Walter could not get it out of Arthur's hand, he flew into a sad rage, and struck poor Arthur some hard blows, which made him turn very pale and sickly. When the teacher returned, she found him crying from pain. The doctor was sent for; he gave him medicine to cure him, but it was of no use, for in a very few hours poor little Arthur expired. Ah! how sad! You see how covetousness led to anger, anger to blows, and blows to DEATH. guard against the beginnings of evil! Oh! THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND LITTLE LAMBS. DEAR children! Come! I've bought a home Of my free-will and grace I love you much (My grace is such) O come and seek my face! "Why will you die? Dear children? Why? When I would be your Friend! How sad to sell Your souls for Hell When Heaven might be your end! Then now begin To leave off sin; Washed in my precious blood! My Spirit seek, And I will speak And say, "I'll be your GOD." The Children's Reply. Dear Saviour, we Thy smiling, lovely face. O take our heart And grace impart To keep it free from sin: Thy humble throne! That world on high Give to us, for our home- All shining bright, Where blessed spirits roam. In robes, all white, Clothe us, dear Lord, with joy; Of wondrous mould, Let hand and tongue employ. But glory's crown, Of high renown, Placed on each brow above! We'll cast it down, Before the throne Singing Thy praise and love! F. S. I AM a little Shoe-black, and my name is John. Look at my picture. There are more than forty of us red-coated busy boys. I was recommended to the kind gentlemen who manage us by the superintendent of my school, and so may you be if you behave very well. I am the only one left of the boys who began as Shoe-blacks last year, for seven of them have gone to Australia, and seventeen eighteen have got "places at shops and houses. I shall be almost sorry when my turn comes to leave the Shoe-blacks, for I am MAY, 1852. E or very happy, and I earn 6s. a week, and I have £4-only think! four gold sovereigns in my bank. My mother gets me ready early in the morning, and says, "Now be a good lad, John, and you will get a good-conduct badge. Be in time for prayers at Off Alley, and don't spend your earnings upon sugar-stick and oranges." My mother loves me, and I love her-oh how very much! And my teacher loves me; and the Inspectors of the Shoeblack Society love me; and all the gentlemen, and the boys too; and I know that God loves me, for I have read it at school. Last Wednesday evening-that's the address night-one of the gentlemen told us all such a pretty story about a boy who could not tell a lie, and we all prayed to God to make us speak the truth. Then we have Library Books to read; and sometimes we get a holiday to see the magic lantern. Oh I am very happy, but I wish I could be always good. Some of the boys quarrel, though Jesus tells us all to love each other. Some of them swear, though they all know it is very wrong; and once there was a boy who kept back twopence of his earnings, but he didn't look happy. There is a friend of mine in the Shoe-blacks' Dormitory; poor fellow, he is an orphan, and has no other home, but he is very comfortable there with the other lads, and he pays threepence a night to the Society. I was ill once, and some of the gentlemen came to see me; but at last I had to go into the hospital, and they came to see me there. I know that my best friend is always near me, for He is everywhere. He has made me, and taken care of me, and given me His own blessed Word to read, for He is Jesus Christ, who died for every poor sinner; and when I die I am sure to meet Him in heaven, because I believe that He saved me from sin. In the rainy weather I was a "Broomer," with twenty more boys, but the people at the shops don't like the dust swept up in the fine days, and we are all made Shoe-blacks again. Well, I am not sorry for it, for sometimes I take 3s. in one day now, and when the summer comes I shall have plenty of customers. Sometimes we take tea with Mrs. White, the matron, at Off Alley, and then we chat about what we have done in the day, for our boys come from twenty-six different schools. And I hear that there are Shoe-blacks in Dublin, and York, and Brighton, and Liverpool. Every night, after my work, I go to my school, and when I can read well enough perhaps I shall be chosen for a "Messenger," to carry parcels in the city. At any rate I am far better off than I used to be, for I was dirty, and idle, and ragged, and seldom had any dinner; but now I am quite cheerful, and I give half my earnings every week to my dear mother. Just look at my nice corduroy jacket; it was bought with part of my first savings of 10s., which are always laid out in |