awe which I felt at first being in a church, took from me all power but that of wondering. I did not reason about any thing I was too young. Now I understand why monuments are put up for the dead, and why the figures which are upon them are described as doing the actions which they did in their life-times, and that they are a sort of pictures set up for our instruction. But all was new and surprising to me on that day; the long windows with little panes, the pillars, the pews made of oak, the little hassocks for the people to kneel on, the form of the pulpit, with the sonding-board over it, gracefully carved in flower-work. To you, who have lived all your lives in populous places, and have been taken to church from the earliest time you can remember, my admiration of these things must appear strangely ignorant. But I was a lonely young creature, that had been brought up in remote places, where there was neither church nor churchgoing inhabitants. I have since lived in great towns, and seen the ways of churches and of worship, and I am old enough now to distinguish between what is essential in religion, and what is merely formal or ornamental.

When my father had done pointing out to me the things most worthy of notice about the church, the service was almost ready to begin; the parishioners had most of them entered, and taken their seats; and we were shewn into a pew where my mother was already seated. Soon after, the clergyman entered, and the organ began to play what is called the voluntary. I had never seen so many people assembled before. At first I thought that all eyes were upon me, and that because I was a stranger. I was terribly ashamed and confused at first; but my mother helped me to find out the places in the prayer-book, and being busy about that, took off some of my painful apprehensions. I was no stranger to the order of the service, having often read in the prayer-book at home; but my thoughts being confused, it puzzled me a little to find out the responses and other things, which I thought I knew so well; but I went through it tolerably well. One thing which has often troubled me since, is, that I am afraid I was too full of myself, and of thinking how happy was, and what a privilege it was for one that was so young, to join in the service with so many grown people, so that I did not attend enough to the instruction which I might have

received. I remember, I foolishly applied every thing that was said to myself, so as it could mean nobody but myself, I was so full of my own thoughts. All that assembly of people, seemed to me as if they were come together only to shew me the way of a church. Not but I received some very affecting impressions from some things which I heard that day; but the standing up and sitting down of the people-the organ-the singing-the way of all these things took up more of my attention than was proper-or I thought it did. I believe I behaved better, and was more serious when I went a second time, and a third time; for now we went as a regular thing every Sunday, and continued to do so, till by a still further change for the better in my father's circumstances, we removed to London. Oh! it was a happy day for me, my first going to St. Mary's Church: before that day I used to feel like a little outcast in the wilderness, like one that did not belong to the world of Christian people. I have never felt like a little outcast since. But I never can hear the sweet noise of bells, that I don't think of the angels singing, and what poor but pretty thoughts I had of angels in my uninstructed solitude.

THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN.

The justly celebrated Hannah Moore has declared that among the talents, for the application of which women are peculiarly accountable, there is one, the importance of which they cannot rate too highly, and that is influence; for the general state of civilized society has a considerable dependence upon their prevailing habits and opinions.

To women mankind are indebted for their very first impressions. The seeds of virtue or of vice are generally deposited in the infant heart by the mother, the nurse, or the female attendant; and when their fruits are knitting at the approach to manhood, they may be blighted or mellowed by the female glance; for men are well aware that their reputation is promoted by the favourable opinion of the other sex, and at every stage of life we may easily discover that the opinion of a virtuous female, commands at least a very respectful consideration.

Although women have generally been the victims of injustice, yet in some parts of the world they have received the homage which was their due; the arts have frequently been called in as auxiliaries in the celebration of their virtues, and authors of the first talent have done justice to their merits.

Plutarch mentions an instance in which the women of a besieged city made its warriors blush, because of its dishonorable surrender; and others, who seeing their relations fly before the enemy, secured the city gates, and compelled the recreants to turn in search of death or victory. During a civil war in Gaul, the women having thrown themselves between the contending armies, and effected a reconciliation, were afterwards honoured by admission to the public deliberations, and appointed arbitrators between the neighbouring states.

During one of the Punic wars, the Carthagenian ladies cut off their hair to make bow-strings for the archers. At Rome, the husband received honour for his wounds in the estimation of his wife, at whose feet he deposited the spoils which he had taken from the enemy. In a single day, Hortensia gave an example of eloquence to her own sex, courage to the men, and humanity to tyrants.

Among the Jews we find Judith successfully reproving the desponding chieftains of Berbulin; a mother encouraging the last of her tortured children to be faithful unto death; and a group of pious women surrounding a Saviour's cross, when every man, except the beloved disciple, had deserted.

In all ages and countries, the women have been more zealous than the men in making proselytes to their religious tenets. At communion you may generally observe four women to one man. They were women who first carried the Christian religion successfully to thrones, making their very charms subservient to the extension of the Gospel. was particularly the case in France, England, Poland, Prussia, Hungary, Bohemia, Lithuania, Germany, Bavaria, and other places.

This

In the fourth century, St. Jerome was the zealous panegyrist of the female sex. His very style was softened and conformable to the gentleness of his subject, when he treated of Marcella, Paulina, Eustochium, and other Roman ladies,

who had embraced the greatest austerities of the Christian religion, and diligently applied themselves to the study of the Hebrew language, that they might the better understand the writings of the Jewish legislator.

It is to be hoped, that in a country where the fair sex enjoy the advantages of a liberal education, reasonable legislation, pure religion, and all the endearing satisfaction of equal, virtuous and social intercourse, women will not content themselves with polishing, when they are armed with powers to reform man; with captivatiug for a day, when they may be successfully labouring for eternity.

LINES

WRITTEN IN A LADY'S COMMON-PLACE BOOK, UNDER THE FOLLOWING STANZA FROM HER OWN PEN.

"I ask not for the brilliant gem

Of varied lustre, rich and fair,

Nor yet the glittering diadem

Adorned with jewels bright and rare.”

No, Jane, thou need'st not ask for gems
Though rich as e'er forsook the mine,
To shine in regal diadems-

Because a richer gem is thine;
Who on thy soft blue eye can gaze.
With sense and feeling sweetly fraught,
And on the diamond's feebler blaze
Bestow one wish-a single thought?

Upon those locks of auburn dye

That cluster round thy marble brow-
Like storm-clouds pausing midst the sky,
On Alpine heights of dazzling snow-
What eye could on those tresses rest,

In wild and sweet luxuriance spread.
And wish them by the circlet prest,
That gilds to gall the wearer's head?

Let foolish pomp and power wear
Crowns bought with spoils of earth and sea;
Thy silken locks of glossy hair

Are fitter diadem for thee;

A brighter gem than mines contain
Is in thy swelling breast inshrined-
Its ray will light earth's path of pain-
Maiden, that jewel is thy mind.

LARA.

ΤΟ

There is a world of bluer skies,
And lovelier light than this of ours,
Where higher, holier mountains rise,
And vallies bloom with fairer flowers;

Where streams of liquid crystal flow,
And forests wave with odours teeming-
And all around, above, below,

In heaven's prismatic light is gleaming.

And airy messengers have sought
These rosy realms of fancy through,
And fairest fruits and flowers have brought,
To form an amulet for you.

And friendship's hand and love's soft fingers
Of these have wreathed a mystic token:
And, O, the chain that round it lingers-
While life remains, be that unbroken.

ORIGIN OF SPINSTERS.

Our industrious and frugal forefathers made it a maxim, that a young woman should never be married until she had spun herself a set of body, bed, and table linen. From this custom, all unmarried women were called spinsters, a term which they still retain in law.