual who was found to be unworthy of confidence, when it was too late for the afflicted family to profit by the discovery.

The reader is aware, already, that Mrs. Nelson suffered much pecuniary loss in consequence of the long continued sickness of herself and family, soon after the occurrence of this painful event.

It is proper here to state, that the circumstances about to be related, affected greatly the future character of the lady whose family were injured in a temporal point of view, by the selfishness and duplicity of one from whom she expected friendship. We shall here digress, for a while, from continuing the account of Simon, to give the

reader the relation of a transaction which took place about this time.

At the time of Mrs. Nelson's afflictions, a person came to administer consolation to the almost heart-broken widow, by telling her that brighter days awaited her, for he was well aware of the fact that a near relative of the family, who was probably approaching near to death, had made her last will and testament in favor of her and her fatherless little ones.

After being assured that such was really the case, by others, who felt authorized to substantiate the assertion of this gentleman, Mrs. Nelson looked forward to the period when she should not only enjoy a competency of this world's goods (which is all that is desirable), but be possessed of a fortune that would enable her to feel that her children were above the fear of want.

After the death of this relative, which event occurred while Mrs. Nelson remained a widow, her heart sunk within her, on learning that she had been wronged,-wronged too, by the same individual who had endeavored to comfort her by the assurance that if called to experience trials in the loss of those to whom she was ardently attached, yet one affliction she would be exempt from, and that was, anxiety on account of her pecuniary affairs. Yet that same person was the wicked instrument of wronging the widow and the fatherless.

During the protracted illness of Mrs. Nelson's aunt, this gentleman, whose name was Oliver, was unremitting in his attentions towards her. Day after day, and week after week, did he visit her and perform carefully those many nameless little acts, so grateful to the feelings of