transparent character, and if its openness be regulated by the feelings of a delicate mind, it will never go astray. Its very errors will bespeak forgiveness, its aspect will be noble, and its possessor beloved. Suppose, as was the case in the present instance, your conduct were censurable; a candid avowal, and submission to reproof, would at once disarm displeasure, if it were merely an inadvertency, and greatly soften it under a more serious fault. You, especially, my young friends, who, I trust, desire to act upon Scripture principles; how can you consistently hide anything from those who seek your good? If you have been right, what have you to fear? If wrong (provided you are sincere,) you will be thankful for the help that sets you right, though it be by some painful steps; for the christian, instead of aiming to appear what he is not, desires to be what he ought to appear. He seeks not that outside varnish which is in constant danger of being rubbed off, but the inward renewing of his heart. Let that mind be in you which was also in the Lord Jesus, and then your character may all be open, as an epistle of Christ. You will be deeply humbled in the consciousness of much imperfection, yet will you lift up your eye with confidence, as one in whom there is no guile.

"Hitherto I have spoken of truth, chiefly as it regards your intercourse with others; but its importance increases, as it affects your personal happiness, and the approbation of your heavenly Father. How must a heart that is conscious of deceit, despise itself! What continual fear of discovery must harass it! Instead of the calm self-possession and modest dignity of an ingenuous mind, it feels an awkward bashfulness, confusion, and shame. And how does it tremble at the thought of Him, before whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid.' On the contrary, with what filial confidence may we draw near to the God of our salvation, when we can say sincerelySearch me, O God! and try my heart; prove me, and examine my thoughts; see every wicked way that is in me; root it out, and lead me in the way everlasting.'

"Nor is it present happiness alone which the believer enjoys, while walking closely with his God, in the paths of uprightness; his prospects are all refreshing and animating. He is journeying to the city of unclouded truth, where he shall behold the glory and beauty of the triune Jehovah; where the blessed angels and the

myriads of the redeemed shall shine forth in the lustre of holiness; worship before the everlasting throne in spirit and in truth, and know even as they are known. What a beautiful description of their character is contained in the book of Revelations His name shall be on their foreheads;' they shall stand forth as servants of the living God; their actions approved, and the secrets of their hearts made manifest. Now we are liable to mistakes in our judgment of others; we have trusted, perhaps, and been deceived; we have distrusted, and our suspicions were unfounded. Our own feelings and conduct have been misunderstood and misrepresented, but the day is coming, when this shall be the case no longer-' His name shall be written on their foreheads.'

Then thy character transparent,

Shall be written on thy brow;

And thy motives all-apparent,

Like a sparkling stream shall flow.

"O glorious anticipation! for those who now pant after perfection, and mourn over every mixture of evil. May we, my beloved young friends, be daily advancing towards that spotless purity, by which we alone can be conformed to the divine image, and so prepared joyfully to unite in the high anthem of praise—' Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.'" S. S. S.

TRY AGAIN.

I HAVE often observed among my pupils, a disposition to feel discouraged by the want of immediate success in some of their pursuits. On such occasions I endeavor to stimulate them to further exertions, and mostly find that by repeated efforts their difficulties have been overcome, and the desired object thereby accomplished; for repeated experiments, prudentially varied, seldom fail of success in the issue. This remark will equally apply to learning in all its branches, the circle of the sciences, and indeed to all the concerns of life. The mariner's compass, the telescope, the construction of a ship, and that noble invention the steam engine, were not brought to perfection at once, and no doubt future experiments will afford further proof of their extraordinary powers.

I was yesterday looking over some volumes of the Youths'

Magazine, and there found a piece entitled, "Try again." Musing on the subject, I found among my papers one which contained,

THE HISTORY OF AN OLD SERJEANT.

James Firelock had served his country for more than thirty years, but was now retired on the usual pension. One day, I saw the veteran sitting under a tree, and being desirous of conversing with him, I immediately joined him, and after a few general remarks, I requested him to give me a sketch of his military life, which he did in the following terms:

"I enlisted at the age of eighteen, and when I first attended drill, I was extremely awkward, and wholly unacquainted with every thing connected with the military service. Again, and again, did I attempt to perform the various evolutions, but it was long before I could master them. You cannot conceive, Sir, how ignorant I was, and yet I was desirous of learning, and often practised in private, the lessons I had received in public; but to my great mortification, with so little success, that I believe I should have deserted, if I had not been greatly encouraged by our drill serjeant, who was a very humane man, and much esteemed. This distinction chiefly arose from the great pains which he took, in repeatedly explaining to us young recruits the manner of performing the several evolutions, and the patience and forbearance which he exercised towards us. I well remember, that whenever we failed, he would say, 'Never mind, my lads, every one must have a beginning-try again.' On our next attempt, he would say, 'that is better, but try again, try again.' Encouraged by this kindness we renewed our efforts, as we were really desirous of pleasing a man to whose humanity we were so much indebted.

