a little wine, and something nice, ready cooked; for she said, It will be a little while before the chicken can be got ready.' How pleased Mary was to tell her mother the good news! And then she asked, anxiously, "Mother, you can eat the chicken-can't you ?"

"I think I can, my dear, for I have been wishing for one. How great is the loving-kindness of the Lord, my child!"

Day by day, after this time, Mrs. Brown's recovery seemed gentle and pleasant, and her heart was full of gratitude and praise to the Almighty. She could indeed say, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer! my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm xiii. 2).

The family around the breakfast table at Farley Court were much impressed by Millie's story; and Miss Wood, the visitor, whose shyness and reserve had prevented her from taking any public part in good works, now felt a strong desire to work humbly in some neglected corner of the Lord's vineyard.

The snow was still falling as the family dispersed to their different duties, and the sisters and Miss Wood urged Millie to remain with them, as it was useless, they thought, for her to prepare for the afternoon meeting, on so snowy a day.

But Miss Farley shook her head, and smilingly replied, "I must prepare; we don't know how clear the weather may be in the afternoon. Besides, it will be a great disappointment to many if I cannot go; so let us hope that I am going as usual."

And so Miss Farley retired alone to prepare, as she would on a sunshiny day; her face wearing a peculiarly sweet and trusting smile. And when the time came for her to start, the snow had ceased to fall for a while.

Miss Wood said dubiously, as she accompanied Miss Farley to the door, "Is there really any need for you to wade through the snow a mile and a-half on such a day as this?"

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand;" and with a parting pressure of the hand, Miss Farley passed down the garden walk and out across the white, dreary fields.

Miss Farley was not later than usual as she passed down the road leading to the small chapel. And it was well that it was so ; for on a couch of pain lay a young girl, who, through the long hours of this gloomy day, had had but one ray of hope the coming of Miss Farley. Close to a small window, darkened by the snow, was a little face keeping watch for her sick sister's sake, to see if kind Miss Farley passed on her way to the mothers' meeting. FLORENCE CAMELLIA.

(To be continued.)

“

ASK, AND YE SHALL HAVE.”

ABOUT the year 1831, in an Irish village, a poor lone widow gave birth to a boy, whom she survived but a few days. This widow was a stranger in the country. A native of Dumbarton, Scotland, she had married a navvy, whose tramps she had always accompanied. But he died in Ireland, whither he had gone for work, and she was left there houseless and desolate; but God had raised up friends for the widow, and one had given her shelter, others had nursed her, others had given her food, and when she was dying, they had promised to heed her baby till he was old enough to mind himself. But her heart had been sorely overwhelmed at the thought of leaving him in a Romanist country amongst the followers of its creed. For days her agony of soul was intense, and she had besought God, if she was taken, that her child should not be left. But her Saviour But her Saviour gave her peace again. Why should she mistrust His power and will who had cared for her and her husband when they were similarly circumstanced? After her death the peasants were true to their word, and by turns sheltered the orphan till he enlisted. One winter, he had been admitted to a school where he was taught a little reading, but no one ever spoke to him of the world beyond time, or of his own immortal soul. Truly as a beast had he spent his years, eating and drinking, without any aim in life. His regiment being ordered to India, to assist in quelling the fearful mutiny of 1857, he passed through our station, and it pleased God there to answer the widow's prayer. Receiving a Bible from a Christian friend, with whom he had many long conversations on its precious truths, the message of redeeming love touched the untaught man, and brought him a loving penitent to the Saviour's feet. Speaking with that friend one evening, he asked leave to show something which he valued much; drawing out a letter from his bosom, he said, "Do you see that writing? that's my mother's writing." Turning it, "Do you see that seal? that's my mother's seal." He continued, "You'll think me the most hardhearted wretch to have let it rest so many years unopened. Why, I'm more than twenty-six by some months, and this was written a few hours after I was born." He explained he could not read manuscript, and the letter was too precious to trust to the perusal of a stranger.

This simple, beautiful farewell to her boy contained a brief sketch of their history, and ended, "I have now not one fear in leaving you; Jesus will be a gude Shepherd to my ain bairnie, and I shall see thee again." She then told him how he could join her, how share the salvation of Jesus, and though she was leaving him penniless, and even without a Bible, she felt confident in God's good-will, how or where she knew not, to lead him to Himself: she knew he would be a folded one in the same happy home; she

knew that she and her baby would cast their crowns at the same feet, and know and rejoice with each other for ever.

The soldier listened eagerly, and was much strengthened by his mother's prayer. More than twenty-six years had passed, and now that prayer was fulfilled.

Next day he told his friend he had gone back to the barracks to pray, and as he had been keeping the midnight watch, a voice whispered to his soul, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it,' and I did, and my greatest hunger was to know God had forgiven my sins; to be quite sure that I was safe under the same Shepherd as my mother spoke of. And by-and-by it seemed I heard again, ‘I have blotted out all thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.' I know it was Jesus who forgave me, for you know you told me that text the other day, and showed me all clear how no one but He could forgive sins.". "The More Excellent Way."

