famitg
TO THE ROSE OF GETHSEMANE
Among the gems of the collection is a Rose,
the original of which was picked in the Gar
den of Gethsemane, pressed and dried, and
after remaining several years in this state,,was
presented to the author. On immersing it in
water, the petals became softened, and were
placed in their original position ; those in the
centre retained their beautiful color, and the
fragrance was like that of a fresh-blown rose.
Fair Roseof Gethsemane I nursed by,the sod
Which drank the bot tears. of the sad Son of
God,
When o'er t'he brook Kedron his weary steps
• led,
And those whom be loved all forsook him and
When Judas betraiediim and Peter denied
The beloved offkhis Father, God crucified.
Beholding, I wonder, thou beautiful thing,
Such fragrance and loveliness ever could
spring
From that cold, dewy garden, trampled and
wet
kith soldiers' rude feet and Christ's agonized
sweat t
Which, like drops of blood, trickled down to the
gronnd t • •
While timid disciples lay sleeping around.
And much do I wonder that in his distress,
His lips move to curse.not,,but only to bless ; •
That beauty still thrives ,where such agony
. .
knelt,
From g,round that had witnessed the sorrows
he felt ;
l'hough the fig-tree he cursed, he prayed for
' his foes
And where thorns grew for him, for them
blooms 'the rose.
I look at thee weeping, thou innocent flower,
Fair, silent memento of that dreadful hour.
Ile , saw with a sorrow God only could feel
The rabble biasphemers.in mockery kneel.
HiEiweeping 'eye seer, what no mortal could see,
Higown wounded , elide on- that ignoble` tree.
I look if 'thee, stilling with joy through' my
tears, r 4
Sweet Rpse of Gethsemage,coffined for, years.
My eager hand took thee, thy grave-clothes un-
,t
i•
When, lo in thy hart a sweet perfume I
found;
Andwhen froin thy petals - thn rids were untied,
Like," Rose Damascene" ;thy fair cheek was
dyed.
No more willLweep,, then t ,thou child.of a day.
When ages `have passed in their swift course
away, '' '
Our. Lord shall behold the redeemed among
men,
And all his soul's travail belmtisfied then;
With each ransomed soul will the perfume re
main
Of thOse crimson' 'drops from the Lamb that
was slain. •
—.Mrs Dr Badger in "Floral Belles."
BEAR YE 'ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS,
" Just wait one minute, Milly ; my
bouquet is almost ready, and I wish
you tocarry it to Miss Whitiv&th,
Just' to show the dear old lady we
have not forgotten her on this New
Year morning."
The. child. thus addressed looked
eagerly,, up at the speaker. " 0, mam
ma,,!;! she said, " what a pretty flower 1
I can't think how you contrive to ar
range it so nicely. I am sure Miss
Whitworth
„will.like it very much;
and' I am so 'glad she will have.some
thing to cheer her. It must be very
dultlo live alone, as she does, never
' able to go out, and at New Year's
time, tool Mamma, and may I take
her :the mark. I finished yesterday—
the • one with the text on it, 'Bear ye
one another's burdens ?' It is a very
small present; but perhaps she might
care for it, to put in her Bible."
"Certainly, Milly, you may; and I
know no one who obeys the command
on your mark more fully than Miss
Whitworth does. But now time is pass
ingi;,so fetch your basket, and I'll pop
the flower into it."
Milly, ran off, returning soon, with
the mark in one hand and the basket
in the other; and after receiving the
flower, set, off. There was snow on
the ground„; and despite a bright sun,
the air was bitterly cold, Causing little
Milly to.' draw' her warm cloak close
round'her and quicken her "steps to al
most a run. • But by degrees she got
accustomed to the cold, slackened' her
pace, and began to look about her.
It was • quite a country scene—fields
upcp fields meeting the eye, and large
trees growing on each side of the road;
while in the distance, the spire of a
church and some of the houses on the
height told where ray the little town.'
