Chapter M: S. P (2)

On a wild spot on the coast of Cornwall I fell in with Will Treherne. He was as sound an "old salt" as ever manned a lifeboat or went aloft in a gale of wind. He was getting an old man when I used to see him sitting on the beach, when his day's work was done, smoking his pipe and gazing at the evening star. He told us boys stirring stories of sea life and adventure. One evening he narrated the following:--

"Thirty years ago, in just such a night as this, the wind whistling as it does now, with the sea rising, and with as crazy a craft as seamen ever sailed in, I found myself drifting along a dangerous coast.

"Our captain was an experienced one, and, when he saw what weather we were threatened with, he took his place at the wheel, and did his best to keep our courage up. He was in terribly poor health, but his spirits rose above his bodily weakness, and he gave his orders with a pluck and decision that made men of every one of us.

"'Will Treherne,' he cried, 'stand by me if you can be spared. My strength is going. Do you see that star right ahead?'

"'Yes, sir.'

"'If my strength should fail, steer right ahead for that, and you are safe. And oh, remember, Will, that there is another Star you must always keep in view if you are to get safely into port at last.'

"I knew what he meant. He was pointing me to the Lord Jesus Christ, for he was as good a Christian as he was a captain, and he never lost a chance of saying a word that might steady us youngsters, and make us think of our souls. I have heard many a sermon since that night in the storm, when he told me to keep the star ahead, but none took more hold on me than that one that night, when I lost my truest and best friend."

"Did you lose him that night?" I asked.

"Yes, my lad," the sailor answered, sadly. "His hour was come. When he could stand the gale no longer, he shouted as loud as he could, 'Keep the star in sight, my lads; keep the star in sight!' Then he was helped down to the cabin, and I never saw him alive again. I was lashed to the wheel, and though the spray well-nigh blinded me, yet I managed to keep the star in sight, as the first officer gave his orders for the working of the ship.

"After two hours of steering through a narrow and dangerous channel, we found ourselves in a friendly sea. The star had guided us right.

"When the ship was in safety, and my turn of work was over, I went down to the captain's cabin. A flag was thrown over his body, but his manly, resolute face, which even death had not much altered, was visible. I knelt down there and prayed God to guide me through the storms of life; and I believe I can say that, from that night, in spite of my faults and failings, I have kept the Star in sight. Now you will know why I am such a star-gazer; and if I may give you a bit of counsel, my lad, let me advise you to seek grace to begin and steer your course by the Star of Bethlehem; and, if your eye is fixed on that Star, you will come safely through the dangers of life into the port of peace at last."--_Chatterbox._

ANSWER OF GEORGE III. TO LORD GRENVILLE,

WHEN APPLIED TO ON THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BILL, MARCH, 1807.

MY LORD,--I am one of those that respect an oath. I have firmness sufficient to quit my throne and retire to a cottage, or to place my neck upon a block on a scaffold, if my people require it; but I have not resolution enough to break an oath--an oath I took in the most solemn manner at my coronation.

[God grant that the legislators of the present day may feel speedily the justice and wisdom of the noble sentiment of this illustrious monarch.]

THE LATE PRINCE CONSORT'S OPINION OF POPERY.

"It is an open secret," says the _Christian_, "that the Queen insists on exercising her right of private judgment on all ecclesiastical affairs in which she has to act. Before giving her assent to the selection of a golden Mass bowl as her Jubilee present to the Pope of Rome, the fact possibly escaped Her Majesty's memory that the late Prince Consort's opinion of Romanism was summed up in Adam Smith's statement, as follows--'The greatest conspiracy ever hatched against human liberty, civil and religious, is the Roman Catholic Church.' This quotation appears on the title-page of the 'Prince Consort's Speeches,' edited by His Royal Highness himself."

A BIBLE WITH PINS IN IT.

It was an old Bible, a family Bible, a well-worn Bible--the Bible of an old lady who had read it, and walked by it, and fed on it, and prayed over it for a long lifetime. As she grew older and older, her sight began to fail, and she found it hard to find her favourite verses. But she could not live without them, so what did she do? She stuck a pin in them, one by one; and after her death they counted 168.

