ERCY'S day of triumph."

"The focus which should always unite the bright but scattered rays of family affection."

"The spring-tide of Christian hope."

"The severed link 'twixt earth and heaven again restored."

"The jubilee alike of the Christian and of the domestic year."

"The season when the most glorious concert was performed by a perfectly harmonious choir. Yet, although the burden of their song, 'Peace on earth, goodwill toward men!' flowed easily from their tongues, it has never yet been perfectly learned on earth."

"Cement to unite broken families." "A Divine message bidding the wanderers meet and rejoice again around our Father's board."

ID the losses and the gains;

Mid the pleasures and the pains,
And the hopings and the fears,
And the restlessness of years,

We repeat this promise o'er-
We believe it more and more-
Bread upon the waters cast
Shall be gathered at the last.

Gold and silver, like the sands,
Will keep slipping through our hands;
Jewels, gleaming like a spark,
Will be hidden in the dark;
Sun and moon and stars will pale,
But these words will never fail :
Bread upon the waters cast
Shall be gathered at the last.

Soon, like dust, to you and me,
Will our earthly treasures be;
But the loving word and deed
To another in his need,
They will not forgotten be-
They will live eternally :

Bread upon the waters cast Shall be gathered at the last. Fast the moments slip away, Soon our mortal powers decay, Low and lower sinks the sun, What we do must soon be done; Then what rapture, if we hear Thousand voices ringing clearBread upon the waters cast Shall be gathered at the last.

ΑΧΟΝ.

CHAPTER III.

N the cemetery in Hastings lie not a few whom I knew in days gone by.

Here is one grave. It is that of a young man. I visited him for a few weeks before his death. I cannot

but hope and believe that he took hold of the Saviour's promise. Upon this stone are engraved the last words he ever uttered-uttered, too, with intense reality, though with failing breath :

"Him-that-cometh-unto Me-I-will-IN NO WISE-IN NO WISE cast out."

Close by his grave is that of an aged Christian, who fell asleep after fifty or sixty years of faithful service in the Lord's vineyard. Though fifteen years blind, he was always busy for the Master. Upon the stone are engraved the last words he had ever been able to read in the Bible he had loved so well.

"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."-Ps. lxxiii. 24. Over this there is cut out the likeness of a ring and the words within it :

"God's providence mine inheritance."

The finding of this ring and the motto. within it had exercised a lifelong influence upon him. It had led him to rely upon God's Fatherly care, and his confidence had never been disappointed.

Not far away lie the remains of three sisters-all of them the true followers of Christ, and whose works do follow them. One text amongst others over their remains is peculiarly appropriate, in remembrance of their zeal in winning souls for Christ.

They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever."Dan. xii. 3.

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Crossing the walk, and at a few yards distance, there lies the body of one, the Rev. Thomas Vores, who, for more than thirty years, preached with all love and carnestness the Gospel of Christ, and whose simple and faithful lifting up of the Saviour brought consolation to many a troubled and anxious soul. 2 Cor. v. 20, 21, upon his tomb tells truly the story of his ministry. Upon the stone of his partner, for many years a confirmed invalid, there is a thought which she repeated more than a hundred times during her last illness. She had long been a true believer, but one distressed exceedingly by doubts and fears. But these words had marvellously helped her :

"Regard not feelings, good or bad,
Trust only what He saith;
Looking away from all to Him-
This is to live by faith."

Let me end my paper with a question for each reader. The closing days of The another year may well suggest it. longest life is but an inch of time: and If any life may end at any moment. soon the summons call you away, what might truly be written over your grave? What doth He see who searcheth the heart? Have you a hope that maketh not ashamed? Could there be written on your tomb any such words as these? "Accepted in the Beloved;" "I know that my Redeemer liveth; "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain;" "As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness;

"Safe in the arms of Jesus,

Safe on His gentle breast."

Let us live so that we may leave a sure testimony behind us. It was a sweet word I noticed over the grave of a young lady in Edinburgh, aged 17, one Elizabeth Pope :

"I know that grief your hearts will touch,
While you my loss deplore;
But, farewell, though I love you much,
I love my Saviour more."

CHAPTER III.

THE VICTORY GAINED. HE old sailor Jonas sat before the fire with his pipe in his mouth, looking steadfastly into the glow ing coals. Not that, following a favourite practice of his little niece, he was making out red-hot castles and flaming buildings in the grate, or that his thoughts were in any way connected with the embers; he was doing what it would be well if we all sometimes did,-looking into himself, and reflecting on what had happened in relation to his own conduct.

"So," thought he, "here am I, an honest old fellow, I may say it with all my faults; and one who shrinks from falsehood more than from fire; and I find that I, with my bearish temper, am actually driving those about me into it-teaching them to be crafty, tricky, and cowardly! I knew well enough that my gruffness plagued others, but I never saw how it tempted others until now; tempted them to meanness, I would say, for I have found a thousand times that 'an angry man stirreth up strife,' and that a short word may begin a long quarrel. I am afraid that I have not thought enough on this matter. I've looked on bad temper as a very little sin, and I begin to suspect that it is a great ore, both in God's eyes and in the consequences that it brings. Let me see if I can reckon up its evils! It makes those miserable whom one would wish to make happy: it often, like an adverse gale, forces them to back instead of steering straight for the port. It dishonours one's profession, lowers one's flag, makes the world mock at the religion which can leave a man as rough and rugged as a heathen savage. It's directly contrary to the Word of God,-it's wide as east from west of the example set before us! Yes, a furious temper is a very evil thing: I'd give my other leg to be rid of mine!" And in the warmth

of self-reproach the sailor struck his wooden one against the hearth with such violence as to make Alie start in terror that some fierce explosion was about to follow.

