hearts since then. The blackbirds have sang it to them, as they wandered through the woods, for surely memorials sweet' are the blossoms of first spring.

And you do not forget, little wonderer, that consecration of flowers on the slope of quiet Olivet, when Christ said, 'Consider the lilies.'

All the flowers, by those tender words, He made for ever His messengers; and love finds shrined, in such wayside symbols coming back with every spring, His tenderness, His purity, His calm-the earnests of the heavenly paradise for which it waits and longs.

Let us come through the woods. Earth sings a psalm to-day, and the banks are pale with primroses. Stoop and gather them, little one.

What large pale flowers they are. Full of sorrow, did you say?-of joy? of hope?

You think the flowers dream, do you? and the wood doves, cooing unseen, are filling their dreams with music-who told you such things, Maidie sweet?

And yet why should you be wrong? Nature is full of secrets. Who knows what quiet angels watch the ministering flowers?

Sit on this bank, little one; the shade of the hazel is over us, the brook is singing with the blackbird and the lark, and murmuring back to the doves. It is so near, when our hands grow too warm for the tender primroses, we shall cool them in its water, and comfort the flowers with the damp.

There is scarcely another flower to be found of this delicate yellow. One calls it primrose.

The beautiful coloured part is the corolla of the flower. It is formed of five separate lobes. These are the petals of it.

The corolla is held in a small green tube. Look beneath and you shall see. This little green tube is its calyx. Can you remember, little botanist?

Now, touch the soft green leaf. It is soft as a baby's hand. Would you describe it? Let me teach you how.

It is obovate; that is, shaped like a reversed egg.

It is radical; that is, it grows from the root.

It is crenate; which means that the edge is uneven-yet not sharply cut like the rose leaf, but with a round wavy line.

The primrose has also five stamens and one pistil slender little threads of things hid within its tube, and which you can scarcely see unless you tear the flower.

They do not matter much, did you say?

Not so, would answer the flowers. From these come the young things-the primroses that are to be.

But they begin to drop. Let us trouble them no more. Lay them softly in your lap and fill your eyes with their colour.

Do you feel its loveliness? Do you note the deeper touch at its heart? In the centre of the pale corolla that touch of warmer yellow?

Do you think the flower feels, has something of inward love, and so is warmest at its core-do you, little one?

And see how the pale petals are opened to the light-opened with such full sweetness as if they would lose no ray. They would have all the sunshine fall on them, and give back their beauty for it, like hearts that are grateful and glad, and looking always up for blessing.

Nay, listen, Maidie, the primrose is a gentle teacher. One would need many pages to write all the beautiful thoughts it has breathed.

Should you not care to press a few of them in a book, and keep beside them blank leaves to write all the things that are said of them? Such pretty conceits as this many little maidens love, and there is no flower in all the woodland so good to begin with as the primrose.

Its colour, although so delicate, will keep for long years and years as unchanged as love; this, at least, if you press it in sunny weather when it has no moisture but its own.

If you press it when slightly damp, it changes, yet delicately still, and becomes,

as perhaps you may have seen it, a lovely veined willowy green. It does not blacken like many other flowers, but keeps all its early purity-changed, but only as age changes a sweet face.

Press the flowers in thick blotting-paper -many folds of it; lay them under a weight, and change the blotting-paper every day, or every two days until they are quite dried. If you warm the paper by the fire before you lay the flowers in it, so much the better. They will dry the more quickly. The secret of keeping the colour of flowers is to have them quickly dried.

There are many instructions given for pressing flowers, but this is the most simple. And you will find it good, little Maidie, if you try.

If the flowers you wish to press have thick and juicy stems, place them in hot water for a few seconds first.

But one owns that these tender primroses keep their loveliness without much care.

This, the pretty common primrose, is the botanist's primula vulgaris. There are two other kinds which perhaps you have never

seen.

In

One is the bird's-eye primrose. botany the primula farinósa. Its flowers are pale lilac with a little yellow eye. Its leaves are longer shaped than those of the common primrose, and covered with a sort of dust which has a musky smell.

