too, and then they can find the places just as Gilbert and Mary and Jessie Campbell did.

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Now," said Mr Campbell, "I will talk to you this evening about Madagascar, as we have got some news from there which will, I am sure, be interesting to you; will you show me Madagascar on the map?"

"Here it is," said Gilbert; "this large island that lies on the east of Africa."

of you remember reading

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tion has been going on with terrible severity, some of the persecuted Christians fled to this country, and we learned from them what was doing; but for some time we have heard nothing about Madagascar that could be depended on, there were so many contradictory reports; for instance, it was said that the queen was dead, and then that she had resigned the crown to her son-both of which were false reports."

"Yes," replied Mary, “I have read of the cruel queen, how she forced the missionaries to leave the country, and persecuted all the Christians. I have got a beautiful little book that tells all about the people who were put to death, it is called ' Madagascar and its Martyrs.'

Ah," said her father, "that is a sad story indeed, and since that little book was written, many more have laid down their lives for the sake of Jesus, and hundreds have been forced to flee from their native land, or hide themselves among the mountains, or pine away in lonely dungeons far from all they love. Madagascar has the glory of showing to the world how much men will suffer for Jesus; how love to Christ will make even ladies of high rank endure without a murmur all the hardships and privations of a wretched prison for year after year.

"But I must tell my story. It is now about nineteen years since the missionaries were driven away from Madagascar; since then the persecu

"There are no ships allowed to go there now; the queen made a law some years ago that no foreigners should visit her country."

"What a foolish woman," said Jessie; "what was that for?"

ers.

"Because she wants her subjects to keep all their old bad customs, such as idolatry and slavery, and she is afraid they might want to imitate the foreignWell, the London Missionary Society were getting very anxious to know something about Madagascar, whether the native Christians were still faithful to Jesus, and whether there was any hope of the missionaries being allowed to return; so they sent Mr Ellis and Mr Cameron (who had been engaged in the Madagascar mission) on a visit to Madagascar, to find out all they could."

"Mr Ellis-is that the Mr Ellis who used to be a missionary in the South Sea Islands," asked Mary.

"The very same-he and Mr Cameron left England in July, and went first to Mauritius, a little island which

you will see just opposite Madagascar ; then they sailed across to Tamatave, which you see is a seaport. When they landed, they were surprised to find the town almost empty; they were told that the inhabitants were busy making a fort nine miles off, as they were expecting an invasion by the British. Of course Mr Ellis told them that the British had no thoughts of doing any such thing; it seems this was a story that some Frenchman had made up.

"You may imagine how glad the people in Tamatave were to see their visitors, it was so long since they had seen any Englishmen. The governor and chief men of the town were very cordial, and gave Mr Ellis a great deal of information about the state of the country. He sent a letter to the queen, and she returned a friendly answer, but excused herself from receiving a visit from him at the capital, on account of some public business; however, she ordered a present to be sent him of a bullock and some rice and poultry."

“Well done, queen!" exclaimed little Jessie, "who would have thought of that from her? And the poor Christians, father, did Mr Ellis see any of them?"

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"They were indeed," said her father; "Mr Ellis mentions, in a letter which he has written home, a very affecting meeting with one of the Christians who was of high rank; he came in while Mr Ellis and Cameron were sitting at breakfast; he looked earnestly at each of them for some moments, and Mr Ellis says it was such a look as he never saw on any face before; his delight at meeting them was so intense, and yet it was mixed with an expression of uneasiness. Mr Ellis says he would not like to mention the name of this man; suppose he is afraid of bringing him into trouble."

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"I wonder who he was," said Mary thoughtfully; perhaps it was the young Christian prince, father."

"I do not know, my dear; you know that many of the Christians, besides the prince, are of very high rank."

"Did Mr Ellis hear much of the young prince?” asked Gilbert.

"O yes; every one spoke well of him and of his wife, who is also a member of a Christian church. It seems the old queen, his mother, is getting very feeble, and wishes to place a good deal of power in the hands of her son; indeed, there was some talk that the prince was going to be crowned king at once, but at present he is in great danger. He has a cousin, a very bad man, who wants to kill the prince and make himself king. Now, if he were to succeed in his wicked plans, it would be a sad thing for Madagascar, for he is a violent opposer of Christianity, and has done all he could to help forward the persecution."

