necessary to call her, hours before the time, in order that she might be ready for her departure. She is not burdened with an amount of clothing which might with more propriety be divided among her whole household. Her sense of propriety dictates a more becoming attire, and, at the same time, one which requires the least possible labor to put it on. She realizes that an immortal spirit has a higher work to perform, than the fantastic adorning of this perishable tenement.

"Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." She realizes that industry is a duty, and that slothfulness is an abomination in the sight of God. With a cheerful, prayerful heart, she pursues her labors, knowing that this is most acceptable to God. Truly wise is she, who thus fulfils the obligations imposed upon her! "Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season."

"She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard," ver. 16. Ah! how unlike the character of a modern, fashionable woman! She not only sought wool and flax with which to clothe her children, and servants, and brought her food from afar by her enterprise, but she was enabled to extend and beautify their possessions. Instead of consuming the avails of her husband's industry, and frittering away her time in a most useless manner, she supplied her own necessities, and was ready to aid him in extending his dominions, so that he might have wherewith to serve the Lord more abundantly. And after the field had been purchased, she could, with the fruit of her hands, hire some one to plant a vineyard, that their table might be supplied with cheap and wholesome delicacies. How much of the practical art of life did this woman understand; and how useful were her suggestions to her husband! Well might

his heart safely confide in her. Like Achsah the daughter of Caleb, she looked well to the interests of her husband, acknowledging that his interest was paramount to that of her father's. "And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah, his daughter, to wife. And it came to pass as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field; and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper and the nether springs." Josh. 15: 17-19. How important is such a character to a man whose time and attention are necessarily occupied in the discharge of public duties, whether civil, political, or religious. It has often been exemplified in the lives of eminent divines, as well as in the characters and attainments of statesmen.

The character of the wife of Jonathan Edwards beautifully illustrates this. "Soon after his settlement at Northampton, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Pierpont, of New Haven, a young lady of singular beauty, intelligence, and piety; and admirably fitted to be the companion of such a man as President Edwards. Their union, which was a remarkably happy one, and the fruits of which were eleven children, three sons and eight daughters, continued thirty years, and was terminated by President Edward's death at Princeton, New Jersey, which was soon followed by that of Mrs. Edwards.

"She was early a subject of grace, and in the days of her childhood, was favored with uncommon views and exercises. She was often so absorbed in contemplation of the beauty and glory of God in Christ, as to forget earth, and earthy things, and seemed to be partaking of the views, and joys, and bliss, which are commonly, though erroneously, thought to be reserved almost exclusively

for heaven; but in her case were of as long continuance as if they were the proffered privilege of every Christian, at all times, and under all circumstances.

"She was a lady of rare combination of excellencies; and each separately shone with great brightness. She looked well to the ways of her household, as, in the absence of her husband's attention to them, it was indeed necessary she should do; and his delight was emphatically in her. Her daughters reflected honor on their mother's training and care. Accomplished, yet industrious and attentive to the duties connected with the entire care of a large family, and the station of a minister's companion,-fitted to sympathize with her husband's intellectual and devotional abstractions, yet, at the same time, affable, courteous, and condescending, she was to him an invaluable partner, and to her children an inestimable guide."

Who can tell how many ransomed souls owed their salvation, through the ministrations of that eminent divine, to her prudent care and attention to his interests, so that he was seldom diverted from the great work before him, the salvation of his fellow-beings? And she could not only attend to all the regular duties of her family, even to the purchase of every article consumed, but aid in the study, as emergencies demanded. Blessed, thrice blessed woman,-still with the great man, welcoming the return of ransomed souls, as the fruit of their uncommon labors.

Many eminent statesmen have acknowledged that they owed much of their influence to the discretion and encou

ragement of their wives. Who can look upon such characters as Lady Washington, Madame La Fayette, and her benevolent daughter, Madame Lasteyrie, and others, and not feel that the world owes to such women a debt of gratitude, equal to that paid to heroes and statesmen ?

Truly, their good deeds should be spoken of as a memorial of them throughout all the world, in all ages.

There is another thought, intimately connected with this subject, that we must not omit to mention. The wise woman here described, is not only able and willing to work herself, but she is able to extend her operations, so as to employ others. How much suffering and vice might be prevented, by giving suitable employment and just compensation to the poor and degraded! How many sink into vice and infamy, for want of proper employment, by which to earn an honorable living! There are comparatively few among the poorer classes who are not willing to supply their own wants, if they can be properly employed. Low as human nature has fallen, it still takes some violence so to degrade it that it will voluntarily forego the respect of fellow-beings. The haunts of vice are too often peopled with those who might have been honorable members of society, had some kindly, directing hand marked out for them a sphere of labor. In our imperfect state, all have not the gift to discern what is likely to be most useful to them, nor have they the means of furnishing the needful materials for entering upon the most suitable occupation. How much good can the prudent woman often effect by laying out labor for others; directing their energies in a proper channel, and leading them to see how preferable industry and dependence upon one's own powers are to idleness and guilt. When Christ wished to gain the confidence of sinners, he was wont to do them temporal good.

It is to be feared that many estimable women do not enough consider this example of their blessed Lord. They do not realize how hard it is for a person, crushed by suffering and poverty, to become either morally or physically elevated, where there is no kind one to guide the weak and wavering footsteps. How often, indeed,

may the deepest degradation be traced to bodily suffering, in the shape of poverty and destitution. The spirit had not the strength of Jesus to sustain it, and it fell a prey to vice, as the only known way of escaping the pangs of want. The refined and the wealthy, instead of reaching forth a hand to rescue, have loaded them with reproach and contempt, and turned from them with bitter scorn, and declaring, by the act, "I am holier than thou." We judge them not; there is One who will judge between them; who is competent to decide which is the more guilty -the souls that had not strength to suffer the pangs of hunger and cold, rather than dishonor; or those who, having it in their power to furnish them with honorable motives, by employing them in useful labor, refuse to them the true, high, and ennobling "charity of wages."

God dealt not thus with our fallen race. He saw how naturally idleness would lead to vice, and ordained man's wants as incentives to virtue; but He did not leave him to toil without just reward. He did not deprive him of the sovereignty of the earth, but while He enforced the condition of industry, gave him means of obeying it. And seeing that man was still too blind to learn his duties from his necessities, the law from Sinai was given, and afterwards the bright example of his Son, as well as his atoning sacrifice. If we would imitate our Saviour in this, we must first seek to employ all hands, so far that the shall not be tempted and degraded by want; and then they can listen to our exhortations and our prayers. It may often seem more convenient to give a dollar than to furnish the labor by which it is earned; but while an individual is in a condition to earn, it is far from being as useful and commendable a charity, to give the money without the labor, as with it. When you have shown a poor person how to earn a subsistence, you have done a double charity. You have not only procured a supply for pre

poor