her account.

He would have wished to have taken his sister with him, but Helen was so utterly miserable at the idea of losing Mrs. Wyndham, that she, as well as Morton, felt it would be cruel at such a time to deprive her of both her companions at once; she consented, therefore, to remain with her, not indeed wholly without hope that she might in time succeed in softening the mind of one who had suffered so much, and rendering her very sorrow the means of working out her salvation. She knew that grief, when it does not improve the heart, is suffering thrown away; and that it is in vain we long for the peace and repose of another world, unless we learn to feel something of the same peace in this. As it has been most beautifully expressed in those exquisite lines

'Oh, not to other worlds, poor child of clay,
Alone for comfort and for peace repair;
Believe it, heavenly bliss must here have birth,
And that must bud below which blossoms there!

True, fitter soils, and more delicious air,

And brighter suns above, shall influence give!
But thou, the while, must inward strength prepare,
That better life even now begin to live,

And look for heavenly peace-since happiness,
Born from above, is free for all!-for thee!
And if thine inmost soul delight to bless
And commune with the God of purity!
Earth has no bounds thy spirit to detain-

And Heaven no bars thine entrance to restrain."

And Mrs. Wyndham was not disappointed. A year passed away-a melancholy year; and during that time many tears had Helen shedmany hours of misery had she known; but they were not without their salutary influence-at the end of that time she was a changed being.

Who, indeed, could live with Mrs. Wyndham from day to day, and not imbibe something at least of the same heavenly spirit? who could witness the peace and hopefulness of her heart under affliction, and not turn to the same source that she had sought?

But, although her bright example certainly influenced Helen, and produced a great effect upon her mind, it was not that alone which

turned her heart to God! other, and far more powerful means produced the change. It was Vernon's letter!-the letter he had written to her on his deathbed, which was the means of leading her to seek peace where alone it could be found to choose the "better part,” which could never be taken away from her! His last thought his last prayer on earth, had been to recommend her to her God-to urge her to repentance-to entreat forgiveness for her! and should she not walk in the path he had pointed out-should she not seek the Eternal Being to whom, she fondly hoped, he was already gone? Yes! - her whole soul should be devoted to the one great task of working out her salvation! Her life should be one continual prayer for mercy and forgiveness -mercy for them both!

Thus, she began by seeking religion first for his sake! But, as she devoted herself more and more to the study of it, her heart gradually underwent that total change, which nothing but

religion can produce. She began to love it for itself to become deeply imbued with its spirit

-to embrace its glorious doctrines-and to show forth in her life the fruits it invariably produces !

And, oh! in this happy change of heart, how many an earnest prayer did she offer up for Vernon, that he might be received into that Heaven to which she aspired! How precious in her sight were those few faint words, traced by his dying hand!-how did she treasure them up, not so much as a memorial of his love, as a proof of his repentance !--and how earnestly did she implore the Father of all, to pardon his errors, and accept that repentance !

Yes! Helen was at last changed! Much had she suffered-much had she wanderedbut, in the end, all had worked together for good; and adversity now turned her to the Being, whom, in prosperity, she had not sought!

And how precious, in Mrs. Wyndham's sight,

were the first tears of repentance, shed by those eyes, from which so many, that were less holy, had flowed!

"Blest tears of soul-felt penitence!

In whose benign redeeming flow
Is felt the first, the only, sense

Of guiltless joy, that guilt can know!"

How sweet, the first faltering accents of humility and contrition! With what gratitude did she bless the Giver of all good, that this child of sin had been saved from destruction; and that, if she had fallen once, it had been (she humbly trusted) only to rise again eternally!

But a new trial awaited poor Helen. Lord Montgomery, some months after, was afflicted with paralysis, which, though it almost entirely destroyed the use of his limbs, did not, as might have been expected, affect the little remaining intellect he still possessed. That continued the same as before; or rather, if any thing, improved; for, as he was now obliged to