The fields were now white with snow,
and the little stream, which in summer
danced gleefully along the road where
Milly walked, was now bound fast in
icy fetters, and longs pendant icicles
hung from its banks.
with ; the sun glistening on all,
Milly thought the landscape a beautiful
one; everything looked so pure arid
fresh. Then, when her eyes were daz
zled with ga..ting on the spotless white
around,' they jested with pleasure on
the' bouqu'e't in lei basket, which was
lovelYihdeed 2 --a bunch of pure white
Christmaaroges , were encircled with the
bright crimson' leaves of the Virginian
creeper, anitsprigiof the mimosa, with,
its golden balls, thcwhole,surrounded
by beautiful ; glossy green leaves of
the holly, W 4 *re and there a bunch
of theirscarlo',burries.. 0 yes, ,Milly
as li
w litre Miss Sffhit*Orth would like
that,' and Mark too. As she
looked at the 'Livorno on it, she began'
to riondel•r"What they really meant.
"Bear :ye one another's? . burdens."
How could she do that ? '
Just then a man'with'.aoheavy par
cel on, back .passed the ohild, and
she t witneteren if.. the. text meant that
he should have, offered to help him to
earry' y ,,it, a little way, ;.,but thew:it was
so large, she could not have, done so
and the .map was yoling and strong,
and looked quite able, to bear it him
' self. No, no ; that could not be its
meaning. Besides, mamma said Miss
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY. DECEMBER 27, 1866.
Whitworth obeyed the command; and
she could not carry heavy burdens
for other people, poor old lady! for
she never was able to do more than
just walk across the room, and hardly
ever left her easy-chair; and Milly
laughed to
herself 'at the thought of
her carrying a 'heavy burden. "Mit she
was such a dear Old lady, she would
ask her the meaning of the text, and she
knew she would explain it to her.
Miss Whitworth was very much
pleased to see Milly's bright little face,
and was much gratified by the thought
ful love shown in the presents of the
bouquet and -mark. She- -looked
thoughtfully at the text ; then drawing
Milly to her side, she said, " Is not that
a pleasant command, dearV.Doltnr
try to obey it, Milly ?"
"I ? No, Miss Whitworth; 'bit
mamma says you `db. What does it
mean, please ? and how do you bear
other people's burdens ?"
The old lady smiled. She saw the
child was thinking of some heavy
weight, which would require a strong
body to bear, and wondering how one
so frail as she could do that. Happy
Mill.) , l As, yet she knew nothing,,
from experience, of mental burdens,
whose weight is often so great as to
mail to the ground even the strongest
spirit. " What think you, Milly ?
When weary, sad hearts come to me
for comfort and help, if I-can cheer
them and point them to Him Who can
comfort and help them better than any
earthly friend, do I not lighten their
burdens,- and thus fulfil the law, of
Christ ?"
O yes ! Milly saw that plain enough ;
and 'one instance after another rose to
her memory
. of stories she had heard
her - marnma'tell, of how helpful Miss
- Whitworth had been to many in &is'.
~ti,essi- for; somehow, 'all her friends,
when trouble fell on them, felt sure of
Miss-Whitworth's sympathy, and has
tened, to pour the ,cause' of their dis
tress into her ear- and with truth she
could say
," Old and young all brought•theii troubles,
Great or small, for me to bear;
I have often blessed my: sorrow,
That drew °glebe grief' so near.
0 yes ! Milly saw how Miss W hit=
worth' could obey the command ; but
then, how could a little girl do So ?
She would have asked her friend, but
'list then two ladies came in, and the
conversation changed ; and soon after
ward Milly had to say Good-bye, as
she had a commission to do for her
mamma_ in the town, and had to be
home soon.:
Certainly there was no burden on
Milly's light heart, as she hOunded
along—now glancing at the shop win
dows, now at thepassers-by. Presently
she turned into a grocer's shop'and gave
her mamma's message to a pleasant=
looking woman who stood behind the
counter. While she was , sp t eakingi a
gentle-locking widow, livery poorly
dressed, came in, and bnying a small
piantity of, tea, went silently out.. .
'The grocer's wife looked compas
sionately after her. "Poor body !"
she, said, " I've given her more than
the proper quantity. 'Deed, she. has
much need of a good cup of it to cheer
her. She has e heavy burden to bear,
now that her husband is dead, and she
left with five young bairns. Hs !not
much, they are like to have for their
New Year's dinner, I suspect- 1."
" A heavy burden I" thought Milly.
