in the neighbourhood Mrs. Boyce persisted that she had been a careless mother, and had sent her boy out to his death. And though she had read her Bible night and morning, and went regularly to church, listening to every word of the sermon, it never struck her that this fretfulness of disposition was a sin which she had to

conquer.

It was really hard on poor Amy to come home in the evening to hear nothing but lamentations, and to dread every gust of wind because it brought down her mother's

tears.

:

Fretting at last made Mrs. Boyce seriously ill she took to her bed, gave directions to poor, distracted Amy in the event of her death, and desired her to pray for her speedy release from this troublesome world. Poor Amy! she came as she was bid to her mother's bedside, and said her evening prayers there, with the old hymn 'Gentle Jesus,' that she had repeated from childhood, hoping that this might calm and comfort the poor woman; but Mrs. Boyce still said, 'Pray now for me, Amy,' so Amy prayed that her mother might be brought to peace and happiness either in this world. or the next, and might do God's will living or dying.

She could not pray for her mother's death, that would be too much to expect from a daughter; and yet. Mrs. Boyce was only half satisfied, and thought Amy unfeeling when she told her that the doctor thought she would recover from this illness.

She wanted to go to her boy, she said, to ask his pardon and bid him not reproach her for sending him to sea, as she was sure he must be doing.

Amy did not reason with the sick woman, but she tried to divert her mind in every way possible.

(Concluded in our next.)

THE STAFF AND THE LANTERN.

(Concluded from page 183.) HUS the three little pilgrims walk on their journey, one lame, one blind, and

one crippled in his limbs; but Humility being their guide, and the Mercies delivering them from further severe assaults of the evil one, they get gradually nearer and nearer their blessed home. And oh, how they long for the rest of the blessed country after the toils and dangers of the road! They sometimes say, 'It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept Thy word.' These sentences were written on their staves.

But one day, as they were nearing their journey's end, and were talking of their trials and dangers and their happy escapes, Amana told them that he saw Iva, and described the crowd he was with; when Bithiah earnestly inquired of her guide if no mercy was ever sent to the broad-road travellers to try and deliver them; if any had seen Iva, and given him a chance to escape? To which her guide replied, 'Bithiah, daughter of the Lord, your heart is moved with compassion for those who are out of the way; be assured, then, that even the broad-road travellers have many mercies sent them, but they for the most part spurn them all. Iva has had many an offer of help to deliver him from the snares of the evil one, but his perverse spirit scorns all the kindness shown him. His end is near, and before this day's sun be set you all shall see his end. Come with me to the brink and look down.'

Now the narrow road and the broad commence upon one level space, but each step makes it more difficult for those who

travel the broad way to get to the narrow. One ascends, but the other descends. On the first setting out, the barrier is but trifling compared to the latter part.

'See now,' says one of the guides,' who can climb that perpendicular rock to reach this place? Many think, that when they come to the endoftheir journey their lantern and staff will avail them; but when they have thrown their lanterns away, and left their staves behind, they cannot have them just as they want them. Perhaps, now and then, one may escape through the help of Mercy; but, I fear, only very few. The road at this point too is very slippery, and the slope towards that black river is so great, that it is next to a miracle if one escapes.'

A piercing scream now startled the three children. A band of travellers had been gradually approaching as they were listening to Mercy's story, and now one had trodden on the border of the slope. It is Iva! A moment before he had been cursing Lucas, and spurning a Mercy sent to restrain him, and his eyes begin to open to his fate. He loudly calls for his long-forgotten staff, and in a moment the deceiver who turned him aside at the first is with him. No longer he deceives him, but he blows the dust aside, and the light flashes upon the staff which he sees for a moment before he loses it for ever, and he reads these dreadful words, But ye have set at nought all my

counsel, and would have none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. He saw no more, but with a groan of despair he sank into the black river, and was gone.

