friend," said Mansfield, still calmly: "this is a matter which cannot be disposed of by us two." Thus saying, he wrote two hasty notes, dispatched them, and then invited the countryman into his parlour. In a few minutes a neighbour, with Mansfield's sister and his solicitor, were added to the conference.

In a few days it was rumoured, and the rumour soon became a certainty, that Mansfield had lost the inheritance to which he had succeeded, and that he was a ruined man. And

"Did you ever hear of such a piece of Quixotism?" asked one townsman of another, during the prevalence of the "nine days' wonder." 66 Why, as I have been told, Mansfield no sooner set his eyes on the will-which, by the way, he might have destroyed if he had pleased, and nobody would have been the wiser than he called in his lawyer, and they together sent off, post haste, to old Thomson, to let him know all about it. At any rate, I would have taken care of myself, and made a good bargain of it, before giving up the will. And as to that, there would not have been much harm, in my way of thinking, if the will had gone into the fire. Who has the best right to the property, I should like to know? But Mansfield is one of the queer ones, they say; and so is his sister: and if people will be fools, they must."

Many such speeches were spoken, and some

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blamed, some laughed, some sighed, and some praised. Meanwhile, quietly and peacefully, though it may be with some natural depression of spirits, Mansfield and his sister went on their course. They gave up, at once, their late possessions according to the tenor of cousin Jane's" will; and were ungenerously harassed by the new owner on account of that part of it which had been sold, or otherwise expended. As far as they were able, they met his demands: but not satisfied with this, he threatened them with law. Then came the breaking up of Mansfield's business, and the utter frustration of his hopes of conjugal happiness. He had to begin the world afresh, and that with nothing-no, not a penny of his own:" so said his neighbour; but this was a mistake.

Not with nothing! He had great richespeace of mind, a conscience void of offence, God's love and approbation: are these nothing, young reader?

And he prospered. Worldly prosperity often brings a load of trouble with it: but it brought none to Mansfield, for it was accompanied by that "blessing which maketh rich," and to which God "addeth no sorrow,' Prov. x. 22.

Young friend, if you would have God's blessing, you too must be prepared to hold fast integrity and a good conscience at all

cost.

Probably, indeed, you will never be exposed to a trial so severe as that of which you have just read; but you will not pass through life, depend upon it, without having your honest and honourable principles put to the test. How do you think you will be able

to stand it?

Ah, perhaps you say, it will be time enough to find out that when the time comes.

Well, time enough to find it out, may be, but not time enough to prepare for the trial. No, no; you must prepare for that now. If you are not heroic and courageous enough now to do what is right because it is right, what can be expected of you when the stern and hard trials and temptations of life come on? Why, this is to be expected-you will fall before them.

Christian principle!-that is the best and only true safeguard against every kind of temptation; the only armour that is proof. "Take unto you," then, young readers, "the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Do you ask what this armour is? Why, there are the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith, the girdle of truth, and the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer, and watchfulness, and peace, Eph. vi. 11-18. This is the armour in which, by the help