were glad to buy food from the other missionaries.

Sixteen natives are at present living with Mr and Mrs Watt at the Mission Station. There are three married couples, two single men, five girls, and three boys. All these are employed in various ways on the premises, and are provided with food. It is by having these natives constantly near them that the missionaries are able to instil Christian principles into their minds.

Mrs Watt tells us of three marriages having been celebrated in the church since their return-the first Christian marriages at that place. One of the brides had on a dress made by a warm friend of the Mission in Paisley, a skirt from the folk in New Zealand, and a shoulder handkerchief from the Glasgow Foundry Boys Society; another had on a beautiful light green print sent from New Zealand by Mrs Duncan; and the third was attired in another of the Paisley dresses.

A woman named Kwatahin died about a month before the return of the missionaries, leaving a husband and four children. She had been very anxious to live till they came, and had said to the people about her she would so like if the Lord would spare her to see them again. But Mrs Watt says 'He had better things for her, for we hope she has seen His face.'

At a place ten miles from Kwamera, and about the same distance from Port Resolution, a native conducts worship with a few women.

This man has got very little instruction, but he seems to walk up to the light he has. Mrs Watt tells us of a visit he paid them. He stayed a night at their house. Next morning Mrs Watt as usual sent a canful of tea and a piece of bread to a woman named Yemeitahak. After she had eaten all the bread and had only a little tea left, this man came into her house, and she offered him the tea. Before drinking it he took the covering from his head, and thanked God for watching over him during the night, asked Him to give him His Word as relish or kitchen along with the tea, and to watch over him on the way

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he was that day to go. What a reproof to many of us, who, unless it be a regular meal, never think of asking a blessing.

This poor man told the people at Kwamera how many and how great advantages they enjoyed in living so near the missionaries, and how thankful they should be.

Would you like to hear how Mr Watt spends the Sabbath in Tanna? It is a very busy day with him. He rises early, by 5 o'clock, and walks eight miles either inland or along the coast, and conducts short services at several places before the usual service in the church at Kwamera begins. After the church service comes the Sabbath School, then a men's meeting, then a women's meeting. Besides all these, in the evening there is a teachers' meeting, and after it a boys and a girls' meeting.

The only books, which have as yet been printed in Tannese, are a hymn book and a small book of short extracts from Scripture; and very few of the people can read even these. The natives have a superstitious dread of books, believing that they bring disease and death. Hence their only means of receiving instruction is from the lips of the missionary.

May the time soon come when the hearts of the missionaries will be gladdened by seeing the people hungering and thirsting for the Word of God.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

M. T. S.

THREE Prizes are offered for the best Essays on 'JAMES RENWICK, THE LAST OF THE SCOTTISH MARTYRS.' Competitors to be under 16 years of age. MSS., accompanied with a sealed envelope, to be sent to the Rev. JOHN KAY, 2 Cumin Place, Grange, Edinburgh, by the 1st of August, 1881.

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.

7 At what time was there a whole nation without one sick person?

8 On what evening were all the sick ones in a large city cured.

9 Where is it written, "The inhabitants shall not say I am sick'?

'MINE IS THE HIGHEST."

YOU have heard of cricket and football

matches, boat races aud shooting for prizes, when great grown-up men do not think it beneath them to try with all their might to be first in the list; and members of Parliament, too, address great meetings, and take no end of trouble, to be, as they call it, at the top of the poll; but children have their innings at this kind of game as well.

My young Edinburgh readers, at all events, know well the Queen's Park-that grand national playground for rich and poor. Had you been there on a breezy Saturday afternoon, last spring, you would have thought a kite-flying match was going on; and so it was, although the names of the little candidates had not been enrolled in big books, as in other competitions. Ever so many boys were there. Those who had not kites of their own, joined company with those who had. Little fellows who came from the Pleasance and the Canongate, who had not money to buy granddragons' as they called them, had wonderfully good ones, made of very cheap material; and carefully hoarded string well tied and knotted together, served as good a purpose as large balls of cord bought by richer boys. Sisters-who had helped in kite-making, and had come out to see how their special work would behave,' when sailing up in the blue sky-were watching with interest as one after another began its airy voyage.

Mine will be the highest' shouted George Ross, as he eagerly gave out more and more string, his kite meanwhile rising higher and higher.

'But mine is highest,' said Willie Smith: 'there it goes, I'll beat you yet;' and so he did for while the boys were gazing and gazing, each at his own favourite toy, George felt a sudden pull at his ball of string, as if the kite would take its own way, then a slackening, a fluttering; and, far more rapidly than it had risen, down came the much boasted plaything. George hurriedly rolled up the twine, and hastened

to lift up his high flyer,' as he had christened his kite. It was low enough now; and for perhaps a quarter of an hour, George's spirits were low too.

Mary, his sister, who had eagerly watched when the kite seemed to be taking the lead, and going ahead of all the others, felt sorry, on George's account, as she saw its rapid descent; but the brother and sister soon made up their minds to repair any little damage sustained and try again. The next Saturday afternoon would, they hoped, bring better luck, and the high flyer keep its place, as highest flyer in the field.

'I wonder' said Mary to herself, as she walked home with George, who was stopping now and then to look at his kite, and think how it could be made right. 'I wonder if the downfall this afternoon, would be what ministers call an 'illustration' of my morning's text? Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased.' If the kite had not been determined to be high, and tugged and pulled to get up and up, things might have gone better; but no string, George says, could hold it back, it rose at such a rate, and so it had a speedy fall.'

Mary was right. Children and grown up people too need to be guided and controlled, and must not take their own way, else they are sure to get a humbling downfall. Do you remember the song of the shepherd boy in the valley of humiliation? It would have suited Mary's meditations that afternoon.

'He that is down needs fear no fall,
He that is low, no pride;

He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his Guide.'

THREE GREEN STICKS.

K.

IT T was a beautiful place. The house (the front of which was decked with glossy ivy) faced the sea, and the children, seated at the large bay window, delighted to watch the boats skimming along the waters like huge birds, and to admire in the evening the sun setting behind the distant hills.