" Poor woman, how I wonder if I
could help her to bear it I mamma
would send her something, I knoW, if
I asked her o do so '
but then, that
would not be `me; andthe text says,
' Bear ye one another's burdena.'
know what I'll do ! I have that bright,
new half-er t own papa gave me to-day.
nu. ask Mrs. Alison, if it will buy any
thing for the poor woman's dinner."
" Yes, miss, it will 'buy enough to
make her heart dance for joy, I'm
sure," was the reply she received in an
swer. to her question. " Look here,
miss, and I'll do the best for you I can;
for, 'deed, Jean Grey's a decent body,
and much to be pitied.;" and taking
Milly's basket, she put into it some
slices of,ham, half a dozen of eggs, a
small quantity of butter, and sending
a boy to the baker's across the way . ,
she obtained a loaf of bread, to add to
the little store. Milly's half-crown had
purchased all these; and now Mrs. Al
ison slipped in some sugar, and a pack
et of raisins for the cildren, telling
Milly that these were presents to her,
to help to fill her basket.
Milly's eyes beamed with delight ;-And
accompanied by the shop-boy, to show
her the way, she _set-off to the widow's
honse, to leave her gift. She found the
widow sitting, with a sad heari,"toiling
at a pies of work, and contrasting the
New Year; day, when she had hardly
. a scrap for herself or children, for din
ne't or supper, with that of former
years, when her husband was eave,,
ani..eornfort and plenty reigned in
their- little house. The children, too;
hung about not saying. much, only
their faces telling they, were hwigry.
- But if Milly_ foilnd heavy hearts
when she entered, she left light ones.
Her timely gift, Vffead with kind
words and loving sythpathY, had lifted'
the dark Cloud off the heart Of Mother
and children; and if little Milly could
have peeped in that night, and seen the
little group gathered round the supper
table; s and heard the merry laughter,
and watched the mother's pleased face
:as she looked at
_Ler Mae_ ones, she
:would have felt mire that she had
helped to:bear the burdens of some
less favored than' herself.
It was With a very happy heart she
turned homeward. She had intended
to have bought a new doll with her
half-crown ; but she was sure, had she
done so, it would not have given her
half the pleasure she felt now. Surely
there was no little girl in i the world so
happy as, she was.
, The sun was shining very brightly
now, 'and the cold was not nearly so
great as when she had left home—at
least so thought Milly. The man with
the burden on his back passed her
again. He had evidently been disap
pointed in selling his goods, and he
looked more tired and cast down than
he had done in the morning. He
touched his hat to the child, saying,
`mia" l3 "lfilly re
turned the greeting with a sweet smile,
and «A good New Year to you," and
then tripped on, little imagining that
she had really done the very thing she
had, a few hours before, smiled at the
idea of her doing—helped him to bear
that :heavy burden. But so 'it was.
The bright smile and the kindly New
Year's greeting had cheered the lonely
pedlar-- and sent a glow of love
1-through his heart.
Ab.l there are few more efficient
ways of lightening the burdens of
those around us, than by kind words.
It was the same Spirit who indited the
command,
," Bear ye one anotheelbur
dens," who caused it also to be written,
"Be ye kind one to another'.''' ;
There was a New Year's party in
Milly'saiome that evening, and merry
peals , of laughter :from little voices
echoed through the house; but It was
something more than the merry games
and magic-Lantern (dearlyas, she en
joyed them) that:made Milly sayito her
mamma, as she lay do wn..on her little
bed, that' diat New { Year's cui was the
very happiest on &Ate had ever known.
No ; it was something more than these
things 'which made' her feel - sal-, even
the joy of, having learnt the lesson,
how even she, childFasishe was;.could
obey t ie command given to all the fol-'
lowers of the loving and compassionate
Jedus, to bear . one another's burdens,
and so, his law. Ere .she
.ssleep' she had told the story of the
poor widow, and how she ,had spent
her halferown, to her Mother, sure of
her approval ; and as Mrs. 'Napier
printed a good-night kiss on the fore
head of her little daughter, she thanked*
God that,the first lesson her child had
learned in the New Year had:been the
blessed one of" bearing one another's'
biirdens;” and her ,earnest prayer, -for
her: little Milly that, night was, that,
amid` all tlie trials which she might
meet in life, she might be enabled to
cast -,her own burden .on the great
Burden-bearer, who 'is as willing as
he is able to help. - '
"How many deeds of kindness
A little child can do
Although it has so little strength,
• And little wisdbm too.
