Myra for some time remained unmoved by the sweet influence of religion. Pride was her grand hinderance. But I hear that she has lately experienced a great improvement of character. She may never, perhaps, possess all the glowing feelings of Sophia; but when, through the divine blessing, her desires after better things shall be still more quickened, and still more satisfied, humility, peace, and thankfulness, will, without doubt, take up their abode in her heart.

L.

ON NOVEL READING.

"WHAT, Emma, reading still! I thought you intended walking over to widow Thornville's this morning. It is now two o'clock, and you will scarcely have time to go before dinner."

"Really, dear Henry, I was not aware that it was so late. I have been so fascinated by this book, that time has flown unperceived. Well, I must put off my visit to the cottage, for you know if I were to go immediately, I could not be back in time to dress for dinner." Thus answered the sentimental Emma Stanbury, when addressed by her brother, an amiable intelligent youth, who was spending the vacation at home, after his first term at college.

“And may I ask, Emma," he continued, "what book you have been reading, which has proved so irresistibly attractive as to make you forget the wants of the widow and the orphan ?"

Emma blushed deeply at this question, for she felt ashamed to acknowledge that it was a novel which had engaged her attention. She was, however, spared the pain of replying, as her brother, while he spoke, took up the volume; and upon finding to what class it belonged, exclaimed, "Oh, my dear sister, you are indeed changed! And is it possible that you have been sitting ever since breakfast (nearly six hours) perusing a fictitious narrative, which could only amuse you for a time, while your poor neighbours stood in need of your good offices?" "Indeed, Henry," she replied, "I have been more than amused; I have entered so deeply into the joys and sorrows of the heroine, that I really seemed to myself acting the very scenes with her. I have been weeping over many

parts of this book; and surely you can see nothing wrong in sensibility?" "Certainly not in pure sensibility, my dear, for apathy is very unpleasant to me, and I may say even disgusting. But I should denominate the feelings which have been called into exercise in your case SENTIMENTALISM, and not sensibility. Will you forgive me, my dear sister, if I go on?" continued Henry, as he saw his sister was much moved by his remarks. "Oh yes, dear brother, go on, I can bear any thing from you, especially as I know I have done wrong, very wrong in suffering myself to consult my own pleasure rather than attend to the wants of those who are in distress. But don't you think I had better run to Sarah, and beg her to send Charles with a few necessaries to the Thornville's immediately?" ISADORA.

(To be continued.)

THE INFLUENCE OF THE FUTURE OVER THE PRESENT.

THAT our recollections of the past should have a powerful influence over the present, is a maxim too plain to require argument. It is only to apply practically the lessons of experiThe mind reverts to what is gone with mingled feelings,

ence.

"And over these is ever cast

A blight or blessing from the past."

If in looking back upon our conduct, we see much that causes us bitter regret, it will be the part of wisdom to amend it; if we reflect upon it with satisfaction, it will be the part of self-interest, as well as of duty, to secure a recurrence of the How are we to secure this peaceful pleasure, and avoid this bitterness of regret? It is by considering the future as present, and the present as past; and then acting in accordance with our experience.

same.

I would offer the few following observations on the influence which the future ought to exercise over the present. It is an important point. The past is gone, the present only is ours― we are bound to improve it, and surely to act from prospective hope, is better than to act with retrospective regret. In the onward rolling of time, what is now present will soon be a distant point in the past; and as the past has laid up for us a store of pleasing or bitter recollections, so the present is the

harvest time of the future. If, when conscience whispers in a voice of restraint, we would but attend to its dictates, not walking altogether "in our own ways, nor finding our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words," we should procure for ourselves present peace, and lay it up in abundance for the time to come.

In the Holy Scriptures, the consideration of the future is held up to us as a powerful inducement to follow the path of rectitude. We read in the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them: while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain." This is figurative language, but it contains no visionary notions. If we persist in refusing to hear and obey the inward voice of admonition, the sun of our mental light will be clouded, the moon of our peace will withhold her cheering beams, the days of darkness will come, our silver cord will be loosed, our golden bowl will be broken. Again, in the concluding verses of this beautiful and impressive chapter, we read, "Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man, for God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." This is the summary of all Solomon's wisdom and experience, and offers to us, or ought to offer to us, the greatest inducement to endeavor after purity of heart.

