MUSIC-Be brave, boys! 48 Four new missionaries for Africa George Stephenson Good-bye, dear old year Harry's voyage Harvest home in India 'How shall I spend my penny?' How to be beautiful For those at sea Have courage to say No Too busy to freeze Who's on the Lord's side POETRY-Anniversary hymn ... Cherry blossoms Lily of the valley Make me God's child The books of the Bible Trusting Jesus Unconscious influence Withered leaves 50 120 91 60 ... 2 72 14 114 96 58 119 95 35 131 2 G° 'GOOD-BYE, DEAR OLD YEAR.' 'GOOD-BYE, DEAR OLD YEAR.' LOOD-BYE, dear old year,' said little Nellie, as, in a mood half pensive, half playful, she kissed her hand, and looked out into the night stillness of the 31st December. 'I must have a last peep at your dark blue sky,' she continued, 'before I lie down. You are to die in the night, old year; and when the stars twinkle out again, you will have passed away.' Perhaps it was from an inclination to gaze at a beautiful bright star that looked in upon her, as she lay in her little bed; perhaps it was from the excitement of the holidays, which she was throroughly enjoying, but somehow Nellie did not feel so drowsy as usual, or so ready to fall asleep. 'I wonder,' she said, fixing her eye on the star, as if it could tell her, 'where the old years go to, and what makes the year new. Oh! I think I know. The first day of the year is something like the world's birthday. Papa told me on my last birthday that I was beginning a new year of my life. Now, on the 1st of January everybody begins a new year, and so they call it "New Year's Day.' Then, somehow, the new year brings so many nice new things with it. The fine new school-room in the lane is to be opened to-morrow; we are going to see the children get their buns and cakes, and hear them sing their New Year's Hymn. But before that I shall have my New Year's gifts, when I go down to prayers. I am quite sure that beautiful New Testament in mamma's room is for me: and I saw papa looking at coral necklaces the other day in a shop window; I should not wonder though I got one of them. Then there is to be a large party at grandpapa's; I am to have on my lovely blue dress with the swan's down; my old merino is to be given as a New Year's gift to that poor orphan child whom we went to see it will be a grand new Sunday dress for her. Oh! yes, there are a great many nice things at the New Year. It is a very happy time; and yet (it is strange) my text to-day was, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." I wonder if the end of the year is ever better than the beginning of it-surely not. The end of a story is nice when there is a grand finishing up in the last two or three pages; all the people get into their right places, and troublesome boys don't tease their sisters any more. Perhaps every year is something like a long story. If we were to try to do rightly, and behave better as we went along, the end, after all, might be better than the beginning. Mamma told me, when I put off my old merino and made it up into a parcel for little Mary, that it was easy to put off an old dress, but not so easy to put off what she called old habits; she said they were something like a dress, we wore them so easily, only they fitted very tight. What were some of them she told me of? Well, there was refusing to get up in the morning when I was called; sulking or pouting when I had to do something I did not like; giving a cross answer, when a gentle one might have stopped a quarrel (but really I don't think she knows how provoking Tom is), and many other things. She told me that the very worst habit of all was, the putting off doing what we knew to be right; and what we quite intended to do, only thought we could could do it at any time; very likely it would never be done at all. Oh! this moment I remember there are these little books I intended to cover, and have all ready for the children tomorrow, and they are not done yet: I am very sorry; I must be up in time for that. I remember, too, mamma said, it is easier to put off bad habits, when we are children, than when we are grown up; just as it is easier to do things in the day time, when the sun is shining, and the light is clear, than when it is grey and dusky in the evening. We may be quite sure that is true-Jesus said, "I must work while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work." Mainma says the worst putting off of all, would be putting off loving and seeking Him when we were young, especially when He has given so many beautiful promises to the children, all to themselves. Getting Him to be on our side would help us with all the bad habits we have to strive against, and that would make it easier for us to |