nounces unfavorable judgment upon peo- | the gifts with which fortune has endowed ple ten thousand times wiser and better him. You feel angry when a man, who than herself, is an insufferably irritating has lately bought a house, one in a square phenomenon. It is a singular fact, that containing fifty, all as nearly as possible the people I have in view invariably com- alike, tells you with an air of confidence bine extreme ugliness with spitefulness that he has got the finest house in Scotand self-conceit. Such a person will make land, or in England, as the case may be. particular inquiries of you as to some near You are irritated by the man who on all relative of your own: and will add, with occasions tells you that he drives in his a malicious and horribly ugly expression mail-phaeton "five hundred pounds' worth of face, that she is glad to hear how very of horseflesh." You are well aware that much improved your relative now is. She he did not pay a quarter of that sum for will repeat the sentence several times, lay- the animals in question: and you assume ing great emphasis and significance upon as certain that the dealer did not give him the very much improved. Of course, the that pair of horses for less than they were notion conveyed to any stranger who may worth. It is somewhat irritating when a be present, is that your relative must in man, not remarkable in any way, begins to former days have been an extremely bad tell you that he can hardly go to any part fellow. The fact probably is, that he has of the world without being recognized by always, man and boy, been particularly some one who remembers his striking aswell-behaved; and that really you were pect, or is familiar with his famous name. not aware that he needed any special im- "It costs me three hundred a year, havprovement: save indeed in the sense that ing that picture to look at," said Mr. Windevery human being might be and ought bag, pointing to a picture hanging on a to be a great deal better than he is. wall in his library. He goes on to explain that he refused six thousand pounds for that picture; which, at five per cent, would yield the annual income named. You repeat Windbag's statement to an eminent artist. The artist knows the picture. He looks at you fixedly; and for all comment on Windbag's story, says (he is a Scotchman) Hoor Tooт. But the disposition to vapor is deep-set in human nature. There are not very many men or women whom I would trust, to give an accurate account of their family, dwelling, influence, and general position, to people a thousand miles from home, who were not likely ever to be able to verify the picture drawn.

People who are always vaporing about their own importance, and the value of their own possessions, are disagreeable. We all know such people: and they are made more irritating by the fact, that their boasting is almost invariably absurd and false. I do not mean ethically false, but logically false. For doubtless, in many cases, human beings honestly think themselves and their possessions as much better than other men and their possessions; as they say they do. If thirty families compose the best society of a little country town, you may be sure that each of the thirty families in its secret soul looks down upon the other twentynine; and fancies that it stands on a total ly different level. And it is a kind arrangement of Providence, that a man's own children, horses, house, and other possessions, are so much more interesting to himself than are the children, horses, and houses of other men, that he can readily persuade himself that they are as much better in fact, as they are more interesting to his personal feeling. But it is provoking when a man is always obtruding on you how highly he estimates his own belongings, and how much better than yours he thinks them, even when this is done in all honesty and simplicity: and it is infuriating when a man keeps constantly telling you things which he knows are not true, as to the preciousness and excellence of

It is hardly necessary to mention among disagreeable people, those individuals who take pleasure in telling you that you are looking ill; that you are falling off, physically or mentally. "Surely you have lost some of your teeth since I saw you last," said a good man to a man of seventy-five years; "I can not make out a word you say, you speak so indistinctly." And so obtuse, and so thoroughly devoid of gentlemanly feeling, was that good man, that when admonished that he ought not to speak in that fashion to a man in advanced years, he could not for his life see that he had done any thing unkind or unmannerly. "I dare say you are wearied wi' preachin' to-day: you see you're gettin' frail noo," said a Scotch elder, in my hearing, to a worthy clergyman. Seldom has it cost