It grows in the north of England, on the hilly pastures there. It is very rare in Scotland, but if you should chance to be at West Linton, near Edinburgh, you are more than likely to find it if you make a noonday search.

A variety still lovelier than this is the Scottish primrose (the botanist's primula scótica), having the same mealy leaves, and a deep blue-purple flower with small golden

ALICE'S NEIGHBOUR.

'WHO

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HO is my neighbour?' asked the minister from the pulpit, so loud that Alice stopped counting the window panes, to stare at him. Alice did not often listen to sermons, but now she could not help thinking. 'What does he mean?'

She knew the story that had been the lesson from the New Testament quite well, but she did not see how she could be a 'Good Samaritan' to any one, unless indeed to little Johnnie, whose sleepy head was nodding about, ready to be pillowed on a friendly shoulder.

So she began with Johnnie, and while he slept peacefully, she tried to peep over the top of the high pew at a little boy who was sitting in front.

'That must be my neighbour,' she thought, because he is in the next pew; but I think he is pretty well off, and I dont see how I can help him much.'

By-and-bye the sermon was done, and the people all came out of church. Alice knew her neighbour' by his little black velvet suit, and she determined to keep him in sight. She was very much troubled at the thought that he had a nurse to take care of him, while she was only a poor little girl, without money or anything in the world but a mother and a dear little brother; but she thought that when she had got a neighbour, God would give her something to do for him,

The little boy and his nurse walked on till they came to a beautiful garden, and then they went in and the door was shut after them, and Alice and Johnnie went on to their mother's little house, and Alice felt disappointed and astonished because nothing had happened.

Alice's mother was a very poor woman. She sometimes went out to sew at the large houses round about, and on Monday morning she told Alice that she was going out to sew all day at Mr Hilton's, and would not be home again till six o'clock; but that Alice and Johnnie were to come up after school and wait for her.

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The children were very much delighted at this. They knew the cook at Mr Hilton's, and they had a great affection for the plumcake and fruit; so at half past four they both appeared at the kitchen door with very shiny faces and the very starchiest of their pinafores.

Cook brought them into her big, bright kitchen; and after they had eaten so much dinner that Johnnie began to sigh with the exertion, she took them to the room where mother was sewing.

Such a pretty room it was, and such long, cool, tiled passages they went through! Alice thought that the children who lived here must be the happiest on earth. She asked mother if there were any children; and mother said one little boy; so they both watched eagerly for this little boy to appear.

The sewing-room was on the ground floor, and as Alice sat quietly with her little hands crossed on her lap, she heard the distant sound of crying. Surely that could not be the little boy that lived in this beautiful house? The sound attracted Alice nearer and nearer the door, and at last she slipped out into the lobby and began to make her way in the direction of the sound. It was a low, broken-hearted sort of crying, as of a child in pain or dread; but as Alice moved nearer, it seemed to retreat further and further away. Alice began to be frightened. She had lost her way, the house was so large, and she felt inclined to cry in sympathy herself. On and on she went, till at last, just over her head, she heard some one speak harshly and crossly, and the crying ceased. There was a flight of steps near her, and as Alice hesitated whether to go up or not, a tall woman came rapidly down, carrying in one hand a little black velvet suit. Alice's heart jumped when she saw the little velvet dress. The little boy must be her own neighbour! Noiselessly she ran up stairs, and seeing a door at the top ajar, she looked in. There sat at the window the boy she had seen in church, his little hands clasped, and tears running down his face. He did not see Alice till she was quite close to him; and when he did, he stopped

crying all at once, and stared at her with all his might.

What are you crying for, pet?' said Alice, as she had often said to Johnnie; but to her surprise, the little fellow did not seem to hear. Suddenly Alice heard harsh laugh behind her, and turning, sho saw the tall stern woman she had seen going down stairs.

'What are you doing here? He is deaf and dumb. He can't hear you,' said the woman. Then turning to the little boy, she began threatening him by signs. The poor little thing clung to Alice, and then cuddenly there appeared the little boy's father, who had seen Alice wandering about the house and had been watching the scene. Tenderly clasping the boy in his arms, he dismissed the nurse, and then laying his hand on Alice's head, he said, Thank you, my little Samaritan. If it had not been for you I would never have found out that my son was ill-treated.' Alice is grown up now; but she has never forgotten her neighbour, and often tells her young friends, that if any one wishes to do good, God will provide a way. L. P.

