service the last few years of their life, worn out by age, and sickness, and labour; they devoted the whole to him, and found his "ways to be pleasantness, and his paths to be peace." By serving the Lord they were kept from evil, guarded against temptations, and preserved from the paths of the destroyer. BAD BARGAINS. A TEACHER in a Sunday-school once remarked, that he who buys the truth, makes a good bargain; and inquired if any scholar recollected an instance in Scripture of a bad bargain? "I do," replied a boy, "Esau made a bad bargain, when he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage." A second said, "Judas made a bad bargain, when he sold his Lord for thirty pieces of silver." A third boy observed, "Our Lord tells us, that he makes a bad bargain, who to gain the whole world loses his own soul." A bad bargain indeed! Poetry. PHILOSOPHY OF ENDURANCE. BY CHARLES MACKAY. WERE the lonely acorn never bound Did the rigid frost never harden up It would not sprout in the sunshine free, It would not spread to the summer air Or stand in the woods among its peers, Were never the dull unseemly ore Dragged from the depths where it slept of yore; Were it never cast into searching flame, To be purged of impurity and shame; Were it never molten 'mid burning brands, Or bruised and beaten by stalwart hands, It would never be known as a thing of worth It would never emerge to a noble birth; It would never be form'd into mystic rings, To fetter Love's erratic wings; It would never shine amid priceless gems, Cherish'd, adored, and deified. So thou, O man of a noble soul, The storms of sorrow-the sleets of scorn; sire; Wert thou never taught to feel and know That the truest love has its roots in woe, Thou would'st never unriddle the complex plan, Or reach half-way to the perfect man; Thou would'st never attain the tranquil height Where wisdom purifies the sight, The Children's Gallery. "I CANNOT LEAVE MY CLASS." So said a young lady, when urged to spend the Sabbath with some friends she was visiting a few miles from home. "I should be happy to stay with you, but I cannot leave my Sabbath-school class." "Will not the superintendent find them a teacher just for one Sabbath, when he sees that you are not there?" asked her friends, as they continued to press her to prolong her visit. "It is so long since you have been here, we cannot consent to your leaving us tonight." “O, yes, a teacher might be found readily, but I said nothing to them last Sabbath of a possibility of my being absent, and they will feel disappointed if I am not there." If so, your "There seems now a prospect of a rainy day to-morrow. class will not be there. I think you had better stay, if that is all that requires your return,” remarked an elderly lady present. "A rain will make no difference," replied Miss R.; "my little girls are always there, unless sick. Besides, I promised to explain to them to-morrow some allusion to ancient Eastern usages, which they did not understand, by reading some descriptions from the Bible Dictionary. I thank you; I should love to be with you, but I must go to-night." The friends ceased to urge her; but while they admired her devotedness to the Sabbath-school, they could not forbear still asking, “Do you never allow yourself to be absent from home on the Sabbath?" "Never, on ordinary occasions," she answered; "if a long journey, or anything (sickness excepted) demanded my absence, I endeavour to make arrangements previously, so that no interruption or disappointment need occur in my class. They are so punctual themselves, I certainly should be so too." Happy little girls! to be blessed with the instructions of such a teacher, and happy teacher, too! who may place such confidence in the punctual attendance and unabated interest in her pupils. THE DYING INDIAN BOY. THE missionary, on visiting him, says, "I found him dying of consumption, and in a state of the most awfu! poverty and destitution, in a small birch-rind covered hut, with nothing but a few fern-leaves under him, and an old blanket over him, which was in a condition not to be described. After recovering from my surprise, I said: "My poor boy, I am very sorry to see you in this state; had you let me know, you should not have been lying here.' "He replied, 'It is very little I want now, and these poor people get it for me; but I should like something softer to lie upon, as my bones are very sore.' "I then asked him concerning the that he was very happy; that Jesus state of his mind, when he replied, Christ, the Lord of glory, had died to save him, and that he had the most perfect confidence in him. Observing a small Bible under the corner of his blanket, I said: "Jack, you have a friend there; I am glad to see that: I hope you find something good there.' "Weak as he was, he raised himself on his elbow, held it in his attenuated hand, while a smile played on his countenance, and slowly spoke, in pre- So they were bound in lovely yoke, "This, sir, is my dear friend. You gave it me. For a long time I read it much, and often thought of what it told. Last year I went to see my sister at Lake Winnipeg, where I remained about two months. When I was halfway back through the lake, I remembered that I had left my Bible behind me. I directly turned round, and was nine days by myself, tossing to and fro, before I reached the house; but I found my friend, and determined that I would not part with it again, and ever since it has been near my breast, and I thought I should have it buried with me; but I have thought since I had better give it to you when I am gone, and it may do some one else good.' "He was often interrupted by a sepulchral cough, and sunk down exhausted. I read and prayed; the hut hardly afforded