GOD'S JEWELS.

THE Koh-i-Noor diamond, when it came into the Queen's possession, was a misshapen lump. It was very desirable to get its corners cut off, and all its sides reduced to symmetry; but no unskilful hand was permited to touch it. Men of science were summoned to consider its nature and its capabilities. They examined the form of its crystals and the consistency of its parts. They considered the direction of the grain, and the side on which it would bear a pressure. With their instructions the jewel was placed in the hands of an experienced lapidary, and by long, patient, careful labour its sides were ground down to the desired proportions. The gem was hard, and needed a heavy pressure; the gem was precious, and every precaution was taken which science and skill could suggest to get it polished into shape without cracking it in the process. The effort was successful. The hard diamond was rubbed down into forms of beauty, and yet sustained no damage by the greatness of the pressure to which it was subjected.

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Jewels, bright jewels," in the form of little children, are the heritage which God gives to every parent. They are unshapely, and need to be polished; they are hard, and cannot be reduced into symmetry without firm handling; they are brittle, and so liable to be permanently damaged by the pressure; but they are stones of peculiar preciousness, and if they were successfully polished, they would shine as stars for ever and ever, giving off from their undimming edge, more brilliantly than other creatures can, the glory which they got from the Sun of righteousness. Those who possess these diamonds in the rough should neither strike them unskilfully nor let them lie uncut.-DR. ARNOT.

THE SINNER'S SUBSTITUTE.

"WHEN Our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward-punishment and death-was impending over us; and when the time had come, before appointed of God, for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great longsuffering, and bore with us,-He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities; He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the Holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what else could cover our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified than by the only Son of God? Oh, sweet exchange! oh, unsearchable work! oh, benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors."-Anonymous Epistle to Diognetus, written early in the second century.

THE HABIT OF TEAZING.

THE habit of teazing or coaxing is a fault very prevalent among children, which is strengthened and encouraged often unconsciously by a mother's yielding to the repeated importunities of her child, even after having once refused it. Let a child understand that you are decided, that your word can be depended upon, that you mean what you say when you refuse him anything, and he will very soon learn that you cannot be coaxed out of what you have once refused him. As illustrative of this, I will state a case that came under my own observation. A mother gave her two sons each an apple when they returned one day from school. They went to play, but as soon as they had eaten them, one of the boys went to his mother, and asked for another; she refused, and he did not repeat his request, but went to play again. His brother asked him to go again and coax her to give them another. "No, William," said he, with much emphasis, don't you know that mother said No, and meant No!" A child very soon discovers whether his mother can be teazed into a compliance with his wishes.

I once took tea with a lady, and while we were sitting at the table a little boy came round her chair, and asked several times for a piece of cake, which she at first refused, but finally gave to him. A little sister then came and made a similar request, but was refused. I sat near, and overheard her little brother whisper in her ear, "Coax her, Jane, and you will get it." The mother was busily

engaged talking with, and entertaining her visitors, and probably to get rid of the child and his importunities, had given him the cake, without thinking, perhaps, what she was about. But this habit which she was fostering in her child, was not calculated to diminish her trouble, or prevent her from similar importunities when she was particularly engaged. Instead of weighing the pros and cons in their own minds, some mothers are in the habit of making the conduct of their children the entire foundation of refusing or granting their requests. This shows a weak and perverted judgment. It is the uniform practice with some mothers to keep their children in a state of suspense, parleying with them, even when they have decided in their own minds that it is inexpedient to grant the favour desired. But this only engenders a peevish and fretful disposition in children, and often leads them to think that it is obstinacy, and not necessity, which prompted the refusal. Children usually have minds open to conviction; and when they see that their parents desire their happiness as really when they deny them as when they yield to their wishes, they will generally acquiesce.

It is true that a mother cannot always make up her judgment at once; but when she has sufficiently reflected, let her act promptly and decidedly. Even in cases where she finds she has misjudged, she should be careful not to let her child see that she has no con fidence in herself.

MADAGASCAR-MOTHERS' MEETING.

MRS. POOL, of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, who recently commenced a mothers' meeting for Madagascar women and girls, says, "I have had them already four times. They come to my house, and I have quite as many as I can attend to; they learn so quickly, and are so pleased to come. I wish I could send you a photograph of them as they squat on the matting, looking at me with such loving interest and working so quietly. Half-past two o'clock is our time of meeting, but they are often here before one. They sit under the verandah, and wait till I am ready. I have written home for some toys, that I may have something to give them. Nearly all the children around us are naked, the babies invariably So. A garment seems to civilize them, and they only wear one at a time. Last week some of my women had business, so they sent me word that they could not come early. They were in their place, however, for the reading of the Scriptures and the singing; their love and devotion brought the tears to my eyes. Thirty were present, and my room was quite full; and, as many of them require teaching to work, I found ample scope for all my energies. They brought their Testaments, and we read a chapter together; and then I taught them to sing some English tunes to hymns in their own language; this pleased them very much, they seemed unwilling