can not think he is one,) who occasionally |ing people off from having any thing to do sends me an abusive anonymous letter, with Christianity. Why should a middleand who invariably sends his letters un- aged clergyman walk about the streets paid. I do not mind about the man's with a sullen and malignant scowl always abuse; but I confess I grudge my two- on his face, which at the best would be a pence. I have observed, too, that the very ugly one? Why should another people who send letters unpaid, do so walk with his nose in the air, and his eyes habitually. I have known the same indi- rolled up till they seem likely to roll vidual send six successive letters unpaid. out? And why should a third be always And it is probably within the experience dabbled over with a clammy perspiration; of most of my readers, that out of (say) and prolong all his vowels to twice the a hundred correspondents, ninety-nine in- usual length? It is indeed a most woful variably pay their letters properly; while thing, that people who evince a spirit in time after time the hundredth sends his every respect the direct contrary of that with the abominable big 2 stamped upon of our Blessed Redeemer, should fancy it; and your servant walks in and worries that they are Christians of singular attainyou by the old statement that the postman ments; and it is more woful still, that is waiting. Let me advise every reader many young people should be scared away to do what I intend doing for the future: into irreligion or unbelief by the wretched to wit, to refuse to receive any unpaid delusion that these creatures, wickedly letter. You may be quite sure that by so caricaturing Christianity, are fairly repredoing you will not lose any letter that is senting it. I have beheld more deliberate worth having. A class of people, very malice, more lying and cheating, more closely analogous to that of the people backbiting and slandering, denser stupidwho do not pay their letters, is that of ity, and greater self-sufficiency, among such as are constantly borrowing small bad-hearted and wrong-headed religionists, sums from their friends, which they never than among any other order of human restore. If you should ever be thrown into beings. I have known more malignity and the society of such, your right course will slander conveyed in the form of a prayer, be to take care to have no money in your than should have consigned any ordipocket. People are disagreeable, who are nary libeller to the pillory. I have given to talking of the badness of their known a person who made evening servants, the undutifulness of their children, prayer a means of infuriating and stabbing the smokiness of their chimneys, and the the servants, under the pretext of condeficiency of their digestive organs. And fessing their sins. "Thou knowest, Lord, though with a true and close friend, it is a how my servants have been occupied this great relief, and a special tie, to have day:" with these words did the blasphespoken out your heart about your burdens mous mockery of prayer begin one Sunand sorrows; it is expedient, in conversa- day evening in a house I could easily indition with ordinary acquaintances, to keep cate: and then the man, under the pretext these to yourself. of addressing the Almighty, raked up all the misdoings of the servants, (they being present, of course,) in a fashion which, if he had ventured on it at any other time, would probably have led some of them to assault him. "I went to Edinburgh," said a Highland elder, "and was there a Sabbath. It was an awfu' sight! There, on the Sabbath day, you would see people walking along the street, smiling AS IF THEY WERE PERFECTLY HAPPY!" There was the gravamen of the poor Highlander's charge. To think of people being or looking happy on the Lord's day! And indeed to think of a Christian man ever venturing to be happy at all! "Yes, this parish was highly favored in the days of Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown," said a spiteful and venomous old woman, with a glance

It must be admitted, with great regret, that people who make a considerable profession of religion have succeeded in making themselves more thorougly disagreeable than almost any other human beings have ever made themselves. You will find people, who not merely claim to be pious and Christian people, but to be very much more pious and Christian than others, who are extremely uncharitable, unamiable, repulsive, stupid, and narrowminded, and intensely opinionated and self-satisfied. We know from a very high authority, that a Christian ought to be an epistle in commendation of the blessed faith he holds. But it is beyond question, that many people who profess to be Christians, are like grim Gorgon's heads, warn

of deadly malice at a young lad who was present. That young lad was the son of the clergyman of the parish: one of the most diligent and exemplary clergyman in Britain. Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown were the clergymen who preceded him. And the spiteful old woman adopted this means of sticking a pin into the young lad: conveying the idea that there was a sad falling off now. I saw and heard her, my reader. Now, when an ordinary spiteful person says a malicious thing, being quite aware that she is saying a malicious thing, and that her motive is pure malice, you are disgusted. But when a spiteful person says a malicious thing, all the while fancying herself a very pious person; and fancying that in gratifying her spite, she is acting from Christian principle: I say the sight is to me one of the most disgusting, perplexing, and miserable, that ever human eye beheld. I have no fear of the attacks of enemies on the blessed Faith in which I live, and hope to die. But it is dismal, to see how our holy religion is misrepresented before the world, by the vile impostors who pretend to be its friends.

away. But I do not hesitate to say, that any Christian, by so far as he is disagreeable and repulsive, deviates from the right thing. O my reader! when my heart is sometimes sore through what I see of disagreeable traits in Christian character, what a blessed relief there is in turning to the simple pages, and seeing for the thousandth time The True Christian Character-so different! Yes, thank God, we know where to look, to find what every pious man should be humbly aiming to be: and when we see That Face, and hear That Voice, there is something that soothes and cheers among the wretched imperfections (in one's self as in others) of the present: something that warms the heart, and that brings a man to his knees!

