MEASURING THE BABY.

WE

E measured the riotous baby Against the cottage wall:A lily grew at the threshold, And the boy was just as tall! A royal tiger lily,

With spots of purple and gold, And a heart like a jewelled chalice,

The fragrant dew to hold.

Without the blue-birds whistled

High up in the old roof-trees, And to and fro at the window

The red rose rocked her bees; And the wee pink fists of the baby Were never a moment still, Snatching a shine and shadow

That danced on the lattice-sill!

His eyes were as wide as bluebells,—

His mouth like a flower unblown,Two little bare feet, like funny white mice,

Peeped out from his snowy gown: And we thought with a thrill of rapture, That yet had a touch of pain, When June rolls around with her roses

We'll measure the boy again.

Ah me! in a darkened chamber,

With the sunshine shut away, Through tears that fell like a bitter rain,

We measured the boy to-day;

And the little bare feet, that were dimpled

HELP EACH OTHER.

AFATHER was walking one day in the

fields with his two children. The wind was blowing over a fine field of ripe corn, and making the beautiful golden ears wave like the waves of the sea.

Is it not surprising,' said one of the children, that the wind does not break the slender stalks of the corn?'

'My child,' said the father, 'see how flexible the stalks are! They bend before the wind and rise again when it has passed over them. See, too, how they help to support each other. A single stalk would be soon bent to the ground, but so many growing close together help to keep each other up. We should do this also to each other. If we keep together when the troubles of life come on us like a stormy wind, we shall keep each other up when one trying to stand alone would fall.'

'Bear ye one another's burdens.'

'Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." -Children's Paper.

THE APPLES. GARDENER had an only son, whom he had brought up with the greatest care, trying by all the means in his power to inspire him with the love of God, and to protect him The boy grew The boy grew

from every evil temptation. up happy and gentle under his father's care. Modest, obedient, and pious, he was the delight of his parents; but it chanced one day that he fell into the company of some vicious youths of his own age. William, for that was his name, was surprised at language so new to him; yet, in spite of something which warned him of its sin and danger, he could not help being amused at their sallies of wit, and their lively pranks. After all,' he said to himself, if they say or do what is wrong, I need not copy them; nay, who knows that I may not do them good by my example? and there are few such good-humoured and amusing fellows in the whole town as they.'

His father soon found out the acquaintances which his son had made, and determined to give him a lesson. He gathered seven apples, six being the finest and ripest he could find in his garden, and the seventh a rotten one. He placed them all together in a basket, and gave them to his son. The boy took them with pleasure; but seeing the rotten apple, 'How comes this here?' he said. I will throw it away; for it will spoil all the others.'

'Do nothing of the sort,' said his father; 'the others will rather render it sound.'

'O father,' said William,' you are joking;. every one knows that one bad apple will

make a whole basketful of good apples decay, if you let it lie among the rest."

'Well, we will see,' said the gardener; so give me your basket, and I will lock it up in the cupboard.'

William did as he was bid, wondering all the while what his father meant to do to change the bad apple into a sound one. A few days later his father called him, and bade him look at the apples. They opened the cupboard, and found that three had already begun to decay.

There, father,' said William, I knew how it would be: the rotten apple will taint all the good ones."

6

'Have no fears,' said his father; only wait patiently, and you will see them all as sound as ever.' And so saying, he put the basket again on the shelf, and carried away the key of the cupboard.

Another week passed, and again the press was opened and the basket examined; but now all the apples were decayed. William was annoyed at the loss of the fruit; but his father gravely said to him:

'My boy, I knew well enough that your apples would all soon decay; but I wished to prove to you how easily one bad companion will corrupt others. What is true of apples, is true also of children and of men. Now tell me, what sort of company were you amusing yourself with a week or two ago? With those whose manners and conversation would as surely corrupt yours as this one rotten apple has spoiled the beautiful fruit with which it was placed. It is easy for me to replace these apples with others; but if you once lose your innocence, your piety, and the friendship of God, we cannot as easily restore them.'

William hung his head, but whispered to his father that his lesson should not be