culiar views, and said,

"What do you think, my friend, of the actual future destiny of the--?"

I made the question include his peculiar doctrines. He laid down the
volume with a remarkable quickness of action. He gazed at me for a
moment with a look humbled but not confused, such as I had never seen in
him before, and, in a low voice, said,

"You were then at my chapel last night?"

"I was," I replied.

"I am sorry--I am sorry," he said, rising with a sigh. "It has been a
pleasant time, but it is ended. Good-by, my dear young friend, and may
God bless you!"

He turned silently but quickly away.

"Stop!" I cried. "Stop!" But he heard or heeded not. I ran to the gate
to lay hold on him, and assure him that his sentiments would not alter
my regard for him, but I observed him already hastening down the lane at
such a speed that I judged it rude and useless at that moment to pursue.

I went down that day to his lodgings, to assure him of my sentiments
toward him, but door and window were closed, and if he were in he would
not hear me. Early next morning a little ragged boy brought me a note,
saying a gentleman in the lane had given it to him. It simply said:

"Dear young friend, good-by. You wonder at my abruptness; but my
religion has always been fatal to my friendship. You will say it would
not with you: so has many another assured me; but I am too well schooled
by bitter experience. I have had a call to a distant place. No one knows
of it, and I trust the name to no one. The pleasure of your society has
detained me, or I had obeyed the call a month ago. May we meet in
Heaven! C.M."

He was actually gone, and no one knew whither.

Time had passed over, and I had long imagined this strange and gifted
being in his grave, when in a wild and remote part of the kingdom, the
other day, I accidentally stumbled upon his retreat, and found him in
his pulpit with the same rapt aspect, uttering an harangue as exciting,
and surrounded by an audience as eagerly devouring his words.

[From Chesney's Expedition to the Euphrates and Tigris.]

ASSYRIAN SECTS.

There are two remarkable sects, one of which, called the Mendajaha
(disciples of John), is found scattered in small communities in Basrah,
Kurnah, Mohammarah, and, lastly, Sheikh el Shuyukh, where there are
about three hundred families. Those of Basrah are noticed by Pietro de
la Valle who says the Arabs call them Sabeans. Their religion is
evidently a mixt