When people went to see her, she would open her Bible, and feeling over the page after her pin, would say, "Read there," or "Read here"; and she knew pretty well what verse was stuck by that pin, and what by this pin. She could indeed say of her precious Bible, "I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold; they are sweeter to me than honey and the honey-comb."

BIBLE ENIGMA.

The father of a blind man.
An ancient musical instrument.
A measure of time.
An immense fish.
A non-believer.
A foreign language.
A relation of Jacob.
An animal.
One of Joseph's sons.
A domestic animal.
A very valuable stone.
A particular time in the day.
Another word for a letter.

JOSEPH SMITH
(Aged 12 years).

THRILLING SCENES AT THE FORTH BRIDGE WORKS.

Two more fatal accidents were, some time since, reported from the Forth Bridge works, making thirty-four since the work began. One of the engineers of the bridge, Mr. Benjamin Baker, recently gave a lecture in Dundee, descriptive of the work, in the course of which he gave the following account of the dangers of the undertaking:--

Much of the work, he said, required men of exceptional hardiness, courage, and presence of mind. In August last, six men were standing on a few planks hanging by iron hooks, at a height of about 140 feet above sea level. One of the hooks gave way without any warning, and in a fraction of a second the planks slipped away from under the men's feet. Short as the time was, with the lightning quickness of thought, three of the six men saved themselves by springing at and clutching hold of pieces of the steel work. Another man plunged headlong down twice the height of the Tay bridge into the water. His hardiness was such that the terrible flight through mid-air and shock on striking the water--a shock which he had seen break planks like matches--did not incapacitate him from grasping the rope which was cast to him, or from resuming work after he had recovered from the immediate effects of the shock.

As regards courage, two of the men were left hanging by the arms with a clean drop of 140 feet below them. Although presumably unnerved by seeing their comrades take that terrible flight, the first man reached by the rescue party said, "I can hold on. Go to the other man; he is dazed." Such workmen upheld the best traditions of their fellow-craftsmen in the past.

OUR BIBLE CLASS.

"_And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One._"--JOHN xvii. 22.

"The glory of the Lord endureth for ever"; and in this sublime prayer Jesus speaks of the glory that He had with His Father before the world began, and asks that He may be glorified in finishing His saving work.

But what is the "glory" spoken of in our text? Two thoughts must guide us to its meaning--first, the Father had given it to His Son; secondly, Jesus had given it to His disciples.

Christ is God, and, as God, is, and ever must be, glorious. But this glory was _not given_ Him; it was _His own_. Christ is the one Mediator between God and men--the only Way to heaven and happiness--the all-sufficient and only Saviour of sinners, who redeemed them by His blood, and saves them by His life. But His glory, as Mediator and Saviour, He will not give to another. He received it, and is crowned with it, _alone_.

Yet He says, "I have given My disciples"--"the men Thou gavest out of the world"--"the glory Thou hast given Me." He is the Truth. His words were always divinely full of heavenly meaning. Let us try by other Scriptures to understand this one.

In Isaiah xl. 10, we read, "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand"--or will come as a Mighty One--"behold, His reward is with Him, and the recompense of His work [see margin] is before Him." In Hebrews xii. 2, we are told that, "for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down," now and for ever, "at the right hand of God." This recompense, this joy, is Christ's glory. And what is it? In one word, it is _salvation_--the satisfaction, the honour, and delight, of rescuing, and eternally enriching, the people whom He loved from eternity, and will for ever love. As Cowper sweetly sings--

"Of all the crowns Jehovah wears,
Salvation is His dearest claim;
That gracious sound well-pleased He hears,
And owns Emmanuel for His name."

In this--His joy, His glory--He makes His people share here in this world, and in this present time--

"Before they reach the heavenly fields,
Or tread the golden streets."

