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of the same stamp. Peter was a warmtempered man, not always careful about what he said and did. Thomas was cautious, did not believe every story that people told him; Judas was fond of money, and was ruined by it; but John was a very quiet, gentle, loving sort of man, between whom and Christ there sprang up a close friendship. John speaks a great deal more about love than any of the other apostles. If you read the Epistle of James you will see he speaks about working, about treating poor men as kindly as we treat the rich; he was for putting things right. Peter talks about being buffeted, about watching, about mastering ourselves, and being tried. John's talk is nearly all about love-God's love to us, and our love to one another.

He writes in a very loving, affectionate strain. "Beloved" is a common word with him when addressing his fellow Christians; and several times he uses the expression, "My little children," and yet he was writing to grown-up people-to men and women. But then, you know, people, when they are converted, have to become as little children. They are born over again. The old, bad spirit that is in us has to be taken away, and a new, loving, truth-speaking, forgiving spirit is put within us. At first it is weak, easily overcome; but it grows if properly attended to. Hence all new Christians were called little children, or babes, in Christ, and they were to take the sincere milk of the word to grow thereby. The worst of it is that many Christians never seem to be anything else but babies. They never learn to walk straight without somebody to help them; they are easily thrown down, and don't seem able to get up again; they are little children truly. But we should like those to whom we are now preaching to become men and women in Christ, strong and well built up.

Well, what a beautiful thing this love is of which John speaks so much, and with

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out it no person can be a Christian. I love," says one, "And I am sure I love," says another. Well my friends, I dare say you do; you love your fathers, and your mothers; you love little Johnny, with his bright face and his merry eyes, and little Polly and Nelly, with their golden hair and their funny little ways. Oh, yes; you love them, of course you do; and sometimes you climb up on your father's knee and stroke his face, or you throw your arms round your mother's neck, and kiss her as though you would kiss her all away. It is nice to love like that, is it not? And those little darling brothers and sisters, how much you do love them, don't you? Then when your father says, "Thomas, I want you to go to so-and-so for that box," or mother says, Sarah, will you fetch me a jug," I suppose you always go; no shrugging of shoulders, no pouting of lips, no saying, "Let somebody else go." And when your brother or sister just wants your ball, or your top, or your skipping-rope, there is no grumbling about it, I suppose. But what are you blushing about? Why do you hang down your head like that? Are some of you guilty of these things? But you see the Apostle John says, "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth;" that is, we are not to talk so much about loving unless we show it. Loving deeds are better than loving words. Words of love are very good at proper times, but we must show our love by our obedience, by acts of kindness, by giving things up for the sake of others.

Well, but after all, there is no very hard work in really loving father and mother, brother and sister; we can give things up for them, and do things for them, surely; and then there's good Uncle John and Aunt Sarah, why, you could do anything for them, could you not? They are so good; they send such grand things on your birthdays and at Christmas; why, we cannot help,

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loving them; but let me ask-do you love John Smith, who ran away with your marbles one day; or Mary Thompson, who dirtied your copy-book or tore your frock? It is a very easy thing to love those who love us. Jesus Christ says, If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye ? Do not even the publicans the same?" Almost anybody can love them that are kind to them, but it is hard work to love them that are unkind to us. Yet Jesus says: "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." That is a lesson that

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will take some learning, and one that a good many Christians, who profess to be more than little children, have not learnt very perfectly yet. But it is a lesson we must try to learn.

How shall we learn it? Well, let us learn to love God. Learn to love Him by thinking of His great love to us; and if we truly love God whom we have not seen, we shall be able to love our brother whom we have seen, and we shall love our enemies also.

Now, my young friends, let us all set to work upon this first grand Christian lesson of love, and let us not only say it with our tongue, but show it by our actions.

SWALLOWING FIFTEEN COWS!

WALLOWED fifteen cows!" said Bertie, in astonishment, looking up from her play. Her ears had caught the words in a conversation that was going on in the room. "Yes," answered her brother, "he drank them all up."

"Drank fifteen cows! I don't believe it," answered the little maiden, firmly.

"He sold them, and bought whisky and beer with the money," exclaimed her Aunt Katy. Oh, oh, that was it. I see now. Well, it is funny."

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was once a little boy like you, with a healthy taste for food and clear cold water. ever swallowing a cow, much more fifteen cows, such a thing never entered his head. But you see what he came to at last. How was it? He began by taking a glass of ale or beer, or a little wine, at parties now and then. This corrupted his pure taste, and gave him an unnatural thirst, which only strong drink could satisfy. After ale and beer came whisky, rum, and brandy; and the more and oftener he drank, the more his thirst increased, until he became a poor miserable drunkard. So you see, George, that no man can tell what he may come to. Maybe, instead of swallowing fifteen cows, you will get down, one of these days after you become a man, forty or fifty cows, and a house in the bargain."

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"It is the way of total abstinence, as we call it, the only way of safety for boys and men. If you never drink a drop of intoxicating liquor, you will never be a drunkard. If you depart from this rule, none can say to how low a depth of wretchedness and degradation you may fall. The worst drunkard in the land was once a pure and innocent boy." "I'll never swallow even a calf!" ex

claimed George, starting up, and speaking with great earnestness.

"Touch not, taste not, handle not the unclean thing," said Aunt Kate, "and all will be well with you. But indulge ever so little in drinking, as you grow to manhood, and none can tell into what a great depth of hopeless ruin you may fall."-Christian Treasury.

VISE REPROOF.

HE following anecdote is related of the

late excellent Joseph John Gurney, of Norwich, by one who, as a child, was often one of his family circle:-One night, I remember it well, I received a severe lesson on the sin of evil-speaking. Severe I thought it then, and my heart rose in childish anger against him who gave it; but I had not lived long enough in this world to know how much mischief a child's thoughtless talk may do, and how often it happens that talkers run off the straight line of truth. S

did not stand very high in my esteem, and I was about to speak further of her failings of temper. In a few moments my eye caught a look of such calm and steady

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PUZZLES.

s we have to print our January number

very early, we are not able to give the answers to the puzzles in the November number. We hope next month to give the answers both for November and December, and also to announce the names of those who have won the prizes offered. It is quite possible that some good man who is fond of children may authorise us to offer the same prizes for the present year as we did for the past year. At any rate, we will see to it that the money is forthcoming. We shall therefore be prepared to give 7s., 5s., and 3s. to those who stand first, second, and third in

this year's list; it being understood that the competition is limited to those under sixteen years of age.

We now give two more puzzles.

I. If a draper had a piece of calico of 100 yards, and he cut off one yard a day, how many days would it take him to cut it all?

II. Ten excavators dig 12 loads of earth in 16 hours, whilst 12 others can dig only 9 loads in 15 hours; in what time will they jointly dig 100 loads?

[Letters for the Editor to be addressed, M. Miller, 4, Barnsbury-square, London, N.]

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