Imatges de pàgina
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miserable death the innocent animal; and all my promised pleasure had vanished, like the smoke of the fire into which my captive had vainly hurried for safety.

Then and there I learnt the lesson, never to be forgotten, that the pursuit of mere pleasure at the expense of the happiness and life of the inferior, harmless creatures around us is irrational and criminal. It was time to have higher aims, and to aspire after nobler objects. This was seen and felt by one who loved me more wisely than I loved myself, and whose fervent desire and prayers were, that my happiness might be found in the fear, love, and service of God. She well knew that a heart unrenewed and devoid of Christian affections could not be the abode of joy or peace, which will abide through the changes of time, and survive the sorrows of earth and the solemnities of death and the grave.

J. L.

REST IN GOD.

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N a time of great perplexity, Dr. Tyler said to a friend, "I am past being troubled; I have committed myself to God, and wait the guidance of His hand."

How simple and right-only what every "child of God" ought to do, and is encouraged by his heavenly Father to do-yet how rare and glorious an achievement! The man who can do this is a hero. We are too apt to be cowards in the presence of trials and perplexities: our hearts are faint; we tremble and despond. But what, then, of God, of prayer, of the promises, of providence? Or shall we trust only when we can trace? believe only when we can see? Ah, any one can walk in the sunshine; it is the storm and darkness that try the Christian. It is his high and blessed distinction, that he can walk by faith, as seeing Him who is invisible.

The child leans on its parent's breast,
Leaves there its cares, and is at rest;
The bird sits singing by its nest,

And tells aloud

Its trust in God, and so is blest
'Neath every cloud.

It has no store, it sows no seed;

Yet sings aloud, and doth not heed;
By flowing stream or grassy mead
It sings to shame

Men who forget, in fear of need,
A Father's Name.

The heart that trusts for ever sings,
And feels as light as it had wings;
A well of peace within it springs:
Come good or ill,
Whate'er to-day, to-morrow brings,

It is His will!

W.

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CAN never do enough for my mother," said a beautiful girl, whose chief duty and delight seemed to be to watch at the bedside of her declining parent. Not only did her needle supply the delicacies needed in a sick-room, but her hand smoothed the pillow and afforded all those little attentions by night and by day which alleviate the restlessness of pain. She never

needed to be told or asked to do; her quick eye comprehended every unspoken want, and her symphathizing love smiled consolation and strength to the poor sufferer.

"You are tasking yourself too much," said she.

"No, dearest mother, I can never return to you what you have done for me in my helpless infancy and childhood-nights of watching, days of anxiety, months and years of care."

"But it was a pleasure to me, my daughter."

"Yes, mother, and no less do I prize the opportunity to repay it, poorly as I am able;" and kissing her mother's cheek, their tears of tender love flowed out and kissed each other also.

STUDY A CHILD'S CAPACITIES.

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F some are naturally dull, and yet strive to do well, notice the effort, and do not censure the dulness. A teacher might as well scold a child for being nearsighted, as for being naturally dull. Some children have a great verbal memory, others are quite the reverse. Some minds develop early, others late. Some have great powers of acquiring, others of originating. Some may appear stupid, because their true spring of character has never been touched. The dunce of a school may turn out in the end the living, progressive, wonder-working genius of the age. In order to exert the best spiritual influence, we must understand the spirit upon which we wish to exert that influence; for, with the human mind, we must work with nature, and not against it. Like the leaf of the nettle, if touched one way, it stings like a wasp; if the other, it is softer than satin. If we would do justice to the human mind, we must find its peculiar characteristics, and adapt ourselves to individual wants. In conversation on this point, with a friend who is now the principal in one of our best grammar schools, and to whose instruction I look back with delight" Your remarks," said he, " are quite true; let me tell you a little incident which bears upon this point. Last summer, I had a girl who was exceedingly behind in all her studies. She was at the foot of her division, and seemed to care but little about her books. It so happened that, as a relaxation, I let them at times during school-hours unite in singing. I noticed that this girl had a remarkably clear, sweet voice; and I said to her, Jane, you have a good voice, and you may lead in the singing.' She brightened up, and from that time her mind seemed to be more active. Her lessons were attended to, and she soon gained a high rank. One day, as I was going home, I overtook her with a school companion. 'Well, Jane,' said I, 'you are getting along very well; how happens it you do so much better now than at the beginning of the quarter?'

