The Rev. Septimus Clark, a fine young clergyman from New York, who was traveling through Vermont, and, stopping at D— one Sabbath, preached for Mr. Fry, will never till his dying day forget his encounter with Miss Miny Todd. He had preached what Mrs. Deacon Norton pronounced, "a most be-a-utiful discourse," as full of flowers as a green-house, liberally sprinkled with sentiment, here and there a little natural religion put in, like cloves in a baked ham, more for ornament than use. It was a sermon a pagan or a Brahmin would have admired as much as did Mrs. Deacon Norton, but it stirred the depths of Miss Miny's soul; her great, honest, gray eyes darkened, flashed, and at last dimmed with tears, as she fixed them on the elegant youth supposed to be preaching the gospel; and when he ceased to discourse, and pronouncing a graceful benediction, came down from the pulpit, he was surprised to see a short, dark, resolute-looking woman, with a pair of reproachful eyes fixed on him, draw nearer and nearer, and at last plant herself in the middle aisle just in his way. He stopped courteously, to let her move aside; but she never stirred, only looked straight at him and said, "Do you believe the Bible?" Mr. Clark was still more surprised, but answered civilly, "Certainly, I do." "You believe," she went on, "that all these folks you have been preaching to will be lost eternally if they don't believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?" The Reverend Septimus stared blankly, yet her "glittering eye" compelled response. "Why, yes, madam; I am orthodox." "And knowin' that, knowin' they will never see you again, 'tisn't likely, and you havn't had but one chance to talk to 'em and tell what responsible bein's they are, you've been and talked all this stuff about roses, and clouds, and brooks, and things, to dying souls! You poor, deluded man, what is the Lord goin' to say to you in that day?" The Reverend Mr. Clark choked; he fairly became faint for a moment; for under his elegance and florality he had a conscience, and a somewhat dormant, but living, Christian faith; but he was not man enough to say, "Thank you;" he only pushed by Miss Miny, and asked Mr. Fry, who was waiting for him at the door, who the woman was who had stopped him. "Oh, that is old Miss Todd," said Mr. Fry, in such a matter-of-course way that Mr. Clark did not feel it necessary to mention her rebuke. But Miss Miny "builded better than she knew;" the youth never uttered such idle words again; he recognized the situation, and accepted it, which is the key of all true life, and became one of the most fervid and spiritual preachers.—Selected.