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mountains. The river, hitherto still and glassy, reflecting pictures of the sky and land, now showed a dark ripple at a distance, as the breeze came creeping up it. The fish hawks wheeled and screamed, and sought their nests on the high dry trees; the crows flew clamorously to the crevices of the rocks, and all nature seemed conscious of the ap proaching thundergust.

4. The clouds now rolled in volumes over the mountain tops; their summits still bright and snowy, but the lower parts of an inky blackness. The rain began to patter down in broad and scattered drops; the wind freshened, and curled up the waves; at length it seemed as if the bellying clouds were torn open by the mountain tops, and complete torrents of rain came rattling down. The lightning leaped from cloud to cloud, and streamed quivering against the rocks, splitting and rending the stoutest forest trees. The thunder burst in tremendous explosions; the peals were echoed from mountain to mountain; they crashed upon Dunderberg, and rolled up the long defile of the highlands, each headland making a new echo, until old Bull Hill seemed to bellow back the

storm.

5. For a time the scudding rack and mist, and the sheeted rain, almost hid the landscape from the sight. There was a fearful gloom, illumined still more fearfully by the streams of lightning which glittered among the rain drops. Never had I beheld such an absolute warring of the elements; it seemed as if the storm was tearing and rending its way through this mountain defile, and had brought all the artillery of heaven into action. Irving.

SECTION 1.

The happy effects of a virtuous sensibility.

1. THE exercise of a virtuous sensibility, powerfully influ ences the proper discharge of all the relative and social duties of life. Without some discharge of those duties, there could be no comfort nor security in human society. Men would become hordes of savages perpetually harrassing one another. In one way or other, therefore, the great duties of sorial life must be performed. There must be among mankind some reciprocal co-operation and aid. In this all consent. But let us observe, that these duties may be performed from different principles, and in different ways.

2. Sometimes they are performed merely from decency

a Hordes, diana, tribes

, miutuał, alternate.

n

and regard to character; sometimes from fear, and even from selfishness, which obliges men to show kindness, in order that they may receive returns of it. In such cases, the exterior of fair behavior may be preserved. But all will admit, that when from constraint only, the offices of seeming kindness are performed, little dependance can be placed on them, and little vaiue allowed to them.

3. By others, these offices are discharged solely from a principle of duty. They are men of cold affections, and perhaps of an interested character. But overawed by a sense of religion, and convinced that they are bound to be beneficent, they fulfill the course of relative duties with regular tenor. Such men act from conscience and principle. So far they do well, and are worthy of praise. They assist their friends; they give to the poor; they do justice to all. 4. But what a different complexion is given to the same actions, how much higher flavor do they acquire,—when they flow from the sensibility of a feeling heart? If one be not moved by affection, even supposing him influenced by principle, he will go no farther than strict principle appears to require. He will advance slowly and reluctantly. As it s justice, not generosity, which impels him, he will often feel as a task what he is required by conscience to perform. Whereas, to him who is prompted by virtuous sensibility, every office of beneficence and humanity is a pleasure.

5. He gives, assists, and relieves, not merely because he is bound to do so, but because it would be painfui for him to refrain. Hence the smallest benefit he confers rises in its value on account of its carrying the affection of the giver impressed upon the gift. It speaks his heart, and the discovery of the heart is very frequently of greater consequence than all that liberality can bestow.

6. How often will the affectionate smile of approbation gladden the humble, and raise the dejected! How often will the look of tender sympathy, or the tear that involuntarily falls, impart consolation to the unhappy! By means of this correspondence of hearts, all the great duties which we owe to one another are both performed to more advantage, and endeared in the performance.

0 7. From true sensibility flow a thousand good offices, apparently small in themselves, but of high importance to the felicity of others;-offices which altogether escape the observation of the cold and unfeeling, who by the hardness of their manner render themselves unamiable, even when they

a Sym-pa-thy, compassion, fellow feelIng.

b Fe-lic-l-ty, bliss, happiness.

mean to do good. How happy then would it be for mankind, if this affectionate disposition prevailed more generally in the world! How much would the sum of public virtue and public felicity be increased, if men were always inclined to rejoice with those that rejoice, and to weep with those that weep. Blair.

SECTION IV.

The importance of order in the management of business.

1. WHATEVER may be your business or occupation in life, let the administration of it proceed with method and economy. From time to time examine your situation; and proportion your expense to your growing, or diminishing revenue. Provide what is necessary before you indulge in what is superfluous. Study to do justice to all with whom you deal, before you affect the praise of liberality. In a word, fix such a plan of living as you find that your circumstances will fairly admit, and adhere to it invariably, against every temptation to improper excess.

2. No admonition respecting morals is more necessary than this, to the age in which we live-an age manifestly distinguished by a propensity to thoughtless profusion; wherein all the different ranks of men are observed to press with forward vanity on those who are above them; to vie with their superiors in every mode of luxury and ostentation; and to seek no farther argument for justifying extravagance, than the fashion of the times and the supposed necessity of living like others around them.

