the bad habits which I grieve to find you have contracted, but of which you may assuredly cure yourselves, and you can never find favour from God or man till you ámend. It will perhaps cost you some trouble, but you will gain such a prize by it, that when you look back you will think the time and self denial well bestowed. Would you not wish that every one was pleased with you, and spoke kindly to you?" They all said "Oh yes! oh yes, yes!" "Well," said their uncle, "you must begin by speaking truth in the plainest manner. Never be afraid to tell me downrightly your mistakes or faults; at least do not try to hide them, for that will draw you in to telling lies. I give you my word, that you shall have no cause to repent avoiding all contrivances for concealing your neglects or offences. You will find me a friend full of pity for your weaknesses, and of sorrow for your transgressions. It shall be the study of my life to help you by my advice and reproofs to correct what is amiss." The children were melted to tears; and in a more submissive and earnest tone of voice repeated their promises to try all they could to be good. "SPEAK TRUTH AT ALL TIMES;" said their uncle, "it is the first step in approaching to goodness, and the crowning grace. Whether you are self condemned for doing wrong, or have forgotten any thing you ought to do, or wish to obtain any favour, use no excuses, deceits, or round about ways. Plain dealing is always worthy and safe, and you will find it succeeds best. REMEMBER THE GREAT GOD SEES YOU AT ALL TIMES, and that to speak truth will make you good and happy. Good night. May the blessing of the God of trath give effect to my words." 66 Look ye lads," " said their father, " you will find yourselves as in heaven under your uncle, compared to the past days, if you speak truth. Amen, God send it, Amen!"" The last words were spoken with uplifted hands and devout fervour. It was the first blessing the children had received. It affected them greatly. They retired to rest, and though in the morning the impression had become more faint, Lewis took care to renew it by a few forcible words occasionally introduced. He saw them to school, exhorted them them to behave well there, and as they were for some weeks their uncle and aunt's only scholars, they could pay them more minute attention. Notwithstanding cvery care, many faults were committed both in school and at home. Let grown persons earnestly strive to break off a bad custom, and they will be able to compute the painful struggles these young penitents endured, and they will make candid allowances for their frequent relapses. Lewis's patience. was invincible. He maintained a sedate dignity, which awed them more uniformly than wrath; and if he caught his charge verging to subterfuge, he would stop them in an authoritative voice, saying: "Go no farther till you have recollected yourself: you are departing from truth; and every time you do so it will be more difficult to return.” All transgressions were noticed, and followed by admonition or rebuke, according to their turpitude; and any great offences were punished by confinement in a corner of the school-room, or of their uncle Lewis's apartment or in the parlour, in full view of the family; but they never were affronted before strangers. Their uncle said it would but stupify the timid and harden the bold; he said it might also affect their character at a future period. This humane, rational, consistent management, produced a great improvement in less than two months. Betty said they were all more amended than Hammel, but Lewis maintained he had made fully as much progress as any of them in real reformation, though being a hair-brained impetuous youth, he got into scrapes with his mother more frequently than the others; but none of them were so ready to assist her if she was hurried, or to sympathize with her if she was sick or vexed. The greatest difficulty seemed to be the prevention of quarrels among themselves; but after a general scuffle when out at play, on a fine frosty day that their uncle was too ill to walk with them, he made a law that they should go out singly in succession, and never be allowed to divert themselves together till they became more accommodating and good natured. Each attempted solitary amusement, but soon found that social participation was necessary to their enjoyments; and after a few weeks obtained leave to play together. It was the first quarterly meeting after Lewis assumed his charge. BB 2 The day day passed with unaffected hilarity; the children sat at a side table to dinner, and all behaved well. As much genuine mirth enlivened the tea table as ever circulated with the inebriating glass. The evening songs and dance were joyous, but given up at the first intimation that it was eight o'clock, the hour for evening prayer. Dick sent his cart first home with Terence's wife and children, who lived near; and then his friends were conveyed to the village by the same vehicle. When they were all gone, the children to bed, and Betty with her eldest girl about household affairs, Dick seized his brother's hand, and said: "Many a hand has been kissed that did not deserve it so well as yours, my dear Lewis, and if it could do you good, I would