man, and Rebecca being about our own age, appeared to us like a sister, and she became the more interesting to us both, as we knew her better, by her concern for the salvation of her soul. She was, when we became boarders, a regular attendant on the Methodists, and was entirely ignorant on the subject of the ruin of man by the fall. We, who had been instructed from our infancy in the great doctrines of the Scriptures, endeavoured together to point out to her the only path which we believed led to everlasting life. I soon, however, perceived that she preferred my company and conversation on these subjects to that of my brother, and it made me the more industrious to repay her partiality.

But before I proceed with the tender part of our courtship, I should mention that my brother's health about this time began to decline, which induced us, in order to save him from the toil and smoke of the nail-shop, to hire a small store. Having saved about one hundred dollars, we laid it out, and fifty dollars more on credit, in hardware, consisting of needles and pins, and scissors and knives, &c. My brother

was to attend the store, while I was to make nails to support us both.

When I began to place our stock on the shelves, I found they would make a very poor appearance, and as I was just beginning to find out that appearances were of great effect in this world, I procured a number of brick-bats and round junks of wood. The wood I sawed into suitable lengths, and covered it with ironmonger's paper, having a shaving-box or a snuff-box attached to the one end of each piece. These, when laid on the shelves, occupied the space of, and appeared to be six, twelve, or twenty boxes, as the size of the wood served. The brick-bats being covered and adorned with a knife and fork outside, looked equally ornamental and opulent. By this device the shelves appeared to be furnished most respectably. I also procured a glass-case to stand on the counter, in which I placed several articles for retail, and as they were sold off, I procured more, so I had no occasion to discompose my brick and wood representatives.

But although it must be allowed that this was a clever and innocent artifice, yet, like other

dealers in the devices of cunning, I had not been circumspect at all points, for by mistake I happened to tie a round shaving-box on a brick subterfuge, which a sly pawkie old Scotchman, who sometimes stepped in for a crack, observed.

"Ay, man," says he, "but ye hae unco' queer things here! Wha ever saw a four-corner't shaving-box?" whereupon we had a hearty good laugh. "'Od," he resumed, "but ye're an auld farrant chappy, and na doubt but ye'll do weel in this country, where pawkrie is no' an ill nest-egg to begin with!"

I shall not intimate to the sagacious reader what might be the matter with my brother, but he tired of keeping store, and went off to Philadelphia, an event which caused me to be much troubled in mind. We were beginning to make a bawbee by the store, and I did not like to give it up; neither did I like to give up the nail-making, for that was sure; so I resolved to push my courtship, calculating that if I got married, I would have a storekeeper of my own, but if not, to sell all off, and leave the city; for by this time I could not endure the thought of seeing Rebecca the

wife of another. In the meantime, I continued to keep the store and to follow my trade. I rose at four o'clock in the morning and made nails until eight; I then opened the store, where I remained until eight in the evening, when I shut up, and went to nailmaking until twelve; thus getting but a short four hours' sleep in the four-and-twenty. But the Lord was working with me, and lessened the privation, and lightened the toil.

My nail-shop-window opened into the yard of the house where I boarded and where Rebecca lived; and after I came from the store in the evening, she used to come like a dove to the window: I helped her in, where she stayed, sewing or knitting, till midnight—I working and courting,-killing two birds with

one stone.

CHAPTER IX.

As when some snowy mountain's heavenward brow
Beams with the glory of the solemn moon,
Her forehead shone with holiness.

THE great Dr. Mason was at this time in the fulness of his power; the vehement dresser of the Lord's vineyard in Cedar-street. It was with his watering-pot that my brother and I, from the time of our arrival in New York, were watered, and it was his pruning-hook that pruned in us the tendrils of worldly affections.

By our persuasion, Rebecca went with us to hear him, and having once tasted the delicious clusters of his preaching, her heart, on every new visit, longed for them more and more, until it was accomplished that she was ordained