at time a
friendship commenced between the two, which was a beautiful illustration
of the affinities of opposites. It was like a friendship between morning
and evening--all freshness and sunshine on one side, and all gentleness
and peace on the other.

The young minister, worn by long-continued ill health, by the fervency
of his own feelings, and the gravity of his own reasonings, found
pleasure in the healthful buoyancy of a youthful, unexhausted mind,
while James felt himself sobered and made better by the moonlight
tranquillity of his friend. It is one mark of a superior mind to
understand and be influenced by the superiority of others; and this was
the case with James. The ascendency which his new friend acquired over
him was unlimited, and did more in a month towards consolidating and
developing his character than all the four years' course of a college.
Our religious habits are likely always to retain the impression of the
first seal which stamped them, and in this case it was a peculiarly
happy one. The calmness, the settled purpose, the mild devotion of his
friend, formed a just alloy to the energetic and reckless buoyancy of
James's character, and awakened in him a set of feelings without which
the most vigorous mind must be incomplete.

The effect of the ministrations of the young pastor, in awakening
attention to the subjects of his calling in the village, was marked, and
of a kind which brought pleasure to his own heart. But, like all other
excitement, it tends to exhaustion, and it was not long before he
sensibly felt the decline of the powers of life. To the best regulated
mind there is something bitter in the relinquishment of projects for
which we have been long and laboriously preparing, and there is
something far more bitter in crossing the long-cherished expectations of
friends. All this George felt. He could not bear to look on his mother,
hanging on his words and following his steps with eyes of almost
childish delight--on his singular father, whose whole earthly ambition
was bound up in his success, and think how soon the "candle of their old
age" must be put out. When he returned from a successful effort, it was
painful to see the old man, so evidently delighted, and so anxious to
conceal his triumph, as he would seat himself in his chair, and begin
with, "George, that 'are doctrine is rather of a puzzler; but you seem
to think you've got the run on't. I should re'ly like to know what
business y