returning by Edinburgh, that my good friend Mr George Boyd, of the house of Messrs O. and B. presented me with his last gift, as I shall call it, in allusion to the titleTHE FAREWELL TO TIME. A work which, I think, had then just issued from the press of these respectable publishers, and came most opportunely to hand, for the comfort of our afflicted sufferer; who seemed to the last, to be much attached to it, and to this day, I believe, it bears some of his marks at particular passages.

CHAPTER XXXIX.-1828 (CONTINUED.)

A refreshing Oases in the midst of the desert.-A Rose of Sharon, in a valley of brambles. A Pleasing retreat from the storms and buffetings of time.-The Shadow of a great rock in a weary land.-One notched tree in the wilderness, attended by the most delightful associations.-One most grateful remem brancer in the journey of life.-TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF A MOST HAPPY MARRIAGE.—How I employed my pen, and otherwise conducted myself on the occasion. Appropriate mottos prefixed to appropriate lines.-A pleasant subject at last, to dwell on.-And why should I not?-Pages sacred to the memory of female worth.-The Countess Alberti.-Lady of A. H. Rowan, Esq-Madame Lavelette.-The wives of Barry, the Painter,-and Solomon Gesner, the German Bookseller.-Mr own WIFE.-HER unremitting at. tention, and valuable services.—HER praises recorded by other pens, and celebrated by other tongues than mine.-A slight allusion to a death-bed testimony, formerly briefly noticed.-Testimony of a neighbouring clergyman, who well knew HER Worth-Another flower belonging to the same chaplet, to be afterwards noticed.-How the conduct of my partner has operated on, and been appreciated by myself.-Note in my Popular Philosophy, recommended to the attention of a certain description of readers.-A recent evidence, that conjugal affection, is not altogether confined to the female side. -The old man who obtained his wish.-Beautiful extract, from THOMSON, &C.

THE last was a sore chapter, but would have been much more painful to the reader's feelings, had there not been some things which I slightly hinted at, and others, that I passed altogether over in silence-and the next, will be found full enough, of matter of mournful and melancholy import.

The present may therefore, considering the way in which my thoughts have been occupied for some time, and the gloomy prospects still before me, be regarded as A REFRESHING

OASES in the midst of an inhospitable desert,-as a beautiful and fragrant ROSE OF SHARON, lifting its head in a valley almost choked up, and occupied exclusively with thorns and brambles;-as a place of PLEASING RETREAT from the storms and tempests, and bustles and other buffetings of time,—or, in the sublime and expressive language of Scripture, as the "SHADOW OF A GREAT ROCK in a weary land.”

The fact is, we had now arrived at one of those notched trees in the wilderness, that put us in mind of a more comfortable period of our existence, and along with it, brought many pleasing things to our remembrance,-I allude to the TWENTYFIFTH ANNIVERSARY of our deeply chequered, but, on the whole, most happy MARRIAGE, which happened this year, on the 11th of July, and which my beloved partner affectionately reminded me of two days before, mistaking as both of us did, the 9th for the day; a circumstance which, however trifling, it may otherwise appear, abundantly shews, that the time had run too smoothly, or too roughly, for us taking notice of the returning anniversaries, as they had of late come round, of so happy an event,-until the striking facts stared us in the face, that we had been now married for a quarter of a century— while, the time had passed, some how or other, in such a manner, that we had almost perceived it not!

I accordingly, set myself to work, to weave for my partner, the BEST and most acceptable CHAPLET I thought I could present to her on the occasion, and which I did, in what I called LINES ADDRESSED TO MY DEAR HELEN.

These lines I put into her hands, with a preamble setting forth, that that day, i.e. the 9th of July, 1828, had been considered as the twenty-fifth anniversary of our marriage ;—justly observing, “for, in midst of toils, and trials of no ordinary description,-in midst of troubles and difficulties of the most appalling and perplexing nature,—and, in midst of afflictions and calamities the most excruciating and overwhelming,—such has been the result of OUR HAPPY UNION, that TIME, has rolled on for the protracted period of a quarter of a century, almost imperceptibly, or at least, without our being sensible of its exact advances;-being at a loss on the above morning, to make up

our minds, as to whether it was on the 9th or the 10th day of the month, that this our TWENTY-FIFTH anniversary came round,—while it will be seen, by what I have above mentioned, that it was neither on the one or the other!

This preamble, or a preamble to that effect, I followed up with the three mottos adhibited to the lines,—and these, in their turn, were followed by the lines themselves. But in the first place, I shall quote the mottos.

"And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed with him but a few days, for the love he had to her." Gen. xxix. 20.

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." Prov. xxxi. 30.

"Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." Matth. xxvi. 13, and Mark xiv. 9.

Now came THE LINES, consisting in all of xiv. verses, the number of which, it will be observed, I have here abridged, beginning at the ivth,—for the same reason, that I have made it a point generally in these pages, to suppress others of my poetical effusions, viz. the conviction that I am no great adept in the business; and how could it be expected that I should be so, who has, enough to do, to find leisure, to put my language into plain prose, without any attempts at poesy.

