into the heavy sleep of exhaustion, she dreamed that her mother was come to her, and bending over her tear-stained pillow.

Very sorrowful were the mild eyes which looked into hers; and as Marian met their fixed and steady gaze, she sobbed out her grief wildly, Oh, mother! why did you leave me? I have suffered so much, so inexpressibly, I cannot live longer! Oh, take me with you! It was cruel, very cruel, to leave me !"

"Marian," replied her mother, calmly, and the sound of her voice was a stray chord from the olden time, “ Marian, what of the Friend who promised to care for you when I had gone?"

"I know not," she cried, passionately, "he has forgotten me; he has permitted me to lose every joy in life !”

"Forgotten thee, Marian!"

Then the girl was silent: many answers came crowding to her lips, but when she essayed to speak, a voice was in her ear, which murmured, "False, false, false!" and Marian knew the long stifled tone of her once tender conscience.

“Oh, Marian!" said her mother again, with sad reproach," it is you who have forgotten, neglected Him for the blessings which he gave! You have lavished your whole love on them, and now he has removed them. You were making self your idol, lifting up your heart in pride, and thanking God that you were not as other men, glorifyyour own happiness as though it were derived from merits of your own. Oh, you have sinned deeply, Marian, and believe me, (for am I not your mother ?) if you would gain peace, you must go back to God, and pouring out the frailty of your whole heart, seek pardon for Jesus' sake, and promise by his help alone to serve him in the future. Will you, Marian ?”

It was a dream, but Marian hesitated; she turned away from her mother's pleading eyes, and thought. She knew well enough that if she went back to her heavenly Friend, many earthly ones would forsake her, and a charm yet lingered about the enticing cup of worldly plea.

sure, although it had been mingled with so much bitter

pain.

"Marian!" pleaded her mother again, "Do you not love God is he not your best and kindest friend?"

"Not now," broke from her rebellious heart.

66

Oh, Marian! what has he done which is not right? Kindness and care for so many years! Then you knew the right way, yet walked not therein. God is a just God —the penalty must be paid! Will you go on to sin? Will you not listen to the voice of his love? Can you give up eternally your best Friend? can you let him forsake you?"

"Oh, no, no!" murmured the girl in her sleep, just awakening, as it seemed, to the sense of so great a loss; "but I cannot decide-I know not what to do."

"To think that the Spirit should so plead for what should be given freely?" whispered conscience, reproachfully.

In that moment, what a torrent of remorse seemed opened in the heart of the young girl!-oh, the sting, the shame, the pain which agitated her entire being! When her mother had been alive, how, if she had grieved her by a thoughtless word, did she weep for hours in bitter expiation, it seemed so dreadful to offend a parent so kind and gentle. Had God been less so? How she had rested in his arms through her lonely infancy! how he had crowned her young life with every blessing, long after she had quite forgotten him!

"Shall I leave you, Marian ?"

"No, no! I cannot let Thee!" cried the excited girl, now wide awake, tears streaming from her eyes, her arms extended, her voice broken.

"My Father! I have sinned! I have sinned! Blessed Jesus, bear my sin, and never let me leave thy fold! Set a seal upon me that may be known as Thine!"

And the " peace of God which passeth all understanding," was the seal which was graven on her forehead.

Still much shame-still much sin-much painful remorse. The path which pleasure opens wide and fair,

grows strangely sad and thorny when we would retrace our steps; but stedfast eyes gazed on the Cross, stedfast steps trod down the piercing thorns with faith and patience.

Often the world leaned over Marian, and touched her pulse with its icy fingers, then shrank away from the warm, full life thereby revealed; it could offer nothing to compare with her new possessions.

If at any time her heart bounded to the old pleasure song, it was but for a moment; her whole being was bound up in the faith which had given her peace, when the joys of sense had failed, and the slow ebbing of the deep waters from her sands of life, left her at last secure and firm in the love and mercy of her Redeemer.

Marian's life and experience were not strange. It is the first instinct of the human heart to rest on human love, rather than on the Eternal's: because that is so pure, so elevated, that we do not unveil our inmost hearts to its holy strength; we do not appreciate its capacities, we deny its completeness to our wants, till earthly hope has failed us; and when we are completely stranded, our hearts bruised and saddened, God extends his arms once more, with the same full gushing love as at first, and we know then, with deep shame and contrition, that He alone is unchangeable. How unsearchable is his love!

Selected.

JUVENILE MISSIONARY EFFORTS.

NEW MILLS CIRCUIT.

I HAVE been much gratified in reading several accounts of Juvenile Missionary Efforts which have lately appeared in the Juvenile Companion ;" and think it may be made the vehicle for conveying information of what the young have done for the missionary cause, in the different Sunday-schools in the Connexion, and which might appropriately be called "THE JUVENILE MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT." I have not yet sent any communication, but shall now proceed to show what the young people in the

New Mills Circuit have done during the last three years. Many of them do not see the Missionary Reports, and it will be satisfactory for them to see in their own Magazine, and which many of them read, that their labours are not forgotten. It has been principally by cards, that they have assisted the missionary cause. In 1851, they succeeded in filling up 176 sixpenny and two five shilling cards; one Sunday-school box had 14s. 3 d. in it. In 1852, 171 cards, and in other ways collected and contributed several pounds, as several of our collectors are found amongst them. In the year ending 1853, the different Sunday-school scholars have filled up cards as follows—

New Mills, 20 Cards; Hayfield, 31; Mellor, 31; Furness, 36; Poynton, 60; Marple Ridge, 81; Rowarth, 6; Total, 265. Juvenile Missionary Meeting, Rowarth, 7s. 3d.; 1 Card, Mellor, 4s. Total amount, 77. 3s. 92d.

I am sure that the young people cannot do better than get and manifest a missionary spirit. It is the spirit of Christ, for he was a true missionary, published glad tidings, and at last laid down his life in the cause. Hoping to meet all my young missionary friends in that world where they will need no missionaries, I conclude with a short piece of poetry, recited at New Mills, taken from the "Juvenile Missionary Magazine."

One little boy in this Circuit got a card in the school, and immediately on reaching home filled it up by pricking twelve holes in the twelve squares. "There," said he, "I've filled my card up already." "But," said some one of the family, "Where is your money?" "O," said he, "Iv'e got sixpence laid by up stairs, that shall go to fill up my card." B. GLAZEBROOK.

New Mills.

TAKE HEED HOW YE HEAR.

"WHAT did you think of the sermons yesterday?" said Catherine to her cousin, as they sat at the little work-table, beside a cheerful winter fire.

"The subjects were good," returned Maria, with the air of a critic, "particularly that of the morning sermon; but for the rest, you know that Mr. Somers is not a favourite of mine."

"His man

"Nor of mine, I am sure," said Catherine. ner is not pleasing; and I think his illustrations are often in bad taste."

"They are always very common-place," said Maria. "Mr. Somers has nothing original or striking in his ideas. Then his endless quotations from Scripture! I sometimes