6flt famihj PREVENTING MERCIES, BY HUGH MACMILLAN Psalm lxxix. 8. The hawthorn hedge that keeps us from intruding, Looks very fierce and bare, When stripped by winter, every branch protruding Its thorns that wound and tear. But spring time comes; and like the rod that budded, Each twig breaks out in green ; And cushions soft of tender leaves are studded, Where spines alone are seen. And honeysuckle, its bright wreath upbearing, The prickly top adorns; Its golden trumpets victory declaring , , Of blossoms over thorns. Nature in this mute parable unfoldeth, A lesson sweet to me; God's goodness in reproof my eye beholdeth And His severity. There is no grievous chastening but combineth Some brightness with the gloom ; Round every thorn in the flesh, there twineth Some wreath of softening bloom. The sorrows that to us seem so perplexing Are mercies kindly sent, To guard our wayward souls from sEidder vexing, And greater ills prevent. • Like angels stern they meet us when we wander. Out of the narrow track, With.sword in hand, and yet with voices tender; To warn us quickly back. We fain would eat the fruit that is forbidden, Not heeding what God saith ; But by these flaming cherubim we're chidden, Lest we should pluck our death. To save us from the pit, tio screen of roses Would serve for our defence. The hindrance that completely interposes Stings bck like thorny fence. At first, when smarting from the shock, complain ing Of wounds that freely bleed, God's hedges of severity us paining, May seem severe indeed. No veil of heavenly verdure brightens . The branches fierce and bare; No sun of comfort the dark sky enlightens, Or warms the wintry air. But afterwards, God's blessed spring -time cometh, And bitter murmurs cease The sharp severity that bloometh, And yields the fruits of peace. The Wreath, of Life its healing leaves discovers Twined round each wounding stem, And climbing by the thorns, above them hovers Its flowery diadem. The last Great Day, each secret deep revealing, Shall teach us what we owe ' To these preventing mercies, thus concealing Themselves in masks of woe ; What sunken rocks theysbowed on which unwitting Our souls would have been wrecked ; What deadly sins they kept us froM committing; What lust and pride . they cheCleed. Then let us.smg, our guarded way thus wending, Life's hidden snares among, Of mercy and of judgment sweetly blending ; Earth's sad but lovely song. THE FIRST 'PAHTALOONS; FROM THE GERMAN OF KARL EiERI3I3T. [Concluded." . : My next pair of pants, having as usual been constructed from the cast-offs of my adult rela tive, were unusually well developed about the pockets and the seat. Somewhat proud of these peculiarities, I presented myself among my schoolfellows. All at once I found myself surrounded, turned abou:., my projecting pockets poked and pulled, and shouts of laughter greeting me. I fought with fists, legs and teeth, and wept from rage, until the approach of the teacher stopped the sport. As tattling or informing was contrary to the " honor" of the school, the teacher knew nothing of the affair, although I could not learn my lesson for the tumult within me, and was punished in consequence. I restrained myself until ,I was at home, and then I burst into bitter weeping. My mother comforted me, but could not remedy the evil. When I declared that I would not wear the things, then my father stepped in and said that nothing must be granted to such insubordina tion. I was very miserable. A bright spring sun at last tempted me out into the air. Soon Cobs found me, and we made peace with each other. He then began to sug gest a remedy for the evil which he had made so sore to me. He told me how he had once done with a pair of unpleasant pantaloons he wore. He went to the blacksmith's, where there was a grind-stone, and stood up against it, while little Louisa turned it, and soon a great hole was made, beautifully slit, just as'sitting down on the bench at school might have done 'it. Cobs offered to do me a like service ; but itOt'eveit his assurance' that the grinding felt very nice, could persuade me to it. So we sought other occupation. There was a large-iron gate- to:the house where Louisa lived. It was not of much use, for it al ways stood - oiien, but we generally climbed over it. On the top were iron spikes like arrows, and on this occasion we had successfully reached these, and turned round comfortably, and got our legs over the spikes upon the other side. It only needed a bold jump to 'finish it. Cobs made, the spring and, was