And lastly, there is one future period—the period of deaththe consideration of which ought to exercise a constant influence over our whole conduct and actions. It should make us not gloomy, but incessantly watchful, not unduly anxious, but calmly and contentedly resigned.

"We know when moons shall wane,

When summer birds from far shall cross the sea,

When autumn's hue shall tinge the golden grain,
But who shall teach us when to look for Thee?"

This period is future, but uncertain: to some it may seem to be distant, but to all it is near. May it find us ready for our Lord's coming, prepared with oil in our burning lamps!

L. S. J.

SKETCH OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE
ASIATIC CHOLERA.*

"I have sent among you the Pestilence—yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord!" Amos iv. 10.

It was early in the year 1818, that accounts were brought to England of a new and dreadful disorder that had appeared in India, by which some died almost instantaneously, and others were carried off in a few hours. It is said to have broken out first in August, 1817, at Jessore, distant from Calcutta about sixty English miles, and in the course of a few weeks no less than 10,000 persons were victims to its effects. "The inhabitants, astonished and terrified at the pestilence, fled in crowds to the country, as the only means of escaping impending death. The functionaries in extreme consternation closed the civil courts of the district, and business of every description was for a time abandoned."

It next attacked the poor of Calcutta, and before the end of September it spread throughout and beyond the province of Bengal. Pursuing the course of the Ganges, it reached the interior of the country, and on Nov. 6, infected the grand army then stationed at Bundelcund, under the command of the Marquis of Hastings. No less than 5,000 men perished between the 15th and 20th November, and in all 9,000 persons died. In March following 10,000 Indians were cut off in the town of Banda and its environs, and Hutta, Saugur, &c. were proportionately afflicted. In Kotah alone 100 persons perished daily for so long a time, that the city was at length abandoned by the inhabitants.

In the month of March, 1818, it broke out at Allahabad, and removed in a few months 10,000 persons; and proceeding still in a north-westerly direction, visited Cawnpore, Delhi, &c. In April and May following it reached the middle pro. vinces of Hindostan. Lucknow and Fyzabad suffered greatly, and in Goruckpore 30,000 persons perished! It is calculated that in India the amazing number of twenty millions have

*This is taken principally from a celebrated medical work-the Lancet.-R. C.

been removed into an eternal world by this awfully destructive Scourge.

The cholera prevailed at Madras in October, 1818. It raged with great severity in December following at Candy, the capital of Ceylon. At the end of November, 1819, it visited the island of Mauritius, shortly after the arrival of the Topaze frigate.

From the Delta of the Ganges, it extended itself in a few months after its first irruption, along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Bengal, and from Arracan, which it entered in 1819, it proceeded gradually to the peninsula of Malacca. Forty thousand persons perished at Bankok, the capital of Siam. In 1823, the Birman empire was attacked, as were also afterwards Sumatra and the Philippine islands.

In Muscat, a sea-port at the extremity of the Arabian peninsula, and the most frequented harbour for the traffic of Bombay, the cholera broke out in July, 1821, and soon exterminated 10,000 persons. In August following it had penetrated the Persian Gulf, and along the Arabian shore. Here its desolation was excessive.

The port of Bendar Abassi, the key to the interior of Persia, was invaded by the cholera July, 1821, and one-sixth part of the inhabitants were its victims. At Shiraz it destroyed one-eighth of the population, and proceeding northward visited Ispahan. Having reached Taurus it extended to Armenia.

From this period till 1823, the disease infected the places north of Persia, and in September, 1823, it entered Astrakan, on the north of the Caspian. The Russian fleet was first infected, and out of 216 persons 144 died!

The progress of this epidemic into Syria and Mesopotamia is marked by increased calamity. At Bassorah 18,000 persons were swept away in eleven days! and at Bagdad, onethird of the people perished! After visiting many other places, it reached Aleppo in November, 1822, and for three days destroyed 300 daily. In June following it extended to Latachia and Antioch, and thence to Tripoli and Suedia. The following affecting circumstance, related by Mr. Barker, the British consul, will convey some idea of its violence.