tion of the Law was made in the time of a king, surnamed, Philadelphus, Demetrius Phalereus having been actively employed concerning it.

But what is to be thought now of these several accounts? True it is, that "in the multitude of counsellors there is safety," provided they disagree not among themselves. But each one telling his own story in a militating way, whom are we to credit?

First. St. Justin Martyr and St. Epiphanius merely retail sayings to which historians are unable to find sufficient bases.

Secondly. The account of Aristeas is full and particular, and confirmed by Josephus. Certain it is, that from the earliest times of the Christian Church, down to a comparatively late period, say the middle of the 16th century, scarcely a doubt has been hinted at relative to the authenticity of Aristeas' book. This well established fact, we confess, greatly inclines us to believe him. We are challenged to add, however, that in modern days, the whole account is set aside as a fabrication. But who is most likely to know of the source of a stream, those who dwell far up, or those who lately squatted far down along its channel?

Concerning the name of the version, too, writers have much to say. Setting aside the history of Aristeas, it becomes a matter of doubt, whether there had been actually seventy, or seventy-two persons engaged in the translation. There are those who maintain, that the name Septuagint originated in the fact, that the version was formally approved of by the Jewish council, or Sanhedrim, at Alexandria, which was composed of seventy-two (in round numbers seventy) persons. Nor can we much object to such a view. Admitting that the translation was executed at Alexandria, then it is natural enough to believe the members of the Sanhedrim to have been the executors. But a Septuagint version it is nevertheless.

And now, what shall we say and hold in reference to the inspiration of those translators? Were they divinely assisted in their important task? The ancient Fathers so held. Philo, the Jew, is sure of it, likewise. "Bellarmine claims St. Jerome also for this

opinion."

As it is a mere matter of opinion, we will not force any view on the reader, as little as we will permit him to take ours away. We will only tell what another says. "If we consider the important ends which this version was designed to fulfill, we ought not to be surprised at finding it so easily admitted, that God, who had inspired the writers of His Sacred Word, had also inspired the interpreters of it on this grand occasion."

The subsequent history of the Septuagint was somewhat singular. So great was the esteem in which the Egyptian and Grecian Jews

held this version, at first, that, as Philo tells us, they repaired yearly to the Isle of Pharos, and kept a festival on its shores, in memory of this inspired translation. And from the manner in which our Redeemer and His Apostles quote from it, without creating an outcry on the part of their hearers, we are justified in believing, that the veneration for it was not confined to the Hellenist Jews only. It challenged universal regard then for a long period.

But about the commencement of the second century, and subsequently, this feeling changed. The Septuagint became very odious to the Jews, on account of their not being able to answer the arguments brought from it by the Christians, in controversy. They adopted the plan of quoting from the Hebrew text accordingly, with which they knew those Christian converts to be unacquainted. Yea, so odious did this once highly venerated Septuagint become in the eye of every native Jew, that they finally proclaimed a fast day on the eighth day of the month Thebet, corresponding to our December, in order to perpetuate the remembrance of so inauspicious an event. A strange way, indeed, of making a hateful thing forgotten.

The Hellenist Jews, however, continued to venerate the Septuagint, in spite of the hatred of the Hebrew Jews. Indeed this distinction between Hellenist and Hebrew Jews, only became fixed after the version was executed. The former class of dispersed Israelites learning the Law wholly from the Septuagint, whilst the latter had the Hebrew Scriptures read in the Synagogues, and explained to the congregation in the Syro-Chaldaic. In the year 550 a quarrel arose between them, concerning the use of this version, which the Emperor Justinian decided in favor of the Hellenists, declaring their liberty to use it in their worship throughout the empire. Thus the Hellenists adhered to the Septuagint down to the middle of the sixth century, when the version became the property of the Christian Church almost exclusively. It became vitiated by and through careless transcribers, and supplanted by purer versions.

FULLNESS OF GRACE.

The provisions of grace are such that the strongest habits can be overcome, the most depraved hearts can be made clean, the most abandoned character can be saved, and the most desponding spirit can be made happy, the most fiery trials can be patiently endured, and finally, a home in heaven, where all is love, joy, and peace, can be eternally possessed. Then, brother man, lift up thy fallen head; for you there is plenteous redemption.

WOMAN IN SOCIETY.

BY PERKIOMEN.

It has been said, that woman is either a toy, or a drudge in society. She is entitled to the best seat in the drawing-room, and in the coach. A gentleman will stand, rather than not offer her the last chair. There must be no swearing done in her presence. You will tip your hat, and bow as orientally as you can, in passing her. You will invariably say, "Ladies and Gentlemen," in preference to "Gentlemen and Ladies,"-though Adam was before Eve. There must be floating-island talked, and frothy verbiage indulged in, in her company. In public addresses you are expected to throw down sweet tit-bits and sugar-coated apostrophes, by way of humoring her. Like as if woman were a full-grown and gaudily attired doll, men have a fashion of playing with her. It is maintained, that justice towards her demands just such a treatment. In this way it is presumed to honor her. It is persisted in as an exhibition of our American chivalrous deference to her sex. We are not near done yet, of boasting of our America as the paradise of woman. Well-it is rather flowery, all through.

But whoever cannot see through such a gauze, is blind indeed. It is a system of indulgence, from first to last, and every true woman turns from it, wounded if not angered. A supercilious condescension—a complaisant favoring-a soft petting of one, who is secretly and impliedly held to be beneath one-self-to this it amounts. Strange that such an order of etiquette should not long ago have been discarded.

