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PAGES FROM A LITTLE GIRL'S LIFE.

the bank, wanted also to join the brigade. And by July of that year there were thirtythree boys employed, who, during the Exhibition, cleaned over a hundred thousand pairs of boots, and earned between them five hundred pounds.

Let us take a peep at the Old Reds,' or Central Shoeblacks' Home. It is evening when we go there, just the time when the boys come trooping home from all directions, balancing their boxes skilfully on their heads. Asking at the door of the Home in Saffron Hill for Mr. Nichols, the Superintendent, we are soon in a large room, listening to all this gentleman has to tell us about the lads. Here in one corner is a sort of counter where the boys, as they come in, buy what they want for tea, getting a good thick slice of bread and butter for halfpenny, enough meat to cover the bread for a penny, and a half-pint of tea for a halfpenny. Seated at the long tables are several having their tea, while others who have finished are chatting, laughing, and joking, waiting to pay in their earnings. The room is well lighted, and upon the rafters there hang mottoes bidding 'Welcome to all,' and stating that Honesty is the best policy.'

And now the lads come to the little pay-window in the Superintendent's Office to pay in their earnings. We are shown the nicely-kept books, and notice that whatever the amount of earnings may be, or even if the lad brings in only two or

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three pence, six-pence is immediately given to him. If there is anything over, it is then divided into three equal portions: one of which is returned to the lad, another goes to the Society, and the other is put into the Savings Bank for the lad, and helps him to buy clothes, to be apprenticed, or to emigrate. Their average earnings are three shillings and six-pence per day, so that many of them get as much as fifteen or twenty pounds put into the bank during the year. Upstairs we are shown a beautifully large and clean school-room, with the Christmas decorations still up, where the schoolmaster, Mr. Bates, keeps perfect order, and that too although he has to teach sometimes A B C and other simple lessons to some of the roughest and worst lads that can be found in London. Four nights every week they must attend this school, as well as morning and evening school on Sunday; and every day is begun and ended with Bible reading and prayer. Upstairs again is the large, clean, and wellaired dormitory where forty-five boys sleep. We could find much to talk about in this Home, but we must not now; but perhaps soon we may have something to say about their pet dog, 'Nell.'

There are eight other Shoeblack Societies in London besides this; but in this one alone, since the beginning, there have been nearly six thousand boys who have been started in life on the good old principle that Honesty is the best Policy.'

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PAGES FROM A LITTLE GIRL'S LIFE.

BY A. F. VERRAM.
CHAPTER V.-SABBATH SUNSHINE.

WHEN first permitted to attend the house

of God, Issie's delight knew no bounds; although to those who had charge of the dear child, it was a difficult and at first an impossible task to repress the demonstrative tokens of love she was so accustomed to bestow and receive, and which seemed necessary to her happiness. She could not understand why papa's face should not be lovingly stroked, and mamma receive her warm kisses; why brothers and sisters

could not be caressed in view of the whole congregation. It was long before the lesson of propriety was learned, and to the very last many a tender touch, many an earnest kiss, was imprinted on the hands and garments of her dear ones, down in the shadow of her pew. She and Sydney were deeply interested in the ministers who occupied the pulpit Sunday after Sunday. They had equally divided the preachers mentioned on the plan between their little selves, and it

PAGES FROM A LITTLE GIRL'S LIFE.

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was a matter of special rejoicing for the one whose minister took the services or visited the home. Those Sundays on which her ministers preached were always more eagerly looked forward to and more keenly enjoyed than any others. It's my minister to-day; I'm so glad,' she would say, as her feet bounded towards the sanctuary, whilst her eyes would watch for the first glimpse of the spire through the trees, and catching sight of it, her enthusiasm could never be kept within Sunday bounds. Laughing and clapping her hands, it was always the same glad cry that broke from her lips Sabbath after Sabbath; or if she happened to see it during the week, 'O, the pretty place! our dear Wesleyan chapel! I love it so!"

There were two or three occasions when Issie was permitted to go to service twice, besides accompanying her sister to Sundayschool in the afternoon. Walking thither Walking thither one lovely summer afternoon, the sister asked her what she thought heaven would be like. Quick and ready came the answer:

'I think it will be like Sunday, and going to chapel three times;' to which her sister replied: 'But, Issie dear, you do not play on Sunday here; would you not sometimes like to have a little romp with Sydney, or play with your doll ?'

Yes, I should like to have some play sometimes, but God would let me if I wanted to, wouldn't He?' asked the child, with the unerring instinct of a perfect trust in her Heavenly Father.

Often would the sweet hymns and choruses learned in God's house and the Sabbath-school make melody in the home, cheering sad hearts, changing 'the spirit of heaviness' into 'the garment of praise.'

