Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog Oscar (4).pdf/13

 13 characters, like those of our early joys, are long ago defaced and extent. Often have I hear my mother relate with enthusiasm, the manner in which she and in 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 boy 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 amiable 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 Scriptures. 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, in the course of his evening devotions, had reached the 19th chapter of the book of Judge: when he began reading it, Duncan was sented on the other side of the house, but eie it was half dine, 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 book. Go on, go on, if you please, Sir," said Duncan, go on, and let us hear what they said about it. My father locked sternly in Duncan's face, but seeing hir, abashed on account of his hasty breach of decency, without uttering a word, he again opened the Bible, and read the 20th chapter throughout, not withstanding of its great length. Next day Duncan was walking about with the Bible below his arm, begging of every