Kitty to be sure and watch that no harm came to her. I have no doubt she loved her little sister, and would have been very sorry if anything had happened to her. But thinking baby quite safe where she was, she joined a group of girls, who were skipping at a little distance. Becoming absorbed in the game, she forgot all about the baby, and did not notice when a flock of sheep and lambs were passing. Baby, however, saw them, and crowing with delight, rose to her feet-she had just begun to walk-and tottered towards them with uncertain steps, her little hands outstretched to catch one of the pretty white baa-lammies. Of course the poor baby was thrown down, and had not Jessie, who lived quite near, been on the watch, and rushed to the rescue, she might have been PRAISE. very much hurt. As it was, she cried BY the window little Bessie loudly from the fright. Jessie thought it very fortunate that she had an orange in her pocket, which a lady had just given her for going a message. She had been looking forward to the pleasure of sharing it with her little brother; but he did not know, thought she, and therefore will not miss it. So taking it out, she gave it to the baby, who ceased crying almost immediately. She then tenderly kissed the small tearstained face, after wiping it with her own handkerchief, and led her gently towards Kitty, who was coming slowly forward, looking very sheepish. I am unable to tell just what her thoughts were; but I should say, from the colour of her face, that she must have found Jessie's coals very hot. And Jessie is thankful that God has given her strength to follow her good mother's advice, 'Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.' For Kitty no longer molests either her or little Johnnie, but always now has a pleasant smile ready for them; and from certain things I have noticed lately, I have good reason to hope that she is trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. A. M. Knelt to pray, And she thought of all the music Little birdies singing loudly, Little wavelets all a-ripple Little brooks with very laughter And the clear blue sky that all day Till she could not even whisper And she thought of the sweet voices And the smiles of love that o'er her Of the mother who was always Her with kisses and the morning's And how all this love and beauty 102 UNLE IRON SHARPENING IRON. NLESS you are very familiar with wild flowers it is more than likely you do no know the Cukoo-Pint. It is a curious little plant, not like any other found in English woods or meadows. It boasts no sweet purity or brightness; it is of a dull greenish colour, the large deeply lined leaves often marked with black and purple blotches; sometimes those blotches are not dark but look a yellowish white on the deep green of the foliage. The leaves are on long stalks that spring from the root of the plant. They are of the form called Sagittate-that is shaped like an arrow-head. The plant is not common in Scotland. In England it is gathered nearly everywhere. The flowers are extremely small. They grow upon a club-like stalk which is called a spadix. Round the spadix grows one long tapered leaf which is called a spathe. It is this tall spathe which meets your eye in the hedge-row. You are sure to call it the flower. It flowers in April and May. When the flower has withered away, there comes a long spike of crimson berries. The flower, like all wild flowers, has more names than one. It is the Arum Maculâtum of the botanist. It belongs to that group of plants called Arúceae-a group, by no means English in its ways and likings, and mostly tropical and poisonous. But the English Arum is common enough to have more than one familiar name. "Lords and Ladies," is one of the names which little country children call it, and the name has a pretty sound on the little lips which say it. In other places it is called the Cukoo-Pint, and in others by that name which is prettier still, the Wake-Robin. And after all, you may think the name is prettier than the flower; for it is not one of those tender blooms which you take to your heart for love. Just a curious little plant, growing in its own place-and good in its own place, as God made it with its own use and charm. H. W. H. W. Ten Minutes' Talk with the Children BY REV. ALEXANDER ANDREW, GLASGOW. IN my house, I have an old piece of iron, on which I sometimes rub my knife to make it sharp; and while doing this one day, I was reminded of those words of Solomon in Proverbs xxvii. 17-'Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.' 104 IRON SHARPENING IRON. forest of figures his slate presents! He can't see through it. He feels like wandered. So snatching up his books, off he hies to Andrew and Hugh, two of his companions, to see what help they can give; and putting all their heads together, rubbing their thoughts, one against another, lo! light springs up, and the answer is found. Together they have managed to solve the problem, and what bright, smiling faces the whole three present! And what was that but iron sharpening iron? Or, look at that nice girl, sitting so quietly and working so earnestly in her mother's parlour. You would think her name was Martha Diligence; for she never seems to lose a moment. She is learning this time a new stitch. It is a piece of new crochet. But oh, she is so bamboozled! Hardly can she manage to get a few stitches in till they have all to come out; and when like to lose heart, an older sister, kindly stepping over, shews her the way. And then, what a ripple of delight there passes over Martha's face, for she has now learnt the way. And what was that but iron sharpening iron? Or again, I knew a lad whose name was Harry. He was one of the sweetest Christian lads I ever knew-so gentle and faithful and pure. All his companions loved him. And when he came to be laid upon a sick bed, it was beautiful to see the effect which a visit from his companions produced upon him. His eyes glistened, while brightness flooded his face, especially when a hymn was sung-and such a hymn as this: 'My hope is built on nothing less Smiling, he would say, 'Oh, that's fine! It's nice to hear and sing of Jesus, and feel that you are trusting on Him!' After a lingering illness, Harry died; and though I have seen many a sick bed, I have never seen one where the enlivening effect of Christian fellowship was more beautifully displayed. It was iron sharpening iron. And, mark you, even as you cannot rub two pieces of iron against one another without producing some result, so you cannot come into contact with any one without leaving some impression behind. You have walked along the shore, and you have noticed the marks the receding waves had left upon the sand; and the sea-weed that the preceding tide had brought up and flung upon the beach; for never does any tide come and go, without leaving some marks behind. And neither can you go into the business of a single day, and then retire into the rest of night, without leaving some results behind, either for good or ill. And to guide you, let me tell you several ways in which, as iron sharpeneth iron, you can be helpful to one another. You can be helpful in conversation. For one remark suggests another, and one thing brings up another thing. You tell a story, and that calls forth another story of a similar kind. For you must know that our thoughts don't run out at random. They are all regulated by certain laws. Like suggests its like. Birds of a feather flock together'; while contrasts also very generally follow one another. And so it is that a conversation can be maintained and made profitable. Look at the Israelites on their way from Egypt into the wilderness. They went down harnessed that is to say, they went down, as the Hebrew word means, in a long procession, five in a row. And do you think that as they marched along they wouldn't speak to one another? Of course they did. Moses would say to Aaron, and Joshua to Simeon, Wasn't that a wonderful night? Did you ever see such sights or hear such sounds? And how faithful God was in keeping His word, as all the houses on which the blood of the lamb was sprinkled were passed over-not one was entered by the destroying angel, while not a home of the Egyptians escaped!' 'True. And don't you think,' it was replied, that inasmuch as God has kept His word in this, He will keep it in every |