The general made no answer. his chair and seemed to meditate. to Edgar, he said,

He sank back in At last, turning

"That little wife of yours is really not such a fool as some might suppose her to be, captain." "Really-"

"What say you, Mrs. Melwyn? Is there any sense in the young lady's suggestion, or is there not? What says Miss Arnold? Come let us put it to the vote."

Mrs. Melwyn smiled. Catherine applauded and laughed, and kissed her father, and declared he was the dearest piece of reasonableness in the world. And, in, short the project was discussed, and one said this, and the other said that, and after it had been talked over and commented upon, with a hint from one quarter, and a suggestion from another, and so on, it began to take a very feasible and inviting shape.

Nothing could be more true than that a person of this description in the family was terribly wanted. The general was becoming every day less able and less inclined to look after his own affairs. Things were mismanaged, and he was robbed in the most notorious and unblushing manner. This must be seen to. Of this Edgar and Catherine had been upon their return speedily aware. The difficulty was how to get it done; and whom to trust in their absence; which would soon, owing to the calls of the service, take place again, and for an indefinite period of time.

Mr. St. Leger seemed the very person for such an office, could he be persuaded to undertake it; and his extremity was such, that, however little agreeable to such a man the proposal might be, it appeared not impossible that he might entertain it. Then he had made himself so much favor with the general, that one difficulty and the greatest was already overcome.

Mrs. Melwyn seconded their designs with her most fervent wishes. She could not venture to do much more.

To have expressed her sentiments upon the subject to have said how much she felt the necessity of some such plan, and how ardently she desired that it might be carried into execution, would have been one very likely reason for setting her wayward old partner against it.

holy office by accepting merely for my personal convenience a dependant position, where certain compliances, as a necessary condition, might be expected, which are contrary to my view of things."

"Why so? I assure you, upon my honor, nothing of that sort is to be apprehended. These are really very well meaning people, and you may serve them more than you seem aware. The part of domestic chaplain is not held beneath the members of your church. I own this is not a noble family, and doubt whether you can legitimately claim the title. Yet the office is the same.'

"Yes-if I may perform the duties of that office. On that condition alone, will I entertain the thought of it for a moment. And I must add, that as soon as ever I am in a condition-if that time ever arrives-to resume my public duties, I am to be allowed to do so."

"Unquestionably."

“And, that whilst I reside under the general's roof, I may carry out certain reforms, which I believe to be greatly wanted." "No doubt."

"And that I shall be enabled to assist Mr. Thomas in the care of this extremity of his large parish, which so deplorably requires looking after." The general grumbled a little at some of these conditions, but finally consented to all.

He was getting an old man. Perhaps he was not sorry-though he thought it due to those ancient prejudices of his profession, I am happy to say now fast growing obsolete, to appear so perhaps he was not really sorry, now the wheel was beginning to pause at the cistern, and the darkness of age was closing round him, to have some one in his household to call his attention to things which he began to feel had been neglected too long.

Perhaps he was not sorry to allow family prayer in a mansion, where the voice of united family prayer had, till then, never been heard. To anticipate a little-I may add, as certain, that he who began with never attending at all, was known to drop in once or twice; and ended by scolding Lettice heartily in a morning if there was any danger of her not having bound up his arm in time for him to be present.

You may remark as you go along, that it was because Lettice had so admirably performed her own part, that the whole family were so desirous of repeating it under other circumstances. Such are among the incidental—if I may call them so fruits of good conduct.

The eye fixed in a sort of determined attention-the lips muttering the prayer-a sort of child in religion still-yet far to seek in many things; but accepted, we will hope, as a child.

The general did not want for observation. He had estimated the good which had arisen from the admission of Lettice Arnold into his family, and he felt well inclined to the scheme of having a companion of his own. He could even tolerate the idea of a species of domestic chaplain; provided the personage so designated would look to his home farm and keep his accounts.

The proposal was made to Mr. St. Leger. He hesitated. Edgar expected that he would. "I do not know," he said. "I feel as if I were in some measure running the risk of degrading my

In short, having accepted all the conditions upon which alone St. Leger, even in the extremity of his need, could be persuaded to accept a place in his family, the old soldier ended by taking great comfort, great interest, great pleasure, in all the improvements that were effected.

One difficulty presented itself in making the arrangement; and this came from a quarter quite unexpected by Catherine-from poor Mrs. Melwyn. "Ah Catherine," said she, coming into her room

thing before have found their account in it-and a vast deal of happiness has been secured which would otherwise have been quite lost." "As how, Catherine? Give me instances. I don't quite follow you."

