divine blessing, my young heart was quite filled with these images; and I felt, whilst yet a boy, a more ardent zeal for the advancement of Christ's kingdom upon earth, than ever Spartan or Roman youth for the honour of his country, or the fame of his native city.”

Mr. Dalben smiled, but there was a mixture of tender grief in the expression of his countenance as his pupil thus proceeded:

"I remember that you used to say to me, 'Dear Henry Milner, what sort of little boys are those who will be admitted into the kingdom of Christ on earth, and who will be allowed to play upon the hills of the Millennium; not indeed such little boys as we now see; children with sinful, proud, and ambitious hearts; but holy children who have received new hearts, and been made white in the blood of the Lamb, have been justified, regenerated, sanctified, and are at length admitted into glory-such little boys as these will play on the high hills of the Millennium.'"

"My dear pupil," said Mr. Dalben, "I fear you will exhaust yourself by speaking so much."

"No, no," returned Mr. Milner with animation: "in promising to take my boy you have added, I think, some days to my life, and enabled me to look back on the sweet period of my childhood with renewed delight; inasmuch as I now

dare to hope for the same holy and simple instructions for my son, as those on which I now dwell with such inexpressible delight. My beloved tutor, whilst under your care, I was as happy as a sinful child of Adam could possibly be whilst carrying about with him a body of sin; and though indeed, after I left you, and mixed with the world, I lost much of my peace of mind, He who undoubtedly willed my salvation ere yet the spirit of life was breathed into my nostrils, soon found means to recall me to himself, and will assuredly, in a very short time, make me blessed in his presence for evermore; for I have been enabled to place my confidence in him, and who ever trusted in him and was confounded?”

Now, as I have made my first chapter somewhat long, and as it contains some matters rather difficult for little boys to understand, I shall conclude it in a few words by saying, that Mr. Dalben stayed with his dear pupil not only till he died, but until he had seen his remains placed in the grave; after which, he hired a chaise, and taking little Henry Milner on his lap, began his journey towards his own home.

CHAP. II.

Containing an Account of Mr. Dalben's House and his Servants; also a Description of his Dog and Cat, with certain other important Particulars.

MR. Dalben's house was situated in Worcestershire between the Malvern Hills and the valley of the Teme, so that those who approached the house from the other side of the river saw the hills towering majestically above the house, and a grove of trees which grew at the back of it. The house itself stood in a very neat and beautiful garden, abounding not only with vegetables and fruit, but also with many fair shrubs and flowers; amongst which several neat gravel walks went winding about, sometimes being in sight from the house, and sometimes being quite hid from the windows by the trees and shrubs.

The house was a very old one, even in Mr. Dalben's time; and I have been told by those who have lately visited that country, that it is now quite gone to ruin.

It was, however, a lovely and comfortable

abode as could possibly be when the old gentleman lived therein. It was laid out in a little hall or vestibule, on one side of which was the kitchen, and on the other the old gentleman's study, a handsome large room, which took up one whole side of the house. The kitchen window, which was a very large one, looked towards the front of the house, and commanded a fine view down the valley of Teme: but the window of the study opened the other way, and from hence the heights of Malvern were seen, lifting themselves above the trees in the garden and grove beyond. This study, which was as much as twenty-five feet in length, contained certain large book-cases, in which Mr. Dalben's books were placed in the neatest order: the floor was covered with a Turkey carpet; a bright mahogany table stood before the fire, and another in the bow-window; in which last place Mr. Dalben used to sit in warm weather. There was in this room a very comfortable sofa, and a warm rug lay before the fire-place; which last piece of furniture I particularly mention, because it was on this rug that the old cat used to take her place in a wintry evening, and where she not unfrequently spent her night.

On the inner side of this study was a large light closet, where Mr. Dalben used to keep his papers and such of his books as were not clothed

in a handsome binding; and here he was so kind as to allow Henry Milner, when he was about six years of age, to keep a certain bag of rubbish which the little boy prized not a little, though it contained nothing but a few sticks and nails, some bits of string and scraps of paper, a bundle of penny pictures, and a clasp knife which would

not cut.

But I shall not say much about this bag in this place, lest I should forget the proper subject of this chapter; which is, to describe Mr. Dalben's house, his servants, and his cat and dog.

Over the study, which I dare say you have now got in your eye, was the old gentleman's sleeping-room, and over the closet was another small apartment, in which a little bed was put for Henry Milner, though he did not begin to sleep in it till the day when he was five years old, because, till that time, it was thought necessary that he should sleep in the room with Mrs. Kitty, whom I shall speak of by and by.

Behind the kitchen was a brewhouse and poultry-yard, and a large barn, with lofts above, every corner of which Henry Milner was well acquainted with, when he got to an age to go about by himself; and here also was a kennel for Lion the great black dog, who, though he