'WILL IT BE FINE?'

JATE, Fred, and Tommy, the children of Captain Townley, had been promised a sail in their father's pleasure boat, and were looking eagerly forward to the day that had been fixed on for the trip. But everything depended on the weather, and the last few days it had been far from favourable. A dense fog had prevailed, such as we sometimes see in the beautiful month of September; the island to which they were to sail seemed blotted out of the landscape, and bells rung now and again, showed that steam-boats were passing near shore, but no vessels were to be seen. For a short time each day, when the sun was or should have been at its height, the fog cleared a little, the white light-house on the island loomed through the mist, and sails were seen on the horizon, but soon the white vapour descended like a shroud once more, and only by the gentle plash of the tiny waves on the shore, could any one have known that the great sea was there.

But now, at length, on the fourth day, the fog had disappeared, and only light fleecy clouds hovered here and there on the clear blue sky. The children ran eagerly down to the beach, for Freddie saw Jack Steerforth the fisherman they knew so well, mending his nets on the shore.

'Here's Jack,' said Kate, he 'll be sure to tell us if that weary fog is away now, not to come again till our sail is over. Will it be fine, Jack?' she asked, and looked up in his face, as if her whole happiness depended on his answer.

Do you think we can get our pic-nic on the island?' said Freddie, for the 'ploy' at the end of the short voyage was what he thought of most.

And can I sail my ship on the great big sea?' asked Tommy, for vast preparations had been made by the little fellow, for this part of the day's programme.

One question at a time, young people,' said Jack, as he steadily looked far away over the waters. Nobody wants fine weather for your trip more than I do, and I think you'll have it too; the wind is in the right quarter, and it will blow away the fog for a while. You'll have a fine day to-morrow. take my word for it.'

'And are you going to sea too,' said Fred, now that the weather is fine? you are a lucky man to get so many sails.'

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'Ah, master,' said Jack, sailing is not always such a pleasant day's work as I hope you will have to-morrow, and my nets must be made all right first, before I can put out to sea; when you are sound asleep to-night, dreaming of the pic-nic and the sail, I'll be cutting through the waters, trying how many fish I can land at the harbour. I'm thankful, too, that the fog is away.'

The children ran off, well pleased at this report, which turned out a true prophecy. It was really a pleasure party that set off in the gaily decked boat the next morning:

'Youth at the prow and pleasure at the helm.'

A

The sea sparkled in the bright sun, and the rippling waters lapped with a gentle murmur the sides of the vessel, while Kate and Freddie leaned over the edge, looking far down into the depths below. number of sea-gulls seemed to join in a mazy dance overhead, crossing and recrossing each other, and yet all accompanying the party as they sped on their way. How pure their white wings looked against the blue of both sea and sky!

The landing at the island, but for one splash on the part of Freddy as he stepped on shore, would have been quite a success, but his ducking did not prevent his enjoyment of the pic-nic and Tommy's boat race,' as he called it, though his vessel was the only one entered.'

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wonder if he is going out to fish in the storm.'

'Oh, no,' said Jack, as Kate asked him the question, 'no fishing to-day nor tomorrow either, with a sea like that: but we're all to begin a voyage to-morrow, you and I too; we set out for our sail, but none of us know whether it will be a long or a short one. Can you guess, Master Freddie, what kind of a cruise that will be?' Freddie looked wonderingly up in Jack's face, but Kate suddenly cried out, ‘Oh, I know, to-morrow begins a New-Year, and mother said it was like setting out on a journey.'

'That's it, my little Miss. You remember being very anxious it should be fine on the day of your pleasure party; see that you make this voyage a happy one for yourself and all around you, by having clear weather within. A joyous temper that puts a bright face upon everything, on the dark stormy days as well as on the calm summer ones.'

You will be sure of this if only the Lord of earth and ocean is your Captain, and with Him on board, we are always safe. The old hymn says

'Why those fears? Behold, 'tis Jesus Holds the helm, and guides the ship.' Will my young Dayspring readers take honest Jack's advice, and make the voyage of 1883 a good and prosperous one for themselves and all their fellow voyagers?

