large mercantile house, where he hoped later to get, if possible, the place as junior clerk. Among other things, it was his duty to sweep the offices every morning. One day when he had almost finished his work, and was sweeping the dust into a heap in the street, a gentleman, who was passing at the time, said, pointing to the dust heap: 'Look! there is a shilling; pick it up and put it into your pocket, and pay more attention the next time; money is too valuable to be swept into a dust heap.' With these words the gentleman walked on and had already turned the corner, before John had recovered from his surprise. Carefully he looked through the heap of rubbish in case there should be more money or any other valuable thing among it. Then, taking his broom into the house, he considered what he should do next. It was not often that a shilling was found in John's pocket, particularly one that he could call his very own. The small amount which he received every Saturday from his master he gave conscientiously to his mother, part of which she needed to keep him in decent clothes, and the rest helped to provide food for him and the younger members of the family, who were as yet unable to work. Now, this was an extra shilling besides his wages, and a great treasure in John's eyes. Next Saturday he was to have the afternoon to himself, and had already arranged to go out fishing with a friend, but he had neither rod nor fly for it yet; this shilling would buy it all without touching his regular pay. But, said John to himself, does this shilling really belong to me? I have not gained it by labour; I was only sweeping it out of the office with the rubbish. It is true that the gentleman who saw it told me to put it into my pocket; but, then, my good mother has often warned me not to keep things I found, as they belonged to the persons who lost them and not to me. The gentleman gave me the shilling; but had he a right to give it? I think not; therefore, I dare not consider it my own. If I keep the money without trying to find the rightful owner, I shall be as dishonest as if I had stolen it. The dust in which it was found came from

the office: perhaps one of the clerks dropped it; perhaps it slipped from the hand of the cashier, who was putting it into the cash-box; or, perhaps the master lost it himself at any rate I must try to find the owner, and if I cannot succeed, then the money belongs to my master; it certainly is not mine. How often had his pious mother told him that God sees us everywhere, and knows even our most secret thoughts; and thus her teaching brought forth its fruit. John had taken his resolution. The case was now so clear to him that he no longer hesitated to do what duty demanded. As soon as his master came into the office, John went up to him, gave him the shilling, and told him how it had come into his possession. The merchant was delighted to find that he had such an honest boy in his office. He did not give him the shilling, as many another master would have done; he would not let it even have the appearance as if he wanted to pay the boy for his honesty; but only too quickly and clearly did John see that his master trusted him; and he considered that a better reward than money. He soon rose in the office, and the foundation for his future success in life was laid. Years after, John W. heard that the gentleman who drew his attention to the shilling in the dust heap threw it there himself. Being a friend of John's employer, he had, on his own responsibility, put the boy's honesty to so severe a test. He was very wrong in doing so, as it is not right for any of us to lead our fellowmen into temptation of any kind; and this one might have proved too strong for John, had he not been brought up so well by a Godfearing mother.

This story is true in every detail. John W., now a man in the full and true meaning of the word, has a large and flourishing business in one of the largest mercantile cities, and told the story himself not long ago. Translated for the 'Dayspring.'

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Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

THE GIFT MADE PERFECT.

ONE came, with a gift of love,
To lay at a friendly gate,
A shining handful of summer flowers
That blossomed bright in the sunny bowers,
Where love had wandered late,—
To bring with quivering lip and eye,
Their sweets in a dearer home to die.
The gift might be deemed as fair
As any could truly be;

Yet the giver sighed with a secret care,
As starry blossomings, smiling there,

Lacked perfect harmony;

For gold, and crimson, and white, and green Seemed scarce arranged, as they might have been.

But the flowers and their friendly guest
Were welcomed to home and heart,
And rising murmurings sank to rest
As each in their turn were fondly prest
With never a thought of art;
Love perfects beauty, one softly cried,
So the soul of the giver was satisfied.

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PRIZE BIBLE QUESTIONS. THE 'Dayspring' has carried on its work

among the young for eight years, and during that period it has endeavoured in many ways to encourage them in the study of the Word of God. It is pleasant to reflect that these efforts have not been in vain, and that many pleasing proofs have come to hand of this fact. During none of the eight past years have the Answers to the Bible Questions been more satisfactory than during 1880. Our young friends have evidently given themselves with all their heart to 'searching the Scriptures'; and even where they have failed to give the correct answer, the failure has not unfrequently been of a kind to show patient investigation, and no small amount of ingenuity.

It is our purpose during 1881 to continue this valuable means of instruction. To this will be

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added a first and second prize for competitors, not exceeding fifteen years of age, who shall produce the best Essay on a historical subject, which will be announced in the March No. of the 'Dayspring.'

To all our interesting Bible Class we wish a New Year rich in all blessing, and an increased likeness to Him who said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto me.'