" lt wants "a loving spirit,
Muchmore than strength, to prove
How many things a child may do
- For' others,' by its 19ve."
SELF-CONQUEST.
The wisest of men, King Solomon,
'says, " The beginning of strife is as
when one letteth outwater."' In some
countries where the'shore is low, as in
Holland, they raise immense moundS,
or dykes of earth, to keep out the
waves of the ocean. If there should
be the smallest breach in the dyke, the
water begins to press from all parts
tpiiard the opening; and if not im
mediately stopped,`the sea overcomes
all - resistande, and 'sweeps away the
barriers, burying cities and villages
beneath the flood; and spreading
misery , and ruin all around. • " There
fore,". speaks Solomon again, "leave
off contention before, it _be meddled
witb," - --rather, before it be "mingled
together ;" that is, before, your spirits
be joined in conflict, befOre you deal
out hard words against one auother.
"Greater," says Solomon, "'is he that
ruleth his own spirit than he that
taketh a city." Courage and skill
only are needed in the one case; but'
what efforts, and above all, what
strength from God, to accomplish the
other ! Such conquests, however, may
and have been made, and that even by
the young. As an illustration, let me
mention how a little girl acted under
circumstances of provocation, and the
Victory which she gained over her-
Two little sisters--Fiances, about
seven, and Augusta, about five years
old—were as happy &wade girls could
be, loy_ing their „parents and each other
dearly.. Sometimes, ,however, as it,
happens with the be 4 of friends, little
differences would arise On one of
these ; :occasions, ~,Frances, perceiving
how .matters.; were = tending, with a
thoughtfulness, decision, and self-com-
Maud surprising in so young itchild,'
said,. `.' I am getting angry; -I hid bet
ter go out of the room fora few min
utes.' She acted immediately upon
her resolution; and left the room for, a,
short - time. When she' - returned, 'the
storm was hushed, and they went to
their play as happy as ever.
This is no imaginary story, but a
tact. and-occurred just as it is related;
and it teaches our young friends, nay,
all of us, a most useful lesson.
Were all children to act like the lit
Ile girl I have Mentioned, how many
sad scenes would beey,oidsci, and what
happiness would spring up in youthful
hearts from self-conquest., There is
this to encourage, that just as bad
habits grow in strength, the more they
are yielded to ; so each time temper is
overcome will strength be gained for
future conflict. Only remember, no
effort of your own can accomplish it
without the aid of God's Holy Spirit.
That aid will be given if you earnestly
and devoutly seek it'i . „ If parentk
though sinful, know how to ziVe good
things unto their cbildren,- liottilfnurA
more shall your Father which is in
heaven give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him ? •
COMFORT -IBLE PEOPLE.
Blessings on the class of whom
Cowper'a "Comfortable People" stand
rePTesen..4o.-vO , l- , *.Little .4heyo-know; - as"
they pass along life's troubled way,
how much hearty cheer they quietly
dispense In these " comfortable '
characters, simplicity and truth are
the basis of a superstructure of genu
ine good nature. Without perfect
truth, the good nature will lead to
weakness of flattery, or injudicious
assent, which, although for the' time
soothingly pleaSant, eventually robs
of the elethent of cOmfort, which is
based largely .on - trust. There must
be, no shams, , no traps laid behind
plausible words, no fear of breaking
through the crust, and. by .some un
guarded word being precipitated into
unpremeditatedquicksands. Aoranks,
it is true, - Ire exempt from shallow
ones, and thoie falsely labeled;
,yet
among - the middle aged and elderly
are we, most apt. to find this element 'of
bomfOrt. , They' have tried life,- and
learned , to. take things at their just
' valuskandiwhere in advanced life ad
versity 4;1,5 , peither sharpened,. nor
warped, nor, drank the sweet waters
of fountain" dry, there we find
the naost'of this "comfortable" charm.
HOw'gratefullY we remember one old
lady, Who, though Seldom met, and
then for little rabic- than passing
greetings, yet. gave out this element
BO largely.: There is a stamp of
uineness ?about such people that
people could no more take than Sev
res china could take impress of the
guinea stamp. You know the Bona
fides wherever, you meet them • and if .