"I do not know why it is,' she replied.

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"I know what she told me the other day,' said her companion. "And what was that?' I asked.

"Why, she said she was encouraged.'"

Yes, here we have it-she was encouraged. She felt that she was not dull in everything. She had learned self-respect, and thus she was encouraged.

Some twelve or thirteen years ago, there was in Franklin School an exceedingly dull boy. One day the teacher, wishing to look out a word, took up the lad's dictionary, and opening it found the blank leaves covered with drawings. He called the boy to him. "Did you draw these?" said the teacher.

"Yes, sir," said the boy, with a downcast look.

"I do not think it well for boys to draw in their books," said the teacher; " and I would rub these out, if I were you; but they are well done. Did you ever take lessons?"

"No, sir," said the boy, his eyes sparkling.

"Well, I think you have a talent for this thing; I should like you to draw me something when you are at leisure, at home, and bring it to me. In the meantime see how well you can recite your lessons."

The boy felt he was understood. He began to love his teacher. He became animated and fond of his books. He took delight in gratifying his teacher by his faithfulness to his studies, while the teacher took every opportunity to encourage him in his natural desires. The boy became one of the first scholars, and gained the medal before he left school. After this he became an engraver, laid up money enough to go to Europe, studied the works of old masters, sent home productions from his own pencil which found a place in some of the best collections of paintings, and is now one of the most promising artists of his years in the country. After the boy gained the medal, he sent the teacher a beautiful picture as a token of respect; and I doubt not, this day he feels that that teacher, by the judicious encouragement he gave to the natural turn of his mind, has had a great moral and spiritual effect on his character.

A.

WHOM HAVING NOT SEEN, WE LOVE.

AVIOUR, Thy love alone can fill

And satisfy the human heart,
Can turn to good each seeming ill,
And peace impart.

Then deign to make Thyself to me,
While here a sojourner I roam,

A living, bright reality

My rest, my home;

More present to faith's inward sight
Than earthly objects to my eye,
My hourly well-spring of delight,
Which ne'er runs dry.

If of some cherish'd good bereft,
Too fondly prized, hard to resign,
Still let me feel enough is left,
If Thou art mine.

More intimately be Thou nigh

Than e'en the dearest earthly friend,

Bound by that strong mysterious tie

Death cannot rend.

C. E.

GOD'S CORRECTIONS.

HEN my little boy was younger than he is now, his mother had occasion one day to correct him for a fault. Some little time afterwards he looked up in his mother's face and said, "Does you love me, mamma? Does you like me?" The reply was, "Yes, my dear, I love you very much, and that is why I correct you. I don't like to see you naughty; I want you to be a good boy."

We may see in the child's question an illustration of the mistakes we too often make with respect to the chastisements of the Lord. Whenever God corrects His children, His corrections are proofs of love. There is no hatred in the heart of our Heavenly Father. In all His dispensations towards us "GOD IS LOVE!"

God corrects His children, and scourges all His sons. When we are chastised because we have done wrong, we are sometimes very foolish, and ask very ignorant questions, such as, "Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will He be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone for ever? doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" (Psalm lxxvii. 7-9). These questions prove us to be possessed of the spirit of "infirmity" (ver. 10). Did we remember the "former loving-kindness" of our God, we should not question His love when we are chastened; "for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." Chastisement is a proof of love. The answer to the question, "Do you love me?" is, "Yes, my son; if I did not love you, I should not have corrected you." Chastisement is a mark of sonship. The Apostle says, "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if we be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons." If I were to see a number of boys in the street, throwing stones at a poor blind man, I should rebuke them, and drive them away; but, if I saw my own boy among them, I should single him out from among the rest, and chastise him for his fault. Now, would any one imagine I corrected my own child, because I love him less than I love the other boys? Nay, verily, every one would see the reason why I corrected my own child was because I loved him-because he was my son. So it is with our heavenly Father, when His children do wrong. He will chastise them for the wrong they have done; but His love towards them is still the same. Thus God speaks in Psalm lxxxix. 30-33, "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." The believer may

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