CHAP. XII.

·Containing a Conversation between Mr. Dalben and Henry; with a Visit to the Gardener.

MR. Dalben soon returned to Henry with something for him to drink; it was warm; but, although it had a bitter taste, Henry did not refuse to receive it, but swallowed it without hesitation; for he was conscious that he had behaved ill and deserved punishment. After Henry had taken what Mr. Dalben offered to him, Mr. Dalben sat down by his bed-side, and entered into discourse with him.

"Henry," said Mr. Dalben, "you have behaved ill to-day."

Henry was silent.

"Be sincere with me, Henry; am I not right? Have not you behaved ill this evening?" repeated Mr. Dalben.

"I have, uncle," said Henry.

"I expected it would be so," said Mr. Dalben, “because, when you set out, you were very conceited, very full of yourself, assured that you should do well.

F

and perfectly

Old as I am,

Henry, if I were to go out any day in such a state of mind, I should certainly do something very ridiculous, or perhaps very wicked, before I returned."

"Oh! uncle," said Henry, astonished at this remark, “I am sure you could never be either wicked or foolish.”

"Then you do not suppose," said Mr. Dalben, “that I am a child of Adam, but perhaps some angel come down from heaven ?”

"No, uncle," said little Henry, "I do not think that you are an angel."

“And yet,” said Mr. Dalben, “

you think that if I were to become conceited, I should not

do foolish things."

"But, uncle," said Henry, "you would not be conceited."

“Why not ?” said Mr. Dalben: "why should not I be proud and conceited as well as you? have not I as much to make me proud as you have?"

"Yes, uncle," said Henry," a great deal more; but you are wise, and I am foolish.”

“You have not yet found out the reason wherefore I am not conceited, Henry,” said Mr Dalben. "It is not because I am really wiser than you are; but because I have been led to see, by frequent and repeated experience, that I

cannot do well without help from God. I have indeed often told you the same thing, and assured you, that from day to day, from hour to hour, from one minute to another, you cannot conduct yourself properly, unless upheld by God; or which, at your age is the same thing, without being guarded by the watchful care of him who stands in the same relation to you as your heavenly Father; namely, your paternal friend: but this truth has not yet sunk into your heart; and, notwithstanding all that you have heard on this subject, you are ever ready to depart from this friend, and to set up for behaving well, in your own proper strength; and this, dear boy, is the cause of the disgrace into which you fall, whenever you leave me,"

"Uncle,” said Henry, "I will not ask to go out without you, another time. Indeed, uncle, I am always most happy when I am with you, and when I never leave your side. Dear uncle, do not give me leave," continued the little boy, "to go out without you again." So saying, he burst into tears, and lifting himself up in bed, he put his arms round Mr. Dalben's neck, and sobbed aloud.

"Dear child," said Mr. Dalben, "I pray that you may have been taught, from this day's experience, wherein your true happiness consists ;

that is, first in the presence, the affection, and instruction of me your father, who for a while am to stand in the place of your God, for the paternal authority is from the Lord; and the child who loves, honours, and obeys his earthly father, for the sake of his God, will in consequence, there is no doubt, in after-life, be enabled to look up more directly to his heavenly Parent for his assistance and help: for, the sacred feelings of filial piety are, as it were, but the buds and blossom of those Christian principles which are the foundation of a holy and happy life.”

Mr. Dalben then left Henry, having first offered a prayer by the side of his bed and the next day, after the little boy had done his lessons, he took him out to walk with him, telling him that he was going to show him something which he hoped would make plain some part of their discourse the day before.

Mr. Dalben took little Henry into the lane of which we have formerly spoken; and, having passed along the well-known path for some way, he came to a stile, over which they climbed, and entered into a narrow path, which led them, after many turnings and windings, to a small wooden door, which formed an opening in a quick hedge, which was neatly trimmed, and was considerably higher than little Henry Milner.

Mr. Dalben pushed this door gently open, and entering through the door-way, was followed by little Henry, who was surprised to find himself in a large piece of land laid out as a nursery and flower-garden, the ground being divided into small beds, each of which was devoted to some particular kind of tree or plant. A long straight walk extended from the door at the entrance to the other end of the garden, and was terminated by a kind of alcove or wooden building, open in front and furnished with benches.

"Oh! uncle," said Henry, "what a beautiful garden! I never was here before: who does it belong to?"

"I will not say much for the beauty of this garden," said Mr. Dalben, "because it is too stiff and formal. A garden, in order to look beautiful, should, in some degree, partake of the wildness and irregularity of natural scenes; that is, such scenes as you saw near the ruins of Jane Crawley's cottage. But this belongs to a gardener, whose business it is to rear and sell young plants, and to whom the beauty of it is of little consequence. We will walk on to the end of this garden, and sit down to rest on that seat which you see at a distance, and then I will talk to you a little of the nature of vegetables, and tell you how they are classed in the same manner which I have