Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/38

28 people, I derived great pleasure; I was much beloved by the principals of the family, and I had great delight in the society of their children. I have frequently retired with my young friend to read, and pray, we had in fact no solitary pleasures. It was in the closet of this friend, that I first became acquainted with Addison, Pope, Parnel, Thomson, and Shakspeare; we read those writings together, never shall I forget the avidity with which I seized, and the delight with which I perused those authors, I was beyond expression fascinated by their numbers; but I thought best carefully to conceal this new source of enjoyment from my father. The library, to which I thus obtained free access, was very extensive: besides the books already named, it contained much to attract a young mind; novels, essays, and histories, by a frequent perusal of which, I was both informed, and improved. Thus, in the full enjoyment of sweet serenity, glided on many happy months; my time was divided between the habitation of my father, and his friends; I enjoyed the warm regards of every individual of this amiable family, the eldest son excepted, nor was he a malignant foe; he contented himself with making a jest of our devotion, which only served to attach us the more closely to each other: but, as the affection of the youngest son grew for me, it appeared to diminish for his brother. This fact rendered his parents unhappy, and I myself was seriously afflicted, lest I should be regarded either directly, or indirectly, as the source of their inquietude. They, however, did not hesitate to impute to their eldest son's aversion from religion every thing unpleasant between their children, and I had credit for my full share of that rectitude, and correct conduct, to which their youngest son was, by nature, so uniformly inclined. It must, however, be confessed, that the first-born was not without causes of irritation; I was evidently the brother of his brother's affection, I was the object of his parents' regard, his eldest sister discovered, on all occasions, a very strong partiality for me, and even the youngest, a child of about six years old, made me the confidant of all her little secrets, often hung about my neck, with infantile fondness, while her sweet endearments were precious to my heart. It was not then, I repeat, very wonderful, if the young gentleman, who felt himself aggrieved, should become very unhappy, and very much my enemy. While I was thus considered as a child of this family, a young lady, a distant relation of Mrs. Little, was introduced as a visitor; she also was a Methodist, and of great piety. My young friend, and myself, were in the parlour when she entered, but soon withdrew, when we