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Why, in marriages, for instance, then, such cases arise very often. Late marriages for onebetween people quite advanced in years-which the world often laugh and sneer at. Most wrongly, in my opinion for through them how often do we see what would otherwise have been a solitary old age, rendered cheerful and comfortable; and sometimes a weary, disappointed life, consoled by a sweet friendship and affection at its close. Then, there are marriages founded upon reason and arrangement; such as when an ugly man with an ungraceful manner, yet perhaps a good heart and head, and with it plenty of money, marries one rather his inferior in social rank, whom his circumstances enable him to indulge with many new sources of enjoyment, and who in return is grateful for the elevation, and proud of a husband young ladies of his own class might have looked down upon. Then there might be another arrangement, which is, indeed, at present, I own, almost a romance, it is so rarely entered into. I mean, supposing single women from different families, somewhat advanced in life, were to put their little fortunes together, and form a household, wherein by their united means they might live easily-instead of almost in penury alone. In short, the instances are innumerable, in which, I think, the path a little out of the ordinary course, is the wisest a person can pursue."

"Go on, my love; you talk so prettily, I like to hear you."

The daughter kissed the soft white hand she held in hers-white it was as the fairest wax, and still most beautiful. The signs of age were only discernible in the wasting blue veins having become a little too obvious.

My goodness, child!”

"I have planned it all. This house is so big. I should allot them an apartment at the east end of it. Quite away from the drawing-room and yours and my father's rooms-where they might feel as much at home as it is possible for people to feel in another man's house. I should increase their salary-by opening a policy upon their lives; as a provision for their children, if they had any. A large provision of this sort would not be needed. It is not to be supposed their children would not have to earn their own living as their parents had done before them. Why should they not? Nota bene-Edgar and I hold that the rage for making children independent, as it is called-that is enabling them just to exist doing nothing, so as just to keep them from starving upon a minimum income, is a very foolish thing among those whose habits of life render no such independence necessary, and who have never thought of enjoying this exemption from labor in their own case.

"But, your father! And then, suppose they got tired of the plan, and longed for a house of their own?"

"My father is much more easily persuaded to

what is good for him, than we used to think, dear mother. See how nice he has been about Lettice and this Mr. St. Leger. As to their wishing at last for a home of their own, that is possible, I allow; but think, sweetest mother, of the pleasure of rewarding this dear, good girl by making her happy. As for the rest, fear not, mama. God will provide."

Mrs. Melwyn made no answer. But she lis tened more comfortably. The nervous, anxious, harassed expression of face, which Catherine knew but too well, began to compose, and her countenance to resume its sweet and tranquil smile.

"Mind, dear mama, after all I am only speaking of the remote possibility, and what might be done. You would have such pleasure in carrying out the scheme. O! I do wish there were but a chance of it-really I can't help it, mama-it would be so nice!" said the sanguine, kind-hearted Catherine.

CHAPTER X.

Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway,
And fools who came to scoff, remained to pray.
GOLDSMITH.

ACCORDINGLY, Mr. St. Leger, his objections having been overruled by Edgar, accepted the place offered him in General Melwyn's family.

In old times it would probably have been called, what it literally was, that of domestic chaplain; and the dignity of the name, the defined office, and the authority in the household which it implies, would not have been without their use-but, in spite of the want of these advantages, Mr. St. Leger managed to perform the duties, which, in his opinion, attached to the office, to the satisfaotion of every one.

It had not been without considerable difficulty and hesitation that he had persuaded himself to enter into the plan. He had scruples, as we have seen; and he had, moreover, an almost invincible dislike to anything approaching to family dependence.

The extremity of his circumstances, however, made him, upon a little consideration, feel that the indulgence of these latter mentioned feelings of pride and delicacy, was not only unreasonable, but almost positively wrong. And, as for the scruples connected with his profession, Edgar did not find it difficult to dissipate them.

He set forth what was in truth the present state of the family at the Hazels, and enlarged upon the very great need there was for the introduction of more religious views than now prevailed. Ao cording to a fashion almost universally prevalent when General Melwyn was young, except with those of professed religious habits, and who were universally stigmatized as methodists, family prayer had been utterly neglected in his family. And, notwithstanding the better discipline maintained since the evil star of Randall had sunk beneath the horizon, not the slightest approach to regularity in this respect had been as yet made. Mrs. Melwyn was personally pious, though in a timid and unconfiding way, her religion doing little to support and strengthen her mind; but the general, though he did not live, as many of his generation were doing, in the open profession of scepticism, and that contempt for the Bible which people brought up when Tom Paine passed for a great genius, used to reckon so clever, yet it was but too probable that he never approached his Creator in the course of the twenty-four hours, in any way; nor

had he done so, since he was a child at his mother's knee.

