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our ways,' and he has mercifully promised to direct our path. Youth, especially, need his guidance. Cry to him, Edwin, as your Father, the guide of your youth."

"I hope I do, papa."

"Then, though father as well as mother forsake you, the Lord will take you up. But to return to your wonderful excursion. How did you proceed?"

"The road was very much confined: we were all sometimes obliged to stoop for about twenty yards; then we came into a wide opening, which they called Bell-house. A little further, there was a small lake, which was named the First Water: our guide said that it was forty feet long, but not more than two or three feet deep. We crossed it in a boat. We landed in an immense apartment: our light was not sufficient for us distinctly to see the sides or the roof. Our guide told us it was two hundred and twenty feet long, two hundred feet broad, and, in many places, one hundred and twenty feet high. The stream flows through the whole length of the cavern: at length it spreads into what is called the Second Water, at the end of which is a projecting pile of rocks, called by the name of Roger Rain's House, because large drops of water constantly fall through the crevices of the roof. Beyond this, another tremendous exca

vation opens to the view: they call it the Chancel. The rocks here are very much broken, and covered with crystal. From this place we went to another vast room, called the Devil's Cellar; and then, papa, we passed under three fine natural arches to another apartment, which, because it has a bell-like appearance, they call Great Tom of Lincoln. The guides wedged a little gunpowder into one of the rocks, and set fire to it. The sound appeared to roll along the sides and roof like thunder, and continued for some time. Mr. Wallace said that the whole length of this astonishing cavern is two thousand two hundred and fifty feet, or, nearly half a mile; and its depth, from the surface of the mountain, six hundred and twenty feet. But, papa, it is impossible to give you any full idea of these wonderful caverns; though, I confess, it was very pleasant to come up out of them; and the gradual breaking of the light upon the rocks around us, as we returned to the full blaze of day, was delightful.”

"I feel greatly pleased, Edwin, with your excellent account of your excursion. I am glad you know how to use your eyes. I know some young folks, and some people too who are grown up, who, if they had been with you, would have known nothing scarcely of all the wonders they had visited."

"Charles Wallace, papa, did keep a journal, like mine; but his was more full and complete, as I found after we got home, and his mamma asked us what we had seen. But James had hardly any thing to say: he was much pleased with his excursions, but this was all."

Hector, our fine Newfoundland dog, would doubtless have been much pleased to have accompanied you; but we expect something more of a rational creature, who has understanding, memory, and feeling, who can reflect on things, and compare one with another. Besides, the more we see of the works of God, the wiser and the better we ought to be. How puny are all the apartments formed by the skill of man, contrasted with these immense vaults which you have visited, formed and supported by the divine hand! For we should not forget, that the Great God is to be seen every where. He created the bowels of the earth, and stored it with minerals for the use of man, no less than its surface, and his goodness ought to be acknowledged."

"Mr. Wallace, papa, made many remarks of this kind, whilst we were going through the Peak cavern. I recollect one verse he quoted from one of our poets with much emphasis: he said,

Earth, with its caverns, dark and deep,
Lies in his spacious hand;

He fix'd the seas what bounds to keep,
And where the hills must stand.'

Even in these deep places of the earth, he often remarked, we could not hide ourselves from the all-seeing eye of God."

"True, Edwin. The Psalmist expresses this same sentiment very sublimely. Whither,' he says, 'shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold! thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee! Oh that God would write these sublime and useful sentiments on our hearts!"

CHAP. IX.

JUST as Edwin and his papa were about to take their usual walk, Mr. Wallace drove up to the garden gate. Emma was with him: she had taken a very bad cold; and though she was much better than she had been, her health was in a very delicate state. She had been advised to go a little from home, for change of air. She had spent little more than a week at her aunt's, and now Mr. Wallace was about to take her home.

Mr. Howard was exceedingly glad to see them. He was much attached to him and his family: their friendship was sincere, ardent, and mutual. There was a perfect harmony of religious opinion between them; though they somewhat differed in their political views. This, however, by no means lessened their affectionate regard. Mr. Howard prevailed on him to stay and dine with him, and to spend the remainder of the day.

Whilst his papa was called out of the par

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