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forget that Edith is three or four years older than you are."

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'Well, Claude, what of that?"

"She will, of course, consider herself almost grown up, perhaps quite, and will therefore look down upon you as her little sister; somebody to pet and to take care of."

Minnie drew herself up with all the dignity she could assume (and that was not a little) and said, “I am not a child, Claude!"

"What are you then, Minnie?"

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Why I am a girl, of course; and at our age two or three years does not make any difference; besides every one says I look older than I really am; so I dare say Edith and I shall suit very well in that respect."

Minnie chattered on until her brother was tired of listening to her, and he sat down to write a letter, and Minnie knew that it was of no use to talk while Claude was writing, as he invariably made a point of being deaf at such times; her grandmother had left the room; her papa was out; so she was obliged to be quiet, or at least to try to be so. She got a book from the shelves, and, with its aid, and the occasional caresses of her favorite pussy, who was comfortably reposing in her lap, she managed to wile away the time, not however without often wishing that it would pass a little faster.

Ah Minnie! how many there are who would thankfully retard its pace!

But time, however slowly it sometimes seems to creep along, is always steadily progressing, and, to Minnie's great satisfaction, the afternoon came at last, and she and Claude set off to the railway terminus. On their arrival they found, that owing to an alteration, the train would not arrive until a quarter to four.

"What shall we do?" said Claude, "we have twenty minutes to spare; shall we take a little walk?"

"It is so warm, Claude, I would much rather wait

here, if you have no objection; we can sit nicely on that form."

Claude had no objection, and agreed to wait; but just at that moment he caught a glimpse of a youth at some little distance, and exclaimed, "There is Fred Morgan I declare, my old school-fellow, I must go and speak to him; stay here, Minnie, till I come back, I shall not be long."

Minnie felt rather doubtful; but she could not object to being left alone, as Claude would be full in sight, and the place was very quiet. But it was rather dull to sit there with no one to speak to, and Minnie said to herself, in a very audible and rather pettish tone of voice, "How tiresome it is to have to wait so long."

"I am afraid you have not a very large stock of patience," said somebody near her.

Minnie coloured and looked round. She met such a kind and pleasant smile in return as perfectly reassured her, and she answered with equal frankness, "No, indeed, I have not, sir."

He smiled again. "I do not think I can offer to lend you any of mine, I want it all myself just now. When we are expecting to meet a very dear friend, it is not very agreeable to be told with the greatest coolness that we must wait half an hour longer?

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"No," said Minnie, smiling too, "but mine is not a very dear friend, at least not yet; it is my cousin whom we have come to meet, and I have never even seen her. But she is so clever, and so amiable, and so good, that I know I shall like her; indeed I do already."

"I should think you would, if she is all that you represent. Have you any sisters ?"

"No; and that makes me more glad that Edith is coming, it will be so nice to have a companion. I have been counting upon it so long."

"I hope you will not be disappointed."

"Oh, I hope not!" said Minnie, very earnestly. She thought that his remark, in conjunction with a

similar one of Claude's, sounded rather ominously; perhaps after all Edith would not come by that train! "You do not like disappointments, then?"

"Like them!" repeated Minnie, "I should not think anybody does."

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Well, perhaps not," he said, half amused at her strong emphasis, "but some people can bear them with patience, and even with cheerfulness.”

"I cannot," said Minnie, decidedly.

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"Not if you believe that they are for your good?' They never do, me any good, I am sure,' said Minnie, “for they only make me cross and discontented, and out of humour with everything and everybody." "But may not that be your fault? Neither disappointments, nor anything else can be beneficial to us, if we will not let them fulfil their purpose."

"But what is their purpose?" asked Minnie. “What use can there be in disappointments ?"

"They are intended to exercise our patience, and thus to strengthen it-to moderate the intensity of our desires for earthly things-and to make us less dependent upon external circumstances for our happi

ness.'

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Minnie listened attentively, but said nothing; so he went on,-"You are young, and have not met with any serious disappointments yet, but if you live a few years longer, you will often find events in which you are deeply interested turn out very differently to what you had hoped and anticipated. You will learn by experience how uncertain and how unsatisfying are all things here! I have learnt it. I have also learnt that there are some joys and promises which never disappoint us. Do you know what they are?"

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"Yes," said Minnie, with a little hesitation.

"Will you try them then for yourself? I want to persuade everybody I meet with, especially young people, to set their hearts upon such objects as will never disappoint them, but will assuredly make them

happy. How nice it is, when our best plans fail, and our brightest expectations are crossed, to say to ourselves, Well, I may be disappointed in earthly things, but I cannot be disappointed in heavenly things! I can never believe too confidently, nor hope too strongly, when God holds out any promise to me."

Minnie looked at the speaker with some surprise. Such grave remarks, she thought, could come from no one but a clergyman; for, in common with many older, and, in some respects, wiser persons, she entertained the idea that it was the duty only of ministers to talk religiously; but then she felt almost sure that her new acquaintance was not one of that class. He looked so cheerful and full of spirits; his manner was lively; his movements energetic; and he addressed her in that natural frank sort of way which put her at ease with him in a minute. Now as Minnie's notions of what a clergyman should look like, and speak like, were chiefly derived from the minister whom she had been in the habit of hearing, and as he was very stern and dignified in his appearance, and very uninteresting in his style of preaching, you may smile, but you will not be surprised at the opinion which she had unconsciously formed of ministers in general.

But Minnie was interrupted before she had arrived at any satisfactory conclusion.

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The train is coming, sir!" said one of the grave officials, as he hurried past.

"The train is coming!" was echoed by several persons who were, like Minnie, eager to receive and welcome their friends.

"The train is coming," shouted Claude, suddenly aroused by the commotion near him to the consciousness that he had a sister there, and that he was expecting a cousin; "the train is coming, make haste, Minnie," and Minnie was bustled off so unceremoniously that she had not time to say a word more to her late companion. She saw him again presently,

however, at the door of one of the carriages, helping out, with the greatest carefulness, an elderly lady with a drawn grey silk bonnet-his mother, most likely, Minnie thought-but they were soon lost in the crowd, and Minnie was called upon the next minute to speak to her much longed-for cousin Edith. Yes, notwithstanding Claude's mischievous insinuations, and the stranger's grave speech about disappointments, Edith was actually there, and Minnie felt quite happy.

QUESTIONS

FOR INQUIRERS AFTER SALVATION.

THOSE dear young readers who are "inquiring the way to Zion" are earnestly advised to enter into their closets, and there deliberately and seriously to go over these Questions one by one; to place on paper a fully written answer to each; not to decide hastily, but to ask God to send his Holy Spirit into their hearts that they may have a right judgment. May He grant, as the issue, the salvation of their souls!

1. Why do you wish to be a Christian ?

2. What are your views of sin, and of yourself as a

sinner?

3. Are there any particular sins which you more especially feel?

4. Do you want to be delivered from the power of sin; and, why?

5. How do you feel towards GOD? Do you love Him for being so holy as to hate all sin, and for being so just as to punish all sin? Would you love Him more if He were not quite so strict?

6. Do you feel different to what you once were? Do you feel at all like one who has come out of darkness into light; and out of slavery into freedom?

7. Do you love CHRIST above all else? Could you

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