'I

INDIA-RUBBER LEGS.

K.

A TEMPERANCE STORY. WISH papa would come,' said Helen Ross to her mother. 'It's nearly five o'clock, and I want him to go out with me to buy some toys.'

'Don't be so impatient, Helen,' said her mother, Papa will be working a little later in his office, as to-morrow is Christmas day. But run and see who that is at the door; I heard the bell ring.'

Helen obediently went, and in a minute returned, saying, 'Oh, mamma, it's a

Any statues, lady?' said the lad, looking up to the kindly face. 'Here is Savonarola, Martin Luther, and William Tell. Won't you buy?'

'No, my boy; I do not require any,' and then, seeing the hopeless look in the boy's eyes, she said, 'Wait a minute,' and going into the house, she soon returned with a thick slice of bread spread with jam, which she gave him, and the lad went on his way more happy and contented, carrying the little wooden board with the statues on his head. The pavements had a thin coating of ice, and the roads were covered with hard, crisp snow, while the air was keen and cold. The lad had only sold one of his statues during the day, and the sixpence still lay in his pocket.

But where was Mr Ross during all this time? He was not in his office, but seated in a public-house with several others, with glasses filled with spirits and drink of various kinds, bidding each other adieu for the holidays. Mr Ross was a moderate drinker, that is a man who prides himself in knowing when he has had enough of drink, and never gets drunk like some unfortunate neighbour of his. He is too respectable for that, although there is only a slight difference, indeed, between them, for they are travelling the same road at a different rate of speed.

At length the time arrived when they parted. They shook hands at the door, and then went their different roads home.

Mr Ross found, when he got into the open air, that he had made a mistake for once. He had taken a glass too much, but of course he was perfectly sober, only his legs would act like India-rubber,' at times, and make him walk in a zig-zag fashion now and then.

He had just turned the corner which led towards his house, when the Italian boy and he saw each other. The lad tried to get out of his way, but Mr Ross found that his legs would not obey him, although he was only a moderate drinker. A sudden step on the icy pavement, and then the Italian boy staggered and fell, his statues sliding off the board, while Mr Ross, with a muttered curse, picked himself up, and I went on his way in no amiable mood, leaving the lad helpless on the ground. He blamed his 'India-rubber legs' for doing the mischief, as he felt he was quite sober-so he said.

Helen did not get her father to go with her to buy toys that evening, and next morning he had a headache and was cross with her, and it was not till after breakfast that he recovered his good humour, and took her out on the coveted expedition.

Meanwhile Mrs Ross went on a different errand. A friend of hers-an old school play-mate-was lying ill at the infirmary, so she went out to pay her a visit.

When

she reached the ward in which she was lying, she found her friend getting better and expecting to get away from the place in a week, for which she was very thankful to God. The friends sat some time chatting together, and then Mrs Ross took her departure.

Meeting one of the nurses as she was going out, she asked if there were any new cases. 'Yes, ma'am,' was the reply, 'we had one last night. A foreign lad came in with his spine badly injured, through some fall he had got.'-'Poor fellow! is it a serious case?-Bad enough,' said the nurse, I am afraid he won't get over it, as he is so delicate.'-' Could I see him?' asked Mrs Ross, with a yearning heart. Certainly; I don't think he has any friends at all. He lies yonder,' and away the nurse went.

·

Imagine, if possible, the astonishment of Mrs Ross, when she found that the poor, injured lad, was none other than the little Italian statue seller.

Seeing the lad was too weak to say much, Mrs Ross did not stay long. When

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she reached home she told her sad tale to her husband and daughter. The former at once recollected the scene of the evening before, and after Helen had gone out of the room, he related what had taken place to his wife, who was very much distressed indeed, for her husband had a kindly heart.

