"BUT STILL IT HAS A VALUE."

URING my journey in Scot-
a

gentleman, in the vicinity of Dun-
dee, informed me that his fifter, on
going to vifit a poor woman in an
obfcure part of the town, was di-
rected, by mittake, to the lodging
of another perfon; and knocking
at the door, was defired, in a low
female voice, to come in.

On entering the room, the found a poor helple's woman on a bed, emaciated by illness, and apparently in a miferable fituation, in confequence of a paralytic ftroke five years before; during which period fhe had been confined to her bed, and rendered incapable of affitting herfelf.

and to pay a trifle for his educa-
tion. Since that trying difpenfa-
tion of Providence, confined to her
bed, and deprived of the ufe of
her limbs, fhe had been incapaci-
tated from doing any thing for her-
felf, and having no money to pay
another, her fon, at that early age,
trufting to the Divine bleffing, took
the noble refolution, by the labour
of his own hands, to relieve the
wants, and alleviate the diftreffes of
his afflicted parent.
A female
neighbour occafionally called in to
perform fome kind offices; but her
chief comfort and fupport arofe
front the filial affection and unre-
mitted attention of her fon. He
immediately procured fuch work as
his juvenile years admitted of, in
the Ofnaburg manufactory at Dun-
dee; and, after cleaning the room
in which they dwelt, getting ready
their breakfast, and making his

left her every morning with a fmi-
ling countenance, to attend the la-
bours of the loom; and returned in
the evening with his well-earned
pittance, to enjoy a cheerful meal
with his beloved parent. And
thus, for the fpace of five years,
have the revolving days fucceeded
each other.

But this is not all; his mother could not read; the child, by her affiduity, had acquired that advan- . tage: he had not indeed read the claffics, nor ftudied in the schools of philofophy; but he had perufed the facred Scriptures, and knew the truth as it is in Jefus; he had tafted Her friendly vifitor, pitying her the fpiritual bread, and drawn wacondition, was furprized by her ter from the wells of falvation. In anfwer, that the thought herself the midst of apparent poverty, he one of the happieft of mortals; and had found durable riches; and, alon defiting an explanation, the though furrounded by outward dipoor woman, in fimple language, ftreffes, he had a heart-felt experelated the following particulars:rience that the ways of Religion are That in the younger part of life ways of pleafantnefs, and all her fhe had been left a widow, with an 'paths, paths of peace! only fon; who, when he received the troke, was twelve years of age; until that time, by ipinning and other work, the had been enabled to maintain herfelf and child,

Reflecting, therefore, on the many hours he was under the neceflity of leaving, his mother alone and unemployed, and defirous that the allohould participate in the füpe

rior bleffings he enjoyed from his religious knowledge, he refolved to teach her to read; and in due time accomplished the pleafing tafk; affording, by this means, a fiream of comfort, an inexhauftible fource of delight, which the confeffed had made her the happiett of WOmen. It pleased the Almighty to

Scripture is the only cure of wee.
That field of promife, how it Ang aboad
Its odour o'er the Chriftian's thoray road!
The foul, repofing on affur'd rehef,
Feets herself happy amidit all her grief;
Forgets her labour as the toils along,

open her heart, that, like Lydia, Weeps tears of joy, and bursts into a fong! The might attend to the things that were fpoken; and, with Mary, fit

COWPER.

1. JAMES FORBES,

at her Saviour's feet, and hear his Stanmore Hill, Jan. 1, 1800.
word. She added, that during her
fon's abfence it was her delight to
meditate on the facred volume,
whofe divine truths had filled her

foul with humble hope and holy
joy, and afforded her that peace
which the world can neither give
nor take away! and this being con-
veyed through the medium of a be-
loved child, added thofe ineffable
fenfations, which only a parent's
heart can know, to all its other
delights.

Such is my little hiftory of the Dundee Boy; had I known it when I paffed through that town, I would have been more particular: My friend did not inform me whether the mother was allowed any thing from the collection made for the diftreffed, every Sabbath-day in the Church of Scotland; but it is probable the might recive fome afliftance from a charitable fund, to which rich and poor all contribute, with a laudable emulation. Sint biç etiam fua præmia laudi. Virg. Æn

་

Let merit here obtain its due reward.

Happy, ye poor! who know your Bi

ble true,

A truth Voltaire, tho' learned, never knew;
And in that charter read, with fparkling

Mr. URBAN,

A

Bofton, Dec. 6.' MOST fingular change having taken place of late in the religious opinions of fome Jews upon the Continent, an account of it, I think, deferves to be recorded in your long-eftablished and useful Mifcellany. I have, therefore, collected a few particulars relative to this extraordinary circumftance, from a letter addreffed by fome Jewith elders, to Mr. Provoft Teller; of Berlin, which are at your fervice.

The main point, then, in which thefe elders of the Jews differ from their brethren of former times is, that they believe the ceremonial part of the Mofaic law to be only of temporary duration.. And, accordingly, they confider the obfervance of it as no longer obligatory upon them, and openly declare their readiness to renounce it altogether; the circumftances of the times, and the condition of their nation, being fuch as to juftify, in their opinion, this innovation, fince "the abolition of the ritual law in

the prefent ftate of things, we are Convinced, they fay, is perfectly agreeable to the fpirit of the mo faic fyftem; and is not only much to be defired for our own cafe and comfort, but alfo highly necellary to enable us to fulfil the duties of good citizens and members of the community." But it may be asked, what thould prevent them, having advanced thus far, from embracing however, is a flep, which they do the profeflion of Chriftianity? This, not feem difpofed to take at once,

and