down—but,alas 1, the wide spreading pocket in my: pantaloons ' caught on one of the spikes, and MY jump became a fall. , I lay for a minute on my face, and when I re covered myself, I fdund 'ikiyilimbsindeed whole, but my pantaloons ruined. If I kind broken a leg or something, I might have looked for pity, but now I must. only expect punishment. It was a criminal case, which ; would come nada my father's jurisdiction. • Cobs had run away. I leaned. against the —Sunda) Magazine THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1869. wall and thought what I should do. Runninc , away was easy, if it were not for coming back.' Cobs once ran off to escape punishment at school, but he got a worse one for doing so. Lying about it was possible; but my father's spectacled eyes seemed to pierco through all the mists and darkness of lies. Ah, the only sensi ble and right thing, which was to go and say to my father, " Peccavi"—did not occur to me ; for it is far even from the childish heart of mankind to do this. Then 1 thought I would put a bold face on it, and have it out; but I could not get myself quite up to this point. At last, when I could not see my way out of the trouble, I was seized with pity for myself, and burst into tears. I was standing there with my head resting on the wall, very melancholy, when a little hand was laid upon my shoulder, and a voice whispered: " Come, I'll get a needle and thread, and mend your pantaloons" It was Louisa, my sister's friend. I went on crying I because I did not know what else to do ; but a ray of hope dawned upon me. Till now, I had always despised girls, because they did not like what we liked, or learn what we learned, or do what we did. Now I was convinced, as often again in after-life, that women are angels of mercy. Also a thought of the usefulness of hitherto despised sewing schools came into my head. With ready hand, though large stitches, the rents were soon mended. I stole quietly in at twilight among my brothers and sisters. We all, studied our lessons at around table under the eye of Our mother, who sat spinnin.. Wad to sit down , I' , applied myself diligently to my lessons. .My mother was pleased with my un usual stillness, and all was well, when my sister, who sat near lite, gazing absently befoie he in puzzling over a' questioei in arithmetic, acci dentally spied the seam in my back. She called attention to it, and my mother told me to let her see, it. My declaration that it' was nothing, was of no use. I must obey. An investigation brought out the whole truth, and I had to tell even the name of the little seamstress. I say nothing of my brothers' ridicule, for it was of no importance compared to other things. For, although my mother was not quiok to think evil, she was so disturbed by the ruin of the pantaloons which she had thought: indestructible, that she almost believed I had done it on, pur pose. My father was called. Under this false accusa tion, I weptlitterly, and thought I now knew something of " torn hearts" too. Thel sentence was given. I sought in vain to escape the unjust ptinishment, and after it was inflicted, I had to go to bed supperless. When I undressed; my pantaloons sewed fast to my under-garments reminded me of the 'one heart which had pitied me. I could not say my prayers. I cried myself to sleep, but„ before my brothers and sisters came, 1 was wakened by a light in the room, and saw my dear 'mother bending over me to kiss me. Weeping, I hid my face under the clothes, but they were differ ent tears which I shed now. With folded han;ls went to sleep again, and my, good angel now watched by my Imd. The following morning my, troubles were for gotten like a bad dream. I could kiss my father and mother as, usual; and if brothers or sis ters teased. me, t l could. hide my bead in my mother's lap. My-father jok . ingly threatened to have my legs painted blue, and let mego' with out pantaloons ; but I did not fear. Indeed, the oddity of the threat set my fancy to work, until thought I should like to try it. • Another plan, however was adopted: MYun fortunate pantaloons were sent for repairs, not to the tailor, but to, the shoemaker I and- , he pit a largeleart-shaped patch of leather on the dam aged part. The pantatoons were now ready for, any amount of climbing. When the knees were thin, I was so well pleased with the leather ar.