The present writer has a relative, who is Professor of Theology in a certain famous University. With that theologian I recently had a conversation on the matter of which we have just been thinking. The Professor lamented bitterly the unchristian features of character which may be found in many people making a great parade of their Christianity. He mentioned Among the disagreeable people who various facts, which had recently come to make a profession of religion, probably his own knowledge; which would sustain many are purely hypocrites. But we will- stronger expressions of opinion than any ingly believe that there are people, in which I have given. But he went on to whom Christianity appears in a wretched- say, that it would be a sad thing if no ly stunted and distorted form, who yet fools could get to heaven; nor any unare right at the root. It does not follow amiable, narrow-minded, sour, and stupid that a man is a Christian, because he people. Now, said he, with great force turns up his eyes and drawls out his of reason, religion does not alter idiosynwords; and when asked to say grace, of crasy. When a fool becomes a Christian, fers a prayer of twenty minutes' duration. he will be a foolish Christian. A narrowBut again, it does not follow that he is minded man will be a narrow-minded not a Christian, though he may do all Christian; a stupid man, a stupid Christthese things. The bitter sectary, who ian. And though a malignant man will distinctly says that a humble, pious man, have his malignity much diminished, it by just dead, has " gone to hell," because he no means follows that it will be completedied in the bosom of the Church-how-ly rooted out. "When I would do good, ever abhorrent that sectary may be in some respects, may be, in the main, within the Good Shepherd's fold, wherein he fancies there are very few but himself. The dissenting teacher who declared from his pulpit that the parish clergyman (newly come, and an entire stranger to him) was "a servant of Satan," may possibly have been a good man after all. Grievous defects and errors may exist in a Christian character, which is a Christian character still. And the Christian horribly disagreeable and repulsive now, will some day, we trust, have all that purged

evil is present with me." "I find a law in my members, warring against the law of my mind; and enslaving me to the law of sin." But you are not to blame Christianity for the stupidity and unamiability of Christians. If they be disagreeable, it is not the measure of true religion they have got, that makes them so. In so far as they are disagreeable, they depart from the standard. You know, you may make water sweet or sour; you may make it red, blue, black: and it will be water still, though its purity and pleasantness are much interfered with.

In

like manner, Christianity may coexist | blackguard yet. But these persons will with a good deal of acid; with a great tightly shut their eyes against a great many features of character very inconsist- many substantially good deeds, done by a ent with itself. The cup of fair water man who thinks Prelacy the abomination may have a bottle of ink emptied into it, of desolation, or who thinks that stained or a little verjuice, or even a little strych- glass and an organ are sinful. I grant nine. And yet, though sadly deteriorat- you that there is a certain fairness in tryed: though hopelessly disguised; the fairing the blackguard and the religionist by water is there and not entirely neutral- different standards. Where the pretenized.

sion is higher, the test may justly be more And it is worth remarking, that you severe. But I say it is unfair to puzzle will find many persons who are very out with diligence the one or two good charitable to blackguards, but who have things in the character of a reckless no charity for the weaknesses of really scamp; and to refuse moderate attention good people. They will hunt out the act to the many good points about a weak, of thoughtless liberality, done by the narrow-minded, and uncharitable good scapegrace who broke his mother's heart, person. I ask for charity in the estimatand squandered his poor sisters' little por-ing of all human characters; even in estions: they will make much of that libe- timating the character of the man who ral act: such an act as tossing to some would show no charity to another. I poor Magdalen a purse, filled with money confess freely that in the last-named case, which was probably not his own; and the exercise of charity is extremely diffithey will insist that there is hope for the cult. A. K. H. B.

From Fraser's Magazine.

OF TERROR.

THE REIGN

PART SECOND.

WHILE the Duke of Orleans was pursuing his career to its termination of dishonor; and death by the guillotine, the King, his cousin-an example of timid virtue was moving on step by step in advance of him to that same scaffold which was to accomplish his destiny, to sever him from the tender loves of wife, sister, and children, and to leave them prisoners in the custody of a people who had learned the relish of blood, whose amusement was the torture of their prey, who knew no compunction, whose hearts were closed against all pity and all re

morse.

The King's feebleness, though in his position it amounted to a vice, was not vicious. His solicitude for his Queen, and his horror of shedding a drop of his

people's blood, were the chief motives of his ill-considered, ill-timed concessions. These especial fears acted as shackles upon all his movements; but there was besides a natural sluggishness in his veins which made him averse to any course of action; and the Queen described him well when she said:

impassible devant le danger, mais son courage "Le Roi n'est pas lâche--au contraire, il est est dans son cœur, et n'en sort pas. Sa timidité l'y comprime. Son grandpère Louis 15 a prolongé son enfance jusqu'à vingt et un ans; sa vie s'en ressent et il n'ose rien."

Her perceptions, if not extended, were vivid, and she had a just appreciation of personal character. She understood the King well; and if at times she suffered