sinned all your life against a
Being infinitely higher that earthly friends. Your conduct has
disturbed family pride and honor, and thereby destroyed your peace.
But, do you never think of your transgressions against God? For a
world, I would not have had you present yourself before His just
tribunal, with your sins against Him unrepented of. Is there no other
thought in your heart, than to escape the misery of the present?"

Mr. Brown was silent. Mr. Norton continued.

"It is utter weakness and cowardice, in order to escape present
discomfort and wretchedness, to rush from this world into another,
without knowing what we are to meet there".

A flush of resentment at these words covered the invalid's face. Just
then Adele knocked on the door, and said a poor woman below wished to
see Mr. Norton.

He rose instantly, went towards Mr. Brown, and taking his thin hand
between his own and pressing it affectionately, said, "Look back upon
your past life,--look into your heart. Believe me, my dear sir, I am
your friend".

Then he went to obey the summons, and Mr. Brown was left alone.

The emotion of anger towards his benefactor soon passed away. He had
been trained early in life to religious truth, and he knew that Mr.
Norton presented to him the stern requisitions of that truth, only in
friendliness and love. The good man was absent several hours, and the
time was employed, as well as the solitude of several subsequent days,
by Mr. Brown, in looking into his heart and into his past life. He
found there many things he had not even suspected. He saw clearly,
that he had hitherto held himself amenable only to the judgment of
the world. Its standard of propriety, taste, honor, had been his. He
had not looked higher.

His friend Mr. Norton, on the contrary, held himself accountable to
God's tribunal. His whole conversation, conduct, and spirit, showed
the ennobling effect which that sublime test of character had upon
him. In fine, he perceived that the basis of his own character had
been false and therefore frail. The superstructure he had raised upon
it, had been fair and imposing to the world, but, when its strength
came to be tried, it had given way and fallen. He felt that he had
neglected his true interests, and had been wholly indifferent to the
just claims of the only Being, who could have sustained him in the
hour of temptation. He saw his past errors, he moaned over them, but
alas! he considered it too late to re