The stage coach-The thoughtless passenger-The kindhearted gentleman--His conversation-The trees, the grass, the clouds, and the hills-The usefulness of the oak, the brook, and other things-The heavens declare the goodness of God-Holy Scriptures-The ransom for sinners-Blind Bartimeus.

"WELL, here I am, Edmund; I have been having a little conversation with a poor widow, at a cottage over the heath; and now I will fulfil my promise by telling you of the kindhearted gentleman who had learned to converse: so now listen."

"Yes, uncle. I should have asked you about him if you had not spoken of him, for I want to hear the story."

"If I can only fully impress your mind

with the amount of good that may be done by one who has thoroughly learned how to converse, I feel sure that you will do your utmost to perfect yourself in so useful an attainment. It is a great thing, Edmund, to be able to inform the ignorant, to comfort those that mourn, to impress the unthinking, and to draw the attention of the careless to the concerns of eternity: it is worth looking forward to for years."

"I do really long, more and more, to be able thus to do good, uncle."

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I am glad to hear it. Be not afraid of a little trouble. Think what pains are taken by young people to perfect themselves in their sports, and be determined to persevere; but now to my relation. I was travelling lately outside a stage-coach, when a trifling touch of the tooth-ache made me cautious in opening my mouth in conversation. The passenger who sat next to me appeared to be a goodtempered, but thoughtless young man, and close to him sat the kind-hearted gentleman of whom I spoke, somewhat advanced in years, who very soon began to talk with him." "How did he begin? for the beginning is the hardest part of conversation."

"Not when you feel quite at ease. You never find it hard to begin to talk with a playfellow."

"Why, no; you are right there, uncle. But how did he begin?"

"He first made a general remark as to the beauty of the landscape around them, and, finding his companion of a friendly disposition, he became more particular in his observations. He pointed to the oaks, the elms, the poplars, and other trees which grew near the road, spreading out their goodly branches and verdant leaves; and he spoke of the green carpet that covered the ground. The clouds of heaven to the south were too beautifully white and shining to escape his notice, and the high hills to the north were not forgotten. He entered with much ardour into his subject, and having, as I said before, considerable powers of conversation, his tongue was as the pen of a ready writer; no wonder, then, that the eyes of his companion should look around with increasing pleasure."

"I am not surprised at that at all.”

"He then spoke a little of the usefulness of the surrounding objects. The oak supplied wood for ships, bark for tanning, and materials for building. Other trees, less useful in these respects, were more useful in others. The brooks and rivulets watered the ground, the hills kept off the northern winds, and the clouds refreshed the thirsty earth with showers. He alluded also to the knowledge and wisdom of king Solomon, who, among other things, knew so much of plants and trees that he could

speak on them all profitably, from the cedar of Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall. Every one, he said, ought to regard creation with emotions of thankfulness."

"It is plain enough that he had learned to

converse.

"He then observed, how differently creation was regarded by those who saw in everything the gift of their heavenly Father. This way of looking at the hills and valleys, the woods and the waters, the earth and the skies, arrayed them with double beauty; so that the heart as well as the lip was ready to exclaim, 'The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.'

"I should think, uncle, that he must be a great deal like you; that is just the way you would talk, if you were travelling outside a coach."

"By degrees, he passed on from God's works to God's word, from the book of creation to the book of revelation, and set forth the amazing goodness of God in giving his Son as a ransom for sinners, and the amazing folly of human beings, who, while they delighted in the lesser gift of creation, were ungrateful for the greater gift of redemption. All this was done with great sweetness of manner; not with the air of one who knew more than another, but with the earnestness

of a friend who was anxious to do a deed of kindness."

"I could love such a man as that."

"At the end of the first stage, the young man alighted and left the coach; but, before he went away, he shook hands with his kind companion, and thanked him very heartily for what he had said; making the remark, that he should not soon forget the words he had spoken."

"I dare say that he would remember them a long time."

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Soon after this, another passenger mounted the coach, of a different description to the one who had left; for he was an old man, with a forbidding countenance.'

"It would be harder to talk with him than with the young man."

"It did not appear so. He commenced by asking his aged fellow-traveller if he sat comfortably; for if not, he could make him a little more room."

"That would be sure to please him."

"He then offered him the use of a spare great coat which he had with him to sit on; observing, with a smile, that a soft seat was better than a hard one. The old man, not a little pleased with these kind attentions, accepted the offer of the coat, and regarded his companion as a kind-hearted man."

"That he would, I am sure."

"The agreeable gentleman then, who had