temper; her ardent desire to be useful to the daughter of her beloved friend, the hope of being able to rescue her from the destruction to which she was advancing, triumphed over all mortifications. At length the fatal issue of one of their frolics had nearly softened Miss P., at least so far as to think of a cessation of hostilities.

The family were invited to dine with a neighbour-Mr. P. could not go-Miss M. accepted the invitation. But the young ladies, apprehensive that her presence might interfere with their pleasures, invented all manner of schemes to detain her at home: but all would not do-Mr. P. had determined that they should go under her auspices or not at all-so they were compelled to submit.

It was settled that Miss Arnold should ride, while Miss Percy drove Miss Mortimer in a curricle. To be avenged of their duenna, the two friends agreed to try the strength of her nerves by a race. Accordingly, with this good-natured purpose, they were no sooner out of sight of their home, than the signal being given, away they flew like lightning. Miss M. looked aghast—she even asked, if it would not be better to drive a little slower ?-and with such mildness that Miss P. was about to check her horses, when the beau who rode with Miss A. passed them with a smack of his whip, which increased their speed beyond the power of restraint. At this moment, a woman who was passing, in standing aside to let the carriage pass, threw herself in his way, and both riders bounding over her, left her senseless in the road!

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"From the guilt of murder" our heroine was saved by a stranger." He seized the reins, and turning the horses

short, they reared, backed, and in an instant overturned the carriage. This "stranger" becomes afterwards an important personage in the story. His name is Maitlanda man of no common character, and a friend of the amiable Miss Mortimer.

In giving this abstract of a work, which all will read with delight, perhaps we ought not to withhold our reprobation of so abhorrent a practice as that above alluded to. A young lady of seventeen, driving a pair of spirited horses, "Jehu like," may, possibly, excite no surprise on the other side of the Atlantic; but, in our less adulterated land, it would be an invasion of the "rights of man," not less ridiculous than disgusting.

Poor Ellen had now joined the infatuated throng, who were in chase of pleasure, and she was not formed for a languid pursuit. "It became the employment of every day, of every hour. My mornings were spent at auctions, exhibitions, milliners' shops; my evenings wherever fashionable folly held her court. Miss Mortimer attempted gently to stem the torrent. She endeavoured to remove my temptation to seek amusement abroad, by providing it for me at home; but I had drunk of the inebriating cup, and the temperate draught was become tasteless to me. She tried to convince my reason; but reason was in a deep sleep, and stirred no further than to repulse the hand which would have roused her. She attempted to persuade me, and I, to escape the subject, told her, that when I had fulfilled the engagements which were to occupy every moment of my time for the six succeeding weeks, I would, on some rainy Sunday, stay at

home all day, and patiently swallow my whole dose of lecture at a sitting. I look back with astonishment upon her patient endurance of my impertinences. But she saw my follies with the pity of a superior nature-aware, indeed, of the tremendous difference between her state and mine, yet remembering who it was that had made her to dif fer." While she was basking in the sunshine of fortune and felicity, heedless of the present and careless of the future, her excellent friend and monitor was gradually sinking under a tedious disease. Hopeless of being of any use in the family of Mr. P. she determined to retire to her own cottage. Mr. Maitland in the meantime had become a constant and highly-favoured visiter. He was received by Mr. P. with more than usual respect, and by Ellen with unwilling reverence for his steady virtues. She saw his admiration, and her vanity was excited to entangle such a man in her chains, but he resisted her power, and refused to give up his affections to a woman whose whole heart was devoted to amusement and flattery.

The usual arts of butterfly beauties, which are not quite so common here as in Europe, were resorted to, but without avail.

"I flourished the arm of which he had praised the beauty, that I might watch whether his gaze followed it in admiration. I was laboriously graceful,' and sported my' naïf sensibility' until it was any thing but naïf. I obtruded my lovely singleness of mind,' till, I believe, I should have become a disgusting mass of affectation, had it not been for the manly plainness of Mr. Maitland. He at first appeared to look with surprise upon my altered de

meanour; then fairly showed me by his manner, that he detected my little arts, and that he was alternately grieved to find me condescending to plot, and angry that I could plot no better. That certainly is the finest arm in England,' whispered he one evening, when I had been leaning upon it, exactly opposite to him, for five minutes, 'so now you may put on your glove. Nay, instead of frowning, you should thank me for that blush; for, though pride and anger may have some share in it, it is not unbecoming since it is natural.' I was sullen for a little, and muttered something about impertinence'-but I never flourished my arm again."

While these, and a thousand other follies of the same sort, were exhibited in the house of Mr. P. the inconsiderate Ellen is fortunately delivered from a marriage with one of her profligate lovers, by the sudden bankruptcy and consequent death of her father-by his own hand! As his money had been his only resource, its loss is insupportable; he, therefore, abandons his daughter to penury, and distraction. We cannot but stop to admire the singular delicacy with which this horrible incident is related. It was too atrocious for remark; and is, therefore, but mentioned, and dismissed.

Deserted now by the satellites of her sunshine-amorg whom was her pernicious friend Miss A.-driven from her home, and overwhelmed by mortification, anguish, and despair as she had lived without God in her prosperity— her sorrow was without consolation! Day after day passed in dreary solitude. Disease was preying on her constitution—hopeless and indignant dejection rankling in her mind-when she was aroused by the appearance of

her mother's friend! Miss Mortimer had discovered her obscure retreat. She came to comfort and console hershe brought her refreshments, and finally prevailed on the humbled outcast to accompany her to her own home. Here, by the persuasive example of her pious protector, she is brought "in the day of adversity to consider." She opened a book which was on her table-it was her mother's Bible! She reads of benefits which she had forgotten-of duties which she had neglected—of threatenings which she had despised! After much anxiety and diligent research, new views of her actions and prospects were given to her; and soothed, encouraged, and instructed by miss M. she is an altered creature. After a year's residence with her, she says: "Deprived, as I was, of all the baubles which I had once thought necessary to comfort, almost to existence, I was nearer to happiness than I had ever been while in the full enjoyment of all that pleasure, wealth, and flattery can bestow; for I now possessed all the materials of such happiness as this state of trial admits-good health, constant employment, 'the necessaries of this life, and the steady hope of a better." "

In this subdued state of her mind, she receives a letter from Maitland-and she dwelt on his character with mingled pleasure and regret-" pleasure, perhaps, not untainted with womanly vanity; regret that, when I might have shared the labours, the virtues, the love of this noble soul, a senseless vanity made me cold to his affection-a mean coquetry wrecked me in his esteem! I might once, indeed, have bound him to me forever but it was now plain that he had cast off his inglorious shackles."