he pointed in delight towards a corner of the field where grew the tall, slender grain, which, laden with its golden ears, waved and rustled beneath the gentle breezes.

Use it as

The aged Gerard smiled, and, resting his hand upon Bernard's head, said, "You have done well, my son. You sowed the grain in the earth, and it has brought you forth a bountiful harvest. To you must I award my brother's fortune. wisely as you have the handful of grain. Neither hoard it up, nor spend it merely upon your own pleasures, but bestow it upon the poor, upon the fatherless and widow, upon the little ones of Christ, and He shall remember it with a plenteous reward."

NOT SHOWING A RIGHT SPIRIT.

A LITTLE girl, only five years old, was engaged in sewing her mother's dress. By and by she exhibited her work, and inquired,—

"Mother, does this suit you? Do you think you will have to take it out?"

"Yes," said the mother; "I think I shall.” "Well, then," replied the child, "I will take it out myself."

The mother was busy with the dressmaker, and did not notice that her little girl had left the room. By and by she put her head out of a closet, and inquired,

"Can I come out now, mother?"

“Why,” said the astonished mother, “how came you in there?"

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"said she, "I went in myself, because I at I did not show a right spirit about taking at sewing."

her the mother nor the dressmaker had noticed there was anything wrong in her temper taking the work out. But the little one's onscience told her she did not feel right about she shut herself in the closet, till she could right spirit.

all children, when they have a wrong spirit, to imitate this little girl, a good many closets be visited. And, if they could as easily get f their wrong spirit, the hearts of a great - mothers would be comforted. A wrong spirit es a large portion of all the trouble in this , and it shuts vast multitudes out of heaven.

"THE LORD GOD IS A SUN."

ME children think the word of God is meant for grown-up people. They suppose a child not try to read it, for, if he did, he would not able to spell the words, or tell what they mean.

, little folks, just look at the verse that stands he head of this article. There is not a long. d in it. It came from the pen of one of the men of olden times, and he wrote it just as d told him to write. Many more like it may be nd in the Bible.

Even a child may learn a great deal by thought. let us think awhile, and see if we cannot find What does t something of what our text means.

the sun do? It makes things grow; it casts light and joy on all things; it gives warmth and comfort; it gives beauty and life. Of the sun come all

earth's pleasant things. Should the sun set to rise no more, a dreary waste would our world soon become.

"The Lord God is a sun." From Him cometh

every good and perfect gift." He made the sun, and it is only His will that the sun performs. But it is those who have God's love in their hearts who best can tell how God is a sun. I will tell you how, by the story of a flower-root.

In the beginning of winter I put a root deep in the ground. Through all the long, cold days it lay there. Those who did not know might have thought it was dead.

But, when spring came, the rays of the warm sun struck through the earth to the root. Then came up the green shoots. The sun smiled on them, and caused the gentle flowers, with their lovely colours, to come forth. Just so, roots or seeds are planted by friends in the heart of some dear child. The sun of God's love comes, in the course of time, and warms them till they bud, and grow, and bloom. And, O! these blossoms of early love from a young heart are lovelier far than the fairest of earth's flowers. Pray, my young friends, that God may be a sun to your hearts.

If you are not tired, I will tell a story of a bird. This, too, may show you the power of the sun, and help to show what the text means.

A friend was walking out one cool day. She

bird that seemed to be dead. It lay in the , close to the wall of the house. She picked and placed it where the full light of the sun fall on it. She watched it, and soon saw its move, then its eyelid, and it was not long e it was on the wing, high up in the air! The day we heard it sing its own peculiar song. does the power of God warm a dead soul to and songs of praise will break forth from the of a new-made child of God.

THE NEW KEY.

AUNT," said a little girl, "I believe I have d a new key to unlock people's hearts, and e them so willing; for you know, aunt, God my father and my mother, and they wished le to be kind to their little daughter."

What is the key?" asked her aunt.

It is only one little word: guess what?" But was no guesser.

'It is please," said the child: "aunt, it is se. If I ask one of the great girls in school, ease show me my parsing lesson,' she says, 'O, !' and helps me. If I ask Sarah, 'Please do for me;' no matter, she'll take her hands out The suds. If I ask uncle, 'Please,' he says, 'Yes, Es, if I can;' and if I say, 'Please aunt'"'What does aunt do?" said aunt herself.

'O! you look and smile just like mother; and at is the best of all," cried the little girl, throwing

her arms around aunt's neck, with a tear in her

eye.

Perhaps other children will like to know about this key; and I hope they will use it also, for there is great power in the small, kind courtesies of life.

"SWEAR NOT AT ALL."

We hope none of our young friends were ever guilty of taking God's name in vain; and we also hope that you may never do such a thing. And yet, perhaps, all of you have often been shocked by hearing others do so: some, as young as yourselves, may have uttered expressions that have made your very blood run cold.

We write on this subject, and thus remind you of the words of the blessed Saviour, so as to put you on your guard against all persons who take His name in vain. Run away from a boy who is in the habit of swearing as quickly as you would run from a mad dog. Avoid him as you would a loathsome pestilence! God is angry with him; and, if be does not repent and reform, he will surely be punished for so great a wickedness. There is danger, dear young friends, even in listening to an -oath; for, when you least expect it, and it may be in years after, Satan will bring the same words to your remembrance, and, in an unguarded moment, you might be tempted to utter them yourself.

God hears the swearers' prayer, and sometimes answers it by sending them to perdition almost as soon as the words escape their lips. There are