- ran.ement that I wanted the ,same „on them,;. and by this time it had grown so.popular, in the town that the shoemaker had really more, trou sers to mend than the tailor. Then we came to have our pantaloons lengthened with, leather, When they were too short; for we all seemed clined to shoot up tall and thin. The only ob jection to the leather business was the weight in summer. I entered my ninth year, just as the beauty of June lay upon field and forest. ' Cobs 'still my friend, in spite of occasional conflicts between us. One day we wandered off into the woods. How many eves, ears and hands were' needful to grasp the whole splendor and loyeline4s of the forest around us I A man's heart would have been refreshed, but the child's heart was intoxi cated with it all. A little brook ran along unL der the trees, now leaping joyfully, then silently Joking itself, as if in quiet thoughts. We stood by it, and threw leaves;and bits ofwood into it, watching .them until . 'they disappeared—then' Coba‘ took'off his :Aces and paddled with bare feet in the watet. I c ioon'folloired his example. Next Cobs pulled off his pantaloons, in, order to wade. I did the same. This was charming. It was,se nice to see all the images in the water shake as .we walked, and to fancy that we stood on 'the tops.of the trees as we saw them in the brook. All' Worm& VOiees 'Were heard' on,the bank where we left our things. With suspended breath we'listened, and recognized the voice of a neighbor. It was fortunate that our clothes depot separated passers-by fro the brook ; but they could scarcely 'fail to attract= attention. " Why, there are boy's clothes!" exclaimed the neighbor ; and his little Louisa cried out : " Those pantaloons are—" and then she stopped as if she had bitten her tongue. Her mother, however, said,the name which she Was about to utter,l'or . 'my 'grey pantaloons were well-known in the neighborhood. I wanted to sink into( the earth, or; rather into the-water. I hid behind an overhano o ing bush. '`lf they should come to wards the place where We wgre ! ' Dreadful thought! Any kind- of pantaloons would have beenwel come then. I begged -pardon in secret, otall the trousers which I had ever injured, and vowed hatred to all sans culottes. I felt the truth of the saying, that one must be obliged to do with- Ont a thing, before he can know its value. Cobs, from his hiding-place, uttered a sound like some wild beast's cry, and the in truders had the good sense to retire by the way that they came. They told the story at home; and my brothers tormented me about the wild men in the wood. But the person who first recognized the pantaloons never said a word. And perhaps I should never have told the story, if my pantaloons had not been one of a thousand indifferent things which exercised an important influence on the future of the youth ful citizen of the world. THE LOCUSTS, The husbandman has met with a host of enemies. See what they have done. The trees were yesterday fair and flourishing. Their leaves rustled in the breeze, or shone in the sun. His field of maize or corn was coming into ear. was happy and pros. perous. But, all at once this, army of foes came upon him. He is trying to frighten them away. He shouts, and screams, and runs furiously upon them. But you see they will be too many for , him. The whole air is full of them. Part of the sky is darkened ,by ~. a dense, black cloud. In the distance the sun is shining What are his enemies? They are the locusts. They have not left _a single green leaf upon his trees. The bare stems stand as if blasted by lightning. Now they are trying to eat up his corn. The very name of locust gives us the idea of something which, devpurs and destroys And from the very earliest days, of the world's, history, we hear of the desolation made by the locusts.' They are part of God's great army which is sent now and then to punish the earth.. Shall I tell you how they come? At first in a silent and, as it seems, harmless man ner. A number of insects fly along near the sea-coast. They are the shape of the grasshopper, only larger, and they do not wear its deli cate green robe. They. have brown spotted wings, and yellow bodies. Still if we Cr lied them large grasshoppera„ We should not be far wrong They belong to the same family. What are they coming'for ? To lay their eggs. They quickly lay million' on rainier' of eggs. Man cannot help 'it any more - than he could stay the movement of the world. All over the fields, and meadoWs, and or chards,—everywhere, in fapt,—:are countless swarms of eggs'left hidden. , This is what the locosts came for I, ' Then, like a mountain' mist, the locasts' pass away, , and are no more seen. Time goes on his