66 the Lord." Then the shepherds left their flocks and went and found the little baby just as the angels had said, and there went, too, wise men from the East to see and to worship the child Jesus, and they all brought Him costly and beautiful presents; so ever since that day, people have kept Jesus Christ's birthday, and call it Christmas day. Maggie was sitting up in bed drinking in eagerly all that Mrs. Gray said. "Is that the King I heard about last night?" "Yes, Maggie.' "And where is He now ?" "In heaven." "Then I can't see Him after all," said the child, in a disappointed tone. "I will tell you all about it bye and bye," said the lady, now come and put on these things." Maggie was dressed in some warm clothes which had once been Alice Gray's, a little worn certainly, but still nice and comfortable, and in Maggie's eyes nothing could be better, she could scarcely believe her own eyes when she saw herself arrayed in these nice things, she could not speak, but her eloquent eyes spoke all the thanks Mrs. Gray wanted. Maggie had a good breakfast, and Mrs. Gray told her they were going to keep her with them for a time; and then the children came and talked to her, and took her to see their new toys. It seemed to Maggie that they were trying to see which could be the kindest to the little girl who was found in the snow. We cannot tell you all that happened that day, there was the plum-pudding, besides toys and fruit, all of which Maggie shared to her great delight, and when they gathered round Mrs. Gray's piano, and sang their evening hymn, she felt so happy she could not help crying, and so, after all, Maggie spent a happy Christmas. She stayed with her kind friends a long time, was taught to read and to work, and, above all, she learnt about Jesus, who was born on Christmas day, who lived on the earth doing good, and died on the cross that she might go to heaven, and who is now the King of Glory. Mrs. and Mr. Gray never regretted taking in little Maggie; they looked for no reward, remembering the words of their Master, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these, ye did it unto Me." But they had their reward, for when sickness and death came, it was Maggie who, with willing hands and loving heart, was their comfort, their constant and faithful friend. Maggie never forgot that Christmas Eve, when she wandered in the snow, hungry, ragged, and forsaken. It was her delight to gather all the poor miserable children she could find, give them warm clothes and food, and tell them about the King whose servant she was, who loves little children, though dirty and ragged, and never forgets them. And so she does her best to give to the poor neglected ones a happy Christmas. GOD IS IN HEAVEN. GOD is in heaven! Can He hear A little prayer like mine? Yes, thoughtful child, thou need'st not fear, He listens unto thine. God is in heaven! Can He see When I am doing wrong? Yes, that He can; He looks at thee God is in heaven! Would He know Yes, though thou saidst it very low, He'd hear it in the sky. God is in heaven! Does He care, Or is He good to me? Yes, all thou hast to eat or wear, God is in heaven! Can I go God is in heaven! May I pray To go there when I die? Yes, seek His grace, and then one day CHILD'S MORNING PRAYER. HETTIE. THE CAPTAIN. As we steamed through the Straits of Belleisle on our passage to England, the Captain said to me, “The glass is low, lower than I ever saw it before; we are going to have a heavy gale, and I only wish we may get out of the Straits before it comes on.' ." All hands were at work taking in and furling sail, and making the ship tight. We had just cleared the Straits and got into the open sea, when the storm burst upon us. And such a storm! Had we not had an excellent vessel, and a skilful Captain, we must, humanly speaking, have gone to the bottom. The wind blew a complete hurricane, and the waves rolled over us mountains high, and for three days we were tossed about in what seemed an immense boiling caldron. We were driven several hundred miles out of our course, and the bulwarks and rigging of the ship suffered damage, but fortunately no lives were lost, and when the storm abated, things were soon put right again. I have said we had a skilful Captain, and he inspired us all with confidence. We felt safe in his hands, that is to say, as safe as human skill and bravery could make us. As the storm raged, and all the elements of destruction seemed bent on swallowing us up, there he was at his post, night and day, fearless and brave, uttering his commands with a clear ringing voice, and always having a word of encouragement to the frightened passengers. In sailing over the stormy ocean of life, how desirable it is to have a skilful, trustworthy Captain on board. Jesus is such a Captain, and if we choose to sail in the ship which He commands and put our trust in Him, He will guide us in safety through every storm of life, and land us at last in the haven of eternal rest. No one could tell how he fell in. He could give no account of it himself. When questioned about it, he said, "I knew nothing of it till I found myself plumping right over head." "But did you not see the hole before you tumbled in ?” "No," he said, "I can't remember seeing it at all." "What were you doing at the time?" "Well, I had gone out for my evening walk; and as the ice was strong and smooth, I thought I would have a stroll on it for a while." That's all that could be got from him. He was a man of queer habits, inwardminded, unsocial, and much given to solitary walks. Probably at the time he was in one of his dreamy moods, and took no notice of the |