the chief objects of the instruction they are receiving. How beautiful and how invaluable in a young mind, is the habit of referring every thing they receive or do to some higher end than that of temporal advantage or transient gratification.

In our publick service the musical department is indeed deplorable. Our psalms are solemn prayers or devout praises, as much addressed to Heaven and importing to receive attention thence, as any part of the service. As such it is difficult to understand why the minister is not responsible for the performance of this, as for the remainder of the holy ministration; that it should seem to be the business of the clerk, an illiterate always, and generally not a pious man, and perhaps some dozen idlers his companions, on whose taste and feeling is to depend this part of our devotions. The congregation may join, it is true-that is they may if they can-but in excuse for the ladies my correspondent has censured, I must confess that from the choice of tunes or the method of execution, it is not always possible. I doubt not there is in every village, parish, or congregation, musical talent enough, and dearly enough purchased, to make melody meet to be offered as prayer in the courts of the Most High, to instruct those who are willing to be taught, especially the children—and why not others of the poor, their neighbours and dependents-no unfavourable opportunity of teaching them to understand and feel this part of the service? And if under the sanction and direction of the minister, the charge of the psalmody were thus put into their hands-of course I do not mean the publick charge, but the choice of the musick-without preventing any one from joining, I think they might defy the clerk and his companions to destroy their harmony.

Perhaps our female friends will say this rests not with them-they cannot assume a charge not offered them. But my correspondent has produced a case in which they were found unwilling. I can imagine a case in which the minister, whose approbation was necessary,

would be their father, or their well-known friend-or where their rank and influence in the parish would secure a glad compliance, should the proposal come from them. And then how potent is example. Successful and approved in one congregation, it would come to be earnestly solicited in another, and the ladies might, as in most cases they ought to, wait the request. But even where the direction of the singing is not in their hands, but conducted on the present system, we still do not see how the musical ladies of a congregation could better use their expensive accomplishment, than by teaching the children of the schools, and others of the poor, to join with feeling, correctness, and moderation; by which the clerk might be even yet out-sung. If I have in these remarks, gone out of my province, they rose out of the observations of my correspondent, of which every listener in our churches must feel the justness.

For the rest, if it be thought that I have been dreaming instead of listening-and mindless of what is daily before my eyes and in my ears, have let imagination range in things that have no reality-that musick is an innocent play-thing of man's secular estate, in which we may expend as much time as we please, and as much money as we please, and need render no account, it being only intended for our amusement-I think that such an opinion is contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture, to our condition on earth, and preparation for eternity; and I believe that God will some time vindicate his purposes in all that he has created, material or intellectual, and convince us that he gave us all the powers we have for better uses than we have made of them. When the children of Zion were captives in Babylon, they hung their harps upon the willows and forgot their country's songs-for how could they sing the Lord's song in a strange land-their hearts were unstrung and tuneless as their harps. But when they returned to Jerusalem, doubtless they strung the chords afresh, and learned anew the forgotten musick,

and sang again the song that Moses taught them, the psalms their kings and prophets had bequeathed. So should the corrupted world return to the God it has forsaken, and the knowledge of him be established in all the earth, and sin and Satan be expelled from it, this talent, and every other, will find the use for which it was intended-will be made to subserve the holiness as well as the happiness of man, and before all things the glory and worship of the Lord. How shall we think then of our so long misuse? Or if we should never see a time when the earth shall be the Lord's, and the fulness of beauty with which he filled it be recovered from corruption, should we not as individuals, restored ourselves, endeavour to restore every thing else to the holy purpose of its first creation?

CONVERSATIONS ON GEOLOGY.

CONVERSATION XVI.

Shale-Iron-Stone-Fossils-Shells.

MAT. I have not looked upon the fire since, without recalling the subject of our late conversation; and I must confess Geology has become a very interesting subject to me, as correcting many false ideas I had formed of the things with which I supposed myself most familiar.

MRS. L.-I am glad to hear it. Having dismissed the Coal in our last conversation, we have to speak briefly to-day of its accompanying Strata-for the usefulness of this wonderful formation is not yet exhausted.

ANNE. You mentioned Shale among the substances that divide the Coal. I am not aware of having heard the word before.

MRS L.-Shale is a sort of soft Slate, composed of nearly the same materials as the Clay Slate of the Pri