a few words of comfort to the bereaved mother, came up to where the children were standing, and, laying his hand on the shoulder of the little girl who was still crying, said kindly, "Were you very fond of poor Annie, my dear, you seem much distressed at having lost her?" "Oh, yes, sir,” replied she, "I loved her very much indeed, I shall miss her so now, I can't bear to think I shall never see her again." "Ob, sir,” said one of the others, "Emily and Annie were great friends, they were just about the same age, poor Annie would have been ten years old in a few days." "Listen to me, my dear," said Mr. Alton to little Emily, it is quite natural you should grieve very much at loosing your friend, but you must not think only of her body, which is dead, and laid in the grave; but think too of her soul, which still lives and which, we hope and trust, is now at rest in the Lord. When Annie was a little baby she was brought to Church, as you were yourself, and baptized, and in Holy Baptism she was made a child of God, and her Heavenly Father promised to receive her hereafter into His glorious kingdom, unless when she grew old enough to know right from wrong, she forfeited her claim to His promise by disbelief and neglect of His Commandments. Now we cannot tell for certain what was in Annie's heart, only God could see that, but, what we do know of her, gives us good hope that she is now happy. She was a good, obedient, child; she was useful and affectionate to her mother, quiet and teachable at School and reverent at Church, and she seemed to love to hear about our Blessed Saviour. No doubt, she sometimes did wrong, for all of us often fall into sin, but, as far as we can judge, she tried to do her duty; and, therefore we trust, that God will receive her into Heaven, through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Think of this, my dear children, and think too how blessed it will be, if, when it pleases God to call us away we are thought fit, through His infinite mercy, to be received into His everlasting Kingdom." Mr. Alton paused for a few moments, and little Emily, who had dried her tears, and was looking earnestly at him, exclaimed, "Oh, sir, but I am not good like Annie was, I am often very naughty, I hope I shall not die yet!" "I hope," said Mr. Alton, very gravely, "that you will try every day to become more fit to die, for you cannot tell how soon you may be called into the presence of God. Annie was as young as you are, as strong and as healthy, and how quickly has she been taken away! Think of her now as happy in Paradise, and think of the time when, if you have lived a holy life, you will, through your Saviour's merits, asruredly meet her on high. But think, also, of what will be your dreadful fate hereafter, if you pass your time on earth in carelessness and sin, and do not think of the great God before Whom you must one day appear. Ask yourselves, each one of you, this question-ask yourselves often and at all times, If it should please God to take me away this very day, Am I prepared to die ?"" Mr. Alton now took leave of the children, and bade them go quietly home. As they left the Church-yard, Emily said, "Oh Sally, I do not think I shall ever be idle, or disobedient, or behave ill in Church again, I shall try to be a much better girl than I have ever been before." So shall I," said Sally, "it would be shocking to be taken ill and die, like Annie, after being so naughty as we often are. It is very hard always to be good; but you know we have been told, we must pray to God to give us grace to do right, and then He will be sure to help us. I mean to say my prayers more heartily to night than I have ever done before." Whether these little girls kept their good resolutions, we do not know; but we will hope they did,-that they really tried to do what was right, and prayed to God to help them, and so become every day more holy, and consequently more fit to die. L. R. P. "YET A LITTLE WHILE!" Beyond the smiling and the weeping, Beyond the waking and the sleeping, I shall be soon. Love, Rest, and Home! Sweet hope! Lord! tarry not, but come. Beyond the blooming and the fading, Beyond the shining and the shading, Beyond the hoping and the dreading, I shall be soon. Love, Rest, and Home! Sweet hope! Lord! tarry not, but come. Beyond the rising and the setting, I shall be soon; Beyond the soothing and the fretting, Beyond remembering and forgetting, Love, Rest, and Home! Sweet hope! Lord! tarry not, but come. Beyond the gathering and the strewing, Beyond the ebbing and the flowing, Beyond the coming and the going, I shall be soon. Love, Rest, and Home! Sweet hope! Lord! tarry not, but come. Beyond the parting and the meeting, Beyond the farewell and the greeting, Heart fainting now, and now high beating, Love, Rest, and Home! Sweet hope! Lord! tarry not, but come. Beyond the frost-chain and the fever I shall be soon; Beyond the rock-waste and the river, Beyond the ever and the never, I shall be soon. Love, Rest, and Home! Sweet hope! Lord! tarry not, but come. August, 1850. A WILLING MIND. MY DEAR CHILDREN,-I address those who sometimes say, or feel within themselves, "It is of no use, I cannot do this thing, or the other, or become like such a one; " expressions and feelings which are, not admitting a doubt, decidedly wrong. You reply, the Bible says, "There is none that doeth good, no not one." Certainly, for even our most holy actions are tainted with sin, but because you find it impossible to learn the Scriptures through in a day, is that any reason why you should not endeavour to commit some portions to memory. God is very merciful and will accept a willing mind. When your hearts are set on any undertaking, think how soon and how easily the work is accomplished; and, moreover, how pleasantly. Ask yourselves, am I serving the Almighty with a willing mind? or do I find heavenly employments irksome? If the latter question answers to your case, do not be discouraged, but will, and determine, and pray to overcome the feeling. In Baptism you were all made very members incorporate of Christ's most precious Body, children of God, and heirs of heaven. Will you forfeit these high privileges? |