her to move about with the silence and cloudiness of a spectre; for who likes to dwell in a haunted house? She should always welcome him across his threshold with a smile, and ever put forth all her ingenuity in studying to please him, by consulting his wishes, by surprising him occasionally by those unlooked for and ingenious devices of affection, which though small in themselves, are the proofs of a mind intent upon the business of giving pleasure. The greater acts of reverent and respectful love, are often regarded as matters of course, and as such produce little impression; but the lesser acts of attention, which come not into the usual routine of conjugal duties, and into the every day offices which may be calculated upon with almost as much certainty as the coming of the hour which they are to occupy, these free-will offerings of an inventive and active regard, these extra tokens of respect, and expressions of regard, have a mighty power to attach a husband to his wife; they are the cords of love, the bands of a man. In all her personal and domestic habits, her first care then, next to that of pleasing God, must be to please him, and thus hold to herself that heart, which cannot wander from her without carrying her happiness with it, and which when once departed, cannot be restored by any power short of omnipotence itself.

3. MEEKNESS is especially mentioned by the apostle Peter, as a disposition which it is the duty of every wife to cultivate.

He has distinguished and honoured this temper by

The

calling it the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. If there be some virtues, which seem pre-eminently to suit the female character, meekness bears a high place amongst such. No one stands in greater need of this disposition, than the female head of a family: either the petulance and waywardness of children, or the neglects and misconduct of servants, or the sharp words of a husband, are almost sure, if she be easily provoked, to keep her in a state of irritation all the day long. How trying is a peevish woman, how odious a brawling one. It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman." graces were females, says Mr. Jay, so were the furies too. It is astonishing the influence which meekness has sometimes had in a family: it has quenched sparks and even coals of anger and strife, which but for this, would have set the house on fire: it has mastered the tiger and the lion, and led them captive with the silken thread of love. The strength of woman, lies not in resisting, but in yielding; her power is in her gentleness; there is more of real defence, aye and more of that aggressive operation too, which disarms a foe, in one mild look, or one soft accent, than in hours of flashing glances, and of angry tones. When amidst domestic strife she has been enabled to keep her temper, the storm has been often scattered as it rose; or her meekness has served as a conductor to carry off its dreadful flashes, which otherwise would have destroyed the dwelling.

Put on then, the ornament of a meek and quiet spi

rit. Pay less attention to the decoration of the person, more to that of the mind. "Your adorning is not to be that outward adorning, of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, but the hidden man of the heart which is not corruptible." The language of another apostle on this subject is no less striking. "In like manner also, I will that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but which becometh women professing godliness, with good works." 1 Tim. ii. 9. 10. Two apostles, who both wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, in such language as this, have denounced as improper, and as unbecoming a profession of godliness, a taste for immodest, expensive, or decorative dress. Surely then, the subject is worthy the most serious attention of all christian females. By what sophistry can the letter, much more the spirit, of two passages of holy writ, so very plain and express in their terms as these, be set aside? That they are set aside, is evident by the appearance of almost every congregation into which we could enter on the sabbath day, whether within or without the Establishment. The race of folly, one should really suppose, is at length almost run, for it does seem well nigh impossible, even by the aid of our neighbours the French, for the women of our age to render themselves more supremely ridiculous than many of them have lately appeared. What with the gaudiness of colouring, and extravagance of form, our religious as

semblies present every thing at once to disgust our taste, and to distress our piety. It is high time for the christian teacher, to call back the women" professing godliness," from their wanderings in the regions of fashionable folly, to the holy scriptures: for the holy scriptures it should be remembered, have laid down a law for regulating the dress of the body as well as that of the mind. I do hold then, that these passages of scripture are still parts of revelation, and as such still binding upon the conscience: if not, shew me when they were cancelled. I contend, that christian females ought to abstain from expensive, showy, and extravagant fashions in dress, jewellery, and all kinds of personal decoration. I am not arguing for a sectarian costume, for a religious uniform, for canonical shapes and colours, nothing of the sort, but for simplicity, neatness, economy; for, what the apostle calls, modest apparel, shamefacedness, and sobriety; for the spirit of the passages, if not the very letter; for a distinction between those who profess godliness, in their comparative inattention to such things, and those, who make no such profession: for a proof that their minds are not so much engaged on these matters, as the minds of the people of the world are. I am not for extinguishing taste, alas in matters of dress, this is already done, but for resisting the lawless dominion of folly, under the name of fashion. I am not for calling back the age of gothic barbarism, or vulgarity: no; I will leave ample room for the cultivation of both taste and genius, in every lawful department, but I am protesting

against the desolating reign of vanity; I am resisting the entrance of frivolity into the church of God; I am contending againt the glaring inconsistency of rendering our religious assemblies, like the audience convened in a theatre. The evils of an improper attention to dress are great and numerous. 1. Much precious time is wasted in the study, and arrangements, and decisions of this matter. 2. The attention is taken off from the improvement of the mind and the heart, to the decoration of the person. 3. The mind is filled with pride and vanity, and a deteriorating influence is carried on upon what constitutes the true dignity of the soul. 4. The love of display infects the character. 5. Money is wasted which is wanted for relieving the misery, and improving the condition of mankind. 6. Examples are set to the lower classes, in whom the propensity is often mischievous in many ways.

We have run

Through ev'ry change that fancy at the loom,

Exhausted, has had genius to supply;

And, studious of mutation still, discard

A real elegance, a little us'd,

For monstrous novelty and strange disguise.

We sacrifice to dress, till household joys
And comforts cease. Dress drains our cellar dry,
And keeps our larder lean; puts out our fires;
And introduces hunger, frost, and wo,

Where peace and hospitality might reign.

I am aware it might be, and is said, that there may be the pride of singularity, as well as of fashion; the pride of being covered with sober autumnal tints,