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who find in matter itself "the primeval cause of all being' promise and potency of every form and quality of life," so that God is not merely unnecessary, but is excluded. It is the former view which is presented here. But what "6 course or process ". followed the calling of matter into existence-what spaces of duration lay between the command and the perfected "it was so"-is left in the dark. For aught that the Evangelist tells us, the original creative act may have been followed by processes of evolution extending over unmeasured time -all which processes would be covered by the word "became." "When God made the rocks, He made the fossils in them," said the old weaver to the boy David Livingstone-but the Evangelist does not speak after this fashion; though his language is non-scientific, yet it does not require to be corrected so as to take it out of conflict with fact, any more than the astronomer forbids us to speak of "sunrise" and sunset.' All the researches of science go to show that God has set an example for all workers to follow by proceeding from the lower to the higher, working (if one may reverently use such an expression) on one and the same ground-plan throughout, yet producing ever higher and nobler results. Of such processes, however, the Evangelist gives no account or even hint, but simply declares that the universe, in its every realm and minutest detail, owes its being to the Word. It was made "by" Him, or rather "through" Him: He is not (so to speak) an independent and isolated actor in the case, any more than He is a mere instrument. The will in which creation stands is the will of God; as it is written in Genesis, "Let us make.”

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Some men, discarding God as a night-mare or oppressive superstition, and professing to be guided by science, are looking out for some force that shall account for what they find in creation. It is becoming more and more manifest that all things are so related, so kin (sib, if one may use an expressive old Scotticism), as to form a kind of unity that the present has grown out of the past; that one form of force may be translated into another, as motion into heat; but that we can create nothing and annihilate nothing. What is the prime Force of all-the Force of which all other forces are the outcome? Is it intelligent or unintelligent? Is it a "potential atom or a Spirit? Is it a fate or does it possess a beart and a holy will? Shall we say it or He Science cannot tell. Science knows nothing which does not rest ultimately on the evidence of sense, and consequently can never take us ont of the region of the material. Its most ingenious and delicate apparatus is after all but an extension of our senses, and all its discoveries therefore are of a "sensible" order; however far out it may go in its researches, and hower far back-over speces measured by millions of years-it comes up to a boundary-line beyond which is impenetrable mystery.

The Evangelist announces that the primal force (if that term must be used) resides in the Word. The creation of a single atom would have been a revelation of Him; how much more is this great universe!

A man is always greater than his work; no architect, for example, ever put his whole self into the noblest building he designed: even so the Word is greater than the universe which He has called into being. Still, so far as it goes, it reveals Him to us. To the eye of childhood this world into which we are born is beautiful and strange and marvellous past expression; and not less to intelligent and thoughtful manhood. If the romance is gone, as the summer dew from the grass at noon, the real wonder only broadens and deepens. We look around us upon the infinite variety of productions which the earth brings forth— their use, their goodness, their beauty; we sweep the eye of imagination over ocean and contiuent, hill and plain, lake and stream, corn-land and forest, sahara and paradise; we mark the changes produced by day and night and the succession of the seasons; we listen to the music of nature the boom of ocean dashing on the shore, the wind in the forest, the tinkling of the hidden moorland rill; we think of the countless tribes of living and sentient beings that inhabit earth along with us; we think of man with his marvellous endowments; we think of the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places; we listen to all that science can tell us of the subtle agencies that pervade creation and the laws which bind all beings together. Then, standing on earth, as on a promontory that juts out into the infinite, we look upwards and outwards. Beyond the nether sky, with its cloud-scenery and its sunrise and sunset hues of beauty, there are illimitable realms of space, studded with worlds moving harmoniously in close-ravelled maze. These heavens were vast and glorious to the eye of the old Chaldee gazer thousands of years ago; how have their vastness and glory grown to us since then! The globe which is our dwelling-place is one of the smallest satellites of one of the smallest suns. It is conceivable that only our own little world might have hung solitary in immensity; but the space swept by the telescope teems with solar systems compared with which ours is insiguificaut. In the milky way alone are millions of suns, the nearest of which requires years to dart its light to us, though light travels two hundred thousand miles during a single vibration of a pendulum. In the presence of that immensity our globe is but as a grain of sand on the sea-shore. And as is our relation to space, so also to time, according to the teachings of geology since our world became the theatre of life, ages on ages have run their course, for the duration of which we have absolutely no measure. How great must the Maker be-how wise, how good, how glorious! That universe in its vastness, wonder, and glorious beauty, and in all the evolutions through which it has passed during countless ages, lay first of all in His mind-if one may say so-as the grand cathedral was in the brain of the architect ere its foundation-stone was laid it took all that we see and all that science discloses and all that mystery still hides, to express His creative Idea.