The young captain and his lady were blest with loving, pious, simple dispositions. They loved one another-they delighted in the dear, happy world in which they lived, and in the sweet little creature, their own darling and most precious possession, and they both loved and most gratefully served their God, who had given them all these good things, and loved him with the full warmth of their feeling hearts. They showed their reverence for divine things by every means in their power; and, though they were not of those who go about hurling the awful vengeance of God upon all they may think less pious than themselves, they were naturally anxious, and as advancing years brought increase of serious thought, they became more and more anxious, that their parents should share the consolations, and their household the moral guidance, to be derived from a better system.

Then, as I hinted to you before, in anticipation of this change, there had been a very serious neglect upon the part of this family of all those duties connected with the poor and ignorant. None of those efforts were here made to assist in softening the evils of destitution, or in forwarding the instruction of the young, which almost everybody now-a-days considers such obvious duties.

Such were among the considerations urged by Edgar, and to such Mr. St. Leger yielded.

The general was profuse in his offers as regarded salary, and gave Edgar a carte blanche upon the matter; but Mr. St. Leger would only accept of one hundred a year, and this, with the stipulation that so soon as the state of his health would enable him, he should be at liberty to undertake the duties belonging to a curate for Mr. Thomas, without diminishing that gentleman's slender stipend by receiving any remuneration from his hands.

This last part of the arrangement was particularly acceptable to Mr. St. Leger, as he thought with the highest satisfaction upon the probability now opening of resuming his clerical duties, and of thus being able to repay the debt of gratitude he felt to be owing to the good old vicar.

And now behold Mr. St. Leger introduced as a member of the family at the Hazels, and shedding, on his part, as Lettice had before him done, upon hers, a new set of benign influences upon this household.

He was installed the first day by the general, with much politeness and some little formality, in Edgar's place at the bottom of the table-that young gentleman having made it his particular request that he might see his friend sitting there before his departure. With due gravity was all this done; whilst Edgar, chuckling with delight, came and popped down in his place by the side of his wife.

The young stranger, looking extremely quiet and composed, without fuss, ceremony or hurry, took the place appointed to him; but before seating himself, with a serious air, he opened his ministerial functions, by saying grace.

Not as the general was wont to say it-for say it he did, more as if making a grimace than even as going through a form-but so impressively and reverently, though very briefly, that the hearts of those about to sit down, were touched-and they were reminded, in spite of themselves, as they

ought to be reminded—that there is One above all who is the Giver of these good things.

The scene was striking. The very footmenthe officer's footmen-paused, napkin in hand; astonished-awe-struck by the service. They stood and stared with vacant eyes, but remained stock still.

That over, the dinner went on as usual. People ate and drank with cheerful enjoyment. They all, indeed, felt particularly warm-hearted and comfortable that day. A sort of genial glow seemed to pervade the little party. The footmen rushed about more light-footed and assiduous than ever; and, be it observed to their credit, they were all without exception, most particularly attentive to the new comer.

In the evening, at ten o'clock, the bell rang for prayers.

Mr. St. Leger, be it understood, had not stipulated for obligatory attendance upon this serviceonly for the right to have candles in the library, and of reading prayers to such as might choose to come; but Mrs. Melwyn had ordered the servants to attend; and she, and Edgar, and Catherine, were also there, leaving poor Lettice to take charge of the general.

The service was short, but impressive, as the grace had been before. It was necessarily very brief, for the voice of the fair and delicate young man, looking, indeed, as we might imagine one of the angels of the churches figured in Scripture, was so extremely feeble that more he could not do. But even if he had possessed the power, I question whether much more he would have done he looked upon impressive brevity as the very soul of such exercise in a family like the present.

Poor Lettice! how hard she found it that evening to remain playing backgammon with the general, when the rest went out of the room. Going to attend those services to which she had been accustomed in the house of her father; and after which, during her stay here, her heart had so often yearned; but it could not be.

She was, however, consoled by a whisper from Catherine as she came back, passing her upon her way to take her place by the fire.

"To-morrow you go and I stay. We will take it in turns."

The new plans were of course-as what taking place in the family is not?-discussed in full conclave that evening over the kitchen fire.

The servants all came back and assembled round it preparatory to washing up and going to bed; for though it was summer and warm weather, what servant in the world does not enjoy the kitchen fire in the evening, be the weather what it may? And, to tell truth, there are not a few in the parlor, who usually would be glad to share the privilege; but to proceed.

"Well, Thomas, how do you like these new ways of going on?" asked Mary, the serious, stiff, time-dried, and smoke-dyed head laundress-a personage of unknown antiquity, and who had been in the family ever since it was a familyaddressing the fine, powdered gentleman in silk stockings, and pink, white and silver livery, who leaned negligently against the chimney-piece.

"For my part, I'm glad, indeed, to see serious ways taken up in his house; but how will it suit the rest of you? And especially you, my fine young gentleman?"