..their names" be not upon the door
plate, you know their" house the mo
ment' you have entered it. Mrs. Bona
-fideldoes not distress you-with excuses,
if you arrive unexpectedly. She does
not keep , you in .:state , in the parlor
when the sitting-room requires her
presence. She does not =follow the
fashions indiscriminately, irrespective
of taste and adaptability, either in fur
nithre or apparel: She does not sport
a new silk while the seamstress re
maing' iinPaid. She does not remem
,ber what you wore - the last time' she
met you, better than' she remerhbers
what-you said to her on that occasion.
And •heL,religion r if we-may take-the
°liberty, with Joving ,hand to draw
aside the veil from the soul's portal,
we shall see, is not an occasional gar-.
went in which she statedly pays
tithes, but the aimbsphere of her, life,
vivifying"and` rnaking beautiful the
action. of its"secret springs. She her-
Self puts aside the curtain, and her
soul comes forth 'to meet us in all
beautiful, unpremeditated words and
acts. God bless her 1 With such an
one z .there is what Cowper so well
termed " comfort." The family like
ness among the Bonafides is strong.
Though toned down here, or touched
up there to some piquant combina
tion,-or again brought out, with well
defined distinctriesS, the members of'
thelamily are at all times easily recog
nizable. And, dear reader, just here,
with memory photographing the-thou
sand acts through, which his 'pure soul
shone, remembering • his .daily life,
and that intellectual vigor of clearness
and directness, which could haVe been
cO-eXiStent "only with a' soul drawing
daily life-draughts from the pure foun
tain of truth—let us name softly that
great, good man, Abraham Lincoln ;
let us with utmost reverence name
him pre-eminently a king among the
Bonafides. We love to think of him
in connection with this dear, homely
word—" comfort," which suits him
well.
Talent, grace and beauty are good
gifts of God, and to be desired; but
the truth of such a character—and by
truth we mean, not only that which is
by veracity, and kindred
words, but love and loyalty to truth
and right, as such — 7 , this truth is
above them all; and joined with, fine
courtesy of heart, which,• in fact, is
almost inseparable from it, gives that
.of which so great a portion stand in
need in this great world, and of which
social and business intercourse is apt
to give= so' little, comfort.—Home
gagazine. - ' • -‘
THE ORNAMENT OF WOMAN.
It ia the decoration of the soul,
rather than of the body, about which•
Christian woman should be chiefly so
•
licitans. The, soul is indestructible
and immortal, so should its, orna
ments be. What pan jewels of silver
or jewels of gold do for this ? Can
the diamond sparkle upon' the intel
lect ?`- or the ruby blaze upon the
heart ? or the pearl be set in the con
science? or the gorgeous robe clothe
the character ? m the feather or the
flower wave over the renewed and
holy nature? The appropriate orna
ments of the soul are truth and holi
ness, knowledge, faith, hope, love, joy,
humility, and all the other gifts and
graces of the heavenly Spirit.
RESPONSIBILITY,
This living is a fearful thing! I think,
Sometimes, when broad and deep before me
rise
The awful shadows of our destine
'Twere better God should plunge me o'er the
=
lOrthe,abiss of nothirigpesi—so weak - -
4 14 11 y dropt hands are to do, irlY lips to speak
deeds and, wordsthat s eefo °lvo far. ,
..'.i 7 lliaabinden of responsibiliV—
Too heavy for our frail humanity—
Crushes me down as at His judgment-bar.
Why ! death is naught to this ! If we should
pray,
If we should tremble, when the hour draws
nigh,
So should our hearts be lifted all the way._ ,
To live bath greater issiies than to die.
—Carl Spencer, Catskill, N.V.
;I=
CIIED-RiDDEN,
We take the following, extract from
the Methodist, which we commend to
parents :
The Divine order is thattlie parents
shall rule ; - and; that they may do it
lovingly and wisely, children are born
into an atmosphere of love. Such is
the beauty, and blessedness ,lof wise
parental rule, that good..kings and
governors, have been called the fathers
of their people; but if law should
fall into disrepute, the, nation sinks
into ruin.- The same is true of fami
lies. A househbld in 'which the pa
ents are subject-to-the-whims and ca
prices of their, children is' a legitiMate
,object of pity andsconterupt.