GLIMPSES OF THE NEW HEBRIDES. THE SHIP DAYSPRING.'

THE

HE first mission vessel 'Dayspring' was built in Nova Scotia in 1863, and was of invaluable service to the mission till January 6, 1873, when she was wrecked in the harbour of Aneityum during a terrific hurricane. The present mission ship, which bears the same name, was built in Sydney. The Dayspring' is a temperance ship: neither intoxicating drinks nor tobacco are allowed on board. She makes two voyages every year between Australia and the islands. Her visits gladden the hearts of the lonely missionaries, and the very sight of her preaches Christ to the heathen. Referring to the 'Dayspring,' Mrs Morrison wrote: To us who labour in those isolated islands, she is almost the only means of communication with the outer world, and almost everything is more or less in our minds associated with her. Do we think

of absent friends?

The thought immed

iately occurs, the "Dayspring" will bring us letters. Do we long to know what is taking place in the civilised world? The "Dayspring" will bring us newspapers. Are we pining in sickness without medical advice, or such delicacies as an invalid requires? The "Dayspring" is our hope of relief, and will bear us within their reach. Are we in daily, hourly fear of our lives, in perils among the heathen? The "Dayspring" affords us the means of safety.

It sometimes happens that the "Dayspring" has an unusually interesting visit; as, for instance, when she brings the first book or portion of Scripture ever printed in the language. Imagine the feelings of the missionary as he looks upon the result and fruit of many weary hours -a portion of divine truth-in the shape of a neat volume, ready to be put into the hands of the natives. As soon as the news spreads, they come in crowds to the mission-house, begging to see their book, being already able to read a little by means of chalk and a black board. Well do I remember the appearance of old Paul-who, I trust, is now in heaven-as the first hymnbook was shown to him. He looked intently for a moment, as if to assure himself these were the veritable hymns he used to sing. Then, pressing it to his lips, he jumped up and down with delight, and rushing out of the house with the little book held high above his head, he ran out among his friends, shouting, "Natus nig akit (our book)."

The "Dayspring" enables the missionaries, teachers, and native Christians on one island, to write to and visit the missionaries, teachers, and native Christians of other islands, and all the missionaries to meet for consultation; takes heathen natives to Christian islands that they may see the effects of the Gospel, and have their prejudices against it and against the missionaries and teachers somewhat removed; she also returns strayed natives to their own island; carries the Word of God from the press to the several islands, and the contributions of the native

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Christians for the support and spread of the Gospel to a market. The "Dayspring" is the rope for lifting the missionaries and teachers occasionally up out of the mine of heathenism, and for sending down

necessaries for their minds and bodies.'

The following lines appeared in a New Zealand magazine in answer to an appeal to the young to put a hand to this rope, and to hold it firm and fast::

'Aye, aye, sir, we are ready,

We are ready, heart and hand,
And we'll sing, God speed the "Dayspring,"
As to our task we stand.

God speed our gallant "Dayspring,"
All hands upon the rope,
That reaches down the heathen mine,
Where men in darkness grope.

Though the mine be dark and dreary,
And your souls be overcast,
Our rope will surely reach you,
We'll hold it firm and fast."
Not a hand shall be awanting,
Every child will do his part,
All hands in earnest pulling,

And prayers in every heart.
God cheer you in your labours,

And fill your hearts with hope,
And speed the gallant "Dayspring,"
Our Missionary rope.

God speed the good ship "Dayspring";
Oh! o'er the heathen mine

God grant the Dayspring from on high
May soon arise and shine.'

The ship Dayspring' is supported by the contributions of children in Scotland, Nova Scotia, Australia, and New Zealand.

M. T. S.

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.

4 In which verse of a prophecy does the precept, Be strong, occur three times?

5 Which verse from one of the prophets tells us the very words in which a penitent should pray?

6 In which passage of five verses from one of the prophets is the promise, I will help thee, repeated three times?