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Why," answered Thomas, assuming a grave and thoughtful aspect, "I'm going to confess

"What effect?-Well-" "Why of the grace, as was said before they sat down to dinner."

"The grace! Was it the first time you ever heard grace said, you booby?"

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Yes, I'd heard grace said-I should suppose as often as any as may be here-though, perhaps, not so sensible to its importance and value as some present, meaning you, Mistress Mary. The general, for one, never used to omit it; but save us! in what a scuffling, careless manner it was said. I protest to you, I thought no more of it than of Mr. Buckminster taking off the covers and handing Just as a necessary preliminary, as they say, to the dinner, and nothing on earth more." Well, do go on, Thomas. It's very interesting," said Mistress Mary, and the rest gathered closer, all attention.

them to me.

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"Well, I was a going to go scuttling about just as usual, thinking only of not making any noise lest I should see the general-heeding no more of the grace than of what cook was doing at her fire-when that young gentleman, as is come newly amongst us, bent forward, and began to speak it. The effect upon me was wonderful-it was electric.Mr. Buckminster, you know what I mean; I stood as one arrested-could n't have moved or not cared if it had been never so I really could n't. It seemed to me as if he truly was thanking God for the good things that were set before them; their plenty, and their comfort, and their abundance; it seemed to me as if things were opened to my mind -what I had never thought of before-who it was -who did give them, and us after them, all sorts of delicacies, and food, and drink, when others might be wanting a morsel of bread; and I seemed to be standing before him-I felt need to thank him with the rest. ** All this flashed through me like lightning; but he had done in a moment, and they all sat down."

"How beautiful Thomas does talk when he has a mind!" whispered the under housemaid to the under laundry-maid. "What a fine tall young man he is, and what a gift of the gab!"

"Well," said the rest, " go on-is there any

more?"

"Yes, there is more. Someway, I could not get it out of my head-I kept thinking of it all dinner. It was as much as I could do to mind what I was about; and once I made such a clatter in putting a knife and fork upon a plate, that if it had n't been for the greatest good luck in the world, I should have got it. But the general was talking

"Well, when I got into the pantry and began washing up, I had more time for quiet reflection. And this is what I thought. What a lot of lubberly, inanimated, ungrateful, stupid slaves we all must be! Here, serving an earthly master, to the best of our abilities, for a few beggarly pounds, and for his meat and drink and fine clothing; and very little contented, moveover, when there 's roast beef of a Sunday, or plum-pudding and a glass of wine besides on a wedding-day or a birth-day; and thank him, and feel pleased with him, and anxious next day to do better than ordinary, mayhap. And there 's the Great Master-the Lord and Giver of all, who made us by his hand, and created us by his power, and feeds us by his bounty; and shelters us by his care; and all for no good of his, but ours, simply ours. For what's he to get of it, but the satisfaction of his merciful and generous spirit, when he sees his poor creatures happy? ** And we are such dolts! such asses! such brute beasts! such stocks! such stones! that here we go on from day to day, enjoying the life he gives us, eating the bread and meat he gives us, drinking his good refreshments, resting upon his warm beds, and so on. * Every day, and every day, and

every day-and who among us, I, most especially for one, ever thinks, except may be by scuttling through a few rigmarole words-ever thinks, I say, of thanking him for it-of lifting up a warm, honest heart, of true, real thanking, I mean? Of loving him the better, and trying to serve and please him the better, when he, great and powerful as he is-Lord of all the lords, emperors, and kings, that ever wore crowns and coronets in this worldcondescends to let us thank him, to like us to thank him, and to take pleasure in our humble love and service!"

He paused-every eye was fixed upon the speaker.

"And, therefore," continued Thomas, turning to the laundry-maid, who stood there with a tear in her eye-" therefore, Mistress Mary, I am pleased with, and I do like, these new ways of going on, as you say; and I bless God, and hope to do it well in my prayers this night, for having at last made of us-what I call-a regular Christian family."

I have told you, a little in the way of anticipation, that the popularity of Mr. St. Leger's new measures was not confined to the kitchen; but that the general, by slow steps, gradually conformed to the new usages established at the Hazels.

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Lettice and Catherine had not long to take it in turns to stay out with him, playing backgammon, at the time of evening prayers. At first it was a polite, "Oh, pray don't think of staying in the drawing-room upon my account; I can do very well by myself." Next it was, Nay, rather than that, I will go into the library too; why should I not?" He began to feel, at first probably from a vague sense of propriety only, but before long from better reasons, that it was not very seemly for the master of the house alone to be absent, when the worship of God was going on in his family.

So there he might, as I told you, ere long be seen, regularly at night-in the morning more and more regularly-muttering the responses between his teeth at first; at length, saying them aloud, and with greater emphasis than any of the rest of