KEEP NEAR TO GOD.

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and Earth, and the host of Worlds we see around us every starlight night, will love even me, will grant His blessing to follow me through all the changes of my life here; and when it comes to my turn to leave this world, the Saviour will welcome me with those words (precious words to us when that time really has come)-" Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a very little-enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!"

THE "WICKET GATE."-AN AMAZING PROMISE.

The commencement of a Young Christian's Life of Prayer.

"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

The Strait Gate" at the Commencement of a Christian's Life.

"Strive to enter in at the strait (difficult) gate; for many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able when once the Master of the House has shut the Door."

CHAPTER XXX.

"I CAN," AND "I CAN'T."
WHICH WILL YOU BE?

A GOOD YOUTH.-SELF-IMPROVEMENT.-THE INSTITUTE.

THE FIRST-CLASS CAR.-THE " UP-GRADE."

'Heaven grant, the Manly Heart, that, timely, ere,
Youth fly, with Life's real Battle' would be coping,
The Fruit of dreary hoping,'
Is,-waking,-Blank Despair."

"I CAN."

CLOUGH.

HERE are two young fellows,-whom we all know well, for you can meet with them any day, and some of us have not got to go very far to do so,-the name of one of these youths is "I can,"-whom you see in this

SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

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Picture, in his Night Institute,-and the name of the other is "I can't." Where shall we find him? Probably listening to low songs at the Concert Hall, or watching scenes of Murder and Bloodshed of a "Sensational Drama in the Gallery of

a second-rate Theatre.

What age are these youths? Oh! just your age, young Reader!

and

What sort of looking lads are they? they are, as the saying goes,-" like one another to a T," Well,-in one sense,for you see there is really only a T between "I can "I can't." But that little T makes all the difference in the World! For you can hardly fancy how very different these Boys really are to each other, and what very different young Men they will become! "I can,"-is as nice a looking Youth as you would wish to see! good-natured,-everybody seems to like "I can." His comBright, clean, cheerful, lively, rades and young companions like "I can,"-always have a smile for him, when "I can" enters. "I I can." "We can trust him with anything:-best lad we His employers like ever had," they say, he's out of his time.' we hope to keep him with us when His Parents, Brothers, and Sisters, all love "I can," can't do without him. Why? Because "I can" said,-" Instead of being disrespectful, selfish, cold, and unkind to my parents, I can obey God by obedience, and dutiful respect to my Father and Mother, and I will act goodnaturedly to all around me." self-denial, at first, a good many struggles with temper, but It required many efforts, and he said, "I can," and he did it!

"I can" is always a pattern of cleanliness. He has a good deal of dirty work to do at times. scrub whenever I get the chance," says "I can." So he buys The more need for a a twopenny nail brush, and sets to work! His teeth by constant brushing, night and morning, are now, at last,-for it took time, so fair and white,—that it is a pleasure to look at them; and if you saw Master "I can" in his Sunday clothes, you would not know him from a young gentleman. has had his temptations to injure his health by drinking,I can smoking, bad company, and sin; but "I can " would have nothing to do with them. "It's not good enough," he says, -"I want a happy, healthy, and long life!' body smokes!" say they," and drinks too! Oh! everyeverybody," says "I can,' would be smokers'; I'm better without it, and I want all else all the cars on the Railways my money for the Cricket club, and the Penny Night Classes." -For you must know, "I can" is thought much of in his cricket club. He didn't get on well at first, but he said, I

"No, not

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know I can

man.

PEGGING AWAY " AT THE LEG STUMP.

"if I try; and by degrees he became a sure BatsIt was long too before " I can,”—as a Bowler,—could send down the Balls true on the wicket, but "I can” kept pegging away" till he did it. "Wanted a good man to play that ball!"-remarks the Umpire, putting the leg stump up again;—and away goes the best Bat on the other side, with only half dozen runs!

-

All this goes towards making "I can" so healthy and cheerful. "I don't like your "Religious," non-drinking;-— non-smoking, non-swearing,-lads, they are all "Molly coddles!" Are they? You should see "I can" in the Gymnasium, his jolly round shoulders, good arms and legs, having a turn with the Gloves" with a youth half a head taller than himself,-not much of a Molly coddle' there! Why, "I can" can stand up to any youth his own weight, not a professional-and would knock your poor pale-faced, thin,- shipwrecky-about-the-knees, —" fast, drinking, vicious youths, into a "cocked hat " in five minutes! Then, while "I can't" and other "fast" youths are wasting their hard-earned wages in tobacco, and drink, and low company, listening in a stifling Concert Hall to the "Great" ?" "Cad!" shall we say? or the Shoreditch Idol," men and women, making their £200 a week by singing vulgar, often vile,-songs to those who are foolish enough to pay to hear such rubbish, all this time, "I can,”—with other decent youths, is at his evening classes, at Mr. Hogg's "Polytechnic," or Sir Edmund Hay Currie's splendid "People's Palace," if in London; or the "Midland Institute" in Birmingham, the splendid "Athenæum," Manchester, and the "Y.M.C.A.'s" in our cities.

That is why "I can " is so intelligent, he pegs away" at his French, and Shorthand, and Music, and Science, and Art Classes, just as he "pegged away" at the Leg Stump! Then, before he leaves the Institute, he has a turn at the Gymnasium,-visits the Chess, and Reading Rooms, and, perhaps, the Swimming Bath; and thus spends his evenings happily, and well, and feels that he is "getting on!"

His Employers notice it too,-when their self-interest is concerned you may trust them for that,-and " I can "becomes the Foreman, Head Clerk, or Traveller of the Firm, before many years pass. He will then be drawing a good salary, and will probably marry the pretty daughter of one of the Partners, whom you see in the picture asking good-natured "I can " when a lad,-to give up his cricket and join them at Tennis. Then, in the Institute,-as birds of a feather flock together," the better class of his companions ask "I can

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to join them in the Sunday School Work,-attending their Bible Meetings,-helping them in the Evening School for poor Boys,-visiting the poor, and other good, Christian work. Then,-best of all, without which all would be useless,-God's call" comes to "I can " in early life; God sends "I can" convictions, and though, at first, it was difficult, he said "I can, with God's aid, chose the narrow Path of Prayer and Piety,"-and becomes a young Christian, -honoured by God in a life of usefulness and is able to say, "I can do all things through Christ strengthening me!"

Well! dear Reader! How do you like the Lad, "I can "? Then why should you not attempt to be "I can" yourself? "Ah! it's all very fine talking,"-a boy in very poor circum