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THE HORSE.

SEE how fearlessly little Annie rides her

pony. It has been her friend from infancy, and she is almost as fond of it as an Arab is of his horse. Though it does not live in a tent with her, as the Arab steed does with his master, yet it is treated with great kindness. The pony knows the child, and is well pleased that she should ride him. Annie cannot remember the first time she was placed on the pony's back, for she has been accustomed to ride him since she was a very little thing. The pony seems quite to understand that he has charge of her, and he is faithful to his charge, and will bring her safely home.

Little Annie's parents trained her to speak kindly to the pony, and to pat it gently, and never to hurt it in any way; and now she is well repaid for all her kindness. The pony is sagacious and docile, and as careful of the child as a gentleman's horse, of which I have read, was of his master.

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'A friend of ours,' says the writer of a volume on 'The Horse,' rode thirty miles from home on a young horse which he had bred, and which had never before been in that part of the country. The road was difficult to find, but, by dint of inquiry, he at length reached the place he sought. Two years passed over, and he had again occasion to take the same journey. No one rode this horse but himself, and he was perfectly assured that the animal had not since then been in that direction. Three or four miles before he reached his journey's end, he was benighted. He had to traverse moor and common, and he could scarcely see his horse's head. The rain began to pelt. "Well," thought he, "here I am, far from any house, and know not, nor can I see an inch of my road. I have heard much of the memory of the horse,—it is my only hope now, so there," throwing the reins on his horse's neck, "go on." In half an hour he was safe at his friend's gate.'

Who gave the horse such a wonderful memory, made him so sagacious, and gave man dominion over him? It is the same

God who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven. We may learn much of the wisdom and goodness of God, from studying the wonderful structure and habits of animals. When God revealed His own power and wisdom to Job, He said to him,

'Hast thou given the horse strength?
Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?
The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

He paweth the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength.

He goeth on to meet armed men:

He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted:
Neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him,
The glittering spear and the shield.

He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and

This sublime passage shows us the duty of considering the wonderful works of God in the animal world, and of learning from them the many lessons God would have us to learn. Those who thoughtfully and reverently study the habits of animals and their marvellous structure, will never be guilty of unkindness to them. It is very sad to think of how cruelly such a fine animal as the horse is often treated.

In France, and in America, there are many Juvenile Societies for the Protection of Animals. These have done, and are doing, much good, not only to the dumb animals, but to the children who have become members. Would it not be well for all our readers to join such a Society, or better still to adopt the recommendation given by Mr Angell, of Boston, to the children of the public schools in that city. He would have Legions of Honour' formed, each member of which should be pledged

1st. To speak no falsehood; 2nd. To use no profane language; 3rd. To show respect to the aged; 4th. To protect from unnecessary cruelty, as far as possible, all that are

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upon his ear, and the sunbeams straying through the overhanging branches woke the song of bird and hum of insect, his heart was inspired, and he pourtrayed its beauty on the canvass. But long years before, and now just as then, the Nameless Rill has gone on for ever, sprightly and beautiful, with its sweet message of peace and rest to man.

There are quiet lives in the bye-ways of the world's history of which we know nothing, but of which we get, now and again, a passing glimpse, revealing to us their peaceful beauty-hidden lives, away altogether from the din and bustle of the world, yet known to God-the salt, it may be, though unacknowledged, of a nation. Such were the lives of many mothers in Israel in the days of the kings. Such was Hannah, whose little family of five were trained up in the fear of the Lord; the girls, no doubt, helping, year by year, to make that little coat for the child Samuel -the elder brother who was serving the Lord in the temple. A happy home it must have been, ever with the solemn yet blissful thought that one of their number had been called, from his childhood, to be the Lord's.

To another Jewish home our thoughts are turned, by the touching story of the little maid, carried captive by the Syrians out of the land of Israel. Who she was, what was her name, to what tribe of Israel she belonged, we know not; still less do we know anything of her mother. And yet we have a glimpse back to the home of her childhood, and the true lessons taught her there of trust in God, and of loving kindness even to those who had carried her away captive. She was earnest to do good, and God blessed the little maid; and so it came about that Naaman, the great Syrian lord, was guided by this little maiden to the prophet in Israel, who not only healed his trouble, but revealed to him the true God and made him a humble disciple of the Lord.