At the other end of society, woman is a drudge, just as often and as effectually. Dr. Hall's commentary on "Farmers' Wives and Farmers' Daughters," must sadden every reader. It is a short, melancholy record, verily. In its details, it is capable of filling whole shelves in a library-and more intensely interesting than any tale fancy ever told. From an official report, he finds thirtynine farmers' wives and sixteen farmers' daughters in an insane asylum. He goes on to say, that no other class recruits so large a percentage of crazed spirits. And this now, after all that, and in spite of what has been written and sung, time and time again, of the bliss of farmer-life, and the immortal dairy-maid, so ruddy of cheek; so lithe of limb; whose breath is as pure as the air of the morning; whose laugh is as merry as the voices of birds in the wood; whose step is as elastic as the new-made bow. All these

bright fancies vanish before the hard, dry line—“ thirty-nine farmers' wives and sixteen farmers' daughters in an insane asylum !" Let us follow Dr. Hall's strain but a little further, and hear him remark, that we have here another vision, different from the customary one-not of youth, and beauty, and innocence, and exuberant health; but one of a pale and wan and haggard face, halfcovered with long, black hair, and coal-black eyes, peering hotly on you, from behind the bars and grate of a dark prison-house! He assigns a string of reasons for it all, which, when summed, signify drudgery.

As a remedy, he advises, in substance: Let the husband remember, that the wife is a social being, his companion, and therefore, his equal, and not a machine or underling. Let him consider her, as she is, his best friend-not his farm-hand, his house-keeper, or kitchen-queen, by whose sighs and sweat the "interest" and "mortgage" of the place is to be worked off. Let him speak to her respectfully in the presence of strangers and servants, and not in terms imperious, petulant and exacting, as he would to a scullion. Let the farmer and farmer's wife co-operate cheerfully in all things. Let him remember, that his wife's good will and smile are as essential to success, and really of as much virtue to his garden and field, as sunshine and rain are. As she is very certainly his superior in her moral nature, it follows, that he should not only regard her as his equal in material interests, but that he should habitually accord to her, that deference, that consideration, and that high regard, which is of right due her, and which can never fail to impress on the children, and all in the house, a sense of the dignity and elevation of the wife and mother. Let such a high moral position be attained; let such an impressive social influence be gained, in order that the reputed happiness may actually reign within the farm-house walls, and no insanity may blight the wife. Living, as Dr. Hall does, amongst the merchant-princes and money-kings of New York, his words should carry with them some considerable weight, when he tells us, that a farmer's wife can be rendered incomparably more sure of living in quiet comfort to a good old age, than the wife of a Croesus in Wall Street, who, although he may realize his hundreds in a day, nevertheless, in scores of cases, dies in poverty, leaving his wife and children to the sad heritage of being slighted and forgotten by those, who had once been made happy by their smiles and money, and of pining away in tears and destitution.

Servant-women, commonly called "maids," are fast perishing from off the face of the earth. Nor will we pretend to say, that we are much sorry. Boarding-houses are more numerous than formerly, and more largely filled with married inmates. They

have become compulsory institutions-houses of refuge-from the scarcity and difficulty of obtaining and retaining domestic help. The newspapers are filled with reflections on the much abused servant-woman. "I have no help!" "My girl has left me!" "I have such poor help!" "I have a green Irish girl!" "I have a raw German in the kitchen!" are some of the incessant cries. Husbands grow tired of the "Old Hundred" melody, and make an end of it, by breaking up house-keeping and moving into the boarding-house.

There must be some cause, we think, for such a going from home. We presume it lies nearer the good wife's own hearth, than she is willing to concede. The spirit of caste is growing in this goodly democratic America. A twig of aristocracy is fast engrafting itself on our big republican tree. The trouble is, perhaps, that all will reign, and none will serve. The imperiousness of the mistress is resented by the injured pride of the underling. A rupture is the result. The theory of service is becoming less and less clearly understood. The most fortunate house-keepers are those, who act on the principles of justice and kindness. In such families parties have lived together in friendship and mutual contentment for years. In all other households, it is the fashion to change "help" twice in a fortnight..

We know it to be an unpopular task, and perhaps an imprudent one, to speak a word for the already too-saucy servant-woman. But we will, nevertheless, say, as the domestic service now stands, we should not very much like "to hire out." She is generally the "servant of servants." But elevate the woman of the house-the wife of the hearth, and the mother of the family-and the whole household stands aloft, with all that are in it. The position and condition of the lady, are always the measure of the home. Down to the cat and dog, all its inmates will be the better for it. It is not true, that all the hired-girls are good-for-nothing. But the culinary government is. The chaos of the kitchen will only cease, when a genuine Victoria reigns there.

The needle-woman, too, stitches her life away very sadly, and cheaply, whether she be the fashionable milliner, or the humble stocking-darner. From the days of Thomas Hood, until now, her lot has been quite dreadful enough, if we take into account the wasted health, or the meagre recompense. Let the philanthropist inquire of the physician, what the hygienic and pecuniary condition of seamstresses is, in the average. It is better in consequence of the "sewing machine," we sometimes think. Still, fashion keeps a little in advance of the machine, even, no matter how rapidly it may clatter.