Then, as these children were trembling with horror, and as each thought how nearly they had suffered the like fate through yielding to temptation, I perceived that their journey had ended. The bright light from Lucas made them

turn their eyes to their staves; each read, 'Come, ye blessed children of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.' A beautiful white robe, the Robe of righteousness, was thrown over each of them, Clauda's limb was restored to its full strength, Bithiah's eyes were opened, and Amana felt power come into his bones, and fearlessly they walked through a bright and clear stream, and amidst a thousand welcomes entered the glorious abode of the blessed.

I then awoke, and found it was a dream, but as I dozed between sleeping and waking I said to myself,-"These little pilgrims have walked to their heavenly home on the feet of faith and love, but mercy alone has sustained them and kept them from falling away. Lucas, even Jesus Christ, Who has given them the light of His Holy Spirit, has sent them all the mercy they ever received. In every difficulty the safest way is to bend our knees in prayer, and pray that we may be directed aright. Humility is a most faithful guide for leading us safely on our journey; and lastly, the only cure for all our failings, and our only strength in crossing the river of death, is the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Saviour. At the best, all our efforts are but lame attempts to serve Him; the best of us are but blind to our true interests, and the most faithful are liable to fall.' I also learnt from Iva's fate, that when mercies are spurned, the Word of God neglected, and the gift of the Holy Spirit despised, there is nothing to look for but death and destruction.

When I was wide awake I did not change my opinion. What think you, dear children, am I right or wrong?

W. M.

TIMOTHEUS AND PHILEMON. THE STORY OF TWO CHRISTIAN BROTHERS. Adapted from the German of Canon Schmidt,* By James F. Cobb, Esq.

CHAP. I.-FATHER AND MOTHER.

WISTORY is rich in remarkable and instructive events. One of these is the great struggle between Christendom and the Turkish power.

There was a time when the Turks had even captured what was then the largest and most splendid city in the world next to Rome, viz. Constantinople, which was the residence of the Christian emperor; and there they changed the magnificent Christian church which the Emperor Constantine had built into a

mosque.

The Turks had seized on many lands and brought many nations under their sway. Among these the noble Hungarian nation had suffered much from them. It is true the brave Hungarians beat the Turks in many battles, but more frequently they had to submit to their superior numbers. It is grievous and terrible to read these. bloody pages of history; but it often happens that in the saddest times God's power and love are strikingly shown.

The Gospel had been preached in Hungary in the very earliest ages. The first The first Christian king of that country, Stephen the Holy, had introduced Christianity into the land; he had built many churches, and placed priests and teachers everywhere, and thus he had won the name of the Apostle of Hungary.

After him many of the kings, with their families, were filled with the spirit of Christianity. An Hungarian princess, who, as

* In his preface, the author states that this story is founded on fact.

the wife of a German Landgrave, came to live in that country, has been venerated throughout the world for her good deeds and holy life, under the name of St. Elisabeth of Hungary.

In later times, the Hungarian nation was noted for its bravery and virtue. Among the noblest citizens of the land was the merchant Lucius, who, on account of his great riches, but still more by reason of his fear of God, was held in high esteem by all. His fellow-citizens called him the good Lucius. His wife Hedwig also was admired for her beauty, her piety, and her benevolence.

This worthy pair had only two children, two lovely and amiable twin-sons. With their rosy cheeks, their fair curly hair, their bright blue eyes, the two boys looked so like each other that it was difficult to distinguish them, especially as both were dressed alike. Even their parents sometimes mistook one for the other. One was named Philemon, the other Timotheus,-names from Holy Scripture, the one chosen by their father, the other by their mother.

Both parents were earnest and devoted Christians; they thought more of confessing Jesus Christ than of all their riches. They both strove to teach their boys, from their childhood, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to bring them up in a really pious and Christian way. The mother had the boys constantly with her. Whilst she sat at her work both would stand beside her knees, and with all tenderness and love she would relate to them out of the Holy Scriptures the story of the love of God to man, shown in the coming of Jesus Christ.