Father," said Gilbert, "I should

like to know if the missionaries are going again to Madagascar; does Mr Ellis say anything about that in his letter?"

"He says that a large number of the people, even many who are not Christians, are eagerly desiring instruction, and he has great hopes that, before long, missionaries will be allowed to return; but you see that much depends upon who it is that has the chief power in the government, whether the queen, the prince, or his wicked cousin. All Christians should unite in prayer to God, that he would protect the young prince from his enemies."

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Father," said little Jessie, who had been listening very attentively all the time, "if there were no missionaries

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for so long, who has made the people Christians? I mean, who has taught them?"

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When the missionaries left Madagascar, there were only about two hundred Christians, and now there are at least five thousand, and perhaps many more, for it is impossible to count all the hidden ones' who are true friends of Jesus. This has astonished every one, and I do not wonder, Jessie, that you ask 'who has taught them?' My dear children, let us seek the same heavenly Teacher that they have had. Neither Bibles nor missionaries could have given them that strong undying love to Jesus which they have shown amidst their fiery trials-God the Holy Spirit has been their Teacher."

How many things will sometimes happen in one year! This world as it now appears, with its bright sky and glorious sun, and all its fruits and flowers, was created within one year, and in the same year Adam and Eve were formed of the dust of the ground -the serpent tempted them in Paradise-they were driven out of the garden, and the ground was cursed for their sin-and over Eden's gate were placed the angels and the flaming sword,-all this happened in one year.

In one year Noah and his family, and an immense number of animals, entered into the ark, the flood came upon the earth and destroyed every living being upon it, and Noah, when the waters were dried up, came out by command of God and offered up a sacri

fice to Him who had preserved him and his family alive.

At the beginning of one year the Israelites were all slaves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, compelled to work without wages, and lashed if they refused. Before the year had ended, Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the Red Sea; and the Israelites were away in the wilderness under the guidance of a fiery pillar, drinking of water that God brought out of the flinty rock, and eating manna which he rained down from heaven.

The most wonderful events which ever took place on this world all happened in less than one year. In the course of a very few days Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was seized by wicked men, tried as if he had been a criminal,

put to death on the cross, and then buried. He rose from the grave, He ascended to heaven, He mounted the throne of His glory there, and sent down His Holy Spirit upon the disciples at Jerusalem; all this in much less than one twelvemonth. What extraordi

nary things will sometimes happen in a year!

On the 1st of January a young man was an enemy to God, his heart was as hard as the nether millstone, he never prayed, never read his Bible, never attended a church, God was not in all his thoughts, he neither feared hell nor loved heaven. On the first day of the following January that young man was a humble disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. You could hear his voice singing the praises of God; he was often on his knees in prayer, he loved the Lord his God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself; for God had given him a new heart, and Jesus had washed him in his own precious blood. What a happy year was that to him!

A little girl was seen on the first day of the New Year, tripping down with a bright eye and rosy cheek to the parlour, where her father and mother were, to say to them "A happy New Year.' And was it a happy year to her or to them? Before winter came round again, this little girl sickened and died, and they laid her in the cold narrow grave; and when January returned there was her body mouldering in the dust, and the white snow covering her grave like a shroud. Poor child! little did she think twelve months before that the year was to outlive her, and that the little birds she had fed in the cold with

crumbs would be hopping over her little bed in the churchyard. What an unhappy year for her! O no! It was the happiest year she had ever known, for she was a child of God, she loved her Saviour who died for her, and God called her to Himself, and took her from her father's house on earth to her Father's palace in heaven; from her mother's love here to her Saviour's heart there; from the cloudy skies and dark night and cold winters of the world, to glory; there is no night there, "no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." What a happy year was this

to her!

If my young readers wish to have a happy New Year, I will tell them what they must do. They must begin it with seeking God-they must continue to seek God all the year round, and they must end the year in the love of God. It will be a happy New Year indeed if you give your heart to Jesus Christ, and obtain the forgiveness of your sins, and have your name written in the Lamb's book of life. The richest gift you can receive is a new heart, and the white robes in which Jesus arrays his own people; the sweetest songs you can sing are those about " Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood;" the happiest life you can know is to serve God day and night.

But we are not going to be so selfish as to wish a happy New Year to ourselves only. We should pray to God for a happy New Year to the churches, and to the world. How happy for our