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wearied and felt quite unfitted for the task, but reluctantly consented to go.

When he found himself at the spot, he looked round the assembly with great misgivings, not knowing what to say to them. He noticed a little girl very shabbily dressed and barefooted, shrinking up in a corner, her little sunburnt face buried in her hands, the tears trickling between her small brown fingers, and sobbing as if her heart would break. Soon, however, another little girl, about eleven years old, got up and went to her, whispering kindly to her, and, taking her by the hand, led her towards a brook, then seated her on a log, and, kneeling beside her, she bathed her hot eyes and tear-stained face, smoothed the tangled hair, talking in a cheery manner all the while.

The little one brightened up, the tears all went, and smiles came creeping all round the rosy mouth.

The missionary stepped forward and said,

'Is that

your little sister, my dear? 'No, sir,' answered the noble child, with tender, earnest eyes, 'I have no sister, sir.' 'Oh, one of the neighbours' children,' replied the missionary; a little schoolmate, perhaps?'

'No, sir, she is a stranger. I do not know where she comes from; I never saw her before.'

'Then how came you to take her out, and have such a care for her, if you do not know her?'

'Because she was a stranger, sir, and seemed all alone, and needed somebody to be kind to her.'

'Ah,' said the missionary to himself, 'here is a text for me to preach from, "Because she was a stranger, and seemed all alone, and needed somebody to be kind to her." The words came to him, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' So, taking the little girl by the hand, he went back to the school-room, and told the people the simple story; then spoke of the great love that all should bear to one another, even as the dear Saviour

sought out those who were humble and of low estate, making them His peculiar care. The missionary forgot his weariness, and felt that God had put a good word into his mouth.

HE KNOWS.

I KNOW not what shall befall me, God hangs a mist o'er my eyes; At each step in my onward path,

He makes new scenes to rise, And every joy He sends me,

Comes as a sweet surprise.

I see not a step before me,

As I tread on another year: But the past is still in God's keeping,

The future His mercy shall clear, And what looks dark in the distance May brighten as I draw near.

It may be He is waiting

For the coming of my feet, Some gift of such rare value,

Some joy so strangely sweet, That my lips shall only tremble, With the thanks they cannot speak.

O restful, blessed ignorance!

"Tis blessed not to know; It keeps me still in those arms

Which will not let me go; And hushes my soul to rest In the bosom that loves me so.

So I go on not knowing

I would not, if I might-
Rather walking with God in the dark
Than going alone in the light;
Rather walking with Him by faith,
Than walking alone by sight.

My heart shrinks back from trials
Which the future may disclose,
Yet I never had a sorrow

But what the dear Lord chose :
So I send the coming tears back,

With the whispered word, 'HE KNOWS.'

JANUARY

BIBLE QUESTIONS.

SABBATH MORNING BIBLE READINGS

FOR FORENOON SERVICES.

• From a child thou hast known the Scriptures.' We hope every youthful reader of "The Dayspring' will be like Timothy. To help them in beginning this best of all knowledge, is the object of this corner of our Magazine. Search the scriptures-commit to memory the scriptures; we know many grown-up people lying to-day on beds of affliction, who thank God that when young they took the advice of Jesus in this respect.

Jan. 7. GENESIS 1-The Creation. Memory text-Nehemiah 9. 6. Psalm 33. 6.

Jan. 14. LUKE 1. 1-25 — Birth of John foretold.

Memory text-2 Peter 1. 19. Psalm 119. 2.

Jan. 21. GENESIS 2-Our First Parents. Memory text-Genesis 1. 27. Psalm 8. 7.

Jan. 28. LUKE 1. 25-56-Birth of Jesus foretold.

Memory text---Josh. 23. 14. Psalm 3. 9.

BIBLE QUESTIONS on these Lessons, with answers in the words of Scripture, may be had of the Publishers.

OUR BOOK CORNER.

THE BIBLICAL MUSEUM: especially designed for the use of Ministers, Bible Students, and Sunday School Teachers. By James Comper Gray. Vol. I. containing the Gospels according to Matthew and Mark. London: Elliot Stock, 1871. pp. 376. It is not every book that fulfils its design as thoroughly as this one. Mr Gray is well known for many publications, useful in a high degree to Sabbath school teachers, but this, his most recent work is out of all sight the best which has issued from his prolific pen. We feel strongly persuaded that with this collection of explanatory, homiletical, and illustrative notes, the Sabbath school teacher may dispense with all other commentaries. We have found the illustrative anecdotes of great value in our Bible class and Sabbath school.

