had entreated me to preach salvation in the fullest extent in which he had seen it, through the divine teaching, during many days before his death, and which, through the same divine teaching, he had been enabled to convey to my mind. And what was the consequence of this boldness? These doctrines, which in their fullness always bring reproach upon the preacher or teacher, (see 1 Tim. iv. 9, 10, 11,) excited such displeasure in the congregation, and, in fact, so irritated my uncle, that he hinted to me his wish that I should return to my mother, which I accordingly did as soon as I understood that wish. And as I feel that my principles will never do for the voluntary system, I have given up all thoughts of the ministry, and have been lately trying to get a situation as a clerk in some substantial house, and through my respected friend, Major Beresford, have now every hope of succeeding."

Mr. Dalben thanked the young gentleman for having opened so much of his history to comparative strangers, adding this remark: "That he trusted that the view which he had given to Henry Milner of the various difficulties of the voluntary system, might tend to make him more satisfied with the Established Church, although that church was of course not without its defects."

CHAPTER IV.

The Irishman in London.

SOME chapters of every book are too long, and others are too short. The fault of the last chapter is that it is too long-very much too long; in order to make up for which defect the writer intends to make the present chapter shorter than the reader might exactly wish.

After the day which we have described, other days ensued which were laid out much in the same manner; that is, Mr. Dalben was left at home by the major and the young people till dinner-time, enjoying his books and his easy chair, and the company of Mr. Ellis, who constantly spent some hours with him; the other party, in the mean time, visiting different parts of the metropolis, and seeing many wonderful sights, Maurice being often permitted to make one thereof. In the mean time, the major had succeeded in procuring the situation of a clerk with a competent salary for Mr. Ellis, upon which he was to enter after the holidays; and a letter had been received from Marten, stating that he, with Ladbrook and Bonville, were in

Worcestershire, and that they had found Mrs. Kitty particularly agreeable, (that excellent personage having discovered that the absence of Maurice was a circumstance which added not a little to the comfort of the household,) so that, as Henry Milner said, "every thing was very pleasant.

But there are some characters on which prosperity seems to work a particularly bad effect, and amongst these we may fairly number Maurice, who, after having seen the Tower, the Monument, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, and above all, Gog and Magog, began to show symptoms of having had as much enjoyment as was altogether good for his constitution. The symptoms of the over-excited state of the boy's mind first manifested themselves in the lower regions of the house; but the first very decided paroxysm occurred one day at dinner, when Maurice and Parker were waiting. Major Beresford was fond of telling stories of his old campaigns, and he was relating an adventure which had befallen him in America. "It was one Sunday morning," he said, "and I being a young officer, was lounging about the skirts of a small town, when opposite to a little inn, a young carrotty-haired Yankee led a horse to the door, caparisoned with a saddle and a pillion, and there stopping before the front of the house, like another Wilhelm seeking another Leonora, he lifted up his voice and called to some one within. Presently a comely young woman came out ready dressed for a jaunt, and there was a greeting between the pair, and certain hearty expressions of pleasure in the pros

pect of an agreeable excursion. But a difficulty arose the horse was tall, the lady weighty, and no such refinement at hand as a horse-block; there was, however, a large barrel of molasses, or treacle, standing at the inn door, and beside it a bench, and the young man, having pointed out what use might be made of the barrel, gave his hand to the lady. She, having first stepped· upon the bench, next placed herself on the top of the barrel, whilst the young man, having remounted, began to manoeuvre his horse in a line with his fair one, when oh! gemuit sub pondere tegmen-board after board cracked with a harsh murmur, and the fair Yankee, being totally incapable of assisting herself, sunk up to her chin in the molasses.

"It was a sight to be seen indeed," said the major; "as to me, no politeness could restrain me from a violent burst of laughter-but my laughter was of no consequence if Jonathan could have kept his countenance. Whether he roared out as I did I know not, but never shall I forget the violence of the young woman, who, as she stood up to her throat in the saccharine bog, exclaimed, I swear, Jonathan-I swear, if you don't take me out of the 'lasses tub I won't ha' ye.""

The major had hardly finished this narrative before a tremendous burst of merriment from the side-table precluded all comment upon the story, and every one turning to look, the sound was ascertained to have proceeded from Maurice, who was laughing without using any effort to restrain himself. Henry had often admonished him respecting smaller offences of this

kind; he therefore looked very gravely at him, and Mr. Dalben quietly hinted to the youth that he would do well to withdraw until he had recovered his composure. The mind of man or boy, not to speak of the individuals which belong to the less worthy sex, is never so liable to take offence, as when the spirits are over-excited by pleasurable sensations. Hence Maurice was in no humour to take even the gentle reproof of Mr. Dalben, much less a somewhat ruder censure given by Parker when he came down into the lower regions.

"Young man," said the old soldier, "it would do you all the good in the world to be drilled by a strict sergeant for a few months; I'll be bound for it, such a one would find a way of teaching you to beware of making such a giggling, gaping fool of yourself, as you often

times does.'

Giggling and gaping," repeated Maurice, "is no more signs of a fool than looking as some do, like things cut out of wood."

"That's just as a soldier should look in the ranks," returned Parker; "and it's all the same being in the ranks, for the matter of that," continued the corporal, "and standing before a sideboard; it's quite as ondacent to be laughing and sniggering in one place as another."

I don't see that at all," replied Maurice, whose brogue always became more decided when he was heated in argument; "ondacent! well, if I be ondacent, you shall wait upon the company alone for me, from this time forward. I sha'n't show myself at the sideboard till they sends for me--and so now you understands me.