They are interested in His salvation, and on this word we may reflect a little, for "interest" has a two-fold meaning. It means, benefit or profit; and it also means, friendly, loving concern for a person or an object. If I am interested in a paying business, I share in its profits, and am benefited by it; but I am interested in many things that bring me no money, and I gladly give them all the help I can, because I long for their success and prosperity.

And in this double way believers are interested in Christ's salvation. They are for ever benefited by it. His death secures their endless life; His sorrow yields them joy and peace; and His poverty has made them rich for evermore. "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift," is the glad cry of all who know that this precious salvation is their own.

Then comes the other form of interest--loving, prayerful desire that Christ may be glorified; that "the kingdom of God may come"; that sinners may be brought to the Saviour. The burdened heart, longing for peace, may be too full of its own sorrows to think much of others; but the forgiven child of God, rejoicing in Jesus as his own dear, almighty Friend, says, or desires to say--

"Now will I tell to sinners round
What a dear Saviour I have found;
I'll point to His redeeming blood,
And say, 'Behold the way to God!'"

Thus the apostles laboured to carry the Gospel wherever they could travel, though, by so doing, they were exposed to persecution, suffering, and death. But they longed to spread the joyful news abroad, and to be the means of leading their hearers to Jesus; and when they "saw the grace of God," they were glad with an unspeakable joy. And, so far as we are animated with Christ's spirit, we, too, shall seek after the same blessed results.

And Jesus has given His glory to His people that they may all be united together, even as He and His Father are One--one in heart, and mind, and aims.

We hear a great deal just now about the "unity of Christendom," or the "Christian world," and some would like to blend the Greek and Roman with the English Church. Now, what sort of union would that be? Others do not go quite so far, and yet they would unite together a variety of creeds and people by dropping every important difference, and giving up whatever was not generally acceptable. But let us never forget that there can be no Christian union without Christ; no holy unity unless founded on God's Word. Gas jets affixed in a certain way to our ceilings are called "sun-lights." They are only artificial lights, after all; and whatever name it may assume, unless Christ is the Centre of unity, the union is not Christian, for "if any one have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." But union to and in Christ is very real and true even now, and those who follow Jesus can hold sweet intercourse together in this world. "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."

We are, at best, imperfect in the present state. We know but in part. Our love is often cold, and sin still dwells in the heart; but in the glory that is yet to come, we, if we are His, shall know, even as we have been known of Him. Perfect love will cast out all distance and coldness, and perfect holiness will possess every saved one.

"Beloved," wrote the same Apostle who recorded the Saviour's prayer, "now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." May this glorious prospect be ours, through His grace.

Our next subject will be, Matthew vi. 22, 23--_Mental Eyes: Darkened and Illuminated_.

Yours affectionately,
H. S. L.

A WORD TO SELF-SEEKERS.

I would not lead the selfish life
That never seeks to throw
A pleasant ray of happiness
On other people's woe.

I scorn the folks who will not strive
To lessen want and care;
Nor lend a helping hand to those
Who have so much to bear.

Is there not misery enough
On this terrestrial ball
To spring some sympathetic chord
Within the hearts of all?

Oh, ye who only seek your own--
Who hold yourselves so dear
That ye can never give the sad
One simple word of cheer--

Believe me, if ye wish to spend
A life of happy ease,
Seek not your own, but how ye may
Your weary brothers please.

And He who marks each gentle deed
Of loving sympathy,
May whisper His approving word--
"Ye did it unto Me."

CARRIE LIGHT.

_Brighton._

PRIZE ESSAY.

SELF-HELP.

There are six important heads which this subject may be placed under, viz., Industry, Patience, Perseverance, Cheerfulness, Courage, and Prudence.

_Industry._--This is a very important thing in life, and you will never be any good to the world without you possess it. There have been men who, by their patient industry, have done their country a great deal of good by inventing engines and machines to mitigate the labours of men; and some of these men have been mobbed and nearly killed by their townsmen, who thought their work would be taken away instead of enlarged, and very often their inventions have been broken to pieces.

Solomon, in the Book of Ecclesiastes ix. 10, says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might"; and in Proverbs vi. 6--"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise."

