a great measure, have called for the relinquishment of the original design. The design, in making these pages public, was not to agitate the heart, but to amend it; and to realize this it was necessary, not merely to throw together some striking events, but especially to develop the moral causes and effects, with which they were associated.

The work is what it professes to be, a narrative founded on facts. It is allowed that some liberties have been taken; but it is possible they are less frequent and more trivial, than the reader will be disposed to imagine. Should this, however, be the case, it is without remedy; for to say in what they consist, would render them altogether unserviceable, as they are only adopted to veil the parties concerned from the eye of an unprofitable curiosity. Be

it sufficient then to state, that wherever they exist, they are not of an exaggerating character. The truth is often lowered rather than heightened; and, in two instances particularly, a remarkable circumstance has been totally omitted, because, though of actual occurrence, it appeared beyond the range of probability.

The history opens in the nineteenth year of Lefevre; and embraces a course of events, running through the twelve succeeding years of his life. It is, therefore, in its own nature, eminently adapted to those, who are occupying or anticipating a similar period of existence; and the writer has constantly held in view the improvement of the youthful character, in the choice and illustration of the incidents he has introduced. If, on the whole, the book shall be thought a suitable instrument-of

imparting a relish for the beauties of nature of leading the mind to discriminate between passion and principle-the specious and the good, and of impressing the heart more deeply with the importance, sublimity and blessedness of genuine piety -he will be satisfied-more than satisfied! Though the seed may have been sown with many tears, doubtless, in reaping such fruits, he shall greatly rejoice!

The writer is, in some degree, aware of the numerous disadvantages which crowd on an anonymous publication, and threaten to hurry it into oblivion; but to these, in the present instance, he cheerfully submits-not to shrink from any supposed responsibility-but to preserve entire that veil of concealment, which he has judged it right to throw over the face of the whole narration. His little work, then, is cast,

like a foundling, on the world-without name—without protection. Yet he rests on the assurance, that it is committed

to those who can judge fairly of a book,

that has not the patronage of a name—who consider rather what is said, than who says it-who scorn to censure the more eagerly, because it can be done with comparative impunity-and who are disposed to welcome with the smile of affinity, the most unprotected and unpretending offspring of Benevolence.