Sae the years went by. And the lad
Stept in at manhood's yett,
An' his mither ne'er thocht him bad,
Tho' hersel' he'd forget,

An' ne'er write a scrape o' the pen
To cheer the auld folks' hame;
He forgot his Faither, an' then
The dounward road he came.

Broken doun wi' sin an' wi' shame,
He cam' trauchlin' at last;
An' his mither wouldna him blame
For the sorrowfu' past.

He died wi' the tears on his face,
An' was taen to his rest;
Had he wasted his day o' grace?
Aweel the Lord kens best.

REVISING QUESTIONS

ON THE

D. C.

INTERNATIONAL SCHEME of LESSONS

These questions are not meant to be the sole questions put, but may serve as guiding the teacher over the main points of the lesson.

Nov. 4. SAMUEL'S FAREWELL ADDRESS. 1 Sam. xii. 13-25.

1 When Saul became king, what did Samuel cease to be?

2 What did he continue to be? v. 23.

3 What did he say the people's blessedness would consist in?

4 What sign did he call for to shew God's displeasure at their conduct?

5 What made this sign the more wonderful at that season?

6 What did the people say to Samuel when the tempest fell upon them?

7 What counsel did he give them? v. 20.

8 What comfortable message did he declare to them? v. 22.

9 What did he say he would ever continue to do for them? v. 23.

10 What warning did he give them? v. 25.

11 In what words is Israel's election stated here? V. 22.

12 In what words is the doctrine of pardon stated? V. 20.

13 State the same doctrine in Isaiah's words. (Isa. i. 18.) 14 State it in New Testament words. (1 John i. 9.) Nov. 11. SAUL REJECTED. 1Sam. xv. 12-26. 1 Whom did king Saul gain a victory over? v. 7. 2 What had God's commands to him been? v. 3. Whom did he spare?

131

4 What did he do to commemorate his victory? v. 12.

5 What did he tell Samuel he had done?

6 What cutting answer did Samuel make?

7 Whom did Saul try to put the blame on?

8 Whether should he have obeyed the people or God?

9 What was Samuel's great answer to Saul's excuses? 10 By whom was this anwer afterwards quoted? (Mat. ix. 13.)

11 What was king Saul's doom?

12 Did he confess his fault?

13 But what was he chiefly concerned for? v. 30. 14 What shews Samuel's sorrow for Saul? v. 11. 15 Why especially should Saul have obeyed God's command? v. 17.

16 What reason is given here for the destruction of the Amalekites? v. 18.

17 What was done to Agag the king? v. 33.

1 In what valley did the combat between David and Goliath take place? v. 2.

2 What shews Saul's care of David? v. 38.

3 What shews David's wisdom in rejecting the armour? V. 39.

4 What weapon did he take?

5 What weapon did Goliath take?

6 What was Goliath's height?

7 How did Goliath feel towards David?

8 What did he say he would do to him?

9 In whom did David trust?

10 What made David's trust so strong? v. 47.

11 Had he any experience of God's help before? v. 37.

12 How many stones did David hurl at Goliath? 13 Where did the stone hit him?

14 How did David cut off his head?

15 What did the Philistines do after their champion fell?

16 Where is the great skill of the Israelites with the sling mentioned? (Judges xx. 16.)

17 What weapon have our soldiers now in place of a

>rall.

134

PETER YOUNG'S GHOST.

A STORY FOR BOYS.

ULLOA! Harry, where are you
going with farmer Gray's cob?'
'I'm taking it down to Peter
Young's smithy,' was Harry Bain's
reply.

'Where are you bound for?

No place in particular,' was the answer. 'I think I'll go down and see Peter with you, and perhaps we will get a yarn out of him.'

'The very thing,' said Harry, and the two walked along the dusty road, at no great distance from the sea shore, till they reached the smithy, where the horse was to get a new shoe put on.

It was a very interesting sight for Harry Bain and his friend to watch the shoeing process. Harry stood in the centre of a round piece of iron used for covering_cart wheels, grasping his small stick with both his hands, and watched Peter hammering in the nails, after having made the shoe.

'I say, Peter, were you ever tipsy?' asked Harry's friend, who was a good bit older than he.

'You've a good stock of impudence to ask me such a question,' said Peter. 'I have been a teetotaller for many years now.'

'Then you were not always one?' said Harry.

There was no reply to this, till the last nail was fastened in the shoe.

'Are you boys in a hurry?' asked the smith, because if you are not, I can tell you of an encounter a man once had with a ghost.'

Of course the boys had plenty time to spare, so the smith, seating himself on the edge of his anvil, began as follows:James Hay was a jolly good fellow, so his friends all said, but he was sadly given to drink at the time of which I speak. One Saturday night he had been away into the town for some message for his master, and was rather late in starting for home again. He said he was a moderate drinker, and if he got tipsy at times, he said it was all owing to the bad liquor. Well, James'

footsteps were rather unsteady, but he got over the first mile of his return journey safely enough. Heavy, dull clouds floated up above, and dimmed the light of the moon at intervals, but James Hay knew the road quite well. However, when passing along by the side of a high wall, which ran for a considerable distance along his route, he was, all at once joined by a very tall man dressed in black, who kept persistently at his side without speaking, or making any noise with his feet.

James Hay grew annoyed at this, but although he spoke, the tall man never made any reply. Poor fellow,' thought James, 'he must be dumb.' But still a nameless dread crept into his brain, and as he was in the act of going nearer to take hold of his arm, the man vanished, just as the moon went behind a thick cloud!

James Hay was startled and frightened at what had taken place, but when the moon shone out, after he had passed the wall, there was no one to be seen, but a little further on he was joined by his silent companion, who never returned any answer to all that was said. James Hay got angry at this, and tried to strike him several times, with the result that he got his hands hurt severely. Fear took possession of James, and he entered the lodge gate, shutting it hastily behind him, but not before the black man had vanished up the avenue!

And did James Hay ever find out who it was?' asked Harry Bain.

'You will know shortly,' was Peter's reply.

Well, strange to say, a valuable ring went amissing that night, from the house of James' employer, and as he had been heard to tell some peculiar story about having seen a ghost go up the avenue, he was taken to jail on suspicion of having been the thief himself, where he had time to reflect on his conduct. Luckily the thief was found-a girl who had been employed as a servant in the house-and James was set at liberty. What with thinking over his conduct while in jail, and the serions talks he had with his clergyman,