me room to be upright, even when kneeling." MY SISTERS IN HEAVEN. ONCE they were little pilgrims here, So full of life and health, When each within her sweet heart bore A treasury of wealth;- There was a touch of Heaven. It was her grandsire;-he was old, He told her of that breast He knew not that the lamb would go, On whose sweet azure eye For what we loved no grave we made, Bright spirits now around the throne, Sweet sisters,-ye are still our own! Than when ye played with me; *The foregoing piece is from "Aunt Jane's Verses for Children," by Mrs. Crewdson, just published by Gilpin,-a nice book for the children of families that can afford the expense, which, from the style of getting-up, must be considerable. USE AND ORNAMENT. A COAL was hid beneath the grate, The brilliant spark in anger cried, "I hear, in philosophic clack, Our families are close allied; The Cabinet. THE INNOCENT BLOOD. MATT. XXVii. 1-6. "All the THE dreadful night is now past, and the morning star of a still more awful day at length appears. At a very early hour a set of men began to assemble, to do a deed like to which nothing was ever done before, or ever can be done again, in our world. Their zeal and unanimity were wonderful; not one was absent. chief priests and elders of the people" were present; there was no skulking, no shrinking from the work of death! Each seemed eager to enjoy his share of the iniquity! They but too well represented the infatuated multitude, who shortly after exclaimed, with the same unanimity, "His blood be upon us and upon our children!" It is to be observed that "all the people said" this! Cruel men! They spared neither their children nor their childrens' children; and as imitators of their fathers, they have experienced the curse to the uttermost! All being assembled, they proceeded, without loss of time, to gratify the malignity of their hearts: they ruthlessly seize the person of the Messiah, who made no resistance, and for whom chains and bands were wholly unnecessary. When bound, with joy they hand him over to the civil power, "to be crucified." Their part having been performed, they are now determined to see that the Governor shall perform his. But just as, in order to this, they were about to follow their victim, an event occurred of a character to disturb their equanimity. On their starting to leave the Temple, a man comes forward, with hasty step. and eager look, and on arriving at the spot where they stood, without breath or pause, he breaks out in a strain of inconceivable agony, with the words, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood!" So far the soul of the wretched man was disburdened of its burning, its intolerable load! His eyes are now opened, and he sees the consequences of his deed; he perceives that it was the first of a series that was conducting his innocent Master to the Cross! How do these men receive his exculpatory testimony? As men of blood might be expected to receive it. They scorn his testimony. and despise himself, contemptuously replying, "What is that to us? see thou to that!" You should have thought of that before: we have fulfilled our contract. You must take the consequences. Such were the consolations in reserve for him, and will be for all who, like him, shall minister to the purposes of iniquity. The weak, the simple, the unsuspecting, the ready-made dupes of the designing and the wicked, will ever find it thus. The precise object of Judas it is difficult to determine, but it was clearly of a strongly penitential character, although it was a repentance that required to be repented of,-"the sorrow of the world,” that "worketh death." There was vexation, disgust, desperation; but there is no evidence of true humiliation-godly sorrow, united with faith, hope, and love. Anguish and terror take hold upon him, and as a first step towards obtaining some relief, he rushed forward to undo what he had done. No man knew better than he the true character of his Master, which he had had the means of observing so intimately and so long. It is not improbable, likewise, that at this time, the hour of temptation having passed away, the true state of the case became more manifest, and that he saw his Divine character as the Messiah, as evidenced by miracles, and adorned by wisdom, condescension, and love, together with the manifold kindnesses he had bestowed upon himself, as he had never done before. Neither is it improbable that he thought that, by the confession he was now to make, he might prevent the consequences to which his conduct had led, and arrest the progress of destruction. Such a supposition was, of course, foolish; but in the confusion and distraction of the moment, it was not unnatural to entertain it. The Wicked One clearly knew his weak side, and the chief point on which he might be most successfully tempted. Through life, his infirmity had been the love of the world; and the position he occupied as treasurer among the Apostles but too readily supplied the means of gratifying his lust of lucre. But his election to that office showed the otherwise respectable character he bore; for it will be found amongst men at the present hour, that election of individuals for treasurership is uniformly a tribute, and frequently a high tribute, to certain attributes of character, such as stability, trustworthiness, prudence, and general respectability. He was intent upon money, and the betrayal of his Lord seemed, although upon a most insignificant scale, as a means whereby he could add a few mites to his illgotten gain. It is very probable that he had no idea of things taking the turn they did, and, in fact, like men generally under very strong temptation, when the mind is blinded, and the passions are |