My parents were both dead-I had no counsellor left, no experience of age to direct me, no sweet voice of reproof. The LORD had taken away my friends, and I knew not where he had laid them. I paced round the wilderness, seeking a comforter. I prayed, that I might be restored to that state of innocence, in which I had wandered in those shades.

Methought, my request was heard for it seemed as though the stains of manhood were passing from me, and I were relapsing into the purity and simplicity of childhood. I was content to have been moulded into a perfect child. I stood still, as in a trance. I dreamed that I was enjoying a personal intercourse with my heavenly Fatherand, extravagantly, put off the shoes from my feet -for the place where I stood, I thought, was holy ground.

This state of mind could not last long-and I returned with languid feelings to my Inn. I ordered my dinner-green peas and a sweetbreadit had been a favourite dish with me in my childhood --I was allowed to have it on my birth days. I was impatient to see it come upon table-but, when it came, I could scarce eat a mouthful-my tears choked me. I called for wine-I drank a pint

and a half of red wine-and not till then had I dared to visit the church-yard, where my parents were interred.

The cottage lay in my way-Margaret had chosen it for that very reason, to be near the church for the old lady was regular in her attendance on public worship-I passed on-and in a moment found myself among the tombs.

I had been present at my father's burial, and knew the spot again-my mother's funeral I was prevented by illness from attending—a plain stone was placed over the grave, with their initials carved upon it-for they both occupied one grave.

I prostrated myself before the spot-I kissed the earth that covered them-I contemplated, with gloomy delight, the time when I should mingle my dust with theirs-and kneeled, with my arms incumbent on the grave-stone, in a kind of mental prayer for I could not speak,

Having performed these duties, I arose with quieter feelings, and felt leisure to attend to indifferent objects.-Still I continued in the churchyard, reading the various inscriptions, and moralising on them with that kind of levity, which will not unfrequently spring up in the mind, in the midst of deep melancholy,

I read of nothing but careful parents, loving husbands, and dutiful children. I said jestingly, where be all the bad people buried? Bad parents, bad husbands, bad children-what cemeteries are appointed for these? do they not sleep in consecrated ground? or is it but a pious fiction, a generous oversight, in the survivors, which thus tricks out men's epitaphs when dead, who, in their life-time, discharged the offices of life, perhaps, but lamely? Their failings, with their reproaches, now sleep with them in the grave. Man wars not with the dead. It is a trait of human nature, for which I love it.

I had not observed, till now, a little group assembled at the other end of the church-yard; it was a company of children, who were gathered round a young man, dressed in black, sitting on a grave-stone.

He seemed to be asking them questions-probably, about their learning-and one little dirty ragged headed fellow was clambering up his knees to kiss him. The children had been eating black cherries-for some of the stones were scattered about, and their mouths were smeared with them.

As I drew near them, I thought I discerned in the stranger a mild benignity of countenance, which

I had somewhere seen before-I gazed at him more attentively.

It was Allan Clare! sitting on the grave of his sister.

I threw my arms about his neck. I exclaimed "Allan "-he turned his eyes upon me-he knew me-we both wept aloud-it seemed, as though the interval, since we parted, had been as nothing-I cried out 66 come, and tell me about these things." I drew him away from his little friends-he parted with a show of reluctance from the churchyard-Margaret and her grand-daughter lay buried there, as well as his sister-I took him to my Inn -secured a room, where we might be privateordered fresh wine-scarce knowing what I did, I danced for joy.

Allan was quite overcome, and taking me by the hand he said, "this repays me for all.”

It was a proud day for me-I had found the friend I thought dead-earth seemed to me no longer valuable, than as it contained him; and existence a blessing no longer than while I should live to be his comforter.

I began, at leisure, to survey him with more attention. Time and grief had left few traces of

that fine enthusiasm, which once burned in his countenance-his eyes had lost their original fire, but they retained an uncommon sweetness and, whenever they were turned upon me, their smile pierced to my heart.

"Allan, I fear you have been a sufferer." He replied not, and I could not press him further. I could not call the dead to life again.

So we drank, and told old stories-and repeated old poetry--and sang old songs-as if nothing had happened. We sat till very late-I forgot that I had purposed returning to town that evening-to Allan all places were alike-I grew noisy, he grew cheerful-Allan's old manners, old enthusiasm, were returning upon him-we laughed, we wept, we mingled our tears, and talked extravagantly.

Allan was my chamber-fellow that night-and lay awake, planning schemes of living together under the same roof, entering upon similar pursuits; -and praising GOD, that we had met.

I was obliged to return to town the next morning, and Allan proposed to accompany me.— "Since the death of his sister," he told me, "he had been a wanderer."

In the course of our walk he unbosomed himself