way you did not look." "What way was that?" said the father. "You did not look up," replied the boy. Ah! the little boy remembered that God sees; and what a lesson did he then give to his father! The man returned, and stole no more.

2. God hears, or listens; or, God has an ear. The Bible says that the gods of the heathen have eyes, but they do not see; ears, but they do not hear. Perhaps at this moment there are little boys far away in India or China who are bowing down before, and praying to, these gods. But our God is not like these. He hears us when we call to him. The Bible says, "His ear is not heavy, that it cannot hear."

Let me mention a case of God hearing. When Peter was put in prison by wicked men, the whole company of believers prayed to God that he might be delivered. And God heard; for, behold, as Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, the angel of the Lord came and raised him up, and the chains fell from off his hands. 3. God loves; or, God has a heart.Your father and mother love you, and you know this by what they give you and do for you. They work for you. They provide your food and raiment. They watch over you when sick. Surely these things show that your parents are kind. Now God does the same. The Bible says he gives the rain from heaven, the fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness (Acts xiv. 17). God makes the sun to shine, the rain to fall, the corn to grow. He gives us health, and strength, and kind friends. Surely then God is good, surely God loves.

But what shows God's love most is the gift of JESUS. He gave up his Son to die for us: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16). The Bible calls this an unspeakable gift" (2 Cor. ix. 15). Perhaps you have something, my young friends, you love and prize very muchit may be a toy, an article of dress, a little dog. Would you readily give these away? Yet Jesus was God's well-beloved Son, and he gave him up to be hated and despised, to be mocked and spit upon, to be crucified and buried, in order that we should be saved from our sins. Surely God, when he did this, loves us more than we can understand, and the gift of Jesus lets us see into the heart of God. Oh the length and the breadth, and the height and the depth, of the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

My young friends, if God sees, do you rejoice, or are you afraid that he sees your actions? If God hears, do you pray to him daily, not only for daily bread, but especially for pardon, for a new heart, for the Holy Spirit? If God loves, do you seek to love him in turn, with all your heart, and soul, and strength, and mind?

"YOUR MARCHING ORDERS, SIR!"

WHEN the Duke of Wellington was asked by a minister his opinion about the utility of a mission to the Hindus, his reply was, "Look at your marching orders, sir-'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.""

lessons all the evening, during most of the year he has little opportunity. But now holidays have come, and he can be with them at the sea-side all the day long. Here he is wading among the rocks, picking up a rare shell, or a curious sea-weed, -anything that will interest or please his sisters.

Thousands of our young readers are now having their holidays. We hope they are all, brothers and sisters, trying to make each other happy. And don't forget the very little ones. When a little town-child goes to the sea-side or to the country, everything seems a wonder to it, for everything seems new. Try to make every one in the house, even baby, as happy as you can.

"I CANNOT PRAY FOR FATHER ANY MORE."

CHILD knelt, at the accustomed hour, to thank God for the mercies of the day, and pray for his care through the coming night; then, as usual, came the "God bless dear mother and-" But the prayer was stilled, the little hands unclasped, and a look of sadness and wonder met the mother's eye, as the words of hopeless sorrow came from the lips of the kneeling child,-"I cannot pray for father any more!" Since her little lips had been able to form the dear name, she had prayed for a blessing upon it. It had followed close after mother's name. But now he was dead. I waited for some moments, and then urged her to go on. Her pleading eyes met mine, and, with a voice that faltered, she said, "O mother, I cannot leave him all out! Let me say, 'Thank God that I had a dear father once!' so I can still go on, and keep him in my prayers." And so she still continues to do; and my heart learned a lesson, from the loving ingenuity of my child. Remember to thank God for mercies past, as well as to ask blessings for the future.-Selected.

وو

REPENTANCE OR PUNISHMENT. ONE of these two things doth always follow sin,-repentance, or punishment.

"NANE WAUR THAN BRITHERS."

A GENTLEMAN walking one day along the street of a country town in Scotland, saw two boys fighting very fiercely, as if they were bitter enemies. As he ran forward to separate them, an old woman, who came out of a lane hard by, cried out, "They are brithers, sir; nane waur than brithers." And brothers the young fighters turned out to be.

It is very sad, but also very true, that little brothers, who should live together in love and peace, often fall out, and fight with each other, as if filled with bitter hatred.

Let those who read this story be warned by it against quarrelling and fighting.. Little brothers and sisters should love and help one another. They ought not to speak to one another a bitter word, much less give an angry blow. You cannot be happy unless you live in peace and harmony; and Christ tells you to "love one another."

SPOILING A DOG.

J. D.

A POOR African came to Robert Moffat, the South African missionary, with the sad story that a dog had torn a New Testament to pieces, and eaten some of the leaves! He said that the dog had been very useful to him, guarding his property from wild beasts and hunting them; but he feared he was now useless. Dr. Moffat asked him how this could be? He could get another Testament, and why could not the dog be as useful as ever? "I am afraid," he replied, "the dog will be of no further use to me. The words of the New Testament are full of love and gentleness; and after the dog has eaten them, it is not likely that he will hunt or fight for me any more."

"

Of course he was not long in finding out that the dog was made neither better nor worse by eating the words. How many are there upon whom those words, so “full of love," have no more effect for good than they had on the poor African's dog!

INDIA.

NAGPORE.

Notes of a Preaching Journey.

BY THE REV. DAVID WHITTON, NAGPORE. Wood can Swim!

December 8.-The village we visited in the evening, Goomthula, had a very wretched appearance.

