urb the calmness of
interesting meditation.

As I passed through the churchyard, and cast my eye on the memorable
epitaph, "Soon," I thought within me, "will my poor little Jane mingle
her mouldering remains with this dust, and sleep with her fathers! Soon
will the youthful tongue, which now lisps hosannas to the Son of David,
and delights my heart with evidences of early piety and grace, be silent
in the earth! Soon shall I be called to commit her 'body to the ground,
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.' But oh, what a glorious
change! Her spirit shall have then returned to God who gave it. Her
soul will be joining the halleluiahs of paradise, while we sing her
requiem at the grave. And her very dust shall here wait, in sure and
certain hope of a joyful resurrection from the dead."

I went through the fields without meeting a single individual. I enjoyed
the retirement of my solitary walk. Various surrounding objects
contributed to excite useful meditation connected with the great subjects
of time and eternity. Here and there a drooping flower reminded me of
the fleeting nature of mortal life. Sometimes a shady spot taught me to
look to Him who is a "shadow in the day-time from the heat, and for a
place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain." If a worm
crept across my path, I saw an emblem of myself as I am _now_; and the
winged insects, fluttering in the sunbeams, led me comparatively to
reflect on what I hoped to be _hereafter_.

The capacious mansion of a rich neighbour appeared on the right hand as I
walked; on my left were the cottages of the poor. The church spire
pointing to heaven a little beyond, seemed to say to both the rich and
the poor, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth." All these objects afforded me useful meditation; and all
obtained an increased value as such, because they lay in my road to the
house of little Jane.

I was now arrived at the stile nearly adjoining her dwelling. The upper
window was open, and I soon distinguished the sound of voices--I was glad
to hear that of the mother. I entered the house door unperceived by
those above stairs, and sat down below, not wishing as yet to interrupt a
conversation which quickly caught my ear.

"Mother! mother! I have not long to live. My time will be very short.
But I must, indeed I must, say something for your sake, before I die. O
mother! you have a soul--you have a soul; and