rOund. The beautiful spring weather and the'warm sun calla nu tare into life. . The• meadows are cOvered'with soft, green grass, the buds put forth, and the vines are full of tender leaves. - - The singinir, of.birds is heard in the land. No* marlf-what happens. The'ivarrn sun hatches the myriad of eggs. .thltscomea a. countless horde of locusts. They are not perfect insects. They have several changes• to go through, and they have not y-et their,wings. But they:are ravenously hungry. They begin to eat - ' ' Then' a mighty army rushes all at once upon ',the smiling landscape,—an army so vast that nothing'nature' cane compare with it: It seenis to 'rise but of the earth is by magic. The surface of the grofind teeins': with lo- CUSt.B. Column pressei upon column. They march in battle array. Nothing'cais :stand before them." Their appetite is insatiable. #ery green::blade is 'devoured. The' fair fields of:yesterday are'ilike a desert ! When anything comes:in their 'way they. March over it. They climb, walls and houses. They enter the rooms, even the very bed-ebambers. The people are all aroused'. This is what they have beenAdreadiUg. The cry goes forth, " The locusts ! the 10-ousts - ousts 1" In the. language of the Btble, ". The land is pained because of themf' , People do, all they can to stop the pro , gross of the army. They dig trenches; and fill them With water , and they light fires in the path of th 9, locusts. .Bat their efforts are in vain. . . The trenches soon get filled with locusts. Column after column keeps on marching over the dead''bodies of their comrades. Nothing can stay or hindt.r them. For one dead locust there are millions of living ones. The very, bark branches of the trees are gnawed off. 'The country that was like the garden of Eden becomes a wilderness. Alter a few days the voracious appetite of the locust, is stayed; a change is coming over it. It has to assume its wings, and be come capable Of night. Its wings have not yet been visible, but they lie rolled up in the least possible space on its sides. Presently the old skin breaks and. the perfect insect .comes forth., Then it can rise into the air, and fly, where,it likes., • And now begins another scene in the, life of the locust. The mighty,army ceases to run and jump on the _ground. It forms. a 'dense cloudithdt darkens the very sun The cloud will move along, passing over land and sea. Sometimes the anxious hus bandman sees it coining, and wrings his hands in despair. But the cloud .does not interfere with him. It passes on. The time is not come for the loonstsito settle. Foe be to the , land where they do settle I . • , People have heard the sound etiO v f a rush ing ;mighty: wind. On ; comes, the donse cloud in the dietince, spreading : half' over the sky. Then down it drops. The .locusts have com*,te the ,ground to They will not stop . •till: ,they, have qttite eaten up every green f thing l Happily, in those countries. Nature very, soon, repairs the , evil, and puts forth new bads and - new shoots; or else the mischief would be very sad. indeed. In many places the poor natives hive a kind of revenge.; If the locusts eat up the produce of their fields, they in their turn eat the locusts. The wandering Arab makes the locust a staple article of food. In the shops at Me dina locusts are sold by measure. The shops are called locust shops. Sacks of dried locusts are often found in the Arab's tent. He mixes them with but ter, and spreads them on his bread for break fast I John the Baptist, we are told, fed on lo custs and wild honey. In the South of Africa the coming of the swarm of locusts is not so much dreaded, on account of the supply of food they bring. The natives make them into a . kind of paste, and live upon them for a long time. —The Children's Paper. • WOMAN'S INFLUENOE. ` At a recent press dinner in New York, at which ladies and gentlemen were present, a number of after-dinner.speeches were made by both. Phoebe Cary was present, but de clined to speak, furnishing her part of the entertainment in the fdllowing graceful poem, which was read for her : APOLOGY How pan you ask of us atspeeck: When creation teaches, That. Woman's chiefest , end, is just To listen to Man's speeches? True, there was a Prisaillaonce, Who spoke her horror! But 'tvvas because the basliful.John 'Was slow in speaking for her.. Why, asking for a Woman's hand Has so confused' her senses, She answered Yes, instead of No, And took the consequences:. But Woman,—and l'love my, sex,-- Says many &mord that reaches Farther