nance; still he thought, with Eliza's industrious and frugal habits, they might manage to live together. Eliza said she was very much obliged to him for his good opinion of her, and that there was no man for whom she felt so much esteem and regard; but she did not think she should do right to marry him, as any day her grandmother and aunt might want her assistance. Her good friends at the Rectory confirmed her in this opinion; and she, accordingly, thanked Henry Phillips, but declined his proposal, giving him her reason. He declared if she would not have him, he would never marry any other; but she would not allow him to bind himself by any promise."

Jane. "That was noble of her; but I should think and hope he would keep to it all the same."

Mary. "While I was in London, I heard that Eliza's aunt had died, and her grandmother was become so infirm, that Eliza considered it her duty to leave her place, and attend to her. Since I have been here, I have learned, with great satisfaction, that the uncle of Henry Phillips, who is a linendraper, on an extensive scale, in the town of and has no children of his own, has offered to take Henry into his business, and added, that he was the more inclined to it from knowing his attachment to a very deserving young woman, to whom he should be glad to see him married. And it is settled that Henry Phillips is to live with his future wife and her old grandmother, in a small tenement, consisting of

two rooms and a kitchen, adjoining the uncle's house, and belonging to it." Bessy. "Oh! I am glad of that. And now I hope she will be as happy as she deserves to be."

Jane. "Whatever happens to her, she must be happy in the approval of her own conscience, and the esteem of all good people who know her."

Mary. "Certainly. I am glad you like my story; I thought you would, though you cannot be so much interested in Eliza Fenning as I am from knowing her."

CHAPTER XIII.

"Upright heart and honest name
To the poorest are a treasure,
Better than ill-gotten wealth,

Better far than pomp and pleasure:
Poor and needy though thou art,
Gladly take what God has given;
With clean hand and humble heart,
Passing through the world to heaven."
C. F. H.

AFTER a little time, the wonted habits of Linden Grange resumed their course; and Mary, at the proposal of her cousins to renew their conversations on the Commandments, having made the observation that the Eighth has its paraphrase, as it may be expressed, in those clauses of the Catechism, "to keep our hands from picking and stealing," and "to be true and just in all our dealings," Jane remarked, 'Although there is no commandment more unequivocally acknowledged in words to be binding on all mankind, yet mother says it is one frequently evaded

both in action and in conscience, for the smallest act of dishonesty or cheating is a breach of it."

Mary. "Assuredly. Taking or keeping back anything belonging to another, be it money or aught else-borrowing and not paying-profiting by a casual mistake in business, or by another's ignorance, is dishonesty as decided as open stealing."

Bessy. "Using false weights, or giving short measure, for instance."

Jane. "Or charging full price for an inferior or damaged article."

Mary. "All these things are plainly offensive to our Just God. The Jewish code is very particular on the subject of strict honesty and justice; and we have no reason to think that God requires less of us, though the ceremonial part of their law is no longer in force amongst Christians. We shall find in my little book many texts bearing on this point. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: at his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.'1 "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him : the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.' 'Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.' 'Remove not the old 1 Deut. xxiv. 14, 15. 2 Levit. xix. 13. 3 Prov. xxii. 28.

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landmark, and enter not into the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is mighty, He shall plead their cause with thee."1 "Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thy house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have : that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God."2 'A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is His delight. A just weight and balance are the Lord's."4 Divers weights and divers measures, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.'5 'Woe unto him that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work.' 6 St. Paul also enjoins the same. 'Provide things honest in the sight of all men." 'Let no man go beyond or defraud his neighbour in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such.' And in summing up his advice to the Philippians, he says, 'Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these

1 Prov. xxiii. 10, 11. 4 Prov. xvi. 11.

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