One of his neighbours, a turner by trade, said to him one day, - What do you do with all the money that you earn so easily? Your manner of living as well as of dressing yourself and your children is quite as simple and modest as it was when you were not nearly so well off as you are now.'

The cabinet-maker replied with a smile, "Half of my weekly earnings is employed in paying my debts, and the other half I place at very good interest.'

'Nonsense!' replied the turner, laughing. 'I know very well, good neighbour, that you have no debts at all; and I am pretty sure that you have not much capital at the bank.'

"Nevertheless I tell you the exact truth,' replied the cabinet-maker, with a smile. 'Only let me explain my manner of acting: I regard it as a sacred duty to pay back to my aged and infirm parents all the money that they have spent for me since my birth, and I feel that I must pay this important debt to them. On the other hand, I consider as capital placed at very good interest all the money I spend to bring up my children as well as possible, and to help them to gain an honourable livelihood. This capital will be paid back by them with good interest when I can no longer work. My parents have spared no sacrifice to give me a good religious education, and to teach me a useful trade, and I wish to spare nothing in the same matter for my children.'

It is thus that all Christian parents should bring up their children; and children thus educated from their earliest years will find true happiness in proving their gratitude to their well-beloved parents. J. F. C.

THE HEDGE OF THORNS.
(Concluded from p. 139.)

THE church bells rang out their sum

mons

in vain for Clement that morning: You won't insist upon my going, mother, will you?' he entreated.

So he was left at home alone, though Harry begged hard to be allowed to stay with him. Mrs. Harley felt it was best so: perhaps a quiet hour or two of sorrow and repentance might in due time bring forth

fruit of real amendment.

But in the afternoon she called him to walk with her in the garden; and as they slowly paced up and down, he put his arm about her in his loving boy-fashion, and asked humbly:

'Do you think, mother, I could ever cure myself?'

'Of what, my dear?'

It

'Of my indolence; you see it was that, and nothing else, which brought me this trouble. I have been thinking about it all the morning, and it seems to me it is that which is always setting things wrong. is not only about my lessons, and not getting on and taking prizes, of course, if one won't work, one can't expect that kind of thing, but it gets one into all sorts of scrapes besides. It does indeed, mother; I could tell you something that would show you it does.'

I don't need any proof, my dear; it is one of the curses of slothfulness that it brings so many evils in its train: many a crime has had its beginning in idleness; it leads to faults that seem quite foreign to the idler's nature; it has made many an affectionate man neglectful of his family, and many a

'Mother,' interrupted Clement, I must tell you, though I know you will never think well of me again. You remember saying the

other day that something had altered me, and made me close. It was about my exercise; I left it, and left it, till there was no time to do it properly, and so-and sodon't look at me like that, mother, I copied it as near as I dared from Bob Freeman's book.'

It was out at last; and now Clement felt the comfort of his mother's grave sympathy and advice.

There is but one course to take,' she said after a little quiet talk on the matter;

you must tell Mr. Jones the exact truth to-morrow, and bear patiently any punishment he may think it right to impose. Ah, my child, it would be sad indeed if your indolence should end by making you ready at deceit and careless of right-the prey of any temptation that may seem to offer an escape from the consequences of your fault. You have thought it a slight thing to be merely lazy; but you see what it leads to: it not only makes the whole life unfruitful, but it brings forth all kinds of poisonous weeds, tares instead of wheat; and you remember that, in the parable, the reapers bind up the tares in bundles to be burned.'

Mrs. Harley spoke solemnly: Clement hung his head with deep awe and penitence in his heart.

Remain an idle, useless boy,' went on

watch against your temptation; you must force yourself into action, and try to do with all your might whatever you attempt to do at all. And you cannot begin too soon; it would be an awful thing to put off the striving till it should be too late.'

Too late! The words sounded like a funeral knell over poor Tartar. It was too late to save his dear old favourite, Clement reflected, but not too late to save himself. And he took a deep resolve that memorable afternoon, strengthening the resolve before he went to sleep at night by a fervent prayer for God's help.

We will not attempt to look into his future, and learn whether the prayer was answered and the resolution kept. But this much I can tell :-he got up early the next morning, and set the tool-house in order before going to school; and he made a full confession to his tutor about the copied exercise, though the avowal cost him a great deal of pain.

And the foot once firmly set upon the briers and thorns, we may venture to hope the whole hedge will in time be trampled down. EMMA RHODES.

THE FRENCH TRAVELLER AND HIS ARAB GUIDE.

will grow up an idle, useless man: all faults strengthen with time. But you ask if it is possible to cure yourself. Yes, to be sure, or God would not command us to strive after perfection-to lay aside our besetting sin. But He tells us also at least He puts it into St. Paul's mind to tell us

that we must look to Jesus while we strive; you must ask God for Christ's sake to help you; and you must struggle with yourself, and try hard every day and at every turn: you must always be on the

AFRENCHMAN,

sciences, but rather inclined to be

an atheist, was travelling with an Arab guide in the deserts of Africa. He noticed with a smile of pity that his guide, at certain hours of the day, raised his eyes towards Heaven and knelt down, devoutly pronouncing the name of God. Many days succeeded each other, and the Arab always showed himself faithful to his practices of devotion.

One evening, at the moment when the Arab had finished his prayer, the French

The fifth, of some wonderful bird; The sixth was too stupid for thinking: But none of them answered a word. And what would you ask, little Tommy, If you were with Christ up in Heaven?' Thus questioned the kind Sunday-teacher From the youngest boy of the seven. He was but a small orphaned cripple, A nine-years-old poor little elf; And, smiling, he answered, 'O, teacher, I'd ask Him to give me Himself.'

MARY HOWITT, in 'Good Words for the Young.'

THE STAFF AND THE LANTERN.

THE

(Continued from p. 148.)

HE man instantly complied with Iva's request, and a bright light shone out. Not a white light like the light of his own lantern, but something like the flame of a furnace, and it showed to Iva the handsomest man he had ever seen. The face seemed full of kindness, and when he spoke his words seemed like honey for sweetness. 'Ah,' said the man, 'I see you are a wise and sensible young fellow; you know what is good and what is bad: those silly children have gone trudging along that narrow road, they little think how difficult it is. Hark now! one of them is crying already because she

has kicked against a stone and hurt her foot. Look, here is a broad and easy road, and a pleasant one to travel; no stones in the way, no thorns to tear your legs, no fogs to chill you; plenty of jolly companions too, who laugh, and sing, and dance, and amuse themselves all the day, without any thought or care: they will be glad enough of your company.'

'But,' said Iva, will it lead me to my home?'

'O yes,' said the stranger, it will lead you home safely enough; all that travel this way get home quite as soon as they wish.' 'But there is one thing that puzzles me,' said the boy this road leads down hill, whereas I was going up hill; the roads cannot lead both to the same place.'

:

"O yes,' said the stranger, it is all one way; and, the worst come to the worst, you will be as well off as your neighbours.'

'Let us change lamps, then,' said the boy: but when he looked for his lamp it was gone.

'Never mind,' said the deceitful one, 'you will find the road plainly enough; and in the dark places lamps are put. Some call these lamps the light of reason; others, the light of nature: they will do for you better than the lamp you have lost."

'But the staff, what shall I do with that?' said Iva.

'Oh, keep it or throw it away, just as you like it does not matter.'

The deceiver well knew that the staff was of no use without the lantern, and indeed Iva saw numbers of his new companions with staves like his own; but of all those who carried a staff, not one was walking with it. Some were fencing, whilst others stood around and admired their skill in using their weapons; some were quarrelling about them, and trying