'Oh! John dear, I wish you would become a total abstainer,' his wife said. 'We will see about it, wife,' was the reply. Mrs Ross paid daily visits to the ward, and saw that the lad had every comfort supplied, but he drooped and faded daily. Mrs Ross pointed him to the Saviour, the children's constant friend, and as another year was borne on the wings of time into existence, his spirit returned to the God who gave it, but not before Mr Ross had paid him a visit and received his forgiveness. You know the doctors said I wouldn't live long even although I had not got hurt,' he said; but all the same, Mr Ross felt he had hastened his end, although he was a moderate drinker. The little Italian boy was the means of Mr Ross's conversion; and whenever he was tempted to drink, his mind at once reverted to the Infirmary ward, and a little form lying there.

Shun drink, boys and girls. Never touch it, and then you will have no fear of getting those 'India-rubber legs,' which caused Mr Ross many a sigh of regret till the end of his life.

PRAISE.

No creature under heaven

Wilt Thou, O Lord, despise:
The life which Thou hast given
Is precious in Thine eyes.
So one and all

On Thee do call.
Squirrels that spring,
And birds that sing,

Fish of the sea, and humming bee,
Belong to Thee.

D. C.

And all Thy works, with one accord, Proclaim Thy love, and praise Thee, Lord!

G. B.

JESUS THE HOLY CHILD.

"Thy holy child Jesus.'-Acts iv. 27.

ESUS, a child! Yes; he lay in His mother's arms, and was carried in her bosom just as tiny and as helpless as any infant that has been born.

'A child he was, to man he grew,

He breathed earth's common, tainted air.' He was a poor child; He was born in a cattle-shed, He was laid in a manger, and His baby-clothes were coarse swaddling. He was a persecuted child, for, ere He was many weeks old, Joseph and His mother had to fly with Him to Egypt-being warned that Herod would seek the young child to destroy Him. There are few stories sadder or more thrilling than this of the Holy Child Jesus.' I wish to tell you about His Nativity, His Nature, and His Name.

I. HIS NATIVITY.

By His nativity is meant the time, place, and manner of His birth. We have two accounts of it, one in Matthew and the other in Luke. They are both of them pictures, and one can almost see the things which they describe. Take Luke's picture first.

On one of the hill-sides near Bethlehem we see a band of shepherds with their flocks. It is night; and some are fast asleep, while others are keeping watch-for it was the custom of these Eastern shepherds to take turns of watching, much in the same way as our sailors do now. Around them are those pasture lands on which Israel's shepherd king had long ago kept the flocks of his father; above them is the blue dome of heaven, the light of whose starry lamps falls gently through a cloudless Syrian sky. The hush of night, broken only now and again by the bleating of the sheep, lies upon hill and dale. But lo! with a suddenness that startles them, and with a grandeur that overwhelms them, 'the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.'Fear not,' said this herald angel as they cower before the brightness of his presence, 'I bring

you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.' No sooner has the angel delivered this welcome message than a sight bursts upon their astonished gaze more awful in its grandeur than anything which they had yet witnessed, for

'Swift to every startled eye

New streams of glory gild the sky;
Heaven bursts her azure gates to pour
Her spirits to the midnight hour.
On wheels of light, on wings of flame,
The glorious host to Zion came;

High heaven with songs of triumph rung
While thus they smote their harps and sung.'-

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men'-the first and the last melody of Heaaven ever heard by mortal ear.

Leaving their flocks they make for the city with eager haste. They find the streets silent and deserted-all the inhabitants sleep, unconscious of the wondrous event; but guided no doubt by the glimmering light which faintly forces itself through the chinks in the cattle shed, they hasten forward to find it even as the angel said, for they found 'the babe lying in a manger.'

And now, let us look on Matthew's picture. A strange company has arrived in Jerusalem. Under the silent guidance of a star, they have come from a far country. They have come upon a curious errand, for they ask, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?' No one knew where, but a prophet had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem; and crafty Herod sent them there, hiding his dark design under the request that if they found the king whom they sought, they would let him know, in order that he also might go and worship him. In Jerusalem they bad lost sight of the star, but no sooner had they set out for Bethlehem than the star 'went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.' It was a strange place to find a King, but all the same, they fell down and worshipped him,' and 'presented unto Him gifts: gold and