kiss your feet on my bare knees. What paace and plaasure have we now all day, and every day; and the poor little soules are much better than when wife had the whip in constant use; indeed, my dear Lewis, an I hadn't a seen it with my two eyes, and felt it in my breast; an' I had'nt just seen and felt all that, I coudn't a believed that two or three cups of taa, or reading ballads and then the better books, could so lift up the heart, or that my owne childer could be so good company; I am almost as happy as Terence, whose childer are so good forever." "Yours are daily improving, my dear Dick," said Lewis. "When children's errors are explained to them in a way they can understand; and powerful, but not terrifying, motives to amendment are given to them, they will be wiser every day; and they will in time be too good to need concealments. When they have no temptations disguise, every flaw in their temper or disposition ap pears, and may be cured, as far as mortals prone to evil can be cured; but the slavish fear that urges a child to artifice, makes him guilty of many sins to cover a foible, which if discovered before it became habitual, might be counteracted and rectified." "How did you come to know all that?" said Dick. "I am much indebted to Lady L.'s book," replied Lewis, "for recalling to mind my sad experience of the means by which a perverted heart and grossly ignorant understanding understanding may be improved; and I have reason to believe her ladyship drew her maxims from the means employed for my own reformation. I can assert the justice of her prescriptions, and especially of her remark, That whenever a child has been enlightened with explicit ideas of good and evil, he wishes to avoid offending, though his ardent feelings and his heedlessness may lead him astray. He never does ill without being visited by compunction, unless his pride be irritated by severity." Dick listened with great attention, and said: "I know what you say much better now, than when we first talked together. I know you maane that we shoudn't drive little ones like brute baastes by main force. Every word and line spaakes to myself. Why, there's my Betty has been trying thir fifteen years and a bit over, to shove and shove me out of the whisky, and to kaape me in doors, but I'd as lief aate fire, as be dragooned by any he or she, in life, bating a commanding officer; but when I see my daare brothers and comely Lizzy so down in the mouth for me, and yet so kind, I took the oath; and I wish it had been twenty years ago. Och! an' I had all the money that plumped o'er the Red-lane in whisky, I could help many a poor soule, and first and foremost my owne brother Ter ence." "He deserves all we can do for him. In his lowest estate," said Lewis, "he was respectable by his sense and his virtues; and now that we have been able to make his school a voluntary and pleasant task, rather than a drudgery, he is the same modest, humble, amiable man às in adversity." "I wish,' said Dick, "my lassies were with his wife. They will never learn to love work under Betty's hand. Poor soule she maanes well, but she don't come to it the right way." "You see more of that than comes in my view," said Lewis; "and I think no time should be lost, I shall propose it, and insist for their removal next week. You will not grudge Betty an additional servant?" "Nor two, nor three," said Dick, " for the good of the poor things. Me that has spoiled so much money in whisky! I would be worse than a heathen to grudge what should do good to my childer." "Would to God that all who might make the same reflection", said Lewis, "were equally honest hearted and willing to retrieve their errors.' "I don't know how it is, but I take notice," said Dick, now that my eyes are opened, that hardly any body has right ways for curing childer of lying, or men of drinking; and yet what could be of so much use in a world of sinners?" "Parents employ terrors to cure children of lying," said Lewis; " but terrors are the cause of that fault, and can no more cure it, than stretching a strained limb will contract the over lengthened sinews. It is by removing fear, and encouraging rational confidence, that young people will have resolution to endure blame, without trying by artifice to elude detection; and, as to habits of intemperance, many a man is confirmed in them by the mistaken and domineering zeal of his wife. Want of some innocent entertainment at home, makes a man easily led away by jovial companions, and his wife's ill humour induces him to prolong his absence from her." "But if his wife," said Dick, "had your sense to plaase him, and give him kind words, maybe he woudn't be so foolish." "If that method does not succeed," said Lewis, "no other will; and if a man has an habitual craving for spir its, a prudent woman would endeavour to persuade him to take it at home rather than at the public house." "You have been better than any wife or childer to me," said Dick. "Och its me would be glad to do you good back again!" "I may venture, then," said Lewis, "to ask a favour." "As big as all I am worth," said Dick. "Well, you will go with me to Edinburgh, to take advice for curing your wounds that break out so often, and cause you such suffering." "As |