bekah and her damsels were well seated on the camels, the whole procession moved off, following Abraham's trusty servant.

Now, at eventide, Isaac went out into the fields to meditate; and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming. About the same moment, Rebekah saw him advancing toward the company, and inquired of the servant who he was. Being informed that it was his master, she alighted from the camel and drew a veil over her face. The good servant introduced each to the other, and gave Isaac a history of his expedition. Then Isaac led his bride to his mother's tent, and she became his wife. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

REFLECTIONS.

Beloved daughters, allow me to address you a

few words in the way of advice.

1. Do not think lightly of manual employment. If Rebekah had felt above labor, she probably would not have found Isaac as a husband.

2. Never look for a husband, or suffer yourself to be diverted from an honorable employment, through fear that you will be found by some young man at work, and so be slighted. You may be slighted by some for your industry; but, be assured, that, to be passed by, by such, is a blessing. A good minister, whose name was Reuel, had seven daughters. Being very much occupied with his public vocations, they took care of his sheep. Going to the well one day to water them, they met a young man there, who politely aided them in their task. This act of courtesy attracted the good minister's notice, and he invited the young man to his house, who soon made acquaintance with his family, married one of the daughters, became a great blessing to all of them, and a great man and a leader in Israel.

The woman of Samaria, on a similar errand to the well, met a greater than Isaac, or Moses. Follow, therefore, your appropriate business; put your confidence in the Most High; keep his commandments; and if He has a companion for you, He will find you, and order every thing for your good.

3. Let your bearing toward all, and especially toward strangers, be respectful and courteous. You may thereby entertain angels, unawares. There was in Rebekah's character a natural politeness, and yet such modesty, as much deserves imitation.

4. Treat servants well. He who met Rebekah at the well was

but a servant. Yet how kindly does the maiden speak to him; and how cheerfully does she provide for him. And was she not greatly rewarded for this, by being honored with Isaac for a husband? See also how her good conduct was thought worthy of being recorded, to be read and admired by all generations, down to the end of time.

5. You cannot be too discreet and careful in your choice of a companion. Think of the numerous instances of unhappy marriages. A pious daughter gives her hand to one who loves not God or religion. Two evils follow. They disagree, the house being divided against itself; and the 'children speak half in the language of Ashdod, and half in the language of Canaan.'

6. Be advised never to contract a marriage, or at all pledge yourself until you have consulted your parents or near friends. And he who will not consult your friends in such a matter, but despises counsel, is not the man to be trusted. As great a man as Moses first sought the good will of the priest of Midian, and then married his daughter. Rebekah makes no pledge, but retires until Abraham's servant has laid the whole matter before her father, mother, and brother, and obtained their consent.

7. A good rule in making choice of a companion for life is this. Ascertain how the suitor treats his mother and his sisters. Isaac loved his mother, and had not done mourning for her, until he found and married Rebekah. Remember - a kind son and a kind brother will make a kind husband.

8. One rule more. Be cautious of marrying into a family where the marriage institution is lightly thought of. As the good old patriarch Abraham was about to die, he made provision for his son; made over his vast possessions into his hands, and then advised him to marry, that God might be honored and the world made better. Not many years after Isaac's marriage, he gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, and was gathered to his fathers.

Blessed man! Blessed family! And thrice blessed Rebekah ! May all our beloved children read the history of that family; and reading, may they admire and imitate; and imitating, may they receive the blessings of Abraham.

Topsham, Vt.

OLD HUMPHREY'S ADDRESS TO A NEW MARRIED COUPLE.

I HAVE a message for you, a high and holy message, coming from a high and a holy source; one which concerns your comfort, your enjoyment, and your peace. An attention to it will shield you from many sorrows; a neglect of it will burden you with many calamities. Now mind that you receive it in a friendly, kind-hearted way. The Psalmist cried out, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!' And if it be goodly and pleasant for brethren to do this, surely it must be still more so for husbands and wives. Receive, then, the message with affection, 'Bear ye one another's burdens.'

Did you ever find your hearts fill with joy when you beheld a married couple surrounded with comforts, animated with the same hope, journeying on together toward the same heaven, affectionately loving and highly honoring each other; and, in addition to all this, bearing each other's burdens? Oh, it is a lovely thing, in this world of affliction, to find hearts knit together in sorrow and in joy, sharing with equal willingness the shine and the shade!

And have you never looked with pain upon an ill-matched pair, reminding you of dogs chained together, pulling different ways? Have you seen the eye inflamed with wrath, while the tongue was venomed with bitterness, and discomfort, clamor and confusion reigned around?