11

THE OLD CHURCH YARD. By E. F. Paisley: J. & R. Parlane. pp. 16.

If books were to be valued by their weight or by their size, this booklet would not hold a very high place. But these are not our tests of value, consequently this sweet, well told story of 'The Old Churchyard' is a prime favourite with us. It is free from the mannerism which characterises many stories for the young, and contains many precious truths which old and young should lay to heart.

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BIBLE QUESTIONS.

S intimated in 'What we Propose' we give in this column our first series of Bible Questions. Three Prizes are offered for the largest number of correct answers, to be awarded in December 1872.

The following are the conditions.

1. Competitors not to be above fifteen years of age. 2. The answers honestly to be the work of the young persons competing from month to month.

8. All answers to be addressed, not later than the 20th of the month, to the REV. JOHN KAY, Greenbank Cottage, Coatbridge.

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14

WH

SICK CHILDREN.

SICK CHILDREN.

HEN I think of the many portions of the bible which refer to children, there is one that always comes up to my mind as being full of beauty and of truth. Here it is! written so many hundreds of years ago, and yet as fresh as if written but yesterday

'From infants' and from sucklings' mouth Thou didest strength ordain.' What teachers you children are! I passed through my Sabbath school last night, and counted twenty-three teachers, and found that I could have given work to seven more, and so have made the twentythree, thirty. But I could not help thinking there are some children here who are teaching their teachers. I have learned many a lesson from little children, and I am not ashamed to confess that some of the most precious lessons taught me have been by SICK CHILDREN;-by little ones like him who in our frontispiece has the wistful eye of a loving mother turned upon his pale, wan face. Some people say 'never mind children, their prattling words are of no account whatever.' I differ from all such people, and I shall tell you some things I have learned from 'babes and sucklings.'

Twenty years ago I was sitting at family worship, with a fair-haired boy of little more than three upon my knee. I had been reading the third chapter of John's gospel, where, among many other important verses, this one finds a place, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.' Something in the words, or in the mode of reading them had caught the child's ear, and when prayers were finished he stood beside me, and said, 'Papa, I would like to be born again.' Poor little one, he scarcely knew what he meant; perhaps it was another speaking through him. Two weeks passed, and he was born again: so born again that even his father and mother would scarce have known him. Beautiful as he was, (and an old faded photograph tells me how beautiful) I know that his loveliness is greater now; for, for twenty years he has been looking upon the

face of Jesus, and has had the name of the Beloved One written on his forehead. I was a hundred miles away from him on the night he was born again,' and when I saw him next, it was only the cast-off clothes that lay in the little coffin-the new born child was not, for God had taken him.

Not long before this, a man came late at night asking me to visit his little boy, who was dying. After a walk of over a mile, on a dark winter's night, I stood by the bedside of the dying child. He knew me and stretched out the little fevered hand, while a sweet smile lighted up his face. I found a Testament lying on the coverlet, and taking it up, said, 'I will read you a verse or two from this.' I had been thinking of reading to him the words 'In my Father's house are many mansions:' but it occurred to me that I would ask the child if there was any portion of this precious new Testament that he himself would wish me to read to him: Aye,' he said, 'read to me about the bonnie gold streets, and the men in white.' And I did so; when just as I had finished a sudden light came into the child's eyes, and the hand was lifted up as if to touch the garment of some one whom we could not see. The little hand fell back, and another hand with the print of nails in it took hold of him, and carried him away (O how tenderly) to walk with Himself in white.

6

In the beginning of last summer I had occasion to visit the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, to see a dear friend who had left his home to get the advice of skilled physicians upon a disease which within the last few months has proved fatal. In the corner of the ward, I observed a little boy, not more than six years of age, sitting upon a tiny cot with one of his legs covered by something like an oblong wire cage. The broken leg was so sore and tender, that even the bed-clothes must not touch it. I went over to him, and after hearing who he was, and how he came to be there, I asked him if he ever wearied? No,' he said. 'Folks are all kind to me; a lady sometimes comes in, and brings me a picture book: sometimes when I waken up, I find a little horse

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