obedience; and at first she thought of concealing herself from her husband's presence. But the knowledge she had derived from the fatal fruit gave her other hopes and ideas; and she at length issued forth from the thicket with a branch of the tree, containing some of the beautiful fruit, in her hand. With this she hastened to her husband; not however, as formerly, with unalloyed satisfaction and gladness to meet him, but feeling shame that she was naked, and conscious that she merited reproof.

Adam, who was absorbed in his meditations, perceived not the timidity and agitation of his spouse till she drew near; when questioning her, she proffered him the fruit, that he also might partake, and feel as she felt.

He at once knew too well what she had done, and his whole frame was shaken with fear and trembling. The proffered apple dropped from his hand, and he bent a stern and frowning look on Eve, and was about to speak in anger. But she, still beautiful and bashful, though her soul was heavy with conscious guilt, clung round her husband's neck, and wept when she beheld his altered look.

"What hast thou done?" said Adam. "Thou art lost irrevocably. The Almighty denunciation will soon fall upon thee, and thou wilt become subject to death and sorrow."

Eve, without daring to look up in his face, sobbed and lamented aloud.

"Alas!" exclaimed Adam, "I could not now live without thee: thou art bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. Thou art the only being of my kind to love and cheer me. The curse must fall on both. Give me the fruit; and let me also eat and die."

But Eve already felt repentant; and now, knowing that the serpent had deceived and betrayed her, she would have dissuaded her husband from being a partner in her crime. But her example, the dread of being reduced to dwell in solitude, with nothing but the remembrance of her he loved, wrought too strongly on his mind to leave him freedom of thought or action. In an evil moment, Adam also plucked of the fruit and ate.

The sky instantly lowered, muttering thunder was heard above, and streaks of awful lightning played for a moment around the fatal tree of knowledge, rending its boughs, and scattering its fair bloom and fruit on the earth. Beasts and birds fled affrighted at the angry elements, seeking even to shun each other; for man and woman's disobedience had brought fear and passion, unknown while they were innocent, not only upon themselves but upon all living creatures. The

lion and the kid no longer lay down to repose in the same cavern; the timid hare and rabbit fled from before the hound, the wolf, and the fox. Hunger, thirst, new wants and new desires, followed almost instantly the introduction into the world of the new and forbidden knowledge. Pain, and toil, and death followed. The hawk struck with his sharp talons the pretty and defenceless wren; the eagle pounced upon the lamb; the lion attacked and mangled the ox: through all nature one animal became the prey of another, and death was at once felt to be abroad in the world.

The man and the woman saw the fearful desolation which their sin had wrought; and knowing that they had incurred the dreadful curse, they endeavoured to hide themselves from the Almighty and his angels. Penetrating into the darkest thickets they could find in the bowers of Paradise, they made themselves scanty raiment from the leaves of the fig-tree; and sought to conceal their shame and their persons from each other and from all eyes. Thus covered, but ill at ease in mind, they sat down on the margin of a pool, now turbid and thick with rain from the neighbouring hills, to weep and bewail their forlorn condition. Each began to accuse the other as the author of the ill which had befallen. Mistrust, suspicion, anger, had already supplanted peace and love in the breast of each. Mutual accusation and recrimination, instead of prayer,

thanksgiving, and joyful songs of praise and adoration, occupied the long and tedious hours, till the shadows of evening, no longer mild and beautiful, like the sweet twilight of a departing summer's day, but dull and dark with the leaden clouds of a hovering thunder-storm, began to close around the wall of Eden.

It was a sad and dreary evening for those who had lately been so full of happiness and kindness towards each other. Their terror seemed almost as unendurable as the death which had been denounced against them. As the daylight waned, their bosoms again began to subside to peace; and better thoughts and holier feelings resumed the empire of their minds. Subdued to penitence, they sought consolation by appealing in prayer to the Most High, for his grace and protection. The prayers of the contrite are never disregarded. The Lord heard the voices of his erring creatures, and sent his Spirit down to commune with and comfort them. In the grove, whither they had fled for concealment, they soon became conscious of the Divine presence. Still they dared not speak, nor stir, lest He, whose command they had broken, and whose goodness they had abused, should have come in anger. So when Adam heard the voice of the Lord, both he and the woman retreated further into the depths of the sylvan shade id his anger.