with joy and gladness? Oh, how joyfully did that "Deceiver, and yet true," deceive S. Thomas in his doubts, and S. Peter in his tears, and Mary in her mourning, and the women who went forth to anoint Him, and Joseph, who had prepared Him a grave, and Nicodemus, who laid Him out in the linen clothes, and the "little flock" fearfully worshipping within the closed doors. Thrice-blessed Deceiver! what an unlooked-for end didst Thou give to their watchings and waitings, and clouded hopes, and struggling fears! While the world "laughed them to scorn," their King" was not dead, but slept.'

Seek we then daily to die to the life of this world, that in Him being buried in Him we may never die. Although that dread and dangerous Deceiver "stand at our right hand" assuring us that we had better go back again to the world which we had renounced; although the world deceive us with the kiss of Judas, or the condemnation of Pilate; although the grave deceive us, swallowing up those whom we had loved, and whom we had hoped to keep with us for yet a little, or a long time; although the grave peremptorily bids us to follow those who are gone before; still, let us not "seek the living among the dead." Our treasure is not there. He is risen. He has promised that, if we will, "where He is, there shall we be also." Satan may deceive us. We may deceive ourselves. "GOD cannot lie."

THE MIRROR OF LIFE.

"He shall give His angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

METHOUGHT I stood in a large and beautiful church, at one end was a party gathered together round the mystic font. One robed in the white garment of the Priest, held in his arms an infant, also clad in pure white. As the priest marked a cross with water on its brow, I saw myriads of bright beings floating around, and the babe

looked up and smiled as though it recognised them, and I saw their names written on their brows: one was Innocence, another Purity, another Meekness, Humility, Happiness, Charity, Faith, Hope, Gentleness, Conscience, and Prayer. And they took the infant in their arms, and sang heavenly psalms to their golden harps. Again I saw the child, but it was grown, and surrounded also by other beings, but they were dark, and had also their names written on their brows; and I shuddered as I read them, for they were, Scorn, Pride, Envy, Malice, Ill-temper, Lust, Discontent, and Uucharitableness; but I saw that while they tempted her, the maiden looked ever and anon to where the bright and holy beings were; sometimes indeed she would be led away by Discontent or Ill-temper, and then the cross which still glistened on her brow, would begin to fade, and the bright angels would hide their faces and weep. But Conscience would whisper in her ear, and then Prayer came to her aid, and by their help, she would strive to regain the right path. Again I stood in the same church, and beheld the maiden among many others kneeling at the altar, and one robed in white laid his hands on them and prayed to GOD to defend them with His grace, that they might continue His for ever, and daily increase in His Holy Spirit more and more until they came into His everlasting kingdom. And the bright beings floated round some, among them, the maiden; and methought she was more able to fight against the evil ones, by constantly kneeling at the altar and receiving Heavenly food from the hands of the Priest who had first taken her in his arms.

66

Again I beheld her, but she was stretched on a bed of sickness; she was still surrounded by the bright beings, and the dark ones were fading into the background. The Priest enters, and says the solemn words, "Peace be to this house, and all that are therein." Amen," fervently breathed the sufferer, and a peaceful expression spread over her countenance, and those weeping around were comforted; then, for the last time on earth, the maiden received the Holy Communion from the priest; she cast one loving look around her, breathed the words, "O

LORD, let it be Thy pleasure to deliver me, make no long tarrying, O my GOD!" and then fell asleep in JESUS.

At the moment that she breathed those words, the holy angels watching around, bore away her spirit, now as bright and lovely as themselves; and as it was borne through the golden gates of Paradise, there came a burst of ravishing music, and I saw bright and glorious angels within, greeting one, now like themselves. "Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee," said the priest, as he closed her eyes.

At that moment I awoke and found that it had been a dream," Verily, Thou shalt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is the fulness of joy, and at Thy right hand is pleasure for evermore." But let not the dream be thrown away on us; but let us like the maiden "Keep Innocency and take heed unto the thing that is right, for that shall bring a man peace at the last."

E. L. S.

LETTERS FROM ABROAD TO MY CHOIR

MY DEAR

AT HOME.

