coming fitfully amid the tumult of wind and waters, seemed like the last cries of the drowning. I threw

on my clothes, and hurried out; but the violence of the wind was such, that I could only stand by holding by a post, or tree, and could not, without difficulty, breathe. Nothing but the intense peril and distress of so many people, could have enabled me to persevere till I had reached the lower region of the glen; and there I could only witness a wide scene of woe, without much power to assist. The poor creatures were some busy endeavouring to save themselves, their children, or their furniture, from the fury of the waves; while others were wringing their hands, or were seated on the strand in a stupor of despair. Many of the women were running to and fro with streaming hair, and eyes fixed wildly on the fishingboats, that in the dark and raging ocean were dashed hither and thither, and, ever and anon, were flung on the beach with their drowned masters. Heaven and earth seemed to my gloomy and desponding soul to be coming to an end. I helped my wretched fellows as I could; and, as the morning dawned drearily, returned, wet and spiritless, to my poor inn. The woe that surrounded me was too much for me; I hastened away to the mines. Here the infection of my ill-fortune seemed to have extended itself. I found that sixty pounds were the whole of my property in them--the whole that I had in the world!

Yet out of this I could not depart without leaving something to still more unhappy beings. I placed in the hands of the curate, ten pounds for the sufferers, and went on my way.

I thought in my prosperity that I had no pride; but I found it now! I had to return to my native place, to my original profession; it was my only resource. I who had, but four years before, left it with growing fortunes and splendid hopes, must now return a ruined man, and with a wife and children to bear with me the contempt of poverty and misfortune.

I shall never forget that day. We delayed our approach so as to enter the place at night, and took up our abode in our little house. The next day was meeting.

the Sabbath: we issued forth to We had seen and spoken to no one; we had announced to no one our coming; but as we went up the street we could see that the story of our disasters had come before us. The poor looked out of their windows with pity; the rich with looks and even smiles of contempt. We sate down in our place of worship-that place where all should be as children in the presence of a father; amongst a people who inculcate doctrines of meekness and benevolence, and have called themselves by a name of amity. Cold and curious looks were cast on us; and when we arose at the breaking up of the meeting, colder hands received the grasp of

ours; nay, some even shrunk from them, as from the touch of a viper, and hurried away as from a pestilence. It was a cutting dispensation; and I believe I should have sunk under it, had it not been for my noble-minded wife. She bore it with wonderful fortitude; bade me think nothing of it; that it was well to learn who were our friends, a lesson which only poverty could teach. She strengthened me, and encouraged me to go on with my business in hope-but it was a dark time. Other people had taken up the profession I had laid down, and occupied my place ;-employment came slowly in.

I had two cousins in the town, who had, in my prosperity, shown me much good will. I called one day to request their interest in procuring me the survey of an estate of a friend of theirs. There I found my maliciously candid counsellor. I would have withdrawn, but he seized me by the coat, clapped the door behind me, and gave me an harangue to show me how he had predicted years before, the misfortune which had overtaken me. He stopped not here. He poured out an abundance of abuse on my wife, as a proud, extravagant, and fine-lady body, whom I had been weak enough to suffer to ruin me. I rose to seize him in my wrath, and hurl him from the house; but he exclaimed, with his usual candour, "Nay, nay, Secundus, don't get into a rage, man. I only wished to tell thee my mind; and if I don't

please, I am going." He drew the door after him, and was gone.

I turned to my cousins; they stood silent. "And do you believe these assertions? The justice of this abuse?"

"No!"

"Then why did you not interfere? Why not testify your disapprobation?"

"We thought thee very capable of defending thyself."

"I trust I am," I replied with warmth; "but is it thus you suffer a man to speak of a female in your house; of an innocent woman-of one of your own relatives, and are silent? I would not hear the meanest of her sex abused without expressing my abhorrence of the unmanly outrage. But your relative! my wife! and in your own house!"

I sprang out, and thanked God that I had been saved from the mortification of asking a favour at their sordid hands.

We had been accustomed to attend the monthly meetings of our people, which are sometimes held at the distance of ten miles from my native place, in our gig: but now, I did not allow myself the time from my profession; and my poor wife in her devotion went alone on foot. It was through a wild country; on a hilly and fatiguing road; yet she went and returned in one day. Worthy woman! she had