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seeds of knowledge, which, as you grow older, will ensure you the love and respect of all those whose esteem a good child should be desirous of possessing.

Now, in order to your becoming wise and good, two things are essentially necessary; good means of instruction, and a mind willing to learn and improve. The first requisite this little work is intended to supply. Here you will be taught the wonders of creation, and the mighty works of God: here you will learn some of the noble actions of great and good men, and also the faith and love to the Creator, from which those actions have sprung. In the amusing and interesting stories which you will here read, you will see how lovely and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, and how many virtues may be practised by a "Child at Home;" and in addition to all these you will find much other matter calculated at once to afford instruction and amusement to your enquiring minds.

You will thus be furnished with the means of knowledge, but for a mind willing to learn and improve, you must look up to the Father of all, and seek His aid by loving him and earnestly desiring him to enlighten your minds and to fill your hearts with the knowledge of His

will, not that you may appear superior to your fellows, and thus cherish pride, which is hateful to God, but that you may apply all you learn to good and useful purposes and thus become like those happy spirits who are before the throne of your heavenly Father and which the Bible tells us, are all ministering spirits, devoted to the good of their fellow creatures.

Ever bear in mind, my dear children, that in order to become wise and good, you must associate with those who are so. Shun then, all evil and vicious companions, love your parents, brothers, and sisters, and be ready at all times to serve and oblige them, speak the truth at all times, and be kind and attentive to all, doing always as much good as lies in your power, so shall you be happy in making others happy, and finally rejoice with the angels in God's presence for ever.

THE EDITOR.

"A MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A HAPPY
NEW YEAR."

What a dreary time is Winter ! How different to those bright joyous days when we used to wander over hill and dale; when the birds sang so melodiously, and the daisy and buttercup beautified the bright green grass at our feet! Now the branches are all bare, and the leaves are all dead; there they lie, under those very arms on which they were born. There are very few flowers now to cheer us, and the woods are melancholy and desolate; and the little robin red-breast hops from hedge to hedge after the red berries, and seems to long for the beautiful days of Summer!

But, if winter has its dreariness, it has also, its joys; and, like every thing else that has been made for our use and happiness; there are its corresponding hours of mirth and pleasure, to its silence and sorrow but let us now take one little peep at the greatest joy of winter; the brightest berry in his old garland. We have known little bright-eyed children look upon a nosegay of sweet wild-flowers in July, while wandering over the neighbouring fields, and long for the finest and sweetest: now let them, in cold January, while seated perhaps upon their mo

ther's knee, or beside a blazing fire, look upon the nosegay of times and seasons, and devote a few moments to Christmas reflections. How we long for Christmas! and what scores of times in December we remind each other of the number of days wanting to complete its arrival! and when it does come, how our hearts leap with gladness! Little children come home for the holidays then; many coaches come rattling through the streets, many boys exchange many pence for many pea-shooters, and many peas to fire at the people as they pass: but, when they arrive at home! the coach stops, a loud knocking is heard at the door, out run four or five of the family, all so happy, and little George or little Robert is very soon in the arms of his mother; then what a happy home awaits him! There is the old picture of his great grandfather, ornamented with a large branch of laurel; and the walls of each parlour are all bedecked with red berries; nor is the ceiling forgotten, for there hangs a fine branch of mistletoe for George or Robert to kiss his little sister under! Mavor and Walkinghame are now forgotten, and snap-dragon and hunt-the-slipper reign triumphant. Little girls, too, spend long hours in telling their mothers how many nice walks they have had; how many marks for good spelling and reading; keeping awake at church, while governess fell asleep; remembering the texts, and so forth: oh, what a capital time is Christmas!

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But, have any of our young readers ever thought seriously of the words at the head of this paper, A MERRY CHRISTMAS?" Which, think you, sounds the best, A MERRY CHRISTMAS," or

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A HAPPY NEW

YEAR?" If we told you, that we may be merry though very unhappy, and very happy though not so merry, we know what you would say, "A happy New Year, by all means!" Well, we think so too: but let us enquire into the meaning of "mirth and happiness." King Solomon once said "Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness: then, that is not the true mirth

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The rich man in the parable,

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we are inquiring for. you may remember, said to his soul, "Thou hast much good laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry: but God said to him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?" That is not the true mirth, then, either. Now let us see what is,-what composes this true mirth: when there "is joy in heaven; that is true mirth when little children walk in their gardens, and sing

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that is true mirth; and, when the sun arises, and the dark clouds roll away, and the birds begin to sing their sweet songs of praise to God, that is true mirth. Thus we see that true mirth consists in lifting up ou

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