I hope these, however, will be excused, on account of the sacredness of the occasion, and as conveying, however they may fall short on the score of poetical merit, in plain and intelligible, although in strong and energetic language, the genuine sentiments and feelings of my heart on that memorable occasion; and which evidence so fully, how sensible I was of the preciousness of the boon, and the valuableness of the gift, which an indulgent Providence had bestowed upon me, in this dear partner of my fortunes, whether prosperous or adverse;—and that SHE, had indeed fallen nothing in my estimation, but the contrary,-from being the tried associate in so many trials-the approved and proved solace, in so long a train of protracted griefs.

FROM LINES ADDRESSED TO

MY DEAR HELEN,

On the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of our Marriage.

Ah! could I say,—for thy dear sake, my love!
These years had flow'd, in one pure placid stream,
Calm, and unruffled, as the joys above!

But why indulge, in this vain-foolish dream?
For, then, the trial had not been complete,-
Nor had I known, the value of my prize!
Adversity's the test-when it we meet,

False friends forsake-assum'd affection, flies.

'Tis when the rugged path, is strewed with thorns,
'Tis when the crazy bark's by tempest tost,
'Tis when affliction lowers-or frowns in storms,
And daring courage, trembles at his post ;—
And griefs, and sorrows, wring the aching heart,
And mental anguish, racks the tortured soul,
When man sinks down-smote by affliction's dart,
And prostrate drains, misfortune's bitter bowl,-
That love shines forth,-in all its native beauty,-
Affection, proves itself, indeed, sincere ;
And true regard-and soft connubial duty,-
Develop themselves to be a heavenly pair.
Let us not fret then, though life's ills assail!
But bow submissive, to God's blessed will,
Trusting his loving kindness, will not fail ;—
Who, can, with ease, bring good, from seeming ill.

And make our short afflictions here, below,

Pregnant with future scenes of lasting joy;

Such joy, as nothing earthly can bestow,—

Where cares perplex not-nor life's griefs annoy!

And bless that kind-that fond indulgent power,

Who even, while here, where clouds surround his throne,

And dark'ning providences-often lower !

While despair whispers we are left alone,—

Forsakes us not;-but sweetens still our cup,
With grains of comfort, suited to our case,
And gives us strength to bear—or bears us up,-
By the soul-strengthening cordials of his grace.
While Faith points upwards to the realms on high,
And Hope, sweet Hope, descending from above,
Conspire, as earth's last mournful scene draws nigh,
To prove harbingers of our Father's love!

By whisp'ring, that, when all these toils are past,
And we're safe landed on yon happy shore,-
IN GOD'S BLESSED PRESENCE,—we shall meet at last,—
No more to part :-THERE DWELL FOR EVERMORE!

There may have been a few alterations made in transcribing, but they are very trifling, and the sense and spirit of the composition is the same; from which, and the manner I have expressed myself in giving vent to my feelings, it will be seen, that I had at last got-A PLEASING SUBJECT TO DWELL ON.

And why should I not? For, if it is recorded to the praise of SOBIESKO, who is otherwise represented as a tender and affectionate husband, that, during the memorable campaign (the deliverance of Vienna in 1683) he wrote daily to his wife, and that" at the age of 54 he had lost nothing of the kindness and enthusiasm of his early years." Why might not I, who had witnessed, the endearing and affectionate conduct of my amiable help-mate, for a length of time, so much exceeding that spent on this memorable siege,-not indulge myself, at the age of 57, in an attempt which, without laying the smallest claim to pre-eminence, in the little display it afforded to my versifying powers, proves so incontrovertibly, that, at that more advanced age,-I also, had lost nothing of the tenderness and enthusiasm of my early years.

Let others sing then the praises of the COUNTESS Alberti, who, in my own words, p. 217, vol. 1st of my Popular Philosophy, "when every effort to procure her husband's pardon had failed, chose rather to accompany him, to those hopeless regions of premature interment, (the mines of Idria) and to share his miseries in a living tomb, than to be separated from him.-Of the PRINCESS VOLSKONSKY, who, in spite of the remonstrances of her friends, and the threat held out of depriving her of her titles and estates, if she attempted to join her husband, in the mines of Siberia, set out and reached her husband, nobly determining to be the companion of his chains and misery. Of the HEROIC LADY OF ARCHIBALD HAMILTON ROWAN, Esq. in Ireland,—and of MADAME LAVELETTE, in more recent times, in France,-each of whom, effected the escape of her husband from certain destruction, by substituting her own person in his place. Of the self-devotedness of THE WIFE OF BARRY the painter, in order to promote her husband's happiness, through all his caprices or freaks of temper.—Or, of the unremitting assiduity and eagerness to assist her husband, as far as she was capable, in every branch of his profession, of, THE WIFE OF SOLOMON GESNER, the