unreturned and forgotten. If readers of this cast would prey only upon each other, they would strike something like a balance of injury. But if I lend one of them a book, I may as well give him leave to put it into the fire; unless I am willing to dun him for it, or rather to go to his house and bear my book away in my pocket as lawful prize. This I have at times been obliged to do; but it is not near so pleasant as a trip to Weyer's Cave or the Natural Bridge.

No. 39. AUGUST: 3, 1815.

Stepmothers Defended.

FROM our earliest years we are taught to shudder at the idea of a stepmother. As if a stepmother must necessarily be a monster of cruelty, it seems to be agreed to brand this whole class of women with severe reproach, even to a proverb. Now, if I am not grossly mistaken, we have here an instance of prejudice unusually violent. I see no reason for such a sweeping sentence of condemnation in the present case, any more than in the cases of other large bodies of people. Doubtless there are some bad stepmothers; but I be-· lieve there are also many good ones. I shall take the liberty of telling my own experience upon the subject.

My beloved mother left, at her deatli, a large family of children, of whom I was the oldest. About two years after this most afflictive bereavement, it pleased my father to marry again. I had imbibed, to a wide extent, the common notions about the selfishness and barbarity of stepmothers. As I was at school, and had. ceased to live at my father's, I felt not much concern for myself personally, but a very sensible degree of it my little brothers and sister. However, I resolved to try to make the best of a thing not to be avoided. Knowing that the children were disposed to listen to me with some regard, I told them that from such acquaintance as I had with the person who was to be N

for

placed over them, l'entertained the hope of an agreeable, or at any rate, a tolerable result; and took pains to impress upon their minds the reflections and advice with which I shall, by and by, finish this paper. The amount was, that if any jarring and discord were to take place, we should be careful to prevent the fault from lying on our side. Having thus prepared ourselves for a proper behaviour as well as we could, it was still with considerable anxiety that we awaited the

event.

I was not at my father's wedding; but was at his house when he brought our new mother home. Several friends, of both sexes, came with them, all in a very joyous mood. I approached, with a feeling of hesitancy, and held out my hand, saying, my mother, as I hope and believe. Yes,' she replied kindly, if you will take me for a mother. Her tone and manner won me over instantly. With all my heart, and I am glad to see you here as our mother.' Similar expressions ensued between her and the other chi!dren; and the covenant of mutual affection was form ed, which nothing but death was to dissolve. We treated her always with willing respect; and found in her the judicious guardian, the uniform and faithful friend. There was no studying of separate interests amongst us; no sullenness nor rebellion on our part, no harshness nor coldness on hers; all was good will and harmony. She died about four years after her marriage, leaving a couple of amiable children; and between them and us the compact of brotherly and sisterly love remains in full vigour to this day.

I have made it my business to observe the conduct of stepmothers. And though I have seen some evils, and others may have happened which I could not see, yet I am satisfied that many instances have occurred. of excellent stepmothers, such as my own dear second mother was.

To those young persons whom the subject may particularly concern, I now offer the following exhortations.

Do not expect more than is reasonable from a stepmother.-It is a settled maxim that we are to find human nature imperfect every where. Suppose a woman placed in one of the most trying situations of life, as that of a stepmother undoubtedly is; do you not see the absurdity of looking for the absolute perfection of conduct in her which you do not calculate upon in any other mortal? Learn to make those allowances in her case which you must make in all others; and which, slow as you may be in discovering it, you will frequently need yourselves. Learn, also, to submit to the appointment of Heaven, that in the death of a mother you have met with a loss which can never be fully repaired. You are not to reckon again on that exquisite tenderness which a mother feels towards her own offspring; as nature does not admit of its revival in any other bosom. You should be contented and thankful, if your new mother, from love to her husband, and a steady regard to duty, acts the part of your considerate and benevolent friend. To reconcile you a little more to this distinction, I will remark that I have scarcely seen any thing operate with such injurious tendency in the education of children as the strong but frequently misdirected fondness of a mothers's affection.

Take care to give no occasion or pretext for unkindness in your stepmother.-If a state of war must unhappily subsist between you and her, let it not be justly laid, as an offensive war, to your charge. Try diligently how far a respectful and friendly carriage may secure for you a corresponding return. It is easy, to. apply here, as in a thousand other instances, the old saying of "faults on both sides;" and it is seldom applied altogether without a warrant. But I am compelled to think that in the case we are considering the fault very often begins with the children. Listening to foolish suggestions, and greedily swallowing malignant prejudices, they look upon her who succeeds their own mother as one who has intruded into the family; an

intruder whom they are, of course, entitled to slight, to vex, and to disobey. If she has brought children with her, they are encountered with a jealous eye, as aliens and enemies. What is to be expected from such beginnings? Is a mother to abandon her little ones to your persecution? Is your father's wife to be treated with contempt by you, in her own house and station of authority? Will she not resort to her husband for support? And must he not either act basely by giving her up to your insults, or take her part, and his own too, by repressing them? In this way the mischief commences. The woman who intended to fill her difficult office with uprightness and propriety gets her temper soured, her patience unhinged, by opposition where she had a right to demand respect and candour, and after a while becomes really faulty and tyrannical under the notion of self-defence. Thus feuds and animosities divide the family into factions, and domestic peace takes her flight forever. In the mean time, the ill used stepmother is made to bear the undivided blame. The neighbourhood rings with clamour about her cruelty to a parcel of poor, motherless children, who are, as every body takes for granted, meek and innocent as angels. And many a fond, weak-headed mamma presses her spoiled child to her heart, and very confidently pronounces all stepmothers, without exception, to be little better than spirits of darkness incarnate. Judgments so senseless and wicked shall not have my concurrence. I have some trust in human integrity; and I believe there is as much of it exercised by stepmothers as by any other equal number of people exposed to equal trials.

No. 40.

AUGUST 10, 1815.

A Plea for Bible Societies.

I CONFESS it gives me pain to reflect that I have arrived at the fortieth number of my work without addressing my readers in behalf of bible societies. This omission shall lie upon my conscience no longer.

Among those glorious ideas which rarely occur, that of a bible society claims a distinguished regard; an idea inspired by the Author of all good, and destined to produce results highly beneficial to the human race. Only a few years have passed since the first institution of the kind came into being. The Christian world was clectrified with joyful surprise, and excited to zealous imitation of the example. From that auspicious hour, these societies, notwithstanding the obloquy heaped upon them, have been incessantly multiplying. Their happy effects have been felt and seen in every quarter of the globe; and the sublime work continues to advance with unabated vigour, and with prospects more and more cheering to the benevolent heart. May Heaven's choicest blessings be showered down upon all who promote this best of charities with their substance, and upon all who pray for its success!

The grand, comprehensive object of bible societies is to send forth the pure, unadulterated word of God into every region of the earth. To the numerous poor throughout Christendom it is to be given freely. To the millions of the heathen nations also, until they become willing to buy it, we are to furnish it without money or price, faithfully translated into their manifold native languages. To all purchasers it is to be afforded, not as an article of merchandize, but altogether without pecuniary profit, at the lowest possible expense.

I feel it to be a task far beyond my ability to delineate the benefits which mankind have received from God, and are yet to receive, by means of the bible. The only effectual preservative of civil liberty, of peace and mutual kindness in society, is the prevalence of. good morals. The only solid basis of morals is religion; and the only true and holy religion is that of the bible. In the enjoyment of the present life,, multitudes are daily deriving incalculable advantages from the bible who do not aspire to a share in its future