Separated by nearly three centuries, we get a glimpse into another Jewish home, in the history of Daniel the prophet. Here,

too, we are left without particulars. We have no certain information as to the father and mother of the prophet; no mention of the particular tribe to which he belonged, nor whether he dwelt in city or in hamlet. The probability, however, is, that being carried to Assyria as a hostage, he was of royal lineage, or at all events of princely descent. But whether this be so or not, his after history reveals to us how carefully his early training had been attended to. Doubtless a pious mother had been his instructor in lessons never to be forgotten; the good seed then sown falling into congenial soil, and springing up afterwards to a ripe and golden harvest. He was still but a boy when he was carried away captive; but, child as he was, he stood out against the idol worship of the heathen nation among whom he dwelt. He purposed in his heart, so runs the record, that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank; and God blessed him in his refusal: his example encouraged his companions to make the same resolve; and at the end of the ten days' trial which Melzar permitted them, their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

The fruits of early training are seen in all Daniel's after history. With him the service of the Lord occupied the first place: what the judgment of man might be was a very small matter. Hence, in the great trial of his faith, when it became necessary to take up a position of isolation from the idolatrous court, he did not hesitate to show clearly that he was on the Lord's sid. Entering his house so soon as he knew that the irreversible decree was signed, and the window being open, he kneeled down and prayed to that God whom he had first learned to know at his mother's knee. Nor did he pray in vain. Cast as he was into the lions' den, God, whom He loved and served, wrought for him a marvellous deliverance. What wonder that the king and all that heathen court should be stirred up to resolve to serve the God of Daniel,

It

who alone is King for ever and ever. was in this way that the fount, which first burst from his heart in life's young days, still channeling deeper as it flowed, became, in the consistent life and steady purpose of Daniel's latest years, a stream, passing onward to the great ocean of eternity.

Children, in all these lives there is a lesson for you. This is your seed time. May the good seed now sown ripen in your hearts, and be fruitful in after years.

'O happy is the man who hears
Instruction's warning voice;
And who celestial Wisdom makes
His early, only choice.'

"THE DAYSPRING' PICTURE GALLERY. IV. THE MIRROR.

PASSING on from the picture of the

sower, we are suddenly confronted by the reflection of our own faces in a large mirror. How is this? It is not here merely for ornament, as you often see mirrors in halls and galleries. No! it has a meaning; and the words inscribed above it, point us to that meaning. 'If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.' So we learn that the Bible shows us our hearts, just as a looking-glass shows us our faces.

You know that savages, whose only mirrors are made of polished metal, are filled with astonishment when they first see a European looking-glass. Dr. Livingstone tells of the absurd remarks the people of some of the African tribes used to make about their personal appearance, when they first saw themselves in his glass. One

would say, 'What a big mouth I have!' Another, My ears are as big as pumpkin leaves; or, 'I have no chin at all.' And one man, after a long study of his own face, said candidly, 'People say I am ugly, and how very ugly I am indeed!' Seeing is believing. That man had never before been persuaded that people's opinion of him was true. Now I think there are a

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good many people in our country who are not unlike him. They have often been told that their hearts are black and wicked; but they will not believe that this is quite true, until some day they see their images in the perfect mirror of God's Word, and then their mouths will be stopped.

