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it can be obtained. Fortunately, a plain, modest, and well written account of the early days of Thomas Eddy, has been left from his own hand. It was only intended for the eye of his family and particular friends, but the narrative is so happy, that it would be over fastidious indeed to hesitate to use it on this occasion. It is almost impossible for a biographer,even with every aid before him, to describe the true growth and development of a mind, from the cradle to maturity. The individual himself can alone approx-imate to the truth. In childhood and youth, when the imagination wanders at will, none but the per-son himself can tell all the avenues and directions of thought, nor precisely when passion was commingled with judgment, or by what food and exercise the mind obtained its stature. I shall, as the best thing that can be done for my readers, introduce an extract, in Mr. Eddy's own words, giving an account of him-self up to the time he began his effectual efforts as a philanthropist:— I can only trace my ancestors as far back as my grandfather, John Edie, (by a letter I have seen from him to my father, he so spelled his name,) who lived in Belfast, in Ireland, but he probably came from Aberdeen, in Scotland. He was much respected and esteemed as a remarkably upright honest man—he was in low circumstances, and only able to give my father a small portion of school learning. My father, James Eddy, was born in Belfast, 1712; he served an apprenticeship to William Sinclair, a respectable merchant in Dublin. My mother's name was Mary Darragh; she was born in Dublin about l724; she was of a respectable and good family. My parents were married in Dublin about the year 1742. She had a fortune of about £1000 sterling. I believe soon after their marriage, they removed to Belfast, and there my father pursued mercantile busi-ness. They had both been educated Presbyterians, but during their residence in that city, he became acquainted with Robert Bradshaw, a Friend, of consi