and weary journey, and mine rushed at once into the water when he came to the shore; but when he plunged his head into the sea to drink-ah! it was bitter and salt, and could not be swallowed. The Arab's horse had been there before, so that he was not deceived by the sea, which looked so cool, but tasted so unpleasant. Some boys think that sin will give them real pleasure, and they run headlong into wickedness. But those Christian boys and girls who know the bitterness of bad thoughts and wicked words, and sinful actions, ought not to return to those unholy things which they know will cause them pain. After we had left the Dead Sea we rode to the banks of the beautiful Jordan, where pure fresh streams run under shady trees. There the horses were refreshed indeed, for the water was sweet, and glanced brightly in the sun. Children! if your souls are weary and your hearts thirsty, you may be cheered in your journey, if you will only come to Jesus, and drink from the living streams which flow from him. His love will be in your hearts " a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life." J. M.

JUNE.

How beautiful and fresh everything now around us appears! every day seems to add fresh beauties. The pretty butterfly flutters about from flower to flower, while the industrious bee dives

deep into their cups, draws out the sweet honey, carries it home to the hive, and there lays by her store against the winter. I hope you, my dear young children, will not be like the butterfly, going from one thing to another, without getting much from anything; but rather like the busy bee, dive deep, and lay by a store of learning against the time when you will be too old to go to school, and will have to attend to other things. This month is called June from the name of the heathen god Juno.

The busy work of sheep-shearing is now completed. At one time, instead of cutting off the wool from the sheep's back with a large pair of shears, as they do now, it used to be plucked off with the hand, which must have been very painful to the poor animal.

Look! see what a vast quantity of insects there are; some flying in the air, some skimming along the surface of the water, and tens of thousands feeding upon every plant and vegetable you can meet with. Besides these, there are millions upon millions so small that you cannot see them with the naked eye. And now for a moment consider, that the same allwise hand that formed them directs all their movements, and supplies all their wants. If our heavenly Father takes such care of little insects, be sure he will not forget us; but will, if we serve him and seek him here below, by and bye take us up to heaven, to be happy with him for ever and ever.

THE CATERPILLAR.

You must all of you, my young friends, I am quite certain, know what I mean when talking of a caterpillar, many kinds of which are of one plain colour, whilst others shine forth in a variety of beautiful tints.

Some, again, are of the same colour as the plant on which they feed, where they are with difficulty discovered by their enemies the birds.

What a remarkable instance is this of the care and protection exerted over even a helpless little worm, by the same kind and merciful Creator who made them and us, (Psa.cxi. 2, 3, 4,) and who wills that we show kindness towards all the creatures which he has made, never putting any living thing to unnecessary suffering, seeing that his eye of mercy is over all his works, and will assuredly mark with indignation the cruel and the thoughtless! Let us always duly bear in mind this truth, which Scripture itself imparts to us in the plainest terms, where it is written, that "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel," Prov. xii. 10.

Now we will say a few more words about the caterpillar. In some of them the colours are very pretty. One of these I will describe. It feeds on the willow. Its lips and mouth are somewhat yellow, its eyes black as jet, its forehead purple, its feet and hinder parts green, and its tail forked and black. Ôther markings add much to its beauty. At a fixed

age, when full-grown, this caterpillar leaves off eating, and becomes covered towards winter with a hard brown crust or case, called a chrysalid, in which state it remains until the spring following. And then, in the course of the warm weather, comes out a very beautiful creature, called a moth, to which is given the name of puss, on account of its pretty markings and streaks, and the greyish white down with which its wings are covered. This is a most wonderful change, as we must all allow, and one which its Divine Creator alone has the power to bring about. And whilst we look on and ponder, let us also be feeling a reverential awe of that infinitely great and good Being, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and who has so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance!

THE HISTORY OF A DEAL BOARD.

No. II.

I TOLD you last month how I was placed in a nursery of young plants, and there brought up in a very different manner to that which I had been accustomed to when I grew wild on the common. With all the care which I took to grow clear and straight, I could not quite get over some of the bad habits which I had acquired before I came into the nursery, so that when a year had passed, and I was old enough to be planted out into a larger plantation, I felt that I was not so well formed as

most of my companions, but was rather thick and rough, or what the farmers called "stubby," about the lower part of my stem. However, I was pretty strong and healthy, and prided myself a good deal on my improved appearance; and as I grew up I could not help feeling jealous when I saw other young trees chosen out of the plantation before me, and taken away to be employed in some useful purpose. When I was about twelve years old I had a bitter disappointment in this way, which I will tell you about.

In the country where we lived a great many hops were grown-perhaps you have never seen any hops-they are very beautiful plants, but their stalks are so weak that they cannot stand upright without support, and therefore poles, twelve or fourteen feet high, are stuck into the ground for the hops to cling to and climb up. When the flowers are ripe, they hang down in great bunches like grapes, and are then picked and dried, and used in making beer. Well, a great number of young fir trees were wanted to make poles for the hops to creep up, and many hundreds out of our plantation were cut for this purpose. I watched the men with great eagerness as they cut pole after pole, and piled them up in stacks, and stripped off the bark ready for use, hoping that it would soon come to my turn. But what was my disappointment when one of the men coming to me looked at me from head to foot, and then said to his companion, at the