versal on Southern plantations. There was no hurry, no
confusion. Two young women remained with the corpse during the night
preceding the burial; the servants throughout the plantation had holiday,
that they might attend. At Mr. Weston's request, the clergyman of the
Episcopal church in X read the service for the dead. He addressed the
servants in a solemn and appropriate manner. Mr. Weston was one of the
audience. Alice's sickness had become serious; Miss Janet and her mother
were detained with her. The negroes sung one of their favorite hymns,

"Life is the time to serve the Lord,"

their fine voices blending in perfect harmony. Mr. Caldwell took for his
text the 12th verse of the 2d chapter of Thessalonians, "That ye would walk
worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and his glory."

He explained to them in the most affectionate and beautiful manner, that
_they_ were called unto the kingdom and glory of Christ. He dwelt on the
glories of that kingdom, as existing in the heart of the believer, inciting
him to a faithful performance of the duties of life; as in the world,
promoting the happiness and welfare of all mankind, and completed in
heaven, where will be the consummation of all the glorious things that the
humble believer in Jesus has enjoyed by faith, while surrounded by the
temptations and enduring the trials of the world. He told them _they_ were
all called. Christ died for all; every human being that had heard of Jesus
and his atonement, was called unto salvation. He dwelt on the efficacy of
that atonement on the solemn occasion when it was made, on the perfect
peace and reconciliation of the believer. He spoke of the will of God,
which had placed them in a condition of bondage to an earthly master; who
had given them equal hope of eternal redemption with that master. He
reminded them that Christ had chosen his lot among the poor of this world;
that he had refused all earthly honor and advantage. He charged them to
profit by the present occasion, to bring home to their hearts the unwelcome
truth that death was inevitable. He pointed to the coffin that contained
the remains of one who had attained so great an age, as to make her an
object of wonder in the neighborhood. Yet her time had come, like a thief
in the night. There was no sickness, no sudden failing, nothing unusual in
her appearance, to intimate the presence of death. God had given her a long
time of health to prepare for the great cha