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The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." There is indeed in some minds an unbelieving

suspicion that harm must come to piety through researches into the constitution of nature and the investigation of its history and laws ; and the very name of science in some quarters has a profane sound and awakens an uneasy dread that the next word will be scepticism. In the face of sayings to the effect that an undevout astronomer is mad, it must be granted that it is possible for a scientific inquirer to know only the material and deny the Divine, even as it is possible for a man who is busy making money in a selfish spirit to have no heartfelt appreciation of the sacrifice of the Redeemer. But there is no feud between religion and the scientific spirit. On the contrary, religion lifts up her hands and blesses science in the name of the Lord, and bids her be reverent, humble, true and fearless. And when science takes the blessing, she can adopt the words with which Kepler concludes his work, "On the Harmony of Worlds: "-"I thank Thee, O my Creator and Lord, that Thou hast given me this joy in Thy creation -this delight in the works of Thy hands. I have shown the excellency of Thy works unto men, so far as my finite mind was able to comprehend Thine infinity. If I have said aught unworthy of Thee, or aught in which I may have sought my own glory, graciously forgive it."

MY LITTLE SCHOOL-GIRL.

THE first time I saw her was one | late to day, and was afraid I should autumn morning as I rode to town miss my car," she said, as he helped in a horse-car. It was early, and her with a fatherly air that was my only fellow-passenger was a pleasant to see. Taking a corner crusty old gentleman, who sat in a seat she smoothed the curly locks coner reading his paper; so that disturbed by the wind. and put on when the car stopped I glanced out her gloves and settled her books in to see who came next, hoping it her lap, and then modestly glanced would be a pleasanter person. No from the old gentleman in the oppoone appeared for a minute, and the site corner to the lady near by. car stood still, while both driver and Such a bright little face as I saw conductor looked in the same direc- under the brown hat rim, happy tion without a sign of impatience. blue eyes dimples in the ruddy I looked also, but all I could see cheeks, and the innocent expression was a little girl running across the which makes a young girl so sweet park, as little girls of twelve or an object to the old eyes! thirteen seldom run, nowadays, if any one can see them.

"Are you waiting for her?" I asked of the pleasant-faced conductor, who stood with his hand on the bell and a good-natured smile in his eyes.

"Yes, ma'am, we always stop for little Missy," and just then up she came, all rosy and breathless with her r n.

"Thank you very much.

I'm

The crusty gentleman evidently agreed with me, for he peeped over the top of the paper at his pleasant little neighbour as she sat studying a lesson, and cheering herself with occasional sniffs at a posy of mignonette and sweet-peas. When the old gentlemen caught my eyes he dived cut of sight with a loud "hem!" but he was peeping again directly, for there was something irresistibly attractive about the un

conscious lassie opposite; and one could no more help looking at her than at a lovely flower or a playful kitten.

Presently she shut her book with a decided pat, and an air of relief that amused me. She saw the half smile I could not repress, seemed to understand my sympathy, and said with a laugh: "It was a hard lesson, but I've got it!" So we began to talk about school and lessons, and I soon discovered that the girl was a clever scholar, whose only drawback was, as she confided to me, a "love of fun." We were just getting quite friendly when several young men got in, one of whom stared at the pretty child till even she observed it, and showed that she did by the colour that came and went in her cheeks. It annoyed me as much as if she had been my own little daughter, for I like modesty, and have often been troubled by the forward manner of school girls, who seemed to enjoy being looked at. So I helped this one out of her little trouble by making room between the old gentleman and myself, and motioning her to come and sit there. She understood at once, thanked me with a look, and nestled into the safe place so gratefully that the old gentleman glared over his spectacles to the rude person who had disturbed the serenity of the child.

Then we rumbled along again, the car getting fuller and fuller as we got nearer town. Presently an Irishwoman, with a baby, got in, and before I could offer my seat my little school-girl was out of hers, with a polite,

"Please take it, ma'am; I can stand perfectly well."

It was prettily done, and I valued the small courtesy all the more, because it evidently cost the bashful creature an effort to stand up alone in a car full of strangers, especially as she could not reach the strap to steady herself, and found it difficult to stand comfortable.

