mandment, worship, and adore thee;
But admiration, now, and sorrow join;
His works we reverence, while we pity thine."

But above all other books she valued the Bible. The more poetical
parts of the Old Testament she almost committed to memory; and the New
Testament, especially those parts which relate the life of our Savior,
was studied by her, and excited in her the deepest emotions. As an
evidence of this we give the following verses, written in her
thirteenth year:--

"THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

"The shepherd feeds his fleecy flock with care,
And mourns to find one little lamb has strayed;
He, unfatigued, roams through the midnight air,
O'er hills, o'er rocks, and through the mossy glade.

But when that lamb is found, what joy is seen
Depicted on the careful shepherd's face,
When, sporting o'er the smooth and level green,
He sees his favorite charge is in its place!

Thus the great Shepherd of his flock doth mourn,
When from his fold a wayward lamb has strayed,
And thus with mercy he receives him home,
When the poor soul his Lord has disobeyed.

There is great joy among the saints in heaven,
When one repentant soul has found its God;
For Christ, his Shepherd, hath his ransom given,
And sealed it with his own redeeming blood."

We have now arrived at a period which most girls look forward to
as an epoch in their life--the first ball! Lucretia had been to
dancing-school, and took great delight in that exercise. In the hope
of overcoming her painful timidity, her mother had consented to her
attending the public assemblies of Plattsburg. She was fourteen.
The day arrived, and the important subject of dress was the matter
of consultation between Mrs. Davidson and her eldest daughter,
Lucretia sitting by, absorbed in one of the Waverley novels. "What
shall Lucy wear?" asked the sister. "Come, Lucretia; what color
will you wear to-night?" "Where?" "Where? why, to the assembly, to
be sure." "Is it to-night? so it is!" and she tossed aside her
book, and danced delighted about the room. The question of dress was
now settled, and Lucretia was soon again absorbed in her book. At
the hour for dressing, the delights of the ball again filled her
imagination, and she set about the offices of the toilet with
interest. Her sister was to dress her hair; but, when the time came,
she was missing. She was called in vain, and was at length found in
the parlor, in the dusky twilig