I was kneeling to an idol-lang, lang I was an idolatress, Ellen Lindsay! and Providence showed me o' what my idol was made! The shock brak my heart, but the light o' truth dawned on the ruins; and noo Grace and Faith, which despise not a ruined and a broken shrine, sit them down there, and a' is Peace, and Mercy, and Pardon. And where the creature was worshipped, the Creator reigns, and the Saviour smiles; so it is a happy change, and......and......yes, we must forgive if we would be forgiven. I do forgive Tibby Maxwell, and I send her my blessing and pardon, peace be wi' her! and may she see the errors and follies o' her flauntering life, and may my deathbed remind her, that her ain the hand o' Time is surely spreading!

"And now I have only to beg, that wherever ye may be, ye will suffer puir Babie to come to you. She will hae twa hoondred a year, and nae being used to sae

mooch siller, she will need your kind and watchfu' eye to see she does nae thraw it, or hersel awa! Be a mither to her, for my sake, dear Ellen Lindsay. I die in peace, because I recal your promise, and your smile o' truth as ye spake it.

"I leave ye my journal-the journal o' a heart rather than a life-a disappointed, broken, but now happy heart. I ken ye will value it for my sake. God bless you and yours, Ellen Lindsay! and that he will bless you, I prophecy fra' that spot whence we look clearly into the Future, though the Past and the Present fade before us-my deathbed! May your ain be as happy as that o' your eternally obliged

"GRISELDA DOUGLAS

"o' Douglas Glen!"

A postscript was added by Babie:

"Dear Ellen,

"My hand is so tired with writing the

above, and my eyes are so dim and swollen

wi' tears, I can scarce say more than that if it pleases God to take dear sister Grizzy to himself, I will be unco glad to live wi' you. I have been lang deprived o' companions suited to my age and tastes, but I dinna complain. Grizzy has been a mother to me, and my heart breaks to think o' leaving her, but, after a', she is glad to be at rest, and it is my duty to be cheerfu', and do my best to bear up and enjoy life.

"I hope the foreign Count and Mr. Grunter, as weel as Julian, are with you. I canna say when I may be expectit; it depends on poor Grizzy's departure, and that is in higher hands than we can guide, but I think it canna be lang. Should there be much delay, I will write again; in the mean time, please to send me a letter to say where you are, and whether it is a merry place, as, of course, if ye see much company, I maun hae crape evening dresses made low, wi' short sleeves, and trimmed wi' bugles, to look a wee bit tasty.

"Hae ye officers quartered near, and is Mr. Grunter still living in the hoose? Hoping sune to be amang ye a', I remain, wi' best respects to Mr. Lindsay and Miss Tibby, and kind love to Mr. Grunter, Mr. Julian, and the French Count, ever, dear Ellen,

"Your attached friend,

"BABIE DOUGLAS,

"o' Douglas Glen."

"Frivolous being !" thought Ellen. "Yet she means not that she wishes her sister's death. No, she is not wicked, but so weak, so childish, that I do believe she would chase a butterfly over her mother's grave, and deck herself with the flowers that grow upon its sod Poor Grizzy!" and Ellen's tears fell fast," for thy sake I will endure, nay, I will counsel, and, as far as I can, protect this strange, this antiquated, and most tormenting charge. Poor Grizzy! peace be with her! I will redeem my pledge, and do my duty by thee, so help me, Heaven!"

That very day poor Grizzy Douglas dieddied calm, happy, and acutely watchful and sensible to the last. Babie was in paroxysms

at first; in fits on the burial day; and then, by degrees, she grew calm, and bugles and crape, bombazeen, black feathers, and jet butterflies, with her approaching journey, filled all her thoughts.

And Grizzy was left unmourned in her narrow bed; but the morning sun shone on the grave of the old spinster, who had so loved its earliest rays; and the green grass, and the daisies, and dear harebells deck the spot. It was the place of rest she had chosen in life. A yew-tree and a cypress overshadow it, but not so thickly that the moonbeams cannot sport over the headstone, and light up that name, pure as themselves. The summer birds sing among the trees, and hop over the sod; the sentinel owl wakes as to watch it at night, while the glowworm brings his tiny but sufficing lamp; and robin-redbreast, as if grateful