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Night is the time to weep,
To wet, with unseen tears,
Those graves of memory where sleep
The joys of other years-

Hopes that were angels in their birth,
But perished young like things on earth.
Night is the time to pray;

Our Saviour oft withdrew
To desert mountains, far away;

So will his followers do

Steal from the throng to haunts untrod,
And hold communion there with God.
Night is the time for death;

When all around is peace,
Calmly to yield the weary breath,

From sin and suffering cease:
Think of heaven's bliss, and give the sign
To parting friends-such death be mine.'

The early life of Montgomery was full of hardship and difficulty. His father was a Moravian missionary in the island of Tobago; but the little boy was born at Irvine, in Ayrshire, in a humble little house on November 4th, 1771. He was sent to school near Leeds, and afterwards to a grocer's shop to be a little errand boy. But he did not like his duties; and one day, with only three shillings and sixpence in his pocket, he ran away from Mirfield where his master's shop was. But he could not get into any wider life, and, tried hardly by sorrow and disappointment, he came back to the old ways. He was once more a shopkeeper's boy-this time in a village in Yorkshire, the little village of Wath.

The boy's spirit was restless still-he felt that a future was before him, different, surely, from that which was opened by the grocer's shop. He had written many poems; good or bad, he at least would try what was in them. So with only his poetry and his hopes, he travelled from Wath to London. No publisher would buy his poems-disappointment was again his lot..

But he was still only twenty; and about this time he succeeded in getting a situation in a newspaper office in Sheffield. Shortly afterwards, he himself established a weekly journal in Sheffield. It was called the Sheffield Iris, and the talent of Montgomery soon made it much read. Its editor gathered round him many true friends; the struggles

of boyhood were passed, and the bright future he had dreamed of seemed to lie straight before him.

But in less than four years the poet was again in trouble. He was charged with having printed a ballad which contained defiance to the Government. The ballad was not written by himself, but by an Irish clergyman. But Montgomery having printed it, was held responsible for what it contained. He was tried and found guilty, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the Castle of York and to pay a fine of twenty pounds.

So the amiable poet, full of kindness and good-will to all the world, lived for three months like any common culprit, in the grim old castle-prison.

In 1806 his first volume of poetry appeared. It was entitled "The Wanderer of Switzerland and other Poems." Afterwards he published many volumes, which were much read and admired. In 1825 he gave up his connection with the Sheffield Newspapers, and retired into quieter life, rich in friends and fame.

For all the ills and sorrows of his youth he was abundantly repaid. A pension of two hundred pounds a year was granted him by the Government; and, happy and honoured, he lived far on into a serene old age. He died in 1854, eighty-three years old. With one last little poem, let us leave the life of James Montgomery.

'Sow in the morn thy seed,

At eve hold not thine hand,
To doubt and fear give thou no heed,
Broad cast it o'er the land.

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HARVEST HOME IN INDIA.

6

He

eye. The soldiers surrounded the guide. 'Where is the water?' they cried. Eight hours' march,' said the guide, and we shall be at the wells.' And with that he pointed in the direction where the wells lay. is deceiving us,' cried one, 'the water is not there.' 'He is leading us to destruction,' said a second, out upon the traitor.' 'I see the water!' cried a third, pointing his comrades in a different direction.

• We see it, we see it!' his comrades replied; 'death to the false guide.' And so the guide was slain. And away they marched. And now they saw the fountain before them. How large it was! liker a lake than a fountain. How beautiful too! reflecting the palm trees on its bank. And how near!-'eight hours!' they said, 'we shall be there in one!' And away they sped in haste and eagerness. But they never came nearer it. As they kept moving, the lake kept moving. The quicker they went, the quicker it went too. Ah, it was not a lake at all, but only the picture of a lake. It was what travellers call the mirage of the desert,-the image of a thing appearing on the horizon, but not the thing itself. And so it was not a fountain the Egyptain soldiers saw, but only the appearance of a fountain. And whilst it seemed to be leading them to life, it was really leading them to death; for that whole army perished in the wilderness.

Once on a time men were all wandering in the wilderness of this world. They were athirst for the water of life, and they did not know where to get it. They sought it in one direction, they sought it in another. They tried to find it here, and there, and everywhere, but never found it. At length a Guide appeared, who undertook to lead them to the water of life. For a time it seemed as if they would follow Him. But very soon they rebelled against Him, and said He was leading them astray. At last they put Him to death, and determined to find the water of life in their own way. The great bulk of the people followed them. But the water of life was never reachedthey perished in their pride. Yet there were some who did not follow. They waited by the dying guide; and they made

the discovery that the water of life was in Himself. His death became a fountain of the water of life. His resurrection became a fountain. His ascension became a fountain. You know who this guide is? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He who said, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink,He whose last invitation in the word of God is, Whosoever will, let him take the rater of life freely.

'AT

HARVEST HOME IN INDIA.

A. G. F.

T the conclusion of harvest, the heathen Koles have for ages held one of their most important festivals. It occupies several days and nights, and is characterized by frightful debaucheryeating, drinking, dancing, and every sort of revelry. Instead of quite abolishing this feast among the Koles who have been converted to Christianity, the missionaries have altered its character, and turned it into a beautiful Bible-like celebration, which puts one in mind of the feast of weeks' in Jewish times. Like the true Israelite of old, the Christian Kole brings part of his increase, and offers it to the Lord, "Every man as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord his God."