Oh, it is a bitter and an evil thing for those who are in wedded life to dwell in hatred, not in love; increasing, instead of bearing each other's burdens.

I know not how it may have been with you, but the experience of Old Humphrey has taught him that troubles will come without being sought, and that there are thorns and briers enough in the world, without our gathering them and planting them in each other's bosoms.

You have just entered on a new life, and God of his mercy grant that it may be a happy one! But, as it was of olden time, so it is now, weeds spring up in the fairest gardens. Such is the evil of our nature, that the cockle will grow with the wheat, and the thistle with the barley, and so long as the human heart is not wholly sanctified with God's grace, so long will its infirmities ever and anon get the upper hand, setting at variance those whose heart-strings should

be twined together. Bear, then, with a few remarks from Old Humphrey.

Perhaps you have known each other from the days of youth, and succeeding years may have strengthened your affection. You were, perhaps, so well acquainted with each other's dispositions and qualities, that marriage has not made manifest a single infirmity that you did not know before. If so, happy are ye.

But, if, on the contrary, when you entered into wedded life, you were but half acquainted with each other; if circumstances were not favorable to that thorough knowledge which beings eating of the same bread, and drinking of the same cup, and sharing the sweets and bitters that fall to the lot of humanity, ought to possess, why, then, make amends for this disadvantage, as far as you can, by bearing each other's burdens.

It is an easy thing to love what is lovely in each other, to smile when the sun shines, and to be kind and good tempered when your partner is kind and good tempered too; but this is no proof of real affection.

Can you put up with each other's infirmities, bear with each other's waywardness, and forgive each other's errors? This is proving your affection; this is, indeed, bearing one another's burdens. Old Humphrey is in the habit of putting some searching questions; questions that at times go right to his own heart, while he means them to go to the hearts of others; he feels his infirmities, and smarts under his own correction; so much as to be half disposed to blot out the observations he has made; but he will be faithful in spite of his infirmities; he will speak plain truths, ask plain questions, and make plain remarks, whosoever may be affected by them.

It is a clear case that 'two cannot walk together unless they are agreed; but if they are agreed, they get on wonderfully well. The one may be stronger or weaker, bolder or more timid than the other; but that will not signify. The one may be a good walker, and the

other a very bad one; there may be some lameness or weakness in

one, and not in the other; but still they will so accommodate themselves to each other's infirmities, that they will go forward in comfort and peace; and if this be true of any people in the world, it is particularly so of married people.

The path may be stony, the hill may be steep, the hedge thick and thorny, the stream strong and deep; but all will be overcome

by helping each other along, by encouraging each other, and by bearing each other's burdens.

I trust that you have not built your hope of earthly happiness on the mere attractions of each other's persons. A handsome face and an agreeable way of behavior are but a poor stock of comforts to begin housekeeping with. You have something better than these; but have a care how you begin; for a good beginning is the best preparation for a good ending. You are now at ease; but as the fairest summer has its thunder-cloud, so surely will the smoothest life have its cares. Are you ready to meet with disappointment and anxiety? Are you ready to bear each other's burdens?

Your wants appear to be well supplied. In Scripture language, your heads appear anointed with oil, and your cup runs over; but it may not always be so, for gold and silver make to themselves wings and fly away. What if want should take the place of plenty? Will you then look kindly on each other? Will you then bear each other's burdens?

You are in health, but you cannot reasonably expect to remain so long; the toothache, the headache, the heartache, and a hundred other ails are known by others, and are likely enough to be felt by you, and they may try you sorely; and if care, want, and sickness, should meet together in your habitation, you will have need of all your affection, ay, and of God's grace, to enable you to remain kindly affectionate one to another, and to bear one another's burdens.

If you cannot travel together with affection, you will find hatred and unkindness but sorry companions. If helping each other will not do, hindering one another will do worse. If bearing one another's burdens will not enable you to trudge along tolerably comfortable, you will make but a sad business of it, by adding to each other's load. Therefore, 'Bear ye one another's burdens.'

If you have made your calculation for fine weather only, go and bespeak an umbrella, for be sure you will have need of it. If you think to look at each other always with the same fond and affectionate regard that you have yet done, Old Humphrey tells you, in spite of your fairy dreams of unabated love, that if you go through the first year of your married life without a single heart-burning, you will deserve to have your pictures framed and glazed, and hung up in the market-hall for universal admiration. No! no! Old