OUT

A LITTLE SAINT.

UT of a pleasant home in Kent (the Garden of England) was gathered, one winter's day, long ago, a little blossom for the courts of Heaven.

Though but five years old, God had gifted this child with such talents and sweetness of disposition, that he was the joy of his parents' existence, and for many long years they mourned his loss with aching hearts.

Little Richard Evelyn was born at Sayes Court,'in Kent, and from the time he could speak seems to have been keen in acquiring knowledge. At two years and a half old he knew his Catechism thoroughly, reading English, French, or Latin equally well. It is almost pitiful to hear his father tell of the acquirements of this eager, little soul, before he reached his fifth year. One cannot but fear that the lad was conning over his book when he should have been playing in the lovely gardens around his home.

He could write well and read all written hand at that age; knew his Latin Grammar, and had a strong liking for Greek. He had a wonderful disposition to mathematics,' and stored in bis memory were parts of many plays, the which he would also act on occasion. He had also considerable talent for playing on the organ. But all this would hardly have been sufficient to feed the longing hearts of father and mother after his loss, but for the remembrance of his childish piety. It was no unreal thing to him, that Father in Heaven, to Whom he daily prayed in the tongue of his mother's childhood the French language; when people came into his nursery, he would ask them to kneel and pray with him alone in some quiet corner. He would give good advice to his little brother John, and bear with his impertinences,' as the father quaintly

says of his baby boy. IIe is but a child,' was Richard's excuse.

Church time was for him no season for sleeping or fidgeting; little Richard always brought somewhat back of the sermon to tell his parents. And these were no easy days for the Church in England; she was suffering persecution in many quarters, and it was sometimes at peril of life or liberty that the Evelyns attended public worship.

Not a

With all his serious thoughts this child was not dull or morose; he was all life and prettiness,' says the loving father again; ' and childish in all he said or did.' sickly, precocious creature, which they could not hope to rear, but a bright, engaging little fellow, enjoying life as do the birds. and lambs. Alas! that we must speak of sickness and death in company with one so cherished and beloved. But the day came, somewhat suddenly, when little Richard, like many another pretty child before and since, felt weak and ailing, and calling his father to him told him, that for all he loved him so dearly, he should give his house and land and all his fine things to his brother Jack, for he should have none of them-a prophecy that was very soon to be fulfilled. Then he bade his maid read to him the most pathetic Psalms and chapters out of Job, telling her, when she pitied him for his sufferings, that all God's children must suffer affliction.

Poor little lad! he was soon too ill to listen quietly to reading, but he longed to pray; and when his father bade him keep his trembling fingers beneath the bedclothes, he asked whether he might pray to God with hands unjoined; and a little after, whether he should offend God by calling so often on His Holy Name in asking for ease.

'Sweet Jesus, save me!' was the cry of this little saint; 'deliver me, pardon my sins, let Thine angels receive me!'

THE

THE CAMEL.

It

THE camel so often mentioned in the Bible is the Arabian animal. is very common in the East, where it is of immense value as a beast of burden.

Camels are spoken of in Holy Scripture as part of the riches of the patriarchs (Gen. xii. 16; xxx. 43. Job, i. 3; xlii. 12). The Jews were not allowed to use their flesh as food (Lev. xi. 4), because, though the camel chews the cud, it does not fully divide the hoof, which is only partially cleft.

stomach, which hold an extra supply of water, enable the animal to do without drinking for three or four days; the fatty hump ou its back supplies the want of food when even the prickly bushes of the desert fail, for this hump, which is large and full when the animal is well fed, becomes gradually absorbed in the system in time of dearth.

The camel is often referred to in Eastern proverbs (see St. Matt. xix. 24; xxiii. 24). The first passage, about the camel going through the eye of a needle, has given rise to much questioning. Some have thought that the Greek word translated camel' should be rendered 'cable;' and others, that the Needle's Eye was a low gate near Jerusalem, through which a loaded camel could scarcely pass. In the Jewish Talmud there is a similar proverb about the elephant: 'Perhaps thou art one of those who can make an elephant pass through a needle's eye;' that is, one who attempts to do things impossible.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE EAST.

