rried by
finding every thing at loose ends on that day. They had the idea that
Sunday was to be kept when it was perfectly convenient, and did not
demand any sacrifice of time or money. But if stopping to keep the
Sabbath in a journey would risk passage money or a seat in the stage,
or, in housekeeping, if it would involve any considerable inconvenience
or expense, it was deemed a providential intimation that it was "a work
of necessity and mercy" to attend to secular matters. To their minds the
fourth command read thus: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy when
it comes convenient, and costs neither time nor money."

As to the effects of this on the children, there was neither enough of
strictness to make them respect the Sabbath, nor of religions interest
to make them love it; of course, the little restraint there was proved
just enough to lead them to dislike and despise it. Children soon
perceive the course of their parents' feelings, and it was evident
enough to the children of this family that their father and mother
generally found themselves hurried into the Sabbath with hearts and
minds full of this world, and their conversation and thoughts were so
constantly turning to worldly things, and so awkwardly drawn back by a
sense of religious obligation, that the Sabbath appeared more obviously
a clog and a fetter than it did under the strictest _regime_ of Puritan
days.

SKETCH SECOND.

The little quiet village of Camden stands under the brow of a rugged
hill in one of the most picturesque parts of New England; and its
regular, honest, and industrious villagers were not a little surprised
and pleased that Mr. James, a rich man, and pleasant-spoken withal, had
concluded to take up his residence among them. He brought with him a
pretty, genteel wife, and a group of rosy, romping, but amiable
children; and there was so much of good nature and kindness about the
manners of every member of the family, that the whole neighborhood were
prepossessed in their favor. Mr. James was a man of somewhat visionary
and theoretical turn of mind, and very much in the habit of following
out his own ideas of right and wrong, without troubling himself
particularly as to the appearance his course might make in the eyes of
others. He was a supporter of the ordinances of religion, and always
ready to give both time and money to promote any benevolent object; and
though he had never made any public profession of religion, nor
con