what can she be doing?'-when, peeping into the room in some alarm, to her surprise she found her on her knees, in an attitude of prayer and meditation, and without expressing either surprise or pain, at having been so long left to herself, she smiled on seeing her friend again, and felt that all was right.

At length her health manifestly began to decline; she was seized with an inflammatory affection, and as her body became more and more debilitated by sickness, her devotional affection increased with rapidity, and though suffering much, the spirit of patience was most remarkable and triumphant over pain. She complained not, but submitted to all necessary medical treatment; her medicines were taken without hesitation, except once, when within a day of her death, her tongue had become so sore, she feared to take it, and rather hesitated. Her father said, 'Take it Annie; she replied,' Father, it makes my tongue so sore:' but still she marked her willingness, though it was not pressed, as she was evidently dying.

Of course she went through many painful applications, which were deemed expedient, such as leeches, and blisters; one of which, when proper to be taken off, was attempted by her mother, but she shrunk from the task, and called the father to do it for her; he also felt reluctant, for this had been done so often in the same part that it was extremely sore. A short debate ensued, each endeavouring to persuade the other. Annie saw their distress, and, without saying any thing, put her own little finger to the edge of the plaister, and tearing it off with quickness, presented it to them with placid satisfaction and inexpressible affection, saying, 'There, mother!'

The medical friend who attended her gives this testimony to her patience:

'I attended Mr. I--'s daughter during her last illness, for a period of about three weeks: her malady was of a painful character, and certainly peculiar for a child to be afflicted with. She began with an inflammatory affection, resembling the influenza, attacking the air-passages, and the quantity of phlegm was truly astonishing, frequently threatening suffocation. The disease at last put on the appearance of dropsy of the chest. In grown-up

people I have frequently seen similar cases, but rarely in children; and I cannot but make mention of the patience and resignation she evinced during the whole time of her sufferings.'

For four nights before her death she was unable to lie down, and when pressed to try for a little, she only patiently answered, Mother, my cough so bad!'

6

Being confined up stairs, the family prayer was now always beside her; but once, from particular business in the shop, the hour was delayed beyond the usual time, and her mother wished to compose her for sleep; but she objected, saying, ‘Mother, father has not been up to prayer'—and waited until he could go. He asked her what she wished for— she replied,

'Pray-read.'

It should be remarked, fond as she was of that name which is so precious, whenever she added Christ to that of Jesus, she did it with a most peculiar emphasis of expression, so as if she knew it was as "ointment poured forth," and she seemed to have learned the title by listening to the scripture, as it was not the habit of her friends to use any other name to her than Jesus.

Three days before her death, she woke up the family at three o'clock in the morning, calling them to 'Sing-Jesus; ' pressing for a continuance of the devotion with 'More-more of Jesus!' When her little hands and arms were so swelled as to make them almost immoveable, it was affecting to witness her struggle to assume her usual attitude of reverential devotion, and though the fingers were so enlarged that she could not interlace them, as she clasped one hand with the other, yet she with difficulty drew them together, and just meeting fingers to fingers, held them there during prayer or grace.

On the morning just previous to her death, she expressed earnest desires to see the lady whom she looked up to as a spiritual teacher, and she visited her at a late hour. She was sitting on her aunt's knee, from which situation she had scarcely borne to be moved for some days, but immediately on seeing her enter, she stretched out her arms to be taken by her into whose arms as she was passed, she said, 'Sing-sing-Jesus!' She repeated this often, but from the inarticulate sound of her voice she was not understood. However she spake to her of Jesus, and asked if she thought she was going to him now? 'Yes-Quick!' was her answer.

An hour before her departure, she called for her

father; he came near: she pointed to a chair next her crib, and said, 'Sit down, father, sit there.' 'What do you want with me, Annie?'

She paused, and then said slowly, Father' pausing again, fixing her eyes most expressively upon him, she exclaimed, 'Jesus! Jesus!'

'Shall I read to you of Jesus?'

'Yes, father.'

A little hymn was afterwards read, and she shortly expired, when just three years and three months old.

What shall we say to these things? Were they such as are common to childhood? Far otherwise. They were the marks of regenerating grace, the evidences of a spiritual impress on her soul, and that it was already born for another and a higher region. Her spirit soared homeward, and panted after the presence of God. She had the savor of life, and the knowledge of Jesus, the author of life; and had the maturity of the mental faculties been attained, we should, doubtless, have heard the testimony of her faith, by a more elaborate flow of the tongue; but it scarcely could have exceeded the clear and uniform witness to the work of the Spirit in her heart, she did afford in her infantile actions and expressions. Young as she was, we may say "with the mouth she made confession unto salvation, and with the heart she believed unto righteousness."

We may further add that she seemed to be endowed with a spirit of discernment, discriminating between the people of God and those who knew him not; being always happy, and at home with believers, though perfect strangers, whilst with others she appeared distant and reproving. Her attachment was

particularly marked towards the lady who superintended the Sunday-school, and to the minister of the parish, looking at them with delight, and listening to all they said, as though her mind were capable of entering into the subject of their discourse; and on the accidental passing sight of them her heart was full of rapture.

If I describe the manner and person of this little child, I must mention her inexpressible softness, tenderness, and sweetness of temper, combined with an animated liveliness; she won upon all who were ever about her, and her features were such as answered to the character of the dear child. Fair and rosy, with blue eyes, and flaxen hair, that lightly waved over a forehead of particularly fine form, open large and high, far beyond common proportion, and fully expressing the nature of her character. Thus this little frail flower flourished for a day, and then bowed down under the sentence of mortality, in order to the putting off this corruptible, for the renewing of the incorruptible. How sweet and satisfactory the evidence, that she shall awake up to everlasting glory, with a body better fitted for that spiritual soul which is already with the Lord.

Happy parents! to have received from and rendered back unto the Lord, his own redeemed child; lent for a while to them, to show them the power and purifying of grace, and the fullness of the answer of the prayers of faith and love, that their offspring should be wholly his.

The father of this dear child, with deep humility, confesses the wonderful way in which the Lord thus convinced him of the power of the Spirit; for he feels convicted of sinful unbelief when, many times, read