This tyranny of children begins
early. Its first form is unchecked
passion and unresis t ed dictation. Thus"
.strirted,*ith a fair field befiire it, it
'blooms out into extravagaritdemands
,for spending-money, for costly dress,
for, atteridancenixm fashionable amuse
,menfisi ; theatres,_ operas, dances, and
the like. The -boys go and come
when they please ; .carry night-keys in ;
their pocket, come, in at midnight,
sleep,latein the morning, get school
after the time, if, at t all, break their
education - *into iselesi bits, and be
'come fast young men long'befOre they
come of age. The girls haVe scarcely
'so good a chance for' the display of
their independence,. and; often grieve
that they were, not horn: boys: They
are resolved, however, to.t do all that
the proprieties of their girlhood will.
permit. They, swell out, their hoops
and' their Waterfalls ; they% have card,
parties'and daneing parties ; they go
to the theatre at sixteen ; they order
carriages at - pleakie; load themselves
with - jewelry, and do all - theie things
withdut regard to cost ) or without a
thought as to how money is earned.
What a pitiable sight, and how-dis
gusting it is, to see ,a family 'grown
suddenly rich, turned upside down as,
to all its forms of, life and modes of
thoUght by a parcel of yetted and ,
puffed-up children:! ' The parents were,
originally Methodists, plairCand poor.
,Their early homes did riot even Coii
tain a piano. They were reared to
hOld.eards in utter aborrence, and to
regard the dance, and the:ltheatre as'
sinfully worldly. But money has
come and brought with it fashion,
and for the children a measure, of, at
least, outer refinement. They see
plairily enough that the parents ,are
not up to the mark in grammar and
manners, and other matters of the
lighter sort. They feel their own su
periority, and blush for the old people.
They are-new in fashionable life, and
must demonstrate their respectability.
They must have what others have, and
do what others do. They have been
to college and boarding-school, and
are educated. They have found out
that opposition to cards, theatres,
operad, dances, is the merest prejudice
of ignorance and superstition, and the
parents, - - meekly accepting' the situa
tion, allow themselvesto be metamor
phosed into lay figures, dressed accord
ing to the fashion and instructed how
to repeat the parrot phrases of fash
ionable ' life. They see prodigies in
their children ; their:authority is yield
ed up as to superiors.; the whole do
mestic life is changed , • old acquain
tances are dropped ; life becomes a
painful struggle for social
_position.
FIRE ON THE HEARTH.
The family is the tap-root of socie
ty. If it continues fresh and vigorous,
there need be . no fear of morals, reli
gion or politics. The nation will be
secure, and Christianity will flourish
and spread. In reading the memoirs
of Rufus Choate, one cannot but be
struck with the influence. which his
early home puritan education had
upon i , his mind and heart through his
whole career. He' never — ceased to
reverence the religion of his father,
nor did' it cease" to
guide . .and steady
him amid all the fluctuations of a
fickle atmosphere of - TeligioAs Opirt ,
and the temptations: f f
ions, ns o a pro es,
sional success which h.ad proved the
moral, ruin of - too many. Sometimes
we fear the tendency in our times is
=too largely in the direction of outward. trim 4,
associations and operations, to the ne- WHERE YOUR DUI ;
.
glect of Nome: Our age is'so external, ' We - saw him last late in the even
practical, leveling, that in ',Dui excess' ing, in the company of very bad boy',
of zeal to benefit the Masses we are in and they each had a cigar; and, n®w
danger of usurping the hours which` and then; some of than used very pro
belong to the house, the real founda- fane language. As we looked at your
tion and crown, at last, of a perfect son, .we wondered if yoti knew where
society. - he was, and with whoxn lie associates.
It is, therefore,&imperative impor- Dear, friend, do not be so closely ow"
tance that the, family relation be thor- fined to your shop, office, or ledger, as
oughly guarded;, and to be -guarded to ri.eglect that boy. Ile will bring
it 'is not enough that it be insisted, t
sOrrow into your household if you do
upon, but the home must be rendered' not bring proper parental restraint o
'a spring of perpetual 'blessings to its' bear Upon him—and that very soon];
members. Intelligence, piety, cheer- Sabbath and public-school teachers ea
fulness must illumine, gladden and • help you, but you must do the :mos%
refine it. Resources for improvement
and enjoyment must be furnished
under the paternal roof, and thus the
necessity and excuse for seeking them
elsewhere be avoided. There is scarce
ly any, nay, not one, of the many exer
cises needed in the healthful culture of
the mind, which may not be rendered
comparatively agreeable to the young.
