became an intimate acquaintance in Mr. Maxwell's family. Though in a humble station of life, he was a man of exalted virtue. When I first knew him, he was about sixty-five, but by habitual temperance, and the healthful labour of agriculture, he still enjoyed, in an eminent degree, a sound mind, and a vigorous body. You will, I trust, forgive me, if I dilate a little on this subject; the virtues of my benefactor are so intimately associated with the happiest days of my life, that I never think - of them without a swelling of bosom that I cannot suppress. By all means, said Dr. N―, I have only a faint recollection of him; but, young as I then was, I remember, he was the admiration of the whole country. In summer, resumed Mr. Melvile, he rose at four, and in winter at five o'clock in the morning. The sun is not more regular in his course, than he was in this respect. After he had examined the appearance of the sky, from which he formed a tolerably correct notion of the state of the weather for the day, he roused all the servants, and allotted to each his separate task. As he never subjected these people to any labour in which he did not assist them by his advice, or even by the strength of his arm, they were never heard to murmur. Though they lived with him on a footing of perfect ease and familiarity, yet they never addressed him but in terms of profound esteem. It was a delightful sight to see him seated at the head of his own table, like a patriarch with all his children and servants around him; for, at that time, the farmer and his servants ate at the same table. Fa | shion had not introduced those artificial distinctions, by which it is considered contamination to sit down at the same board, or to enter into any kind of social or friendly intercourse with hired domestics. domestics. When the labours of the day were over, he frequently amused them with some sprightly sally of wit, or some entertaining anecdote in which he had been an actor. Sometimes he read aloud to them from some of the old pathetic Scotch ballads, while the tear rolled down his manly visage, which he would turn aside to wipe it away, as if ashamed of it. Never was man more beloved in his family, nor more feared, but it was the fear of offending him. He had a thorough knowledge of the most approved modes of agriculture then in use, and was consulted by the farmers for many miles around, in all cases of difficulty. He often assisted the poorer order of them, in the payment of their rents. A term seldom passed without some application for assistance, and the poor man was never sent away with a sorrowful heart. Yet, he was never a loser by his generosity, these people would have thought it sacrilege not to repay these debts with the earliest opportunity. Though he had little learning, he thought justly on all subjects. He could not tell by what laws the planets rolled in their orbits, yet in his evening walks, he gazed on the glories of the starry sky, till his devotion took wing and soared to the throne of the Creator of the universe. On these occasions, he frequently gave a vent to his feelings in a simple sublimity of expression, worthy of the royal bard himself. His piety was enthusiastic, but rational; the offspring of an ardent imagination, and a sound judgment. Such was Mr. Maxwell. marks apply, the estate on which our farms were situated, was sold to a rich Nabob, who had just returned from India with an overgrown fortune. The term of our leases was nearly expired, and we expected a renewal of them, at a small increase of rent from our old master, who had ever been indulgent to us. But, this man came with newfangled notions, and we were soon informed by a letter from his factor, that we must remove. This letter, which was expressed with all the unfeeling insolence of power, was a death warrant to my father-in-law. We were informed that the estate had been in very bad management; that the system of agriculture practised by Mr. Maxwell, and me in particular, was miserably defective; that the proprietor had resolved to make a new division of his lands, to throw ten farms into one, and to let them to none of the old tenants, but to seek out respectable men, possessed of capital, men of vigour and enterprise. Mr. Maxwell's ancestors had lived on this farm a century and a half, and had seen many changes of masters. When I read the letter, I could see the good old man's eye moistened with a tear; yet he suffered no harsh expression to escape him, he only said, that before the expiration of the lease, he should remove to a new farm, from which they had no power to drive him. After this, he became dejected and melancholy, and was visibly descending to the grave. The only thing in which he now took pleasure, was walking under the shade of a row of fine old oaks, which had been planted by his great-grandfather, about a cenAbout the time to which these re- tury before. He too had planted some, He thought me an industrious young man, and bestowed great pains in communicating to me the result of his professional experience. I profited by his instructions, and soon became a great favourite in his family. It was not long before Miss Maxwell attracted my regards. She was at that time blooming like the vernal rose. There was an artless simplicity, and a warmth of heart about her, that delighted me extremely. In short, I fell in love with her. Our passion was mutual; and, as the match was in all respects suitable, and agreeable to all parties, we were soon married. The more I became acquainted with my wife's virtues, the more I admired, esteemed and loved her. We enjoyed fifteen years of uninterrupted felicity. I was blest in the best of wives, and seven children, the eldest of whom was now fourteen years of age. My father-in-law was considerably advanced in years, and my assistance became of importance to him. I managed both farms, and the two families lived in undisturbed harmony. I was fond of my profession, happy in my family, my relations and friends. I enjoyed vigorous health, and delighted in exertion. Labour brought sweet slumbers, and these renovated vigour. If a succession of abundant crops did not make me wealthy, they placed me in easy circumstances, and I did not court wealth. My wants were few. I had learnt to bound my wishes to my circumstances, and vainly thought myself above the frowns of fortune. in hopes that his descendents might re-anticipated even in imagination, and for cline under their shade; but, alas, he had the mortification to see these venerable trees under which he had so often enjoyed his infant sports, hewn down to satisfy the avarice, or suit the whim of the new proprietor. One day he met the factor, and entreated him with all the ardour of a long attachment, to spare them but for a few months. He answered him roughly, desiring him to mind his own affairs. In a few weeks, this good man paid the debt of nature, lamented in death, as he had been esteemed and beloved in life. which I was in nowise prepared. Thus were my hopes of future subsistence, all at once blasted; I, my beloved wife, and my infant children were to be cast out on the wide world to struggle with difficulties, to which we were unequal, and perhaps finally to be overwhelmed by the storm, which was gathering around us. My mind would have sunk under these afflictions, had it not been cheered and supported by my partner in suffering who seemed to rise superior to misfortune. Much as I esteemed and loved her, I was not till now fully sensible of the strength of her affection and the inestimable worth of her character ; she put her confidence in the superintending care of providence, which she said would never desert the innocent victims of wealthy tyranny. That the same benevolent Being who arrayed the flowers of the field in beauty and fed the young ravens, would likewise provide food and raiment for them. Amid all our afflictions, and 'we have had our share of them, this conviction has been our solace and support. The day was now fast approaching on which my family was to be driven from the abodes of their ancestors. From the sale of my crop, cows, horses, and farming utensils, after paying all my debts, I had a reversion of six hundred pounds; it was my plan to rent a cottage, somewhere in Dumfries-shire and if possible, ground sufficient to maintain two cows. On the produce of these cows, and the interest of my money, I thought we might live comfortably without encroaching on the capital, till I should succeed in procuring another farm; but all my prospects were soon darkened. The very day after the sale, I received a letter from my brother who was a manufacturer in Glasgow, informing me that from the failure of a mercantile house in Liverpool, with which he was much connected, he had been compelled to stop payI had indorsed bills for him to the amount of five hundred pounds. These bills were due and instant pay-ed most piteously, (for tho' a good man, ment was demanded by letters which he was excessively superstitious.) Ah! my came by same post. This was a com. good master, do not go to Edinburgh; bination of calamities which I had not I fear some greater calamity still awaits ment. The day on which we left the farm is engraven on my memory in characters never to be obliterated. The night previous, I slept little and rose early. The first person I met was Richard, an old ploughman, much attached to the family; he had served the grandfather, father and daughter for a period of upwards of fifty years. "Little did I expect that I should live to see this day," said he, "all last night, White-foot howl us, they say, it is a desperately wicked place; yet, if you will go, allow me to accompany you; I could earn half-acrown a-day, a shilling is sufficient for my purposes, and if my dear mistress would only do me the favour to accept the remaining eighteen pence, I think I could die in peace." I took him by the hand and thanked him. "So you refuse me," said he, turning away his face to hide his tears. This proof of attachment unmanned me and I hurried away from the poor fellow in tears; I entered the kitchen, where a scene presented itself not less affecting. Two old female servants met me, the one with twenty, the other with fifteen pounds, the savings of their hard earnings; they pressed me to accept this sum, for which they said, they had no use, just as a present to little Jessey and little Betsey. This was more than I could hear, and I rushed into a small room, where Ellen was sitting alone, and watered her bosom with my tears. It was now near nine o'clock, and a great number of our neighbours had assembled to bid us farewell; they were tenants on an estate on the opposite banks of the Nith, who were not involved in our misfortunes. God bless you, cried fifty voices, as we ascended the cart which was to bear us for ever from the spot to which all our affections were rivetted, which at that moment thought we the paradise of nature. God bless you all, but the sound was low and mournful, unlike those cheerful and lively salutations that had often flown from the same lips, on the very same green; we travelled three miles without uttering a word. But I observed the tear swelling in my dear Helen's eye, ever and anon, as she looked at her infants. When we reached the top of a hill whence we had a last view of our farm, I stopped the horse, but the sight was overpowering. At that moment, our little boy, about three years old, casting his arms about his mother's neck and kissing her, cried, take me home mamma, take me home! I could not conceal my tears from my little angels, who were not aware of the extent of their misfortune, and Helen wept aloud. I whipt the horse, and in a moment we lost sight of the beloved spot. During this day's journey, we met about forty families in similar circumstances, many of them in worse. These people and their forefathers, had resided in this district time immemorial. Nearly two hundred men, women, and children, were expelled from their habitations, and cast out, without a home, on the wide world; poverty, misery, and desolation were produced, to make room for ten men, only two of whom had families, the one half of them rode blood horses, kept mistresses, got drunk once or twice a-week, and, instead of attending divine service on Sunday, met in each others houses for card play. ing or coarse conviviality, and this is what they call improving a country now-a-days! When I arrived at Edinburgh, I was advised to try a little Inn, as the best means of supporting my family. Since my arrival in this city, misfortune has succeeded misfortune. Within the first six months, we lost our three eldest sons in the scarlet fever; every day, every hour, I was compelled to witness scenes of low debauchery and vice, that sickened me of existence. Nothing grieved me so much, as the weekly profanation of Sunday, which passed under my eye; oh, how like the calm, peaceful, holy Sabbath of the country. For myself, I could have submitted to any thing but vice, but Helen's health was materially injured, the roses had flown from the cheeks of our surviving boys and girls, and these were circumstances which I could not behold with indifference. My heart was wrung with anguish for the present and dismal forebodings for the future. At the end of the first year, I had lost the hundred pounds which I had saved from the wreck of my little fortune; and in the second, contracted several debts, beside, my house rent, which I was unable to ADDRESS TO THE SETTING MOON. HAIL setting moon! I love to see thee close,. That I could wish just so to meet my grave,. A life so useful and so bright as thine. Yes, setting moon! so calm thou sinkst beneath, W. G. 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