were retiring to their beds of straw, signals of a ship in distress were heard; a vessel struck upon the rocks, and the piercing shrieks of the sufferers were rendered doubly dreadful by the apparent impossibility of affording them any assistance. But, notwithstanding the danger that threatened them, many of the fishermen, who were accustomed to such scenes, risked their lives, to reach the vessel; some from the impulse of native humanity, but the greatest number from a rapacious thirst for gain.

An infant in its cradle was the only living creature found in the separating wreck; the crew, and all the passengers capable of exertion, having crowded into the boats belonging to the ship, and all perished! The helpless and deserted innocent was preserved by an aged fisherman, who was more desirous of saving life than of enriching himself with what might be snatched from the deep. The infant was wet through, and benumbed with cold;

but

but the kind hearted old man wrapped it up in his great coat, conveyed it in safety to the shore, and, folding it carefully in his arms, hurried with it to his poor hut, where the partner of his life anxiously waited his return, and to her he committed his charge.

The innocence and beauty of the object, thus almost miraculously preserved, pleaded powerfully to the heart of the fisherman's wife; she took off its wet robes, tenderly chafed its little limbs before the fire, then wrapped it in clean though coarse linen, and laid it in her neat, but homely bed. The infant was a female, and appeared to be about six months old. She slept soundly during the remainder of the night, awoke smiling, took some nourishment, and sunk again into a balmy slumber, which lasted until a few moments before the fisherman returned home from labour, to his meal at noon. His wife, with the just awakened infant in her arms, then met him at the cottageB 2 door,

door, with the usual welcome of affection, which never failed to cheer old Norman's heart after the greatest dangers and fatigues; and the genuine warmth and kindness of his nature glowed in his countenance, on beholding the smiling cherub that he had saved from impending death He took the child in his arms, kissed its dimpled cheeks, and fondly caressed her, while Alice, his wife, pointed out to him a coral necklace which the infant had on, to which was suspended a cross of emerald set in gold, and fastened to the necklace by a device in gold, representing two hearts pierced through with an arrow, and encircled by the words"To part no more!" The clasp of the necklace was curiously wrought, to form the initials" I. L." and the honest cottagers observed it with attention and wonder.

"Alas, husband!" cried the old woman, "what can we do for this baby, who, for sartin, belongs to some great gentlefolks?

-for

-for look,

here's

beautiful robes!"

spreading out the garments the child was found in.

"We will do our best for it," returned the old man; "and when you have washed the salt water out of the clothes, lay them carefully by, to produce, in case the child should be owned; and be sure take care not to lose the necklace."

Alice promised her husband to guard these treasures as she would her life; and, taking the necklace off, she deposited it in her strong box, observing that it only hurt the child's neck, and a row of juniper berries would be of more service to help it to cut its teeth, and prevent the fear of having such a costly thing lost. Norman did not object to this precaution, and after finishing his humble meal, labour again summoned him away.

Health and good-humour soon distinguished the adopted child of the fisherman and his wife; and, united with the early promise of uncommon loveliness

and the powerful charm of infantine en-" dearment, rendered her not only tenderly beloved by her preservers, but a favourite with all the inhabitants of the cliffs.

The fisherman and his wife were childless, and the infant they had saved and adopted, was considered by them as sent by Providence, to be the blessing and delight of their age. Old Norman laboured cheerfully for her support, while his wife Alice fondly cherished the child of their affection, who soon learned to lisp the names of her humble benefactors; and the lesson of gratitude was the first that Heaven impressed upon her mind.

The child had been two years under the protection of Norman and Alice, without being distinguished by any name but such as pretty prattler, little stranger, and such other appellations, as naturally arose from the affection borne her by the old couple, when Norman one day suggested the propriety of having her baptized, and ventured to express his wish that she

might