church or church-yard
without their express consent or approbation, whether one condition of
that consent being granted, should not be a previous inspection and
approval of every inscription which may be so placed within the precincts
of the sanctuary?

The reader will pardon this digression, which evidently arose from the
peculiar connection established in little Jane's history, between an
epitaph inscribed on a grave-stone, and the word of God inscribed on her
heart. When I arrived at Jane's cottage, I found her in bed, reading Dr.
Watts' Hymns for Children, in which she took great pleasure.

"What are you reading this morning, Jane?"

"Sir, I have been thinking very much about some verses in my little book.
Here they are,--

'There is an hour when I must die,
Nor do I know how soon 'twill come;
A thousand children young as I
Are called by death to hear their doom.

Let me improve the hours I have,
Before the day of grace is fled;
There's no repentance in the grave,
Nor pardon offered to the dead.'

"Sir, I feel all that to be very true, and I am afraid I do not improve
the hours I have, as I ought to do. I think I shall not live very long;
and when I remember my sins, I say,--

'Lord, at thy feet ashamed I lie,
Upward I dare not look;
Pardon my sins before I die,
And blot them from thy book.'

Do you think he will pardon me, sir?"

"My dear child, I have great hopes that he HAS pardoned you; that he has
heard your prayers, and put you into the number of his true children
already. You have had strong proofs of his mercy to your soul."

"Yes, sir, I have, and I wish to love and bless him for it. He is good,
_very_ good."

It had for some time past occurred to my mind that a course of
_regulated_ conversations on the first principles of religion would be
very desirable from time to time, for this interesting child's sake: and
I thought the Church Catechism would be the best groundwork for that
purpose.

"Jenny," said I, "you can repeat the Catechism?"

"Yes, sir; but I think that has been one of my sins in the sight of God."

"What! repeating your Catechism?"

"Yes, sir, in such a way as I used to do it."

"How was that?"

"Very carelessly indeed. I never thought about the meaning of the words,
and that must be very wrong. Sir, the Catechism is full of good things;
I wish I understood them better."

"Well, then, my child, we will ta