mother's side: the sound might have betrayed our retreat, but we repeated the words with peculiar feelings, inspired by our novel situation. As Aileen became our attendant during our subsequent wanderings, it may be well to give a slight sketch of her, whose intuitive tact and inventive resources proved most serviceable on this and many other occasions. Slightly formed, and about the middle height, she usually appeared in a brown woollen dress, only relieved by a plaid handkerchief, the ends of which were crossed in front. Her dark brown hair was braided back in the simple Madonna-like fashion of our peasantry, and was gathered into a large bow at the back of her finely-shaped head. Unlike the generality of peasants in this district, she possessed great personal attractions. To these were added an inexhaustible fund of good temper and cheerfulness, a vivid imagination, strong good sense, and a warm heart. It was no wonder than few were more universally beloved than Aileen Moran, the bride elect of Owen Rua. About a year before the rebellion broke out, this young girl, for the first time, heard the Scriptures read in her native language. Scripture readers, as a class, were then unheard of, but she was fortunate enough to meet with an individual who felt so strongly the unspeakable value of salvation, that he was anxious to impart the knowledge of the truth. Aileen listened with surprise to the attractive simplicity of the Gospel, so different from the mystified compound of superstitious doctrines, in which she had been brought up. Whenever the Scripture reader collected a little audience in any of the cabins round, Aileen was a constant attendant the result was, a perfect conviction of the errors of the Roman Catholic Church. The reader be longed to the Baptist persuasion: I wish that he had been a member of our Established Church, but I simply state this case as it occurred; and I, for one, cannot but overlook his slight difference of doctrinal opinion, when I consider the pure scheme of salvation which he set forward from the undefiled well of Holy Writ. It was in the Baptist chapel at Ballina that Aileen again received the mystic sign of regeneration. That building contains a large cavity in the stone floor, four feet wide by eight feet long, and filled with water. This excavation is usually covered with stone slabs, so as to present a surface similar to the remainder of the chapel. The minister and his proselyte, clad in long black robes, descend by stone steps into the font, and the ceremony of baptism, by total immersion, is performed in the name of the Holy Trinity. Each convert must undergo a year's probation before he is admitted into the Baptist communion. It was, therefore, but six weeks before our concealment in the Rath that Aileen had been received as a member of her long adopted church. At once her friends proceeded from angry invective to bitter persecution. Even her mother, roused by the disgrace of her family, and alarmed for the eternal salvation of her once fondly-loved child, exchanged her usual gentleness for the most threatening demeanour, and even declared that she would tear the unoffending girl limb from limb, if she did not recant her heretical opinions. Persecution became daily more severe, until at length Aileen fled in terror, lest her life should pay forfeit for obedience to the dictates of her conscience. SEASONAL WILD FLOWERS.-No. III. "Whate'er the wintry frost Nitrons prepar'd; the various blossom'd Spring FEW indeed can look unmoved, on the beauties with which God crowns the month of July. The waving corn, that bounteous provision, may be called the grand attraction of this and the ensuing month. However the floral creation is in general unnoticed, here is a part in which all are alike interested. In the heart which considers God's gifts, regardless of the Giver, surely emotions of thankfulness, indefinite it may be, must arise to see food thus provided for man's sustenance. "Oh! 'tis a sight the soul to cheer, The promise of the fruitful year, And answering nature laughs and sings." To the Christian who looks "From nature up to nature's God," a walk in the fields at this interesting season cannot fail to be productive of profitable meditation-he adores the bounteous giver of all he sees, and recollects that the Fatherly hand which so liberally provides for the natural wants, alike of the evil and the good, will not be less mindful of his more important spiritual interests-that the "Bread of Life" freely fed on shall nourish his soul unto everlasting life, and if a less abundant ingathering be expected, he reflects that thus it cannot be with the provision for his soul, while he relies on the promise: “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." His thoughts perchance then recal the emblem of the resurrection, which our Saviour showed in the seed of wheat, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit," and he remembers that his body after a few short years, at most, planted in the earth, shall, like the object before him, rise again more beautiful and glorious, to flourish in the heavenly garner. That same Jesus too, said in the days of his flesh: "the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;" he knows that so it is now, and these reflections are calculated to excite him to prayer, that "the Lord of the harvest would send forth labourers,” and in greater diligence to sow his seed, beside all the waters of that great field, the world. To the botanist, however, while the corn is no uninteresting subject, the lowly weeds at its base have much beauty to call forth his admiration; amongst the prettiest of these is the little scarlet Pimpernel, already described, which has blossomed since the beginning of May. There are two others of the same species, now decking the sod, the blue and the bog Pimpernel. (Anagallis Tenella.) The former seems to be a variety of the scarlet one, having its colours reversed; the spot in the centre is red, and the petals blue; it is rare, and though often cultivated, is found wild but in few places; the latter yields to none of our wild plants in elegance, but is comparatively rare. It does not differ greatly in appearance from the last named, but is of more luxuriant growth; the flowers are of a beautiful rosecolour. But we must not linger longer in the corn-field, where there are many minute flowers mingling with the Pimpernel and some of the Poppies, but walk up the lane, and there, or on the downs, we shall meet with the round-leaved Bell-flower, or Harebell of Scotland. (Campanula rotundifolia.) The root leaves of this plant are round; but they wither so soon that when it is in blossom, only the stem leaves, of which the lower are lanceolate and the upper linear, are to be seen. The stem is very wiry, about a foot high, and bears a pale trembling bell, of purest azure, which is very fragile looking, yet very hardy. Sometimes the flowers are white; wherever this plant grows, it indicates an unfruitful soil. The common Milkwort (Polygala vulgáris) is decking the dry pastures at this season; its flowers which are pink, white, and blue, are in a terminate cluster; two inner leaves of the calyx about equal to the corolla : the stem is from three to six inches long, the leaves narrow, lance-shaped. The wild Teazle (Dipsacus sylvestris) may now be seen in the hedges. The fuller's teazle, extensively used by clothiers, is a member of this family of plants. The name of this flower is derived from dipsao, to thirst, from the upper leaves of the plant holding water, which they do, to such a degree, that after a shower a considerable quantity may be poured from them. The plant grows to the height of four feet, its leaves are lance-shaped, and defended by large prickles; the blossoms lilac, in a conical head. There is a tribe of plants now in blossom allied to the Dandelion, and of the same order. The Hawkweed family, (Hieracium) of which there are as many as thirty-six varieties, all bearing a strong resemblance to each other; their flowers are |