even his aspiring soul and lofty thought, and as he gazed down into her early tomb, the home of beauty amid corrup tion, the words 'I am the resurrection and the life' throbbed in his burning brain. I will be a minister of Jesus Christ,' he resolved; He 'who was crucified, and rose again, that the sweet spirit once enshrouded in this mortal clay might arise also, and join Him in the heavenly inheritance.'

He became a preacher of righteousness, and again the hearts of his parents exulted. Alas! death has been envious of the great and the good from the beginning. The brighter and more shining the light, the more eagerly are his pale lips fixed to blow out the flame.

Again his unerring shaft sped upon its fatal mission, and the son, too, wearied with constant thought and mental toil, laid his head upon the maternal bosom, never to raise it on earth.

666

Lovely in their lives,"' murmered the doubly bereaved and desolate ones, as they turned from the silent churchyard towards their almost deserted home-""lovely in their lives and in their deaths not divided;' we made them our idols; they were loosened gently from our arms, and He hath our jewels in His keeping.'

Whom have we now to love?' they exclaimed, as they passed the threshold, and the anguish of their loneliness spread over their mourning souls.

'God and each other,' was the sad, soft reply, yet more devotedly and tenderly than before.'

Years sped on, and happiness had again spread her shining wings above them, when a speculation in which Caspar had invested a great part of his wealth, fell to the ground, and carried with it nearly all that the old man possessed in this world. It was deemed so secure in its operations, that Caspar Fontaine stood bondsman, for some two or three of the company involved-but for that, he would still have retained a good competency.

One little house, the only one left of his many (for Caspar was honourable, to the payment of the last farthing), was neatly, yet scantily, furnished, and thither the aged pair proceeded; they would not accept the pecuniary gifts which the many who loved and reveared them, were willing, nay anxious, to bestow on the venerable head of the village.

The Almighty intends to draw us nearer Himself by [oosening and sweeping away all earthly props,' said Caspar

while a benign smile still played over his noble features''tis well. Let us bow in sweet submission to His gracious will-we still have each other.'

'Yes, we still have each other,' echoed his wife, on whose yet lovely face his patient smile was reflected.

To toil, with the labour of his hands, the old man now went, and the little he had saved from the wreck of his property, enabled them to live with comfort, yet frugally and plainly.

A winter day, with its wailing wind, had passed into eternity, and left, in its stead, a calm, glorious night guarded by millions of stars, that were almost mirrored in the smooth and dazzling snow. The village was hushed, as if in calm slumber, nestling amid the old mountains that lifted themselves in solemn grandeur towards heaven.

In the cottage of Caspar Fontaine, the work-stand stood before a cheerful fire, and the great family Bible, that had descended to him through many generations, laid with its huge covers open, and the heavy clasps falling upon the clear linen beneath them.

The old man had been reading in the holy volume, as was his wont before retiring, and the good wife had laid by her knitting on the stand beside them, and, with folded hands, sat gazing into the face of her venerable partner.

Thought was very busy with him; he was reviewing the pages of the past, that, sometimes luminous, and others covered as with a thick veil, were unfolded slowly before his mind's eye. There was no dark record of crime there, so the old man's face wore a cheerful but subdued expres sion. Suddenly he looked up. The calm, clear eye of his wife met his own glance, and he started from his reverie.

'Lucia, we are getting very old,' he said.

'That was what I was just thinking of, my husband,' she replied, ‘while I endeavour to call back the feelings with which I first heard you call me wife; but I found them already in my bosom, and they have been there ever since that day, increasing in depth and strength, as we draw nearer the grave. It tore my heart to part with our lovely and only ones, Caspar; but it would have broken it had I been called to lay you in the grave, my husband. How white your locks are,' she continued, fondly stroking them down

from his lofty, yet mild brow; but, to my mind, they are more beautiful, curling in pale waves upon your shoulders, than when they fell over a ruddy cheek, in ringlets of jet.' Those were happy days,' murmured Caspar, partly to himself.

'And are we not happy now, oh ! my husband?'

Happy while we are together; too happy,' he whispered back, as the quick tears sprang to his eyes; there is only one thing to mar my present enjoyment, and I fear in that I distrust the goodness which has led us from joy to joy.' 'What is it, Caspar?'

The fear that I may be taken and you may be left; you, alone in your old age, with none nearer than friends and acquaintances.'

Lucia was silent for a moment. Let us put our trust in God!' she exclaimed at length; if I am left, Caspar, it can. not be for long.'

And then we shall be re-united in eternity,' whispered Caspar.

Yes; to love on, for ever and ever.'