than all the.sparldinz wit Of after-dinner speeches. Where'er Man's words of eloquence Inspire and rouse a nation, There breathes through them the undertone Of Woman's inspiration, And whether hers are lofty.words That, nerve to fiery trial, Qr only meek and lowly deeds Of love - and self-denial; In tonesao clear and true and sweet, They ring the mide world over, . She speaks from out her heart to ours, And men and angels love her. NEGRO lITTERANOES. Experience among the freedmen has brought to light many traits of character attractively simple, honest and odd.: Their quaint way of " putting things" is not the least of their out-workings that interest, and' in them will be found , something more than amusement 4; The p following, cornea .as :the narration of MSS Ann ..Dudley, , teacher among the freedrnen at,Oharleston. , One convert says i have got safe by the back corner, and I will go all de journey homei .and if you don't see me at de first of dem twelve gates, lOo,k to de next one for I shall be dere „-Another: When I left de rebel ranks and crossed over to de Lord's army, I tore up de bridge behind me. Now Pm fightin' with de cap tain dat's never lost a battle! • Who will dispute the genuineness :of.-the follOWing conversion ? i I hasn't got quality 'ligion. I don't watt de 'ligion of quality people !--P.ve . .got. de ligion'of Jesus—l loves everybody.! It is worth the roughness and toil of a 'teacher% experience to have poured out. for one such a prayer as this 0 Lord, bless teacher who 'come so far to %tract us in' de way to heaVen. Rock her in de cradle of love l',,Backen de word of, power in her , heart, "dat she may have souls for her hire, and many stars in her crown in de great gittin up mornin' when de gineral roll is called., A.id when all the battles is over, may . ,She tall kivered with victory, be buried with de konors of war, and rise to wear de long white robe' in glory, and walk de shinin! street in Silver slippers,,down by de golden sunrise, close to de great white throne ; and dere may she strike glad , hands wid, all her dear scholars, and praise you, 0 Lord, forever and ever, for Jesus' sake. Amen. MINISTERIAL 00.NSECRATION. During the examination , of preachers for admission into the. East Baltimore Confer ence, at its recent session, Bishop Thom son in his charge to them, said : ".Piety is the first,qualification,the sine qua non of a Christian minister. Charity! 0 what a necessity is that ! Without the love of God how can we be, successful in winning Sonia to Christ? 'Press forward, brethren, to higher attainments. Through. Christ you can do all things. We are taught to com ,prehendwith all saints what is the length and breadth, and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which pagseth knowledge. You need to consecrate all ,your,powers to thisgreat work. Remem ber you promise 'to give yourself wholly; to this work, and ministry. It is not by email' , tering, the rays, but .by,converging them; that we beCome burning and t iaining Be-diligent: The diligent an often out strips"o the ,scalled - , genius . `punCtual. Meet all your engagements exactly at the time. God's eternal Word never ckinges: The rules a the Church,` fofinded'iip94,p4B, Word, should be. kni4-7-not i mended: Beat in. mind this progini,e-.4keep. the#6,_ ruleS. Visit fromhouse to house, anirgsahek your propositions for your . riblie eXereises. .1 4 t is said when the ancients came to litt St. James his knees `iver,e=ilS lard and'hiir-'- lone as th9Se of eatael ; lie had'literally traveled to heaven" on i `hiEi knees: 2 113 rSii,,get your linens harder, and` a ( 11 tliingi3 else will come easier Don't fret at :your,'' appointment; you ought to be more thank. ful for a poor appointment than a good one. When you have a good appointment you are at the top of the hill, and if you move you must go down. Don't be afraid of moving; ministers of other denominations move also. We move in circles easily and according to law; others move irregularly, sometimes at sharp angle's and with dill culty." THE EFFECTUAL TEACHER. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was the Great Teacher.' Both itt the words - which He spoke, and in the manner in which He spoke them, He stands alone among those born of woman, who have assumed to teach truth and duty to men. Even His enemies were constrained to confess: "Never man. spake like this man. 7 But that is altogether an inadequate view that regards Him' siinply in the light of a teacher of truth ; even a',.petfect, infallible teacher: The mere knowledge of truth might suffice to make us,holy, if , the sins of man were, as some maintain, the.mere result, and not largely the. cause, ef' our ignorance of Divine truth. But, alas! in this acual hu man = world tis found thath men m know their 'duty and do..i't 'not`i know the truth only to hold it in' -unrighteousness; may love darkness rather than light, because their deeds' are evil. What serious -self-ob servant man does not -feet thattAke needs something more and deeperothan4ittellectual apprehensions of 'truth, something more effective than a : teacher of mere positive principles? He needs a mighty impulse with in. He 'feeds tin inward drawing from sin to holiness, from :earth to heaven. He needs a''sacred influence 'welling up in his .soul, that shall work,penitenee_ for sin and a love for the calm apdpure delights of comnpinion with 'God, and loving obedience to His will. Now the Lord Jesus, was a prophet that supplies this deep, this dying want' of human 'nature. Along with His wort% there went a: mysterious but blessed powet to work 'results. He . finds 'one sitting at the receipt of custom, absorbed,' apparently at least, with the duties and interests of his publican office. Follow me, says Christ, and behold he rises up at once, leaves all and follows,.as though unable to resist the con straining force of that Divine call. In a quiet home in Bethany, He sits down to speak of the Divine Kingdom;that kingdom, spiritual and holy, that cometh not with ob servation; and lo ! Mary forgets all her wonted earthly cares, and hears for her soul's life. Upon one Jewish dignitary, in all his prejudices of religion and, pride of caste, His works and word fell with such re sistless power; that he 'was constrained to seek Him out, albeit Under cover of the night, and learnfrora him the mysteries of His new kingdom of grace' and truth. His voice came' over: the heart' of one sinful Amman with such energy, .as to reclaim her from a life of deepest shame to a life of saintly.virtue, in which her love to all, that was good and pure, and true, was only 'equalled by the depth of her gratitude to that Great Restorer, whose feet she washed with her tears, and wiPed with the hairs of her'head, • - • One was rich.. It is.probable he had goyim rich by 'extortion. Obduracy had kept ; age with the increase of wealth. He belonged to a deePised class. The degener ate priesthood shunned him as a sinner. The Scribes sneered at him, and 'thee stillmore robes, Pharisees caught hp their long robes, lest . they ,should ,touch him on their way ,to the, synagogue.- But what cared he for all this.? He was rich, and,, thus inde pendent, of them. Let these proud hypo crites sneer or scowl, or curse ; with greater pride, and more contemptuous malignity, a sort of compound' interest of scorn, he can hurl back`their cdmpliments. What or who shall reach a ease like this? Christ enters that man's, house, and sits down at his table. Into his darkened mind, darkened by ignorance, pride, avarice and hatred, He pours the truth; and with His words there is breathed a sacred power, that at once transforms Zaccheus into, another man : a transformation thus expresSed by the grateful penitent—" Behold, 'Lord, the half of my goods I give to the loodr, and if I have' taken anything froth ,- any man by false accusation, I restore founfold." Oh ! was not Christ much • more than a mere Teacher.? was He not the Divine Restorer, the Healer ? And there is in all this application to us. Where the ministrypf Christ is faithfully proclaiming 1116"iiintie, ther'els riot only the proclamation' of 'the: same : blessed truth, which flowed from the Master's lips on earth ; `but that :truth-falling upon human hearts in , dernonsttation of the Spirit and of power.. The hardened are subdued at His :feet., The wandering are reclaimed. The slaves of passion and : prejudice are emanci `pated; and made ,humble, spiritual, lovely .andrloving. The impure 'are made holy, and 'Man; fallen and degraded is raised' out of the 'pit,' :and , his =foot placed upon the rock. Shall, we not) then, all come to , , this Great Teacher—t,his Divine' Restorer ?: Shall we not find our life, our rest, our deliverance in Aim? Blessed are they who p : iare by Him ,taught, not in word only, but in power, in ChiiiThnzve.- "Unless it please God to send us some ''one froin Hini, to hultruet,'Us,"Said Socrates his pupil Alcibiades,' "'do 'not hope ever tollucceed in reforming the morals of men. The: 'best , course we can take is to wait pa eht7y