sight into a desolate world, her prop broken, and her main link to life untied-but there were many to mourn over those who had thus perished, when their hopes were most high, and their prospects most bright.

Among the various articles that floated to the shore, was a trunk, that was publicly opened for the purpose of ascertaining who had been its ill fated owner. It contained, among other things, a bundle of letters carefully wrapped together. They had been but little injured, and when dried I was enabled to peruse them. They were the letters of a wife to her husband, written in all that calm confidence and affection which can only be the fruit of virtuous love. From their contents I discovered that the writer had been but a short time married, and that the voyage was the first her husband had made. It appeared also, from many allusions, that their marriage had taken place without the consent of her friends. In some of them she spoke of the child she expected to bring into the world; and in others, of its birth: one letter contained a small portion of its hair. The letters were all exceedingly interesting; they had evidently been written by a person deeply under the influence of religion; for every one of them contained a prayer to that God who governs the deep, and who rules the land, that whether on sea or on shore, He would be the protector of her husband. It was plain also, that the writer was labouring under severe pecuniary distress; with the occasional statements of her distress, there was mingled a feeling of deliacy, as if she alluded to it merely to express

her dependance on Him who will not see the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread. Those letters were peculiarly affecting when they in any way referred to her child. The mother would frequently tell the father how easily she could trace the features of her husband in the countenance of her babe; and dwell with the greatest delight on the anticipation of what he would say to his boy when he had returned from his voyage, to clasp the little one, for the first time, in a father's arms. It was evident that the sentiments and feelings of the wife were those of the husband; for many of the letters, which were written in reply to others, contained encouragements to persevere in fighting the good fight of faith, by which a crown of glory was to be won.

I read those letters with feelings of peculiar sorrow and sympathy, and in those feelings a great many of my friends participated. Their exertions added to my own, succeeded in raising a sum of money for the widow of the shipwrecked seaman; and it was enclosed to her a short time after her melancholy loss.

In the course of a few months my business obliged me to visit the metropolis; and immediately on my arrival, with a melancholy pleasure, I proceeded to the lodging of the poor young widow; and was admitted into her humble apartment. She was in the act of dressing her infant, and I instantly perceived that she had added a little border of black crape to the cap of the orphaned babe. I introduced myself to her as Mr. of Penzance. She rose from her seat and welcomed me with that smile of grateful

pleasure which may be the fourfold reward premised in Scripture to the comforter of the af flicted.

Her story was very interesting. After having related to me some circumstances connected with her situation and her marriage, she spoke of her feelings when she heard of her husband's death. "I had long expected my husband home," she continued, "and every day, from morning until night, and from night till morning, I had listened in the hope of hearing his footsteps on the stair; as I looked, with those feelings which none but a mother and a wife can know, upon my baby's face, and asked myself to which of the two he would first give his embrace. On the night I received the information that my child was an orphan and I was a widow, I was sitting by my fireside, and expecting him every moment. My little one was sleeping in his cradle; and, as I had done every day for weeks before, I had laid his clothes before the fire to air, in order that he might change them when he came home. I had but one shilling in the world, and that shilling I had kept untouched for many days, that I might be enabled to procure him something to eat or to drink on his return. I heard a footstep, but I knew it was not his, and a gentle knock upon the door; when the clerk of the owner of my husband's vessel came in. I thought his visit was to inform me of the arrival of the vessel: with a slowness of apprehension that made the blow fall heavier, I understood none of his hints; and it was with some difficulty that the young gentleman could make me conscious of the dreadful event.

"When my reason returned, I fell upon my knees and poured out my whole soul in communion with my Creator. Blessed be his name, he gave me strength to bear the calamity that I thought had left me no other friend-blessed be his name, he enabled me to remember, that 'whom he loveth he chasteneth,' and that often

Behind a frowning Providence

He hides a smiling face.

I flew to my Bible, and I sought and found consolation in the word of Him, who hath promised to be a father to my fatherless babe.

"I calmly took his clothes from before the fire, and laid them carefully in the drawer; kissed my little one; and prayed to God more tranquilly than I had before done. I did not want even for earthly friends; the members of our society had heard of, and pitied my misfortune, and they visited me in my distress. In a few days afterward I received the subscription of the benevolent friends, although strangers, at Penzance. It will enable me to form some plan of support for myself and my orphan, and the God of mercy will bless my exertions."

ANONYMOUS.

ALCANDER AND SEPTIMIUS.

ATHENS, even long after the decline of the Roman empire, still continued the seat of learning, politeness, and wisdom. The emperors and generals, who in these periods of approaching ignorance still felt a passion for science, from time to time added to its buildings, or increased its professor

ships. Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, was of the number; he repaired those schools which barbarity was suffering to fall into decay, and continued those pensions to men of learning which avaricious governors had monopolized to themselves.

In this city, and about this period, Alcander and Septimius were fellow students together. The one the most subtle reasoner of all the Lyceum; the other the most eloquent speaker in the academic grove. Mutual admiration soon begot an acquaintance, and a similitude of disposition made them perfect friends. Their fortunes were nearly equal, their studies the same, and they were natives of the two most celebrated cities in the world; for Alcander was of Athens, Septimius came from Rome.

In this mutual harmony they lived for some time together, when Alcander, after passing the first part of his youth in the indolence of philosophy, thought at length of entering into the busy world, and as a step previous to this, placed his affections on Hypatia, a lady of exquisite beauty. Hypatia showed no dislike to his addresses. The day of their intended nuptials was fixed, the previous ceremonies were performed, and nothing now remained but her being conducted in triumph to the apartment of the intended bridegroom.

An exultation in his own happiness, or his being unable to enjoy any satisfaction without making his friend Septimius a partner, prevailed upon him to introduce his mistress to his fellow student, which he did with all the gaiety of a man who found himself equally happy in friend