Mr Moody tells a story, in one of his addresses, which illustrates this. It is as follows:-'I said to my little family one morning, a few weeks before the Chicago fire, “I am coming home this afternoon to give you a ride." My little boy clapped his hands. "Oh, papa, will you take me to see the bears in Lincoln Park?". "Yes." You know boys are very fond of seeing bears. I had not been gone long, when my little boy said, "Mamma, I wish you would get me ready."-"Oh," she said, "it will be a long time before papa comes.' —“But I want to get ready, mamma.” At last he was ready to have the ride-face washed, and clothes all nice and clean."Now you must take good care and not get yourself dirty again," said mamma. Oh, of course he was going to take care; he wasn't going to get dirty. So off he ran to watch for me. However, it was a long time yet until the afternoon, and after a little he began to play. When I got home, I found him outside, with his face all covered with dirt. "I can't take you to the Park that way, Willie."—"Why, papa? you said you would take me."-"Oh, but I can't; you're all over mud. I couldn't be seen with such a dirty little boy."—"Why, I'se clean, papa; mamma washed me.". "Well, you've got dirty since." But he began to cry, and I could not convince him that he was dirty. "I'se clean; mamma washed me!" he cried. Do you think I argued with him? No. I just took him up in my arms, and carried him into the house, and showed him his face in the looking-glass. He had not a word to say.'

It is extremely difficult to get people to look at themselves honestly in God's mirror, and the reason is very simple: it shows no flattering likeness. You remember how furious the Pharisees sometimes became with the Lord Jesus, when His parables

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shewed them their own hearts too plainly. And I have heard of a man's going to a celebrated preacher in a towering rage, to ask him what he meant by talking of him in that way in his sermon. The preacher knew nothing about him, and told him so. He had only held up the mirror faithfully, and the man saw his image reflected so plainly, that he was afraid every one in the congregation would see it also.

But I have still to tell you the most wonderful thing about this mirror. It shows you, not only exactly what you are, but what you ought to be; for, if you look stedfastly into it, you will see alongside of your own image, the likeness of One fairer than the sons of men.' As dear old John Bunyan says: Now the glass was one of a thousand. It would present a man, one way, with his own features exactly; and turn it but another way, and it would shew one the very face and similitude of the Prince of pilgrims Himself. Yes, I have talked with them that can tell, and they have said that they have seen the very crown of thorns upon His head by looking in that glass; they have therein also seen the holes in His hands, in His feet, and in His side. Yea, such an excellency is there in that glass, that it will shew Him to one where they have a mind to see Him, whether living or dead, whether in earth or in heaven, whether in a state of humiliation or in His exaltation, whether coming to suffer or coming to reign.'

Suppose you had a dear brother in Australia, would you not be glad if some one gave you a magic glass, such as we read of in old fables, by whose help you could see him at any time? Just such a glass is the Bible to the friends of the Lord Jesus. No wonder they love to study it, when they see there the face of Him they love best!

And now notice the wonderful words engraved below this mirror:-'We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image.' Is not that good news for you and me, that as we study Christ's face in His Word, we shall grow like Him? Will you then use this glass every day,

praying, as you do so, the double petition taught by the good minister to the little Highland kitchen-maid: 'Lord, shew me myself;' 'Lord, shew me Thyself. And, as another good man used to say, 'For every look you take at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.' So you will daily see less to admire in yourself, and more to admire in Him, till the promised day comes, when 'we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.'

THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE.

J. B. M.

FIRST Genesis, and Exodus, Leviticus, and

Numbers,

Deut'ronomy, and Joshua, and Judges, too, and Ruth;

Then Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and
Ezra, Nehemiah,

And Esther, Job, and David's Psalms are in
GOD's Book of Truth.

The wise king's Proverbs follow next, and then Ecclesiastes;

The Song of Solomon precedes Isaiah's glorious strain:

Then Jeremiah, prophet sad, weeps for his Lamentations;

Ezekiel and Daniel foretell Messiah's reign.

Hosea, Joel, Amos next, the book of Obadiah, And Jonah, Micah, Nahum, too, then Habakkuk appears;

And Zephaniah, Haggai, the prophet Zechariah;

And Malachi completes the roll, ere CHRIST, four hundred years.

The Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke, Johnthe Acts of the Apostles;

Then Romans, and Corinthians, Galatians next we note;

Ephesians, and Philippians, Colossians, Thes salonians:

St. Paul these nine Epistles to the early churches wrote.

Next Timothy and Titus come, Philemon and the Hebrews:

Then James; and Peter's letters tell of 'precious' things above;

John's three Epistles; Jude: and last, John's wondrous Revelation,

The Volume of the Book' complete, God's blessed Book of Love!