IN the month of March, 1869, on board an Eng-lish steamer, a little rag-ged boy, aged nine years, was found on the fourth day of the voyage from Liv-er-pool to New York, and brought before the first mate, whose duty it was to deal with such cases.

When asked his object in being stowed away, and who brought him on board,

the boy, who had a fine sunny face, and eyes that looked like the very mirrors of truth, said that his step-father did it, because he could not afford to keep him, nor to pay his passage out to New York, where he had an aunt who was rich, and to whose house he was going.

The mate did not be-lieve the story, in spite of the win-ning face and truth-ful words of the boy. He had seen too much of stow-a-ways to be mis-led by them; and it was his firm belief that the sailors had

brought the boy on board and given him food. The little fellow was therefore rather sharply dealt with. Day after day he was ex-am-ined by the mate, but always with the same result. He said he did not know a sailor on board, and his father alone had hid him and given him the food which he

ate.

At last the mate, wear-ied by the boy's always telling the same story, seized him one day by the collar, and, drag-ging him to the fore-deck, told him that unless he told

the truth in ten minutes from that time, he would hang him from the yard-arm. He then made him sit down under it on the deck. All around him were the passen-gers and sailors, and in front of him stood the stern mate, with his watch in his hand, and the other of-fi-cers of the ship by his side.

It was the finest sight, said an eyewitness, that she ever beheld-to see the pale, proud, yet sad face of that noble boy, his head erect, and his beau-ti-ful eyes bright with tears.

When eight minutes had fled, the mate told him he had but two minutes to live, and ad-vised him to speak the truth and save his life; but he replied with the utmost calm-ness by asking the mate if he might pray. The mate said nothing, but nodded his head, turned pale, and shook like a reed with the wind. And there, all eyes turned on him, the brave and noble little fellow knelt with clasp-ed hands and eyes up-turned to heaven, while he re

peat-ed the Lord's Prayer, and prayed that he might be taken to heaven.

An af-fect-ing scene then took place. Sobs broke from strong hard hearts as the mate sprang forward to the boy and clasped him to his bosom, and kissed him, and blessed him, and told him that he now believed his story, and how glad he was that he had been brave enough to face death, and be willing to give his life for the truth of his word.

The air is fresh and cool;

But pause awhile, and kneel to pray,

Before you go to merry play

Before you go to school.

Kneel down and speak the holy words:
God loves your simple prayer
Above the sweet songs of the birds,

The bleating of the gentle herds,
The flowers that scent the air.

And when the quiet evening comes,
And dew-drops wet the sod,
When bats and owls begin to roam,
And flocks and herds are driven home,
Then kneel again to God.

Because you need him day and night,
To shield you with his arm,

To help you always to do right,
To feed your soul and give it light,
And keep you safe from harm.

LV.-EVENING HYMN.

JESUS, tender Shep-herd, hear me,

Bless thy little lamb to-night; Through the darkness be thou near me, Watch my sleep till morning light.