66

pletely devoid of selfishness: and "the constant opportunity I had of "witnessing the candour and single"hearted sincerity of her words and "actions, rendered it impossible for "me to be mistaken. But how could "it be otherwise? She lived under "the constant consciousness of the of the God she worshipped, "and looked to him, not only as the

presence

judge of her actions, but of her "most secret thoughts; and, after "all that I have seen of the world, I "must confess I have ever found this "the fountain of the purest honour, ❝and of the soundest philosophy."

By what Albert has here said of himself, you will perceive that in his childhood he was prepared for enter ing with advantage on the stage of youth. Nor did he make any retrograde steps in the course of improvement. In youth he found that he

had

had still the remains of many bad habits to correct, many untoward propensities to conquer. That the time allotted him to prepare for the important part he was to act on the theatre of life, was short; and that much was to be crowded into the narrow space. He therefore set himself with assiduity to the task before him. When he was at any time induced by indolence to relax the vigour of application, or seduced by pleasure entirely to relinquish it, his principles opposed a barrier to seduction, and re-animated him to fresh exertion.

"If I waste the present hours," he would say to himself, "what shall I "be hereafter? Despised for my

ignorance, and pitied for my folly. "And will not God call me to ac"count for thus neglecting to im

66

prove the talents with which he "has entrusted me?"

These and similar reflections be came, by their frequent recurrence, so habitual, as to operate upon his mind without his being conscious of their operation. His reverence for the Divine Being appeared innate and spontaneous, and was not affected by time, nor place, nor situation, nor circumstances. This is that fear of God which is spoken of in Scripture as the beginning of wisdom. Nor was it in the mind of Albert, nor will it ever be in any mind that has been duly prepared, a solitary principle. It did not lead to a cold and formal performance of duty, from a slavish dread of punishment. His heart rejoiced in the assurance, that the God who called him into being, intended that he should be happy; and had put it in his power to contribute to the happiness of others.

His father was proud of such a

son,

son, (and what father would not have been proud of so fine a boy?) but Albert made no selfish or ungenerous use of his father's partiality. He considered the power it afforded him as a trust, for which he was responsible; and contrived to convert every instance of partial indulgence into a means of augmenting the happiness of his younger and less favoured brothers and sisters. They looked up to him, while he was yet a child, as a guardian angel sent to dispense felicity; and as he was the umpire in all their little quarrels, they learned from him, even in infancy, a strict sense of truth and justice.

It must be owned, that on certain occasions Albert was very deficient in the coolness which might have been thought becoming in a young philosopher. His feelings were too lively, his benevolence was too warm, to endure

I 4

He

endure the sight of misery. could not bear to witness the infliction of punishment, even where he knew it to have been deserved; and would rather have gone without his dinner for a week, than listened to the cries of one of his infant brothers in disgrace. This, in the eyes of some, may possibly appear a weakness. But from those who scoff at it as such, I should be glad to know, whether benevolence has ever taken deep root in any heart that was destitute of sympathy?

It is now time to see how Frederic

has gone on. But he is too dignified a personage to be introduced at the end of a letter: so we shall, if you please, leave him for the subject of the next epistle.