tions exert a peaceful influence, so endeavouring to lighten the burden of a weary one, This can be done in many ways. We all like when well to be remembered; how much more so when low and feeling dreary! I believe God, who is so just, looks upon our "little" deeds of mercy, as we term them, and regards them with much satisfaction. It is a blessed thought, and helps those who are unable to give large sums to charities, or do some remarkable thing: Go on quietly doing His will, content to fill up your lives by doing "little deeds of kindness." Then we meet those struggling for fame; they have, no doubt, talent, and their fertile imagination sometimes goes so far as to consider that they can give to their fellows a work well worth reading. A severe critic cuts them up (or their book, which seems part of themselves), and in a few slashing remarks pronounces it worthless. All Gone-the praise they so coveted and the success they had sought after. They have not the moral courage to try again, which we think a pity. There is one subject when we rejoice to say, All Gone--our sins, selfishness, and heavy burdens-rolled away by our merciful Saviour, who, as we confess our sins, forgives. Happy thought! No wonder the Christian feels it his duty to be cheerful. Death may come at any hour, but only as a friend. Sorrows may be allowed to come like shadows; but the Sun of righteousness still shines in the soul. Poverty may distress; but bread is sure. God never broke a sacred promise yet. Widows and fatherless, trust Him; lean on Him. He well deserves your hearts' best love. Whatever goes, God remains. "Lo, I am with you alway." And it is a remarkable fact that when God gives us Himsel He generally so weaves our destinies that "Some form of love the darkest fate Exists to bless and consecrate; And none are wholly desolate." H. W. P. A REMINISCENCE OF A TRACT DISTRIBUTOR'S LABOURS. I N the village in which I laboured for many years there resided a singular being, who from his habits and appearance earned for himself the curious appellation of "Sam, the Scarecrow." And no one on looking at him would for a moment doubt the suitability of the cognomen, for a stranger being it was never my lot to know. He was tall, gaunt, and deaf, unmarried, and estranged from all his relatives, who resided at some little distance. His clothes were covered with the oddest collection of little bits of rags, sewn on here and there with twine, just as Sam's strange fancy dictated; and so much were the original garments overlaid with stains of years and the many-shaped patches, that it was impossible to discern either the true colour or the shape of them. Sam's home was a collection of huts or round hovels thatched with straw, which he had built on a little bit of waste land once reclaimed by himself. These huts were generally tenanted by a litter of pigs in addition to the old man, who sometimes dwelt in one, sometimes in another, so that it was both uncomfortable and dangerous for any visitor who valued the teachings of sanitary science to venture into this "No Man's Land." Sam boarded, washed, and cooked for himself, with what success I leave my readers to determine, for, in addition to all his other peculiarities, he had a most uncompromising dislike to the female sex, a dislike which the village gossips said arose from an unfortunate love affair in the days of his youth. Be this as it may, the old man had earned most deservedly the character of a hermit among the villagers, for none ever dared to invade his premises, while nobody ever knew him to mingle with the people. He certainly could claim kinship with the Fakirs of India, as far as his ignorance of holy things and personal uncleanliness were concerned. How to reach this wretched old man was the problem which preyed upon my mind for many months after my settlement in this village. As I had heard so many accounts of him, flavoured with not a few exaggerations, I felt strangely impelled to penetrate through the mystery which surrounded him, and brave his displeasure. But I must confess that for a long time, as often as I reached the old man's garden-for he had a fair garden surrounding his wretched tumble-down group of shanties—I hesitated, and turned back. It seemed to me that I could not face the violence and abuse which would be certainly showered upon me, nor risk being contaminated with the impurities of the place. But the spiritual destitution of the old man weighed heavily upon my soul, and at last, asking for special grace as I went along, I set out for this special service, arming myself with a few tracts, with which I hoped to gain entrance to his abode. "Halloo! who be there ?" was the first salutation which greeted my ears in answer to my knock upon the little dirty pigstye door, which was fastened with chain and padlock. "What do ye want?" "I want to talk to you a bit if you are not busy. I'm a friend." "Don't want nobody. Be off, or I'll make ye." "Don't be angry, Sam. I only want to tell you about something which I guess you'll like to hear." "Don't want to be bothered wi' none o' your trash! It's only some trick to get in. Don't want nobody nor nothin'." "Shall I come another time, Sam?" I said, as pleasantly as 1 could. "I'll come any time you will please to appoint. I don't want to intrude on you now if you wish to be left alone." Still grumbling and murmuring, old Sam unfastened the door and glared at me with a look which was partly malicious and partly idiotic. But my studiedly polite deportment evidently appeased his wrath, and, conquering his dislike to visitors, he told me to 66 come in." Without a moment's hesitancy I stooped and entered the cabin, and the old man, with an unusual display of consideration, offered me the only seat in the place, a black three-legged stool. He himself sat on a log of wood in the midst of the cinders of days, while, as my eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, I was literally amazed at the filthiness of the hovel and of the old man's person. As soon as I was seated he asked me what my business was with him. For answer I held out a tract, and invited him to accept it, offering to read it to him if he preferred. ""Tisn't a clean tract! Give me a clean tract, mister!" There was a stain upon the first page of the tract which I was offering him, but in presence of Sam's surroundings I did not feel at all dismayed on the matter of presenting it, especially in consideration of the fact that it was many, many degrees cleaner than either Sam or his home. Still, to humour the old man's peculiarities, I chose one of the newest and cleanest out of my bundle. This he accepted, and thrust it on one side for perusal at some "convenient time." "Can you read, Sam ?" I queried. "Yes, master. Larned to read when I was quite a little chap. I can't write, though, and that don't matter much, seeing as how the pen is never much good to nobody." "Oh! you mustn't judge of the art of writing by your own experience, Sam. Most people find writing to be a very valuable help to them in their business." "Yes, it helps people to the gallows. Did in my younger days, master. I can mind a many poor chap that finished his days on the gallows through knowing how to write." "Were you ever married, Sam ?" I said, wishing to change the subject. "Not I. The Bible do tell people to do away wi' their wives, and dash out their children's brains against the wall. So for sartin they be two bad things." I sat amazed at this misrepresentation of Gospel teaching. The ignorance of the old man was only paralleled by his unconscious malignity to everybody of his kind. I replied presently, "Who told you that such horrible teaching was in the Bible ?" "Nobody. I heerd it for myself-fact, I read it once, and seein' is believin'!" Some "You must have been greatly mistaken, my friend. No such words as you say are to be found in the Bible. body has been making game of you, I suspect." "What! do ye doubt my word? Then walk out o' here. I didn't send for ye to come pryin' round here, and I won't have it no ways." "Not at all, my good man. I don't doubt your word, inasmuch as I feel sure that you believe what you say; but I think that somebody has been reading some nonsense to you, and making you think that it was out of the Bible. However, have you got a Bible here?" "No. I don't keep Bibles here. with a book this ten years or more. Haven't been troubled off. I'm my own master, and nobody interferes with me. And while I keeps out visitors and books I'll be right. No interruptions. That's what I say." The poor man was literally hugging his darkness and his chains. He would not come to the light! How to deal with him I scarcely knew; but I was bound to try again, or suffer ignominious defeat. "How would you like to come to the service, Sam ?". "Not at all. Don't want to come. Don't care for rubbish and cant." "But you wouldn't hear that. And you would most likely meet with friends who would be glad to see you. Why, what do you think! I met with a lady last week who knew you in your younger days, and she desired me to convey her kind regards to you." "To me!" gasped Sam, fairly astonished. " Do you mean that?" "Yes, certainly. This lady says that she knew you in the |