LETTER VII.

Bonn is said to have a larger number of English residents than any other town of Germany. The University is considered to be the best in Prussia, and the number of professors living in the town, makes education cheap; it is nearer to England than any other town of its size and character, whilst from it all parts of the Rhine are easily accessible, either by coach or steamboats. These are the advantages which I presume attract so many of our country people. As to scenery it is what is called 'pleasantly situated,' that is all. Between it and Cologne the country is flat, and possesses no particular interest; but on the south or Coblentz side the first undulations of

the mountain-ranges and the Rhine scenery, such as we meet with in pictures, commence. From the earliest times its history is blended with that of Cologne; both places were occupied by the Romans, and the neighbourhood of Bonn is still the favourite retreat of the traders and merchants of Cologne as formerly it was the summer residence of the Archbishop-electors of that city. Its name is derived from a German tribe which up to the time of the Romans dwelt in these parts.

Bonn was formerly a fortified city, and a great part of the wall and several of the bastions still remain. The ramparts make agreeable walks, and the ditch is for the most part converted into kitchen-gardens, and occupied by low unhealthy looking cottages. Like most towns which either are or have been fortified, the old part consists of narrow tortuous streets. Add to this Bonn is as ill-drained as Aachen or any other German town, and is as ill-savoury as Cologne is said to be. On the south the buildings of the University cover the site of the fortifications on that side, but on the north two mouldering gateways, flanked with picturesque towers, and a dull dusky parade ground, or barrack square, maintain its character as a military post. From these gateways the one main street of the town expands into an irregular square, with a pyramid and a drinking fountain in the centre, and a town-house on one side of it. The square for at least three parts of the year is almost every morning alive with market women, each with the picturesque white handkerchief over her head, whilst the ground is strewn with baskets, and the whole place is fragrant with fruit, flowers, and vegetables. As in Belgium, the towns we have passed through in Germany have scarcely ever any greengrocers' shops, and are almost entirely dependent upon the neighbouring peasants for the daily supply of these articles.

The town has three Churches and one Lutheran Chapel attached to the University. The Minster (Dom-kirche), of late Romanesque work, which stands on one side of a square, a little out of the main street, is a striking church. At the east end are two towers, surmounted with two spires, whilst from the centre rises a slender tower, with, what seemed to me, a disproportionately tall spire. The

east end is an apse, with a gallery running round it on the outside. The roof is broken with a number of tiny attic windows, intended, if for any use at all, merely for the purpose of ventilation. Inside, the whole area is pewed over. The choir stands considerably above the rest of the church, and the high altar is tawdry with blue hangings. At the west end, between two altar-tombs, stands a bronze figure of the Empress Helena, who is said to have been the foundress of the original church. Over the chancelarch stands a clock, and immediately below it, and in front of the altar, hang the bell-ropes,-a not unusual arrangement in those parts, but however common, it has an odd effect to see six or seven men in shirt sleeves, of the usual bell-ringer class, tugging away at the bells whilst the church is filling with worshippers. The singing here is more congregational than in Belgium; but the music and singing are very poor, not at all worthy of the birthplace of Beethoven. On the north side of this church stands a large crucifix, with the figure of our Blessed LORD, of life size. The image is better than most we have hitherto met with, very life-like, and with less of the distortion of suffering than in most others we have seen. The congregation, both here and at the Franciscan Church, appears to be very good. The latter church is frequented by a poorer class than the minster. The church of the Jesuits-S. Peter's-we have never had the fortune to find open. The exterior is modern, and like most other churches of this order in the classical style.

A few years ago Bonn was inhabited by an exclusively Catholic population. Now, however, since the opening of the University, fully a third of the inhabitants are Lutherans. These meet in the chapel attached to the University, a cold, correct, elaborate piece of Italian architecture, square, and having no possibility of kneeling. At one end of it stands an immense altar, vested in blue velvet, and on it a crucifix, and a couple of candlesticks, the gift of Prince Frederick William, the husband of our Princess Royal. In front of the altar is placed an iron font, whilst over the altar the pulpit projects from the wall with an entrance from behind. As the English resi