but a true Samaritan,
who hath been the means of working much good in the evil times past, and
is likely to be a useful instrument in the troubled times yet to come.
If this dissolute court, and Popish heir-presumptive, do proceed in
their attempts to overthrow our pure Reformed church, depend on it,
young man, that that woman will not be found wanting in the hour of
trial. But for the matter in hand, will you be godfather to the person
now to be received into the ark?"

I told him I could not burden my conscience with so great and important
duties, without some assurance that I should be able to fulfil them.
Whereto he replied, that such scrupulosities, however praiseworthy in
calmer tines, ought now to yield to the paramount consideration of
saving a soul alive.

A faint voice, proceeding from the bed, was here heard mournfully asking
if the ceremony was now to begin, for death was near at hand.

I went up to the bed and saw the face of a pale dying woman, whose
eyes, albeit they encountered mine, had no sense of sight in them, for
the shadows of the Great King were already settled upon her countenance.
"Begin then," I said to the clergyman; and on a motion from him, the
woman who had conducted me went out, and shortly returned, leading by
the hand a child of two, or haply three years of age, exceeding
beautiful to look on, and dressed in the same style of outlandish
apparel as her conductor. I had little time to look attentively at her,
for her hand was put into mine, while the other was held by the
Egyptian, (as I still call her, notwithstanding I knew she was a devout
woman,) and another person, whom I guessed to be an attendant on the
sick lady, stationed herself near; whereupon the clergyman commenced
from our book of common prayer the form of baptism. The lady seemed to
acquire strength at the sound of his low solemn voice, and half raised
herself in the bed, and looked anxiously towards where we were; when the
name was given, which was Lucy Hesseltine, she stretched herself back on
her pillow with a faint smile. The ceremony was soon over, and the
Egyptian took the new Christian to the side of the bed, and whispered in
the lady's ear, "Jessica, the child is now one of the Christian flock;
she prays your blessing." She waited for an answer, during which time
the clergyman took me apart, and had again entered into discourse. But
the Egyptian came to us. "Hush!" she said, "the ways of God are
inscrutable; our