_Patience._--Patience is a very needful thing to self-help, for without it you will not be able to do anything that requires time and trouble. You have need of patience when you are waiting for a thing which you are in great haste to obtain.

David says, in Psalm xxxvii. 7, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him."

_Perseverance._--There are some people who, if they start a certain thing, have not the necessary perseverance to finish it; while others, who persevere, succeed. Great men you read of in history would never have been so distinguished had it not been for their perseverance. Bernard Palissy, who discovered the white enamel for pottery, had a great many trials to bear, and was years before he perfected it; but he persevered, and at last succeeded.[8]

[8] For a fuller account of Palissy, see LITTLE GLEANER for July, 1879.

Oh, that we may be taught to trust in Christ, and pray, with the poet--

"Lord, hast Thou made me know Thy ways?
Conduct me in Thy fear;
And grant me such supplies of grace
That I may persevere."

_Cheerfulness._--This is a very essential thing to self-help. If you have a task, and you have somebody to cheer you up, your task feels lighter, and the time passes better. People who are dull, and not cheerful, find the time pass slower, and the work seems heavier. There have been men who have been cheerful even when they have been in great difficulties.

Christ said to the man sick of the palsy, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

_Courage._--Moral courage is one of the most important features in this subject. You will be more likely to succeed if you are bold and courageous. It is right to be courageous in a good cause, but not in a wrong one. It is real courage, when wicked persons try to entice you to drinking, gambling, and other vices, if you boldly answer, "No."

Solomon says, in the Book of Proverbs xxviii. 1--"The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."

_Prudence, or Foresight._--It is wise to consider what the consequences of your actions will be. Some people do not stop to do so, and thus run needlessly into danger. You cannot rightly practise self-help without you are prudent. It is very imprudent to risk life or anything unnecessarily, or to leave things to the last minute or two. If you are imprudent, you will regret it in after life.

In Proverbs xvi. 21, it says, "The wise in heart shall be called prudent."

Self-help is not a spiritual thing, but a temporal one; but you cannot truly succeed in these things without God's help and blessing. May we, in the things of daily life, and especially in spiritual things, be led to say, like David, in Psalm cxxi., "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth," remembering that He does not approve selfish living, but says, "To do good and to communicate, forget not."--(_Abridged._)

F. E. H. ANDREWS
(Aged 13 years 5 months).

1, _Tavistock Terrace, Upper Holloway, London, N._

[Lilly Rush, W. E. Cray (age not given), A. M. Cray, E. B. West, A. Pease, and Margaret Creasey have sent fair Essays, especially the first-named, and we hope they will still persevere.]

[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of "From the Loom to a Lawyer's Gown; or, Self-Help that was not all for Self," presented by a friend who reads the GLEANER.

The subject for May will be, "How to be Useful in the World," and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "Notable Workers in Humble Life." All competitors must give a guarantee that they are under fifteen years of age, and that the Essay is their own composition, or the papers will be passed over, as the Editor cannot undertake to write for this necessary information. Papers must be sent direct to the Editor, Mr. T. Hull, 117, High Street, Hastings, by the first of April.]

ONE good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. In the home, she is the "loadstone to all hearts, and loadstar to all eyes." Imitation of her is constant--imitation which Bacon likens to "a globe of precepts." But example is far more than precept. In its instruction is action.

Interesting Items.

THE ELEPHANT'S STRENGTH.--The ordinary strength of an elephant is calculated as equal to that of 147 men.

A FIGHT AMONG LIONS.--A fearful struggle took place recently between eight lions in a cage at the menagerie at Liverpool Exhibition. One lion, valued at L150, was killed.

THE red-wood forests of California, Oregon, and Washington Territory are, perhaps, the most wonderful of the world. The average yield per acre is 100,000 feet lumber, or 64,000,000 feet to the square mile.