When we arrived at the outskirts of the village on our way back, my attention was attracted by what appeared to be a number of wooden dolls stuck into a small mound of earth on the road-side. They were arranged in a single row, daubed with various kinds of paint, and tied together with strings. In front of them stood about a dozen small, badly-formed images of horses, all made of clay. Not knowing what to make of this curious erection, called to a Kunbi who was standing near, and asked him what it was intended for. He told me in all simplicity that the wooden figures were intended to prevent cholera from entering the village; and that the horses had been presented to them to secure the favour of the god who was supposed to dwell in them. On being asked why he believed those wretched images to be divine, he replied that wood was evidently a god, because it could swim!

Hindu Nonsense about Eclipses. December 11.-Marched this morning to a place called Kharbi, and encamped on a small rising ground, close to a large tank. An image of Mahadeva and the snake-god, with a few others, were close to our tentdoor. In the evening we went into the village to preach. We first called on the patel, a stout, well-fed, humorous-looking sort of fellow, who told us that many of the villagers had gone to a place called Ambora to bathe, on account of an eclipse of the sun that was to take place next day. We succeeded in collecting about ten or a dozen persons. We first asked them about the eclipse; and the patel, anxious to show his knowledge, told us that the gods being on one occasion at the point of starvation, in consequence of a great famine, came to the crow, and besought him to help them.; The crow, whose plumage at that time was white and brilliant as the sun, moved with compassion, promised to supply them with

food; but as he would lose the lustre of his plumage thereby, he stipulated that the sun should be given to him by way of compensation. The gods consented, but after being fed, failed to keep their promise; whereupon the crow made a rush at the sun, and endeavoured to carry it off by force. He failed in the attempt; but whenever he has an opportunity he tries again,-and so we have eclipses of the sun! When we stated our way of explaining the eclipse, all were struck by its simplicity; but the patel evidently thought that though it might be true, it lacked all the romantic interest of his own. When we began to speak about the one living and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he had sent, all listened very attentively. Dogs don't care for Idols.

The same evening, as we were sitting at our tent-door, a boy came from the village to present an offering to one of the idols before mentioned. He was followed by a dog, who evidently had another scheme in his head than doing that of the púja (worship) to the idol. The boy came up, put down his offering, which consisted of a few flowers, and a little cup made of dough, in which was a little oil and a lighted taper; and having bowed to the idol, was about to go, when I called to him to protect his offering, otherwise it would go to the dog instead of to the god. He drove the dog away, but in a few moments he was back again, and putting his foot on the light, instantly extinguished it, and carried off the prize in triumph! I told this story in the village we visited next morning, and asked the people how they could believe their offerings went to their gods when I had with my own eyes seen them carried off and devoured by dogs.

December 12.-Had a beautiful view of the eclipse this morning. We sat a long time with the people of the village trying to let at least one ray of light into their minds.

THE JEWS.

ELIEZER NOT TO BE RELEASED.

AFTER the interest shown by our readers in the effort to get a release for Eliezer, the Jewish convert, who was taken to be a Russian soldier, we greatly regret at length to hear that all has been in vain. Mr. Tomory has received a letter from the Polish pastor at Warsaw, who has taken so much kind trouble in the matter. He says that although the money was ready, to pay a man to go in his stead, and the man was ready, it is now decided that the Russian government will not allow it. Eliezer must serve out the whole time-not less than five years longer.

Sixty pounds were asked-and the young people, in reply, contributed more than one hundred and forty-nine pounds. What is to be done with the money?

No foreign missionary is allowed in Russia; but Eliezer, while a soldier, has a good deal of spare time every day. He is at present acting as apothecary in a military dispensary; and being a native, and a soldier, he is at liberty to go daily, as he has been going, to visit among the Jews. Mr. Tomory suggests that the Jewish Committee might employ him as their labourer in this work, and give him £20 a-year. In this way poor Eliezer might prove a means of blessing among "the lost sheep of the house of Israel," his kinsmen according to the flesh; while the money contributed in vain for his release would be gradually spent on a truly missionary work.

Would not this be a good plan? We have no means of getting an answer from our young friends, but we hope they will agree with us that it is; and that the Committee should so appoint him. Who can tell but that God may overrule this dis

appointment for making Eliezer, as a soldier, more useful than if he had been set free? We hope all who contributed will often think of him, and pray for him, tried, as he will no doubt be, among his rough soldier companions.

HOW TO MAKE A HOME HAPPY. ARE you not surprised to find how independent of money peace of conscience is? and how much happiness can be condensed into the humblest home? A cottage will not hold the bulky furniture and sumptuous accommodation of a mansion; but if God be there, a cottage will hold as much happiness as might stock a palace.-Dr. James Hamilton.

HAY-MAKING.

(See woodcut on title-page.) Now it is summer. The days are long, and the sun is up in the sky hours before you are awake.

The trees are full of leaves, and the garden is gay with flowers.

The hay-makers are busy in the fields. Do you know what hay is? It is long grass cut down and dried. The men who cut it down are called mowers. They cut it with long sharp scythes. And women and girls toss it about in the field, that the wind and sun may dry it. How sweet new-mown grass smells!

When the hay is dry, it is made into a hay-stack. It is now ready to be used to feed horses and cows in winter, when there is no grass in the fields for them to eat.

DON'T BREAK THE PITCHER!

PRAYER is as the pitcher that fetcheth water from the brook therewith to water the herbs; break the pitcher and it will fetch no water, and for want of water the garden withers.-John Bunyan.

WE MUST NOT DESPAIR.

WE must not despair of the worst; for while there is life there is hope. The grace of God can soften the hardest heart.-Matthew Henry.