my life. He has never sent me a single stroke which was
not absolutely necessary for me. You, if you could restore me, might
be laying me open to some temptation from which God, by removing,
will deliver me. Your kindness in making this world so smooth for
me, I might forever have deplored in a world of misery. God's grace
in afflicting me, will hereafter be the subject of my praises in a
world of blessedness. Betty," added the dying woman, "do you really
think that I am going to a place of rest and joy eternal?" "To be
sure I do," said Betty. "Do you firmly believe that I am going to
the assembly of the first-born; to the spirits of just men made
perfect, to God the judge of all; and to Jesus the Mediator of the
new Covenant?" "I am sure you are," said Betty. "And yet," resumed
she, "you would detain me from all this happiness; and you think my
merciful Father is using me unkindly by removing me from a world of
sin, and sorrow, and temptation, to such joys as have not entered
into the heart of man to conceive; while it would have better suited
your notions of reward to defer my entrance into the blessedness of
heaven, that I might have enjoyed a legacy of a few hundred pounds!
Believe my dying words--ALL IS FOR THE BEST."

Mrs. Simpson expired soon after, in a frame of mind which convinced
her new friend, that "God's ways are not as our ways."

A CURE FOR MELANCHOLY.[15]

[15] This was first printed under the title of THE COTTAGE COOK.

SHOWING THE WAY TO DO MUCH GOOD WITH LITTLE MONEY.

Mrs. Jones was the widow of a great merchant. She was liberal to the
poor, as far as giving them money went; but as she was too much
taken up with the world, she did not spare so much of her time and
thoughts about doing good as she ought; so that her money was often
ill bestowed. In the late troubles, Mr. Jones, who had lived in an
expensive manner, failed; and he took his misfortunes so much to
heart, that he fell sick and died. Mrs. Jones retired, on a very
narrow income, to the small village of Weston, where she seldom went
out, except to church. Though a pious woman, she was too apt to
indulge her sorrow; and though she did not neglect to read and pray,
yet she gave up a great part of her time to melancholy thoughts, and
grew quite inactive. She well knew how sinful it would be for her to
seek a remedy for her grief in worldly pleasures, which is a way
many people take to cure afflictions; but she was not aware how