Then it was that the crusty man showed how he appreciated my girl's good manners, for he hooked his cane in the strap and gave it to her, saying, with a smile that lighted up his rough face like sunshine: "Hold on to that, my dear."

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Ah," thought I, "how little we can judge from appearances. This grim old soul is a gentleman after all.'

Turning her face towards us, the girl held on to the stout cane, and swayed easily to and fro as we bumped over the rails. The Irishwoman's baby, a sickly little thing, was attracted by the flowers, and put out a small hand to touch them with a wistful look at the bright face above.

"Will baby have some?" said my girl, and made the little creature happy with a gay sweet-pea and some red leaves.

"Bless your heart, honey, it's fond he is of the like o' them, and seldom he gets any," said the mother, gratefully, as she settled baby's dirty hood, and wrapped the old shawl around his feet.

Baby stared hard at the giver of posies, but his honest blue eyes gave no offence, and soon the two were so friendly that baby boldly clutched at the bright buttons on her sack, and crowed with delight when he got one, while we all smiled at the pretty play, and were sorry when the little lady, with a bow and a smile to us, got out at the church corner.

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"Now I shall probably never see that child again, yet what a pleasant picture she leaves in my memory,' I thought to myself, as I caught a last glimpse of the brown hat going round the corner.

But I did see her again many times that winter, for not long after, as I passed down a certain street near my winter quarters, I came upon a flock of girls-eating their luncheon as they walked along on the sunny side-pretty, merry crea

tures, all laughing and chattering I did not have half time enough

at once, as they tossed apples from hand to hand, or munched candies, or compared cookies. I went slowly, to enjoy the sight, as I do when I meet a party of sparrows on the common, and was wondering what would become of so many budding women, when, all of a sudden, I saw my little school-girl.

Yes, I knew her in a minute, for she wore the same brown hat, and the rosy face was sparkling with fun, as she told secrets with a chosen friend, while eating a wholesome slice of bread and butter as only a hungry school-girl could. She did not recognise me, but I took a good look at her as I went by, longing to know what the particular secret was that ended in such a gale of laughter.

After that, I often saw my girl as I took my walks abroad, and one day could not resist speaking to her when I met her alone; for usually her mates clustered around her like bees about their queen. which pleased me, since it showed how much they loved the sunshiny child. I had a paper of grapes in my hand, and when I saw her coming, whisked out a handsome bunch all ready to offer, for I had made up my mind to speak this time. She was reading a paper, but looked up to give me the inside of the walk. Before her eyes could fall again, I held out the grapes and said, just as I had heard her say more than once to a schoolmate at lunch time, "Let's go halves." She understood at once, laughed, and took the bunch, saying, with twinkling eyes: 'Oh, thank you; they are beauties !"

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Then as we went on to the corner together, I told her why I did it, and recalled the car ride. "I'd forgotten all about that, but my conductor is very kind, and always waits for me, she said, evidently surprised that a stranger should take an interest in her small self.

with her, for a bell rang, and away she skipped, looking back to nod and smile at the queer lady who had taken a fancy to her. A few days after, and a fine nosegay of flowers was left at the door for me, and when I asked the servant who sent them, he answered:

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"A little girl asked if a lame lady didn't live here, and when I said yes, she told me to give you these, and say, 'The grapes were very nice.""

I knew at once who it was, and enjoyed the funny message immensely, for when one leads a quiet life, little things interest and amuse.

Christmas was close by, and I planned a return for the flowers, of a sort that I fancied my young friend would appreciate. I knew that Christmas week would be a holiday, so, the day before it began, I went to the school just before recess, and left a frosted plum cake, directed to "Miss Goldilocks, from she knows who."

At first I did not know how to address my nice, white parcel, for I never had heard the child's name. But after thinking over the matter, I remembered that she was the only girl there with yellow curls hanging down her back, so I decided to risk the cake with the above direction. The maid who took it in (for my girl went to a private school) smiled, and said at once she knew whom I meant. I left my cake, and strolled around the corner to the house of a friend there to wait and watch for the success of my joke, for the girls always went that way at recess.

Presently the little hats began to go bobbing by, the silent street to echo with laughter, and the sidewalk to bloom with gay gowns, for the girls were all out in winter colours now. From behind a curtain I peeped at them, and saw with great satisfaction that nearly all had bits of my cake in their hands, and

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