A CAMEL THROUGH A NEEDLE'S EYE. T is easier for a camel to go through a

IT a

John the Baptist wore a garment of camels' hair about his loins (St. Matt. iii. 4); perhaps it was merely the prepared skin of the animal. The milk of the camel was used as a drink by the Jews, just as it is by the Arabs at this day. Jacob sent a number of milch camels as part of a present to his brother Esau (Gen. xxxii. 15). Camels were also used in war (1 Sam. ΧΧΧ. 17).

The camel has been often shown to be a wonderful instance of the wisdom, power, and goodness of God; and indeed no animal can be better fitted to fulfil the purposes for which it is designed; its broad, half-cleft feet, seem made on purpose for passing over the loose and burning sands of the desert; the nostrils can close like valves to prevent the clouds of sand, so frequent in the desert, from entering them; the cells of the camel's

needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.' (Luke, xviii. 25.)

When these words were spoken, every one knew well what they meant, but we require to have them explained to us. A traveller in the East wished to visit the town of Hebron, for it was the birth-place of John the Baptist. When about to leave Jerusalem he had to ask his way onwards, and was told to go out by the needle's eye.' He found that this was the name of a small side-gate of the city. Then he saw the fact that a camel with its load could hardly go through the needle's eye,' and must always stoop to pass that narrow way?'

RHODA GRANT.

(Continued from p. 59.)

10

BOUT this time they received their first visit from Tom, who came from the mines for a short holiday from the Saturday till the Monday. He had washed all the coaldust off, and looked well and happy in a decent suit of clothes. Grant was quite ready to forgive and be friends with his son again, as he was off his hands and earning good wages, and the rest of the family were overjoyed at seeing him. They found him very much improved, and he told them that he was going regularly to a night-school three times a-week, which the clergyman held, and was getting on well with his reading and writing, and would soon be able, he hoped, to write letters home. He spoke with the greatest gratitude of Mr. Randall, who, he said, had been most kind to him. It was a great pleasure to Tom to find his sister Rhoda able to sit up and go out of doors again; for it had often saddened his heart, while he was away from her, to think of her lying in bed weak and ill. To Rhoda's great joy she found Tom ready to go to church with her on Sunday, without even being asked. He looked so respectable, and yet his clothes were by no means new. But he had made the most of them by brushing; and he had blacked his boots, and stuck a flower in his buttonhole; and his hair was smooth, and his face and hands clean. Rhoda felt quite proud of him as he walked by her side, and he took the greatest care of her, giving her his arm when she was tired, and walking slowly when the road was at all up-hill.

'Ah! Rhoda,' he said, 'it seems so good to see you up and out of doors again. You look twice the girl you did when I went away.'

"Yes, Tom dear, I'm much better than I ever expected to be again. God has been very good to me. I am sure it has helped to make me better hearing such good news of you; and seeing you again, and having you to go to church with me, is doing me ever so much good.'

Mr. Monsell took the duty at the school chapel, and he was much pleased to see the brother and sister sitting together, Tom looking so quiet and attentive, and neat; so different from the wild, rude boy he used to be. The Rector signed to them to wait behind after service, and then he spoke to them kindly, and questioned Tom about his life at the mines. He was glad to notice Tom's grave and respectful manner, and intelligent way of speaking. The The good clergyman rejoiced much for Rhoda's sake at this change for the better, for he knew that it must give her much happiness, and he felt how much it was most likely owing, under God, to her good example and earnest prayers.

As they were going home, Rhoda told Tom all about her Confirmation. I should so like you to be confirmed too, Tom dear,' she said, 'when you are old enough. Let me see, how old are you?'

'Fifteen next July, Rhoda.'

'Then next year, if there is a Confirmation, you will be old enough, and I do hope you will not miss the chance; perhaps I shall be dead then, but if I am, you will remember that I wished it.'