give him, he desired to have it at once in his own possession. His father did not deny him his request-but this foolish and wilful son had a sad lesson to learn. Instead of being contented to remain with his father he went away into a far country, and there, when left to his own will and ways, he wasted in evil practices all the good things his father had given him. When there was a famine he was in great want. A famine is when there is not enough food, or when everything is so dear that people are obliged to give a great deal of money for what they want to eat. This was the case when this poor young man began to be in want. He had wasted everything, and had nothing by him in a time of distress. When he wished to work, he was sent into the fields of his master to feed the swine, which were considered by the Jews to be unclean animals, because God commanded them not to eat their flesh, or have anything to do with them. He was dying for want of food, but had no friend to help him in his distress.

Now, my dear children, I want you to learn something from the story of this poor son. He first went away from his father, and this is what you have done ever since you were born. God was your Father, for He made you, He brought you into this world, and He feeds and clothes you, and gives you everything from moment to moment; but do you honour, love, and obey this kind Father as you ought to do? Do you not like your own way best, and to

have your own will? Are there not many foolish things and sinful actions which you love to follow more than the holy ways of your heavenly Father? If you are following your own will and pleasure, you are wasting what God has given you. He has given you health and strength to use in a proper manner; meat and drink for the support of your body; and the clothes you wear to keep you decent and comfortable, but not to make you idle and vain.

My dear boys and girls, if you waste what your kind and good heavenly Father gives you, you will one day be as unhappy and miserable as this wilful son; and if you wander away from God into the ways of folly and sin, you will find no other friend so good or so gracious. Satan would like to be your master, and make you work hard in his service now, and have you miserable with him for ever. He pretends to be your friend, but is really your greatest enemy. Oh! my dear children, do not listen to him, but pray that God would give you His own Holy Spirit to make you love His ways, and to hate the ways of your own heart, which would lead you into sin; and He says, "I love them that love me," Prov. viii. 17. "Pray to the Lord Jesus Christ to give you a meek and lowly heart," Matt. xi. 29.

Next month (if it please God) I will write to you again about this poor son and his kind father.

May God bless you all, dear children.

THE COTTON PLANT.

HERE is a picture unlike any I have given you before; please look at it while I describe it. It is the cotton plant.

At the top, towards the left, is the pale yellow flower, with a purple centre and fine red spots at the bottom. In a little while the coloured leaves of this flower fall off, and then it grows into a pod, such as you see at the top towards the right. This grows larger, and when fully ripe bursts, and exhibits to view the fleecy cotton, which is shown by the large open bud on the right side

of the picture. It is from this plant we get all the cotton worked up into dresses, and pinafores, and stockings, and many other things I cannot here mention. We cannot get this plant to grow well in this country, but obtain its cotton from America, and Asia, and the Indies. The blossoms are very abundant in July and August, and the pods of cotton are picked off in November and December. They are dried in the sun until the seed becomes perfectly hard; the cotton is then cleaned from the seed; and packed in bales ready for the ships to bring over into this country. I hope you have not forgotten the cotton machinery you saw in the Crystal Palace last year; that gave you a very correct idea how the cotton is worked into threads ready for the weaver, and how the weaver works it into cloth ready for our use.

EVENING QUESTIONS.

DID I this morn devoutly pray
For God's assistance through the day?
And did I read his sacred word
To make my life therewith accord?
Did I for any purpose try

To hide the truth or tell a lie?
Was I obedient, humble, mild—
To prove myself a Christian child?
Did I my thoughts with prudence guide,
Checking ill-humour, anger, pride?
Did I my lips from ought refrain
That might my fellow-creatures pain?

Did I with cheerful patience bear
The little ills we all must share?
To all my duties through this day
Did I a due attention pay?
And do I now the day is o'er,
God's watchful care again implore?

THE LAST LITTLE PRAYER. LET me remind you, my dear children, how every godly child and person delights to utter a few words of heartfelt prayer before they go to sleep at night, in order to thank their heavenly Maker for His goodness, and ask His almighty care and protection during the hours of darkness and helplessness! To do so is, indeed, very comfortable, because it is very right; and both unthankful and unwise it is to omit or neglect so to do, seeing how no one can tell whether he shall again rise up. I will now tell you a very short story, but a very pleasing one. It is related upon a tomb-stone, that a little girl, who was very ill, repeated these words as her "last little prayer:"

I lay me down to rest me,

And pray to God to bless me ;
But if I sleep, and never wake,
I pray to God my soul to take-
For Jesus' saving sake,

This night, and evermore!-Amen.

This good child did lie down to wake no more-God having been pleased in compassion for her sufferings, to take her home to Himself that very night!