We subjoin the names of the successful competitors for 1880, together with names of those who have made 20 marks out of a possible 33. In order that our young friends may compare their answers with those that should have been given, we append a list of the correct answers from January to November inclusive. Jane N. Thomson, London (31 marks) May Dobbin, Cork (31

FIRST PRIZE

(1) 1 Sam. 21. 2; 22. 9-22: (2) 2 Sam. 1. 1-15: (3) Cen. 27: (4) 1 Kings 21. 25: (5) 2 Chron. 22. 2, 3: (6) Mat. 14. 6-8: (7) 1 Sam. 20. 33: (8) Jud. 6. 30, 31: (9) Gen. 17. 18: (10) 2 Sam. 15. 7-9: (11) 1 Kings 21. 7-14: (12) Mat. 23. 27: (13) 'The Iron Furnace'-Deut. 4. 20: (14) The fiery trial-1 Pet. 4. 12: (15) Job 42. 10: (16) 2 Cor. 7. 11: (17) 'His goodness'-Rom. 2. 4: (18) Zech. 12. 10: (19) Jud. 5. 31: (20) Pro. 4. 18: (21) 2 Pet. 1. 11: (22) Titus 2. 7, 14; 3. 8, 14: (23) Titus 3. 5: (24) Mark 14. 6: (25) Luke 2. 52: (26) Acts 10. 38: (27) 'Man of Sorrows'-Isa. 53. 3: (28) Jer. 26. 18; Micah 3. 12: (29) Dan. 9. 2: (30) 2 Pet. 3. 15, 16: (31) Num. 20. 12, 24; 27. 14; Deut. 1. 37; 3. 26; 31. 2; 32. 51; Psa. 106. 32, 33: (32) Jonah 1. 6: (33) Jud. 16. 23, 24.

PRIZE BIBLE QUESTIONS. THREE Prizes are offered for the largest number of correct answers to the Questions during 1881. The Competition is limited to those under 14 years of age. The answers to be sent to the Rev. JOHN KAY, 2 Cumin Place, Grange, Edinburgh, by the 25th of each month.

1 In which verse of a psalm do we find an earthquake and a volcano described?

2 In which psalm do we find an expression of five words, descriptive of God's majesty, repeated seven times?

3 Where do we find God's special care over one of His people mentioned twice over in the same words in one chapter?

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A1

OUR PET PIGEONS.

ND dear little pets they are too. My sister and I got them from uncle Robert, who lives at the farm over the hill. Betty, our hen wife who feeds the poultry, says they are greedy little things, that they eat twice as much as they have a right to do, and that the poor little chickens have no chance when the pigeons make their appearance. But no matter, the sweet little creatures, with the lovely feathers on their throat and breast, the very colour of mother's wedding gown, which she keeps so carefully in the wardrobe, are dearer to me than all the chickens in the place.

When I go down in the morning, to see my pets, they sit on my shoulders, or fly round my head; they are not shy like the chickens, and they.coo and coo so sweetly. It puts me in mind of what we learned at school, not long ago, only that was about the stock dove, and not about our kind.

'I heard a stock dove sing or say
His homely tale this very day,
His voice was buried among trees,
Yet to be come at by the breeze;
He did not cease, but coo'd and coo'd,
And somewhat pensively he woo'd.'

They flew to me the other day, quite in a flutter, when I think they must have seen William the mower setting out with his scythe. I am sure, worthy man, he meant them no harm, but I soon comforted them, and put them all right again. Charlie, Fanny's little terrier, had more sense; he went on playing with his mistress all the same. Father laughs at our caring so much for them, and says they are just common, every day things. The other morning, when he was going out to shoot the crows that are so troublesome in the fields just now, he gave me quite a fright, calling to us that he was going to have a shot at them, as he wished a pigeon pie. What a dreadful thing, that any one, even in jest, should think of eating my darlings! And yet after all, we eat the dear little lambs that play about and look so pretty; perhaps they are somebody's pets.

I dont understand all about it, but I am quite sure it is right to make the little creatures we love as happy as we can, while we have them with us. Our lesson last Sunday was, 'Behold the fowls of the air your heavenly Father feedeth them,' and another verse says, that even the sparrows cannot fall to the ground without His leave. When He takes such charge of them, troublesome little things as they are too, it must be right to take pleasure in our dear little pigeons, let Betty say what she will.

K.

Ten Minutes' Talk with the Children

BY REV. ALEXANDER ANDREW, GLASGOW.

TRUE FRIENDSHIP.

THE HE other day, on going into a shop, I noticed two bad shillings nailed to the counter, and on asking the reason why? the shopkeeper said it was for the purpose of warning others against using counterfeit coin. And I began to think: 'Well, just as there are good and bad shillings, so there are good and bad people. There are true friends, who, like good shillings, help us everywhere and in all weathers; but there are also friends, who are only friends in name, who deceive and bring us into trouble, like those two bad shillings that I saw nailed to the counter. They were there disgraced, and they did not bring any good to those that trusted in them.' And that led me to think of those words in Proverbs 17 and 17, 'A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.'

What a comfort it is to have a true friend, one that proves faithful at all times. Somewhere I read a story about a man who wore a mantle, on which were printed the words, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; and if I mistake not, the meaning was, that this mantle was a friend to him through all the different seasons of the year. It was not simply of use to him in spring, but more or less through all the year. And certainly true friendship will be a comfort to us always, in sunshine and