One morning, soon after breakfast, Issie sought for admittance, which was seldom refused, to her father's little private room; but the door was locked, and there was no sound from within that gave her encouragement to knock again; still she waited listening, till startled and awed, she crept downstairs to find Sydney, and tell him that 'poor papa was locked in his room praying, and she thought he was crying;' was there anything that a little boy and girl could do to comfort him, beside being very good and quiet? They thought of ever so many things, but nothing seemed just the right one, till Issie remembered not only the words of a hymn she had sung in Sunday-school, but what the words meant, and in her dear little sympathizing heart she thought that if papa could only hear them, they would comfort him, and help him to forget his trouble. She told Sydney her plan, and he was ready to help. Very softly upstairs the two pair of childish feet went, stopping outside papa's room; in a moment there rose a chorus of song, Issie's sweet treble mingling with Sydney's deep unmusical undertone; but I think as the song went on, God from His dwelling-place on high stooped to listen to those notes.

Would you like to know what they sang? Here are the words. Perhaps some of you know the tune:

'God will never leave thee;

All thy want He knows;
Feels the pains that grieve thee,
Sees thy cares and woes.

COMING TO JESUS.

'When in grief we languish,
He will dry the tear;
He His children's anguish
Soothes with succour near.

'Jesu, holy Saviour!

In the realms above,
Crown us with Thy favour,
Fill us with Thy love!'

Right into the father's aching heart the beautiful words went, soothing its pain,

WHEN

ever.

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reminding him of joy and rest in heaven for When the song was ended, the door opened, and papa drew his little ones in, and kissing them, thanked them for the sweet message they had brought him. And whenever from that time there was the least suspicion on Issie's part that anything was the matter with 'poor papa,' there was sure to be outside his door the burst of children's voices in cheering song.

COMING TO

HEN I was a child, if our Minister finished his sermon by telling us to come to the Saviour, I used to think, he has left off just where I want him to begin.

What is coming to Christ? and how am I to tell if I have come? Have you ever felt puzzled with thoughts of this kind? Well, let me try to make it plain, though it really is so plain it is hard to make it plainer. Suppose a person is suffering from a painful disease, and I say to him, You have only to go to such a physician and you will certainly be cured.' Next time I meet my poor neighbour I ask, 'Are you better?' 'No, worse.' 'Did you go to the physician?' 'Yes.' 'Have you taken his remedy?' 'He gave me none.' 'Why, how was that? What did you tell him?' 'O, nothing! I went and sat in his hall among the other patients, and saw him talking to them; and when they came away, I came away too.' 'Why, when I told you to go to him, of course I meant you to tell him all about yourself, and answer all his questions, and carefully follow his advice. You will get no good by only seeing him cure others, if you went to his house for twenty years. But if he undertakes your case and promises to cure you, then you may trust yourself completely in his hands, and expect to be cured.'

From Drops and Rocks.

JESUS.*

Now, just in this simple way you are to come to the Lord Jesus. Tell Him what you want Him to do for you. Tell Him all that troubles and hinders you. Trust yourself in His hands to be saved. 'Him that cometh to Me,' He says, 'I will in no wise cast out.' Ah, say you, that would have been easy when He was here on earth. Not easier than now, perhaps not so easy, for Jesus was 'a man of sorrows,' walking about and talking, eating and drinking, like other people, only different from them in His look and voice and manner, and wonderful works and words. Surely it must have been harder then to believe that He was the Son of God and Saviour of men, than now when He is reigning as the Lord of Glory in heaven! You know that merely going to the place where Jesus was, to see and hear Him, was not coming to Him, for the unbelieving Pharisees and Scribes sometimes came many miles to see and hear Him; but yet He said to them, 'Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.' They did not believe what He told them, nor that they needed the salvation He offered, and so did not trust Him.

So, you see, to think it would have been easier to be a real disciple of Christ if one could have seen and heard Him when He was on earth, is a great mistake.

ANSWER TO PUZZLE-PICTURE. No. IV.-CAMBRIDGESHIRE.

Cambridgeshire covers a space of 820 square miles. It is marshy and flat, three-fourths being_arable and pasture land and fens occupying the remainder. The black spongy soil of the fens consists of earth, with which decayed vegetable matter has mixed. The parts which have been drained produce good crops of wheat. Cambridge, the county town, contains the stately university one of the two chief seats of learning in England. The students wear long black gowns, and are known as gownsmen. Milton, Bacon, and Barrow were students there. Other towns are Ely, Wisbech, and Newmarket. The Rivers are the Ouse, its tributary the Cam and the Nene.

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