SIR JOHN COODE'S scheme for the protection of the foreshore at Hastings, by means of two stone groynes and an extended breastwork at the east end of the town, was completed last August. The total cost has been L30,000. Sir John remarked that the beach was accumulating at the rate of 40,000 to 50,000 tons per annum.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF STRANGULATION.--An extraordinary case has occurred at Howick, near Preston. A little boy named Fisher, the son of a farmer, was climbing an apple tree, when he slipped between two branches. His jacket turned up fast round his neck, and as he could not get a button undone, he was strangled.

A MONSTER DOGFISH.--A gigantic dogfish, weighing ten cwt., has been hauled ashore by a fisherman at Mazargues, in the Department of the Bouches-du-Rhone. The animal made a desperate struggle on the bank, and its head had to be battered in with a club before it could be mastered. A monster of a similar kind, some time ago, ate up a boatman and his boy, whose boat had been capsized in the river.

IT has been calculated that, after Prince von Bismarck's recent great speech, 1,218 telegrams, containing 194,296 words, were despatched to 326 different places on the world's surface. Two hundred and thirty-five telegraph clerks were employed at sixty Hughes' apparatus, 155 Morse's, and seven Estienne's, to carry out the work; and the number of words in the Chancellor's speech is computed at 10,997.

A PECULIAR CASE.--Captain Russell has had under treatment a valuable and favourite cat, belonging to a resident of Spittlegate, Grantham. The poor animal was taken with a choking sensation about three weeks ago, and, as it could not eat, soon grew very thin, and appeared to be going "the way of all flesh." After vain attempts at restoration, pussy was taken to the afore-named veterinary surgeon, who prescribed for her. She was fed with a spoon for some days, and at length a substance was discovered to be forming by the side of the neck. Supposing it to be a boil, he lanced it, and found it to contain a piece of metal, which he at once extracted, in the shape of a sewing-needle with a piece of cotton attached. The cat is now recovered, and but little the worse for the painful operation.--_Grantham Journal._

THE Emperor of China, who is about to be married, is doing the thing handsomely. His wedding gifts to his young bride include a gold seal richly inlaid with jewels, the handle being formed by two gold dragons; ten piebald horses with complete trappings; ten gilt helmets and cuirasses: 1,000 pieces of satin of the first quality, and 200 pieces of cotton material; 200 ounces of gold; 10,000 ounces of silver; one gold tea service, and one silver tea service; twenty horses with complete trappings, and twenty without. The parents of the lady receive also 100 ounces of gold; one gold tea set; 5,000 taels of silver; one silver tea set; 500 pieces of silk; 1,000 pieces of cotton material; six horses, completely harnessed; a helmet and cuirass; a bow and a quiver, with arrows; each parent one Court dress for summer, and one for winter, one every-day dress, and a sable coat. The brothers and servants of the bride also receive rich and costly presents.

FROM DOVER TO CALAIS IN TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.--A novel ship has recently been invented by Mr. Thomas Hitt, of Brandon, Suffolk. She is somewhat of a semi-twin type, one-third wider than the ordinary sailing ship, but not so wide as a paddle-steamer. Between the supposed divided halves, which ascend to about eighteen inches above the water-line, is a wheel-race, extending from bow to stern. In the centre of this wheel-race a pit is formed, into which the lower part of the periphery of the wheel descends. The wheel, when rotating, drives the water through the race, and out at the stern, with great velocity. The maximum result of experiments indicates that a ship of 500 tons, with a wheel of 50 feet diameter, making 50 revolutions per minute, will attain a speed of 56 knots an hour, after allowing one-fourth for slip and other contingencies. Although the wheel is described as making 50 revolutions per minute, it may reach 100, more or less. This excess of power may be utilized for the production and storage of electricity, to be used either for illuminating purposes, or for propelling the ship when becalmed.