3. This turn of mind begets contempt for sober and orderly plans of life. It overthrows all regard to domestic concerns and duties. It pushes men on to hazardous and visionary schemes of gain, and unfortunately unites the two extremes of grasping with rapaciousness and of squandering with profusion. In the midst of such disorder, no prosperity car be of long continuance. While confusion grows upon men's affairs, and prodigality at the same time wastes their substance, poverty makes its advances like an armed man.

4. They tremble at the view of the approaching evil, but have lost the force of mind to make provision against it. Accustomed to move in a round of society and pleasure disproportioned to their condition, they are unable to break through the enchantments of habit; and, with their eyes c Ra-pa'-cious-ness, disposition to plun der.

a Rev'e-nue, income.

6 Vision a-ry, imaginary, not real.

open, sink into the gulf which is before them. Poverty en forces dependence; and dependence increases corruption. Necessity first betrays them into mean compliances; next impels them to open crime; and, beginning with ostentation and extravagance, they end in infamy and guilt.

5. Such are the consequences of neglecting order in our worldly circumstances. Such is the circle in which the profuse and the dissolute daily run.-To what cause, so much as .o the want of order, can we attribute those scenes of distress which so frequently excite our pity--families that once were flourishing reduced to ruin, and the inelancholy widow and neglected orphan thrown forth friendless upon the world? What cause has been more fruitful in engendering those atrocious crimes which fill society with disquiet and terror,-in training the gamester to fraud the robber to violence, and even the assassina to blood?

6. Be assured, then, that order, frugality, and economy are the necessary supports of every personal and private virtue. How humble soever these qualities may appear to some, they are nevertheless the basis on which liberty, independence, and true honor must rise. He who has the steadiness to arrange his affairs with method and regularity, and to conduct his train of life agreeably to his circumstances, can be master of himself in every situation into which he may be thrown.

7. He is under no necessity to flatter or to lie, to stoop to what is mean, or to commit what is criminal. But he who wants that firmness of mind which the observance of order requires, is held in bondage to the world; he can neither act his part with courage as a man, nor with fidelity as a Christian. From the moment you have allowed yourselves to pass the line of economy, and live beyond your fortune, you have entered on the path of danger. Precipices surround you on all sides. Every step which you take may lead to mischiefs that as yet lie hidden, and to crimes that will end in ever'asting perdition. Blair.

SECTION V.

The Funeral of Maria.

1. MARIA was in her twentieth year. To the beauty of her form, and excellence of her natural disposition, a parent, equally indulgent and attentive, had done the fullest justice. To accomplish her person, and to cultivate her mind, every endeavor had been used, and had been attended with that

a As sas-sin, one who kills by secret assault.

Ba-sis, foundation, support.

success which parental efforts commonly meet with, when not prevented by mistaken fondness or untimely vanity.

2. Few young ladies have attracted more admiration ; none ever felt it less: with all the charms of beauty, and the polish of education, the plainest were not less affected, nor the most ignorant less assuming. She died when every tongue was eloquent of her virtues, when every hope was ripening to reward them.

3. It is by such private and domestic distresses, that the softer emotions of the heart are most strongly excited. The fall of more important personages is commonly distant from our observation; but, even where it happens under our immediate notice, there is a mixture of other feelings, by which our compassion is weakened.

4. The eminently great, or extensively useful, leave behind them a train of interrupted views, and disappointed expecta tions, by which the distress is complicated" beyond the sim plicity of pity. But the death of one, who like Maria was to shed the influence of her virtues over the age of a father, and the childhood of her sisters, presents to us a little view of family affliction, which every eye can perceive, and every heart can feel.

5. On scenes of public sorrow and nationai regret, we gaze as upon those gallery pictures, which strike us with wonder and admiration: domestic calamity is like the miniature of a friend, which we wear in our bosoms, and keep for secrd looks and solitary enjoyment.

6. The last time I saw Maria, was in the midst of a crowded assembly of the fashionable and the gay, where she fixed all eyes by the gracefulness of her motions, and the native dignity of her mien; yet, so tempered was that superiority which they conferred with gentleness and modesty, that net a murmur was heard, either from the rivalship of beauty, or the envy of homeliness. From that scene the transition was so violent to the hearse and the pall, the grave and the sod, that once or twice my imagination turned rebel to my senses: I beheld the objects around me as the painting of a dream, and thought of Maria as still living.

7. I was soon, however, recalled to the sad reality. The figure of her father bending over the grave of his darling child; the silent, suffering composure, in which his countenance was fixed; the tears of his attendants, whose grief was light and capable of tears; these gave me back the truth, and reminded me that I should see her no more. There was a

a Compli ca-ted, intricate, perplexed. Min'-f-a-ture, a small likeness

c Trans-i '-tion, a passing from one stale to another.

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