'Shall we love each other more supremely, up yonder?' and in the old man's eyes shone a holy light.

Next to God, I firmly believe, for are not our souls in perfect unison?'

Yes,' said Caspar, as he gently pressed the hand of his wife; perfect; for ours was a true marriage. Word, thought, and deed, have grown in similitude, till the soul of one is as the echo to that of the other; pain is almost sweet, when you are near to minister to me, and pleasure I enjoy not to fulness, unless you are a sharer. Yes, my love, we are going to the grave together, and we shall soon be joined with those precious pledges, that took their flight heavenward, so long ago. I regret not now, neither, I am sure, can you, that we laid them so early in the cold arms of death. They were not sinless; but, oh! we deemed them very near perfection.'

'I did not see, till now, Caspar, that your eyes are heavier than usual,' exclaimed Lucia, after some moments of stillness, during which they had sat, hand in hand; 'have you felt ill to-day?'

'I cannot evade your question, my wife; in truth, the racking pains in my head, which I have suffered since morning, led me to muse on what I have told you.'

And I, too, have felt a strange sensation in my head all day, but I thought if I spoke of it, it might alarm you.'

For that very reason, I have kept silent; but we shall be better, perhaps, after a night's rest. Let us perform our family devotion and retire.'

After prayers, the red coals on the hearth were carefully raked up, and covered with ashes, and in a few moments the lights were put out, and the good old couple slept.

Before noon of the next day, both slept the sleep that knows no waking in this world. Caspar died first. He had blest his wife before departing. Lucia, with her failing, trembling hand, closed his eyes, and then, calmly composing her own limbs, awaited the time of the Eternal.

Two coffins, side by side-two meek, placid brows-meet the eager eyes of many who had assembled to behold the solemn scene. 'How mournful that both should be taken!' sighed one. Oh! could he have heard the glad burst of rejoicing with which, hand in hand, they entered Heaven, clothed in eternal youth, blessing the Almighty for a reunion which was to last for ever and ever, he would have said, 'How sweet, how beautiful, that they thus lie down in the last sleep together!'

They are resting quietly-Caspar and his Lucia—in an ancient churchyard, beneath the sleeping boughs of a waving willow tree. But above them a snowy monument has been erected, whereon their virtues are emblazoned in golden letters-a tribute of love and reverence paid them by the inhabitants of the town they had so long benefited; and go to-day into the humblest cottage, or the loftiest mansion there, and you will hear the story of the good couple, Caspar and Lucia Fontaine.

THE FACES OF RACES.

THE AMERICAN RACE.

WE come now to offer a few remarks on the fifth great division of the human family, and with this we shall conclude our short papers on the Faces of Races.' The continent of America, situated so far from the old world, and remaining for so many ages separated from Europe,

and consequently unmixed with and uninfluenced by Europeans and Asiatics, it is not surprising to find Ameri cans differing in no slight degree from the inhabitants of other parts of the world. The races of the American natives differ very much one from the other, as much so perhaps as these races, considered in their totality, differ from the people who inhabit the countries of the old world. As we cannot give accurate descriptions of all the races which people this vast continent, we must content ourselves by allusions to two or three of the principal ones; and we will begin with the Mexicans.

The Mexicans are an interesting people, as they are the successors of a more civilized and polished ancestry. There may be found in many parts of Mexico the ruins of splendid palaces and extensive cities, which may be regarded as evidences of the superiority of former ages. The Mexicans also possess historical paintings, which tell of heroes and heroic struggles, of national strength and national greatness, centuries since. But, alas! like the people of several other countries, they have by some means or other retrograded. There are also at the present time evidences of improvement, and we can only hope that their future will be greater than their past.

A writer says, the Mexicans are of a good stature, generally rather exceeding than falling short of the middle size, and well proportioned in all their limbs. They have good complexions, narrow foreheads, black eyes, clean firm regular white teeth; thick black coarse glossy hair, thin beards, and generally no hair upon their legs, thighs, and arms; their skin is of an olive colour. There is scarcely a nation upon the face of the earth in which there are fewer persons deformed; and it would be more difficult to find a single hump-backed, lame, or squint-eyed man among a thousand Mexicans, than among a hundred of any other nation. Among the young women of Mexico, there are many very beautiful and fair, whose beauty is rendered more attractive by the sweetness and natural modesty of their behaviour. Their senses are very acute, especially that of sight, which they enjoy unimpaired to the greatest age. Their minds are, on the whole, like those of the other children of Adam, and endowed with the same powers; nor did the Europeans ever do less credit to their own reason than when they doubted of the rationality of the Americans. Many persons