Religious devotions, despite natural
total depravity, may be so conducted
as to be a delight instead of a bugaboo
to children. The love of reading can
be indefinitely promoted, and that, too,
of an instructive, solid sort ; while the
school lessons may be so illustrated
and talked about as to be relieved of
muctevof-their - distastefulness. If the
heads of families would take the same
pains to make the home charming to
their offspring as they do to make
money to spend upon them in needless
luxury, or- o - bequeath to them at
- death, then would there be many
more bright, beautiful, symmetrical
Christians, and fewer, far fewer, bro
ken parental hearts. David's -treach
ery to home virtue brought, him to the
sad lament, " 0 - Absalom, my son I" ,
J - t, -will not do to parry the obligation
with " I don't klidw how,' "It is not
my nature." It is" the first,'the' sub
' b:nest business, before the mast; the ,
ship, the field, that-we study how, and
so ,change our - natures as ~to save our
children. Let invention he set to .
work and we_shall be, suprised at its
Thus will the 4ays, glide
happily by, and the seam 'advance
with deepening joys.— Christian-Advo
'cate.
AWAKENING K I SIIEEPER Bl TELE
' dlitlt
The Leeds . Arercuty ptiblishes the
following, story a.a,an instance of the
many singular_ applications of-telegra
phy. A gentlemp i wli:bm. we will
call Mr. M—, reaiding in,. LOndon,
is employed there to "manage the
wire" for a Glasgow jOrAat that is to
say, hearranges the news to be sent
down each eveningbfthe'wire''whieb
that newspaper employ* iciy special
arrangement with , one of-the compat
-nies. The principal office of that com
pany is at the top, of several flights of
stairs in one of those immense build
ings erected to fnrnish office acoom
modation, which' abi?und . in some
quarters of the city.: After a certain
hour in the evening, the telegraphic
clerk, who sends off the "'copy" by
wire, is the sole occupant of this
with the exception of the por
ter who attends to the door; which,
after the hour referred to, is generally
shut. This functionary, :who is not
often found nodding, . got ,into this ab
martial - Homeric state~a night or two
'ago, and so profound was his slumber,
that not all the *fantaSias Which Mr.
M— performed on the dOor—loud
enough to have awakened the`Seven
Sleepers, and even louder than the
works of some of our modern com
posers—could arouse him. It was, of
course, out of the question to attract
the attention of the clerk, at .the roof
of the establishment. Mr. }W— for
tunately, however,hit upon the fol
lowing expedient or letting , the porter
know that he was waiting for admis
sion. He went to an adjoining tele
graph station and sent a message to
the company's office hi Glasgow, re
requesting the clerk there to telegraph,
to the clerk in the London house, and
instruct him to go downstairs to rouse
the porter. This was done_ with per
feet success in about twenty minutes.
In that time, therefore, persons at a
distance of over fonr hundred miles
succeeded in awakening one who was
only separated from the employer by
a door, and whb, even at that short
distance, was deaf to all persuasion.
THE VALUE OF RELIGION.
Religion commences with love to
God and terminates in love to man_
Thus begun and thus ended, it in-
Tolves every duty and produces every
action which is praiseworthy or useful.
There is nothing which ought to be
done which it does not effect. There
is nothing which ought not to be done
which it does not prevent. It makes
,intelligent Creatures virtuous, and ex
cellent. It makes mankind 'good pa--
rents and children, good husbands
and wives, good brothers and sisters,
good neighbors and friends, good
rulers and subjects, and renders fami
lies, neighborhoods and States orderly,
peaceful, harmonious and happy. As
it produces the punctupa
,performanes
of all the duties, SO it: r 4Tredthlally se
-ewes the -rights, of 'mankind. For
rights' in us are nothintbUt just' claine
to the performance Of-duties by others
-Thus the religion.Df the Bible is the
true and, oi . gy source of safety, pease
and prospenty_to the -world: