Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog, Oscar (1).pdf/13

 13 characters, like those of our early joys, are long ago defaced and extinct. Often have I heard my mother relate with enthusiasm, the manner in which ſhe and my father firſt discover- ed the dawnings of goodness and facility of conception in Duncan's mind, though, I confess, dearly as I loved him, these circumstances escaped my observation It was my father's invariable custom to pray with the fa- mily every night before they retired to rest, to thank the Almighty for his kindness to them during the by- gone day, and to beg his protection through the dark and silent watches of the night. I need not inform any of my readers, that that amia ole duty, consiſted in singing a few ſtanzas of a psalm, in which all the family joined their voices with my father's, so that the double octaves of the various ages and ſexes swelled to the simple concert. He then read a chapter from the Bible, going ſtraight on from beginning to end of the Scrip11cb. The prayer concluded the devotions of each evening, in which the downfall of Antichriſt was always strenuously urged, the ministers of the Gospel remembered, nor was any friend or neighbour in dis- treſs forgot. At one time, the year following, my father, iu the course of his evening devotions, bad reached the 19th chapter of the book of Judges; when he began reading it. Duncan was seated on the other side of the house, but ere it was half done, he had ſtolen up close to my father's elbow. " Consider of it, take ad- vice, speak your mind,” ſaid my father, and cloſed the bock "Go on, go on if you please, Sir,” ſaid Duncan -- go on, and let us hear what they said about it." My father looked sternly in Duncan's face, but seeing him ahaſhed on accout of his haſty breach of decency, without uttering a word, he again opened the Bible, and read the 20th chapter throughout, not with ſtanding of its great length. Next day Duncan was walking about with the Bible below his arm, begging of every