JANUARY, 1856. ANOTHER YEAR. 2 "ANOTHER year!-this plan I'll take, My gracious lot its close to see, J. H. WALMER CASTLE.. SANDOWN, Sandgate, and Walmer Castles, all on the coast of Kent, hold a middle place between ancient and modern fortifications. They are of the time of Henry VIII. Here is a view of the last-mentioned of the three, -the castle that will be famous in all future time as having been a marine residence of Arthur, the great Duke of Wellington, and the place where he expired. "On the 11th of Sept., 1852," (says the author of "The Patriot Warrior,") "he occupied his usual seat at Walmer church. It was remarked that he looked rather pale, but no alarm was excited. The two following days he was engaged as actively as usual. On the 14th he awoke with a sense of uneasiness, but did not send for medical advice till about eight, when no immediate danger was apprehended. After breakfasting, he became rapidly worse; one fit followed another; he was removed from his soldier's bed to his chair, in which, after a short struggle, he expired. That quiet, solemn chamber of death was the one in which he passed the greater part of his time, during the two months he always spent at Walmer Castle in the autumn, to fulfil his duty as Warden of the Cinque Ports. It was his study, his library, and his bedroom, fitted up with the most perfect simplicity. It looked out upon a grand, open sea. The seclusion of this castle made it most fitting to be the place where the spirit, ceasing from all earthly cares, should pass into the presence of its God." CHAPTERS FOR CHILDREN. PRAYERS OF LITTLE CHILDREN. WISHING you, my young readers, a happy new year, I bring a subject before you of the greatest importance; but as most boys and girls prefer examples to precept, instead of writing a kind of sermon on prayer, I shall give you a few instances of real prayer offered up by children from about three to eight years of age. Some little ones kneel down morning and evening, and say their prayers, as it is called, without thinking what the words mean; repeating as fast as possible the Lord's Prayer, &c.; while others, though too young to speak plainly, offer up a true prayer, pleasing to God. I knew a very little boy who could not say Father; but he knew the meaning of the word, and used to begin with, "Our Papa, which art in heaven." A little girl lost both her parents; and when the last lay dead, she knelt down by the bed, and earnestly said, "Please, Sir, to take me too!" A long time ago I had the care of some children from India; and at first they knew so little English that I had to use very easy words when teaching them anything. One day Emily said, "I do not understand you, Ma'am, when you pray.” “Do not you understand me, my dear, when I ask God to bless our parents, and brothers, and sisters, &c., and to make them good and happy?" "I do," exclaimed Eliza, "and I say to myself, 'O, yes! I do wish that." They were encouraged to speak often of their absent parents. Emily asked one day, “Are papa and mamma good?-pious?" "I do not know them," I answered: "you should pray for them." "O, yes! I do. I know that when they die they must go somewheres,-to heaven or to hell. I pray that we may all meet in heaven; and sometimes " (with great emphasis) "I think we shall!" Their eldest brother, nine years old, was sent to school; and in the first vacation he told us that the scholars often beat him. After his return to school, his sisters and little Willie seldom failed to pray, "Bless Charles, and don't let the boys beat him so!" When they next had the pleasure of meeting, Charles said, "Do you know that this half-year the boys have not beaten me: even the great boys have been quite my friends." Willie sometimes said, "Good morning, Ma'am: I hope I shall be a good boy today. I have prayed." I was once hearing a little darling of mine repeat the Lord's Prayer. Being very young, I was not sure she thought of the words. It gave me great pleasure when she said, “Give us this day our daily bread, and meat too." A lady did not allow her little son, who was poorly, to eat butter for some time. One morning he prayed, "Give us this day our daily bread, and a little bit of butter with it." Two or three children went into a corner of the room, and were overheard praying, "Heavenly Father, send the fruit ripe." About forty years ago, I one evening heard Charlotte, who was four or five years of age, exhorting her little brother. They were alone, in a room with the door open. "God can always see us, Thomas: Miss B. says so. When we have done. anything wrong, we ought to go up-stairs, and pray to Jesus Christ to forgive us. Miss B. says so." Jesus Christ is God: The little girl who asked for "meat too," forgot |