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Her father, who was also ill, answered, Yes, Annie, and father very poorly too.'

She looked anxiously at him for a moment, and burst into tears. She continued weeping and sobbing whilst she sought a cushion, and with inexpressible tenderness placed it under his head, accompanied with a variety of sweet and endearing attentions. Nor did this proceed from any thing of melancholy fretfulness, for her disposition was lively to extreme, as well as sweetly pleased under all circumstances; but no object of misery presented itself before her without moving her compassion. On observing a poor infirm boy at church she was quite affected, and though she made no remark during service, she expressed her great concern afterwards, and often spoke of him as that poor boy, in a tone particularly touching; and equally affected another time at the sight of a boy with only one eye, saying, ‘Poor boy. 'Ather! poor boy!' The tone in which she uttered these sympathetic feelings was such as always seemed to affect the hearts of others, and awaken mutual sympathy; there was a tenderness and pathos in it, which proved the utterance to be from the genuine feeling of her own heart.

The most striking proofs of her gracious disposition were given in her obedience and self-denial. Obedience so habitual, and to so great a degree, that she appeared to have no will of her own. Even when the little pleasures suitable for a child were proposed-if to walk out, she was joyful to go; but if needful, equally willing to be denied, without a moment's expression of dislike or disappointment. In this, her young nurse sometimes purposely tried her; which, however injudicious, was meant rather

to give proof of her temper than with the object of merely disappointing her; with such an idea she would make her ready in great glee for a walk, and then, when all appeared ready, would hastily take off her hat and tippet, and say she would not go; but trying as this might be, it was always followed by the same ready acquiescence without a fretful look,-it belonged to her self-denying spirit, which was also tried in another instance. Having had some grapes given her, of which she was remarkably fond; her father asked her to give him one, and she cheerfully presented one, and he continued to ask, she picking them off one by one, saying, 'Here, father, here,' until having taken off the last, she threw the stalk away with an air of delight.-The same with other things, ready to part with what she most liked, as she did with some oranges that had pleased her much, she parted with them all one after the other, as satisfied to give as to receive.

Thus she grew in the evidence and exercise of dispositions which were certainly of a higher origin than 、mere human amiability; the devotional feeling ever prominent, and the constant unvarying equability of her temper and actions gave demonstration of a power of the Spirit within her infantile bosom.

When she began regularly to attend church and the Sunday-school, she was a little turned two years old; her little heart was remarkably delighted with both and though her lively mind was always active, and she was accustomed to prattle her thoughts, yet when in either place she was perfectly silent. At school her pleasure seemed to be gazing at the lady who superintended it, and sitting on her nurse's knee, would remain the whole time, even during

the serious lectures on religious subjects; and by every pretty action, testified her love of the lady when the hour was over. The return of the Sabbath mornings filled her with joy. She listened for the bells, and when she heard them, would exclaim, "Father! father! church! church! church!' hurrying to have her hat on; and when in the house of God, her appearance was a picture of lovely outward demeanor; her attention never wearied; her kneeling most devout, with clasped hands indicating a spirit of communion, though the faculties were so young.

If she had seen any Sunday-school boys behaving ill, she expressed her lamentation in a soft tone of pitying compassion, Ah mother, boys behave ill!'

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She had a great indifference to such play-things as are usually given to children, as if they were not the things that suited her taste; when she returned from walking out, her habit was to go to her little rocking chair, and in a sweet tone as if abstracted from all other objects, she would sing, 'Jesus! Jesus! -Our Father! our Father!' When she happened to hear a trifling tune sung by any person, she would lift up her hand and say 'No, no!-Jesus! Jesus!' Once being answered in a sort of interrogationJesus? she replied immediately with great emphasis, -'Yes, Jesus Christ!'

She had had a little brother to whom she was greatly attached, and for whom she seemed to feel the most zealous desire. His disposition, more like the generality of children, would make him sometimes, at grace and prayers, light and noisy; and before she could speak plain, she would say in a reproving manner, Ah, boy!' and when able to

speak, though she reserved her rebuke till after the prayers, reading, or grace, she looked expressively at him; and when concluded, would give her gentle but firm reproof- Naughty boy! naughty boy!'

Her hatred of sin in every shape, in which she was capable of discerning it, was clearly expressed. Of the sight of drunkenness, she had a particular horror, to which she was sometimes liable from the obtrusion of such sinners into the shop; but she would immediately run from their presence, shut the door, and with her usual expression exclaim,—“ Ah, man!' in such a manner that it almost appeared as if she were conscious of the degradation of man from his original condition, and meant to signify the depth of his fall. There was a relative who sometimes distressed her mind with this sin, and though for his kindness to her she was attached to him, and would show it when he was free from this awful offence, yet as she quickly detected it she would never go near him at the time she perceived him at all inebriated; but when he was returned to sobriety, she never failed to reprove him in a most impressive manner.

Whenever her little ears were offended by the sound of blasphemy or swearing, she had the same distress of soul. On the market-days this would sometimes happen, and then she would run out of the shop, and earnestly say,- Shut the door-shut the door: ah, naughty man!'

One instance was peculiarly touching, as bearing out the evidence of the strength of her affection and unprejudiced hatred of sin as sin. Her nurse with the same mistaken idea of trying the child as before described, seeing her much excited by the sight of

a drunken man, said to her,' But suppose your father should get drunk?'

The child started with horror at the supposition, and exclaimed, in a tone of amazement,-- My father!' 'Yes,' the nurse answered,' your father: suppose he was to get drunk?'

'My father!' she again exclaimed, in a voice of agony; then wringing her little hands, she walked quickly up and down the room in great agitation, repeating with bursting sobs,- My father get drunk? -My father get drunk!' then she threw herself into her chair, and pausing a moment as if in deep reflection, she again spoke with a settled and calmed voice,- No-my father never be drunk!'

She was now nearly three years old, and her devotional feelings became more strongly developed. She watched for the hour when her father was accustomed to retire to his room alone, and following him would sit by till his reading was over, and then when he knelt would go to a chair and kneel also for silent prayer, remaining all the time with clasped and uplifted hands.

She herself loved to be alone, and was often found up stairs on her knees by herself; and would at any time be left up stairs for a considerable time, and would go to bed awake, and remain there without any desire for a companion. She was once left some hours by a neighbour, who being fond of the child, used often to have her with her; but some engagement occurring, her mind was so much occupied, that she quite forgot she had left her in another room, until something recalled the recollection; then, wondering what the child could be doing, she went very softly, saying to herself, Where can she be?

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