"Well, I've made up my mind as to its being an evil-a great evil," continued Jonas in his quiet meditation; "the next question is, How is the evil to be got rid of? There's the pinch! It clings to one like one's skin. It's one's nature,-how can one fight against nature? And yet, I take it, it's the very business of faith to conquer our evil nature. As I read somewhere, any dead dog can float with the stream: it's the living dog that swims against it. I mind the trouble I had about the wicked habit of swearing, when first I took to trying to serve God and leave off my evil courses. Bad words came to my mouth as natural as the very air that I breathed. What did I do to cure myself of that evil? Why, I resolved again and again, and found that my resolutions were always snapping like a rotten cable in a storm, and I was driven from my anchorage so often, that I almost began to despair. Then I prayed hard to be helped; and I said to myself, God helps those who help themselves, and maybe if I determine to do something that I should be sorry to do, every time that an oath comes from my mouth, it would assist me to remember my duty.' I resolved to break my pipe the first time that I swore; and I've never uttered an oath from that day to this, not even in my most towering passions! Now I'll try the same cure again; not to punish a sin, but to prevent it. If I fly into a fury, I'll break my pipe! There, Jonas Colter, I give you fair warning!" And the old sailor smiled grimiy to himself, and stirred the fire with an air of satisfaction.

Not one rough word did Jonas utter that evening; indeed, he was remarkably silent; for the simplest way of saying nothing evil, he thought, was to say nothing at all. Jonas looked with much pleasure at his pipe when he put it on the mantel-piece for the

night.

"You've weathered this day, old friend," said he: "we'll be on the look-out

against squalls to-morrow."

The next morning Jonas occupied himself in his own room with his phials, and his nephew and niece were engaged in the kitchen in preparing for the Sunday-school, which their mother made them regularly attend. The door was open between the two rooms, and, as the place was not large, Jonas heard every word that passed between Johnny and Alie almost as well as if he had been close beside them.

Johnny. I say, Alie

Alie. Please, Johnny, let me learn this quietly. If I do not know it my teacher will be vexed. My work being behind-hand yesterday has put me quite back with my tasks. You know that I cannot learn as fast as you do.

Johnny. Oh you've plenty of time. I want you to do something for me. Do you know that I have lost my new ball?

Alie. Why I saw you take it out of your pocket yesterday, just after we crossed the stile on our way back from the farm.

Johnny. That's it! I took it out of my pocket, and I never put it in again. I want you to go directly and look for the ball. That stile is only three fields off, you know. You must look carefully along the path all the way; and lose no time, or some one else may pick it up.

Alie. Pray, Johnny, don't ask me to go into the fields.

Johnny. I tell you, you have plenty of time for your lessons.

Alie. It is not that, but-
Johnny. Speak out, will you?

Alie. You know- there are-cows! Johnny burst into a loud laugh of derision. "You little coward!" he cried, "I'd like to see one chasing you round the meadow! How you'd scamper! how you'd scream! rare fun would it be,-ha! ha! ha!"

"Rare fun would it be, sir!" exclaimed an indignant voice, as Jonas stumped from the next room, and, seizing his nephew by the collar of his jacket, gave him a hearty shake; "rare fun would it be,-and what do you call this? You dare twit your sister with cowardice!-you who sneaked off yesterday

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like a fox because you had not the spirit to look an old man in the face!-you who bully the weak and cringe to the strong!-you who have the manners of a bear with the heart of a pigeon!" Every sentence was accompanied by a violent shake, which almost took the breath from the boy; and Jonas, red with passion, concluded his speech by flinging Johnny from him with such force that, but for the wall against which he staggered, he must have fallen to the ground.

The next minute Jonas walked up to the mantel-piece, and exclaiming, in a tone of vexation, "Run aground again!" took his pipe, snapped it in two, and flung the pieces into the fire! He then stumped back to his room, slamming the door behind him.

"The old fury!" muttered the panting Johnny between his clenched teeth, looking fiercely towards his uncle's room.

"To break his own pipe!" exclaimed Alie, "I never knew him do anything like that before, however angry he might be!"

Johnny took down his cap from its peg, and, in as ill humour as can well be imagined went out to search for his ball. He took what revenge he could on his formidable uncle, while amusing himself that afternoon by looking over his “Robinson Crusoe." Johnny was fond of his pencil, though he had never learned to draw; and the margins of his books were often adorned with grim heads or odd figures, by his hand. There was a picture in "Robinson Crusoe" representing a party of cannibals, as hideous as fancy could represent them, dancing around the fire. Johnny diverted his mind, and gratified his malice, by doing his best so to alter the foremost figure as to make him appear with a wooden leg, while he drew on his head a straw hat, unmistakably like that of the old sailor, and touched up the features so as to give a dim resemblance to his face. To prevent a doubt as to the meaning of the sketch, Johnny scribbled on the side of the picture,