the mother escaped, the child fell a victim to the terrors of that moment. Little Fanny died the next day.

In one fortnight, the wretched father was no more: and Eliza was laid on a bed of delirious suffering-a dreadful fever having been the conséquence of this aggravated torture. A husband's hand raised against her life; her darling child the sacrifice; and that guilty, but still beloved husband called away..... It is one of those cases where language utterly fails; and the sickened heart turns from it, unable to endure the contemplation.

O'Neil had a sister, a school-mistress, in the same town, Leighlin Bridge, near Carlow, who had never shewn any kindness to the heretic wife of her brother; but now, as if moved by those awful visitations, she came to the house of mourning, and proffered her help, to take care of the three surviving children. These were, a girl of ten years, a boy of eight, and another of three. They were, unsuspectingly, given up to her, by the perplexed attendants, and when Eliza, passing the crisis of her disorder, awoke to the terrible consciousness of her situation, and asked for her only earthly solace, her remaining little ones, they were brought to her for a short visit, and then taken away again, by Lucinda O'Neil: and no plea, no entreaty, no threat of the agonized mother, could extort any other communication than that they should be given up to her if she solemnly bound herself to educate them all in the popish religion: otherwise she would never see them more. Ascertaining that Miss O'Neil had conveyed them to the house of the popish priest, Keogh, Eliza sent a female friend to implore that he would allow even one of them to

remain with her; he refused, on the alleged and most unfounded plea that she was incapable of taking charge of them, through mental imbecility. She was then told that if she went to Carlow for them, they would be given up to her and there she twice dragged her harassed, debilitated frame: but the only result was a mocking assurance that she should have them in the court-house, at the assizes. This feint was resorted to, in the hope of deluding her into a delay in applying for an habeas corpus; as term was nearly concluded. The matter was, however, brought into court, and for a time Miss O'Neil resisted the order: but on finding that imprisonment for life would be the sentence awarded, unless she restored them, they were sent back to the heartbroken mother.

But the actors in this infamous outrage had made good use of the many weeks during which they retained the children. The eldest boy had been unremittingly attended to by a student of the Carlow college, who has so successfully poisoned his tender mind, that all the fond love of a doating mother cannot succeed in removing the dark and hateful prejudice with which the little fellow has been taught to regard her. The girl is similarly perverted, through the same means: and to crown the whole matter Mrs. O'Neil is exultingly assured, by the fearless emissaries of darkness, that, go where she may, they I will follow her and find means to counteract whatever of Christian principle she may be enabled to infuse into their minds. They know that she is utterly ruined, in temporal goods, by their flagitious proceedings. Poor O'Neil was a well educated gentleman, formerly tutor in a nobleman's family; but

as his whole income was latterly derived from an official situation in the revenue, of course all died with him. The heavy expences of two funerals, and her own severe illness, followed by those of repeated journies, and legal proceedings for the recovery of her children, have left the widow in such circumstances, that those wily serpents well know her only prospect is some obscure hovel, where she may vainly strive to hide her hunted little ones from their keen eyes and venomous tongues. But one question is yet to be solved-Will the mothers of Protestant England acquiesce in it? Will ANY Christian mother, as she glances from this to her own darlings, and from them to the blessed book whose page she can lay open before them, with none to make her afraid, withhold a little help from this poor, quiet sufferer; this maternal martyr? We know enough of her sentiments to be conscious that it was not without a bitter pang that she heard her last-born boy receive the baptismal name of O'CONNELL; but she battled not for names—it is for the awful reality she now strives. Place the matter in one plain point of view: a mother has her children stolen from her, whilst lying helpless on a sick bed: she only recovers them by means of a legal process, after a delay of months. During this delay, they are sedulously wrought upon, by all the powerful machinery of the most finished piece of infernal contrivance that the world ever saw : their tender minds overawed-terrified-coerced into verily believing that the indulgence of one natural feeling towards their heart-broken parent will be visited with everlasting perdition. Had she powerful friends, or ample means, she could at once place them beyond the reach of farther contamination,

under the fostering care of some competent instructors: but she has no friends, she has no means. She has none to appeal to but the God of the widow she has nothing to offer but the prayers of the destitute. It has been her lot from early childhood to find only thorns on the rose-bush of domestic life: its blossoming sweets never bloomed for her. A path of sorrow led her early to the rest that can only be found at the feet of Jesus: and she would not sell her Lord, even for the costly price of a beloved husband's answering love. Now, the hearts that are steeled against her are the hearts of her own children-the hands that are lifted to bar her fond caress, are the little hands that used to clasp her neck, and innocently to wipe away the tears of bursting sorrow. Personal affection for the sufferer may, and does, plant a keener pang in our own heart while recording the story; but it does not, for it cannot, add a single tint to the deep dye of the transaction. Who shall paint a blush on the gorgeous scarlet in which the mother of abominations here stands out, glaring in all the horrible splendour of her harlot pride!

The Lord, the righteous Judge, has made his glorious hand very conspicuous in the stedfastness of our poor friend, and the comparative rescue of the children. To Him we commit their cause; and to Him we appeal in their behalf. And in laying the matter before our dear country-women we have but one word to add-" Judge the fatherless."

C. E.

ON THE USE OF SUPERFLUITIES.

In taking up a subject which, in some of its details, has been extensively pursued in your magazine, I am not without apprehension that we are disregarding the apostle's injunction, to avoid foolish and unlearned questions that do engender strife. The strife, at least, I may avoid, by making no allusion to what has been previously inserted upon the subject of dress: which I am the better able to do, because I have not read it. This would be uncandid, if I were going to controvert any of your opinions; but I do not hesitate to own it, when I have no intention but to offer some thoughts of my own, to the intent that if I should either repeat your arguments, or contradict them, you may be assured it is without design. Far be it from me to say that any thing is unimportant which affects, or can be, in the remotest degree, connected with practical religion; and what is there in the life and conversation of the child of God, over which the newly important principle of divine life can exercise no influence or control. This is not what I meant, and I always grieve to hear it said, What has religion to do with this?' Religion is the worship and the will of God-Christianity is the worship and will of God manifested in Jesus Christ unless there be any thing in us, or about us, with which God has nothing to do; anything we hold, or do, or are, independently of him; unless we have any possession over which he has no right;

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