'When the day of this festival comes round, the great body of the Christians meet together. They are then formed into a procession along with the children of the schools, boys and girls, and headed by the missionaries in gown and bands. Each individual brings something: some have baskets or brass vessels, containing rice and other grain; others bring sheaves or roots; and others bring pice (pence). Thus they march to the church, where they deposit their offerings on the floor opposite the pulpit; and very soon there are good big heaps of both grain and pice. After this there is regular service conducted by the missionaries, when there is a great deal of singing, in which the whole congregation join most heartily; and indeed the music is wonderfully beautiful; these wild people have such sweet and harmonious voices. They seem to make their offerings very gladly, and

PRIZE SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS.

quite to understand that they are acknowledging the bounty of God, who has crowned the year with His goodness. All the contributions go to the support of catechists and schools, and to the general operations of the mission.'

Thus writes Mrs Murray Mitchell in her interesting Sketches of Indian Life and Travel.' The Koles are one of the aboriginal tribes of Bengal, among whom German missionaries have been labouring for some time with great success. If those Koles who have so lately emerged from heathenism so express their thankfulness to God for giving them fruitful seasons, surely we in

119

will all be gathered together in His treasury. and shine together in His glorious crown, and not one will be forgotten, or overlooked, or lost, for every one is 'precious in His sight.'

Is it not a grand thing to be one of God's jewels? How very wonderful that He should give such a beautiful name to His poor, sinful, worthless children, and set such shining hopes before them! Ought we not to try to walk worthy of this high and holy calling?

(From 'Little Pillows.') FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL.

in our land of light should not be forgetful The Dayspring Bible Class.

of all His benefits.

MY JEWELS.

'That day when I make up my jewels.'-MAL. 3. 17. 'MY "Y jewels!' God tells us who they are-Every one that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.' Then if you fear the Lord, and think upon His name, you are one of His jewels, and all that you are going to read about them is for you, and means you.

'My jewels!' They are His 'special treasure (see margin), His very own, dearer than all other treasures to Him. We see how very precious they are to Him by the price He paid for them. For every one of them has been purchased, not with silver and gold (all the silver and gold in the world would not have been enough to purchase one of them), but with the precious blood of Christ. That was the greatest thing God had to give, and He gave it for them.

God has found and chosen His jewels, and He will never lose them. Every one of them is kept safe in the casket of His everlasting love. He does not mean to hide them away, and be ashamed of them; for He says they shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.' They are not all the same, jewels are of many different colours and sizes; but the day is coming when He will make them up,—when they

QUESTIONS ON MATTHEW'S GOSPEL. Chapter IX. 1-17.

How did Jesus return from the country of the Gergesenes?

What was it in the hearts of the paralytic and his friends which pleased Jesus?

By what endearing name did Jesus address the sick man?

What cheering news did He bring him? What did some of the scribes think concerning the words of Jesus?

How did Jesus rebuke their evil thoughts? How did He shew them that He had power to forgive sins?

What effect had this miracle on the multitudes? What was Matthew doing when Jesus called him? In what words did Jesus call him?

What class of persons sat at meat with Jesus in Matthew's house?

What did the Pharisees murmur concerning this? By what proverbial saying did Jesus rebuke their murmurings?

What passage of Scripture did He quote to reprove them?

In what words did Jesus shew that He came to save the guilty, not the self-righteous? By what metaphors did Jesus teach the disciples of John Baptist, that His coming brought in a new dispensation?

Prize Scripture Acrostics and Questions.

Competitors will please observe to address their answers to Rev. JOHN KAY, 11 Teviot Row, Edinburgh.

16 How much did a man pay to his cousin for a property, and on what ground did he expect that it would afterwards become valuable?

17 In what verse of an epistle is unity among believers four times enjoined?

18 Where are eminently good men called the glory of Christ?

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2 Speak to the shadows of the night,
And turn their darkness into light;
Smooth down the breaker's rising crest,
Say to the billow, Be at rest.

Keep by Thy mighty hand, oh, keep, &c.

3 Soothe the rough ocean's troubled face,
And bid the hurricane give place
To the soft breeze that wafts the barque
Safely alike through light and dark.

Keep by Thy mighty hand, oh, keep, &c.

4 In storm or battle, with Thine arm,
Shield Thou the mariner from harm:
From foes without, from ills within,
From deeds and words and thoughts of sin.
Keep by Thy mighty hand, oh, keep, &c.

dwellers

on the lone

5 O Son of God, in days of ill,
Say to each sorrow, Peace, be still:
In hours of weakness be Thou nigh ;
Heal Thou the sickness, hear the cry.

Keep by Thy mighty hand, oh, keep, &c.

6 When hidden is each guiding star,
Flash out the beacon's light afar;
From mist and rock, and shoal and spray,
Protect the sailor on his way.

Keep by Thy mighty hand, oh, keep, &c.

7 Defend from the quick lightning's stroke,
And from the iceberg's crushing shock;
Take Thou the helm, and surely guide
The wanderer o'er the wayward tide.
Keep by Thy mighty power, oh, keep, &c.

8 Good Pilot of the awful main,
Let us not plead Thy love in vain;
Jesus, draw near with kindly aid,

Say, It is I, be not afraid.

Keep by Thy mighty power, oh, keep, &c.

(By kind permission from new edition of 'Sturrock's Sabbath School Hymn Book.')

Paisley: J. AND R. PARLANE.]

[London: HOULSTON AND SONS.

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