He

was very hostile to the gospel, and to the best of his power hindered it, but who nevertheless paid the most punctual regard to all the formalities of external public worship. almost frightened me by the picture he drew of that person's case, saying the devil walked to church with him, led him into a pew, set a hassock prominently forward for him to kneel on, put a handsome prayer-book into his hand; and while he carefully followed all the service kept clapping him on the shoulder, saying 'A very good pray.' I told this to a pious minister, who declared it was the most awfully just description of self-deluding formality, helped on by Satan, that ever he heard of. When partaking of the Lord's supJack told me that his feeling was very, very love Jesus Christ; very, very, very hate devil: go, devil!' and with holy indignation he motioned, as it were, the enemy from him. He felt that he had overcome the accuser by the blood of the lamb. Oh that we all may take a lesson of wisdom from this simple child of God!

per,

6

During the winter months he sank daily his greatest earthly delight was in occasionally seeing Mr. Donald, for whom he felt the fondest love, and who seemed to have a presentiment of the happy union in which they would together soon rejoice before the Lord. Jack was courteous in manner, even to elegance; most graceful; and being now nineteen, tall and large, with the expression of infantine innocence and sweetness on a very fine countenance, no one could look on him without admiration; nor treat him with roughness or disrespect: but Donald's tenderness of manner was no less conspicuous than his; and I have watched that noble-minded Christian man waiting on the dying youth, as he sat patiently reclining in his chair, for he could not lie down, and the grateful humility with which every little kindness was received, until I almost forgot what the rude,

could not read at all, the whole controversy was carried by signs. Mary was excessively mirthful, Jack unboun edly earnest; and when her playful reproaches roused h Irish blood, the scene was often very comic. I rememb he was once bringing a long list of accusations against h priest, for taking his mother's money, making the poor fas while the rich paid for dispensations to eat, inflicting cru penances, drinking too much whiskey; and finally tellin the people to worship wooden and breaden gods. To a this Mary attended with perfect good humour, and then tol him the same priest had christened him and made crosse upon him. Jack wrathfully intimated that he was then baby, with a head like a doll's, and knew nothing: but i he had been wise he would have kicked his little foot int the priest's mouth. The controversy grew so warm that had to part them. His horror of the priests was solely di rected against their false religion; when I told him of one being converted, he leaped about for joy.

At the commencement of the year 1831 he was evidently dying; and we got a furlough for his brother to visit him. Poor Pat never went to bed but twice during the fortnight he was there, so bitterly did he grieve over the companion of his early days; and many a sweet discourse passed between them, on the subject of the blessed hope that sustained the dying Christian. He only survived Pat's departure four days. On the third of February the last symptoms came on; the death-damps began to ooze out, his legs were swelled to the size of his body, and he sat in that state, incapable of receiving warmth, scarcely able to swallow, yet clear, bright, and tranquil, for thirty hours. The morning of the last day was marked by such a revival of strength that he walked

A DYING PROTEST.

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across the room with little help, and talked incessantly to me, and to all who came near him. He told me, among other things, that once God destroyed all men by rain, except those in the ark; and that he would soon do it again, not with water but with fire. He described the Lord as taking up the wicked by handfulls, breaking them, and throwing them into a fire; repeating, all bads, all bads go fire.' I asked if he was not bad; 'Yes, Jack bad very.' Would he be thrown into the fire? No: Jesus Christ loves poor Jack.' He then spoke rapturously of the red hand,' of the angels he should soon be singing with, of the day when Satan should be cast into the pit, and of the delight he should have in seeing me again. He prayed for his family, begged me to teach Mary to read the Bible, to warn Pat against bad example, to bring up my brother's boys to love Jesus Christ, and lastly he repeated over and over again the fervent injunction to love Ireland, to pray for Ireland, to write books for Jack's poor Ireland,' and in every way to oppose Popery. He called it 'Roman,' always; and it was a striking sight, that youth all but dead, kindling into the most animated, stern, energetic warmth of manner, raising his cold, damp hands, and spelling with them the words, Roman is a lie.' 'One Jesus Christ, one (meaning he was the only Saviour) Jack's one Jesus Christ;' and then, with a force as if he would have the characters impressed on his hands, he reiterated, as slowly as possible, his dying Protest, Roman. is A LIE! Very sweetly he thanked me for all my care; and now he seemed to bequeath to me his zeal against the destroyer of his people. The last signs of removal came on in the evening; his sight failed, he rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and then smiled with conscious pleasure. At last he asked me to let him lie down on the sofa where he had been sitting, and saying very calmly A sleep,' put his hand into mine, closed his eyes, and breathed his spirit forth so

now dwell upon the subject longer. God had graciou kept me faithful to my trust; and I surrendered it, not wi out most keenly feeling the loss of such a companion, with a glow of adoring thankfulness that overcame all se ish regrets. Thenceforth my lot was to be cast amo strangers, and sorely did I miss the comforting, sympathizi monitor who for seven years had been teaching me mo than I could teach him, but all my prayers had been a swered, all my labours crowned; and with other duties b fore me I was enabled to look at the past, to thank God, a to take courage..

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A REMOVAL.

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LETTER XVI.

A REMOVAL.

CIRCUMSTANCES led me to decide on removing nearer the metropolis: and with reluctance I bade adieu to Sandhurst, where I had resided five years. Jack was buried under the east window of the chapel of ease at Bagshot, there to rest till roused by the Lord's descending shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. I am very certain he will rise to glory and immortality. It was a severe trial to part with my school, to dispose of the endeared relics that had furnished a home blessed by my brother's presence, to bid farewell to many kind friends, and cast myself into the great wilderness of London. The feeling that oppressed me was a conviction that I should there find nothing to do; but I prayed to be made useful, and none ever asked work of a heavenly Master in vain. The dreadful famine in the west of Ireland had called forth a stream of English liberality, and collections were made every where for relief of the suffering Irish: one was announced at Long-Acre chapel; but before the day arrived, the committee put forth a statement that they had abundant funds and required no more. I was then residing in Bloomsbury, daily witnessing the wretchedness of St. Giles's; and on learning this I wrote to Mr. Howels,