NEW YEAR'S DAY MORNING. ON New Year's Day morning we all went to church. Though not church people ourselves, yet, as we had no service in our own little chapel, we thought we could not do better than attend the church service. The parson is a good man, and a general favourite. He does not care much whether people go to church or chapel if they only fear God and do what is right. He has a kind word for everybody, and is lways busy in doing good among the villagers. And he is particu1 arly kind to the children. He never meets a boy or girl without giving them a smile and saying something nice. He is also a very good preacher, plain, but affectionate and impressive. On New Year's Day morning he preached such a nice sermon about God's goodness to us during the past year, and our need of putting our trust in Him and trying to lead a better life in the year which had just begun. When service was over nearly all the congregation tarried a little at the church door to shake hands with our good parson, and to wish him a happy new year. This expression of affection moved the good man to tears. It was a beautiful and affecting sight. THE STORY OF LITTLE MAGGIE. IT is Christmas Eve. The wind is bitterly cold; snow is coming down, filling the air with white feathery flakes, which, in their innocent glee, seem to delight in peeping 'neath dainty bonnets, hiding softly away among curly tresses, playing such mischievous pranks with grave men's beards, and now flying to kiss a fair lady's cheek, clinging to lips in a frolicsome freak," till, tired of its fun, it sinks on the ground to rest, only to be "trampled and tracked 'neath the thousands of feet" that crowd the streets of B 66 But to-night these streets present a very gay and cheerful appearance, the brilliantly lighted shop windows are dressed out in their best, and seem to vie with each other in tempting the beholders to come in and buy." The light streams forth on the pavements, and lights up the faces of the busy, hurrying multitude. There are welldressed people hastening home with Christmas cheer peeping out of coat pockets, corners of baskets, and all kinds of queer-shaped parcels ; children with happy faces and laughing eyes vainly trying to decide what shall be bought with their little stock of pocket money, for |