A FAITHFUL MASTIFF.--John Templeton is a blacksmith, who owns a fine specimen of the English mastiff. Recently Mr. Templeton was working at his forge, putting a new steel in the point of a pick. The steel was slightly burned in the heating, and, instead of welding, flew into half-a-dozen pieces. One piece struck the blacksmith above the right eye with such force as to fasten itself in firmly. He staggered and fell backwards. How long he was unconscious he does not know, but when he revived, the dog lay in the middle of the shop, crying almost like a human being, and rubbing his jaws in the dust of the floor. The piece of steel which had struck Mr. Templeton lay a short distance from the dog. The faithful animal had seized the hot steel with his teeth, and drew it from the frontal bone of Mr. Templeton's head. The dog's mouth was badly burned.--_Albany Journal._

THE DISCOVERIES AT POMPEII.--A Naples correspondent says--"The waxed tablets found, together with silver vases, &c., at Pompeii, all belong to one woman, Decidia Margaris, and are contracts precisely similar to those found twelve years ago belonging to one Lucio Cecilio Giocondo; but unlike those, which were enclosed in a strong iron box, and had undergone a process of carbonization which preserved their legibility for eighteen centuries, the present ones were only folded, together with the vases, in a thick cloth, which the rain-water had penetrated, reducing the wood to pulp, and wearing away the wax on which the characters are impressed, so that only some fragments preserved the writing; and a few days after the discovery these too were lost, the wax separating from the wooden tablets and breaking up into minute particles. There remains now only one tablet, which has been naturally preserved by being impregnated with oxide of copper. It is the contract for the sale of young slaves to Decidia Margaris."--_Daily News._

A GENUINE FAST OF TWENTY DAYS.--An extraordinary case of prolonged fasting is reported in connection with the severe weather. On December 22nd, 1887, a peasant woman from Opergrabern, near Vienna, went to receive some money that was owing to her at a small village a few miles distant. The amount was not paid, and the woman had only four kreutzers in her pocket, with which she bought two rolls of bread. On the way home she was caught in a heavy snow-storm, and took shelter in a small hut in a vineyard. The storm continuing, she decided to spend the night where she was, and divested herself of some of her upper garments to wrap up her feet. The next morning, when she awoke, she could not rise, being partially paralyzed by the cold. Her cries for help were unheard, and it was only on the 11th of January she was found by a woodcutter's wife, having been twenty days without food. She was in a precarious condition, but there is some hope of her recovery.

YOUTHFUL HEROINES.--The Royal Humane Society have awarded their highest honour--a silver medal--to a young lady named Fanny Rowe, only fifteen years of age, daughter of the Rev. J. G. Rowe, vicar of Topcroft, Bungay, for saving the life of a lad named Franchs, at Neuchatel, under circumstances of great gallantry. The lad was playing by the jetty with his brother, when he fell into deep water. His brother jumped in to save him, but, not being able to swim, was soon in difficulties. A number of men ran about crying out "Who can swim?" but no one attempted a rescue until Miss Rowe came up, kicked off her shoes, but otherwise fully dressed, without a moment's hesitation rushed into the water, swam to the place, dived, and caught the younger brother, but could not keep hold of him, his hair being so short. She dived again and caught him, this time by the ear, and brought him to the jetty, where he was lifted out, and then she returned and saved the elder brother. The bronze medal was also unanimously bestowed upon Miss M. Strachy, aged seventeen, daughter of Her Majesty's Consul at Dresden, for saving Miss Taylor at Sandy Island, Heligoland.

ZION CHAPEL, FOLKESTONE.--The New Year's Meeting of the Sunday School took place on January 16th. After doing justice to the tea, the children and friends met in the chapel, where Mr. Weeks, of Tenterden, opened the meeting with the reading of the fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah and prayer. Some of the children repeated the Epistle of James, having learned various portions of it. Mr. Brown, of Tadworth, spoke on the beginnings of true religion, using the alphabet--A for attention to various good things, and not to wickedness; B for the Bible; C for conviction, which he described as a sure and certain knowledge of our sinful state, not fancies floating in the mind, and he illustrated it by a condemned convict's knowledge of his own sad case. Mr. Weeks then sought to encourage the children in the ways of obedience to parents and storing Scripture in the memory, of which latter no enemy could rob them. He also spoke to the teachers and friends, giving a word of encouragement. Mr. Smith spoke of the need of Jesus Christ being formed in the heart as the only hope for lost sinners, after which the yearly prizes were handed