letters have never told such a beautiful and affecting
story as they tell you of that pure and spotless Being who was sent
by God to teach us our duty, and to show us the way to be happy
forever.

No being ever existed on this earth who showed so much love and
tenderness, so much goodness and humility, so much wisdom and power
as did Jesus Christ.

There, in that best of books, stand these little messengers, as I
call them, still speaking the very words of the blessed Saviour;
ready to comfort the poor and sorrowful; to teach patience and hope
to the sick; to instruct the ignorant; to reprove the wicked; and
inviting little children to come to his arms and receive his
blessing.

Do you not want to know all that they can tell you of this great and
good Being?

I could write you, my dear Frank, a letter so long that I fear you
would be tired of reading it, about these same wonderful little
figures; but now I dare say that you will think more of them
yourself, and that the little book with the corners rolled up which
contains your ABC will be more respectable in your sight.

Perhaps you will, after thinking some time, ask who invented these
wonderful letters; and then, if you do really want to know, your
father will tell you all that is known about it, or, at least, all
that you can remember and understand. When you are old enough to
read about the history of letters, you will find books which will
make you laugh by telling you that there was a time when, if you
wanted to write "a man," you would have been obliged to draw the
picture of a man; and, as there was then no paper like ours, you
would have been obliged to take a piece of wood or bark to make the
drawing on; and so the same with every thing else.

So you see, if you and I had lived at that time, and you had written
to me about your dog, your pleasant ride and the other things that
were in your letter, you would perhaps have been obliged to get a
man to bring me the letter, it would have been so clumsy, instead of
bringing it yourself, folded neatly in your nice little pocket book;
and as for my letter, only think how much room it would have taken
up.

You will say, "Why, aunt, letters are not only better than sugar
plums, they are better than dollars."

Indeed they are, my dear Frank. The knowledge that they can give,
the blessing they can bestow, is better and more valuable than all
the silver and gold in the whole world; for they can teach us what