"At length we were admitted into the line, and by the further continuance of our endeavors, and the kindness of our serjeant, we were reckoned good soldiers, and received commendations from our superior officers. Some years elapsed without any material change in my situation, but at length several promotions taking place amongst the inferior officers, I was made a serjeant; and being fully convinced from the example of my esteemed friend, that much more good is done by mildness than by severity, I have pursued the same line of conduct, and am happy to say, that when I left the regiment, it was considered one of the best disciplined, and best conducted corps in the whole army.

"Soon after my last promotion we went abroad, and served during the whole period of the war in Spain and Portugal, and afterwards at Waterloo, and did not come home till the return of peace. My excellent friend, the serjeant-major is still living, and now enjoys the reward of his humanity, in seeing many, who were formerly raw recruits like me, but are now becoming good soldiers, and useful to their country. To this day my old friend takes delight in visiting the drill grounds, and when he perceives any of the younkers awkward, he never fails to remind both them and the serjeants and corporals who teach them, of his two early expressions, -Every one must have a beginning,' and 'TRY AGAIN.'

When I had perused this paper, I continued my search, and soon found another paper, which gives a further illustration of my title, “Try again." It was taken from a newspaper, and contained the account of a youth who had fallen from a vessel into the Thames, and who was providentially saved by a shipmate leaping overboard after him, but who was not able to find him for some time. But being cheered by his shipmates, and by many persons on shore who witnessed the circumstance, he renewed his efforts, and at length succeeded in bringing him on board. For this praiseworthy action he received a medal from the Royal Humane Society; and having some time afterwards been disabled by an accident, the youth whom he had saved, evinced true gratitude to his preserver, by applying on his behalf to a benevolent member of his own family, who generously bestowed a pension on him for the remainder of his life.

I shall mention but one more instance in confirmation of my title. Many years since I was acquainted with an excellent person in a village near London, who was for a long time greatly afflicted, and the nature of his malady was such as to disable him from attending a place of worship which was distant about two miles, as he could neither walk nor ride so far in a carriage. Under these circumstances he made it a subject of his daily prayer to God, that he would be pleased to send the gospel to the place of his residence. For the long space of twenty-eight years did he persevere in this exercise, being often animated by the recollection of the words "Try again." At length his prayers were answered. A chapel was erected near his own house, to which he was drawn in a little chair made for the purpose; and for several years during

my occasional visits to that village, I had the pleasure of worshipping with him, and have afterwards received the hospitalities of his table. As my friend was a christian of long standing, he was prompted by both duty and inclination to converse with the lambs of Christ's flock, and when he found them discouraged and cast down, he would ask them whether they had prayed for the blessings, the want of which they deplored, and on being answered in the affirmative, he mostly replied," Try again."

I hope when any of my young readers find themselves placed in similar circumstances, they will remember the title and purport of this little piece, and "TRY AGAIN." CRITO.

THE INDIAN.

(A Fragment.)

A STORM was winging its way through the heavens; the clouds had gathered blackness; the tempest howled like the roaring of the wild beasts in the forest, and hollow peals of thunder rolled along the sky. Nature seemed threatened with a sudden dissolution. The men of the world stood pale with awe, and trembling with fear. But who was that seated at the door of his log hut, with countenance unclouded? The grey hairs but thinly scattered over his head bespoke him in the vale of years. He had been watching the storm with an unruffled countenance, taught by the missionary who led the Indian to the Indian's God. He had learned that though the lightning flew, it flew commissioned by Jehovah's hand; that though the clouds were black, He whose name is love has made the clouds his chariot, and rideth upon the wings of the wind, and he felt assured that behind them, the sun was still shining in all its native splendour; and that when the storm should be past, he should again be cheered by its rays, and warmed by its beams.

The storm passed, and the men of the world began to return to their occupations; they hastened to the banquet and prepared for the midnight revel. But the Spirit of the Most High had instructed the mind of the Indian, and he waited for the bright bow of promise; and while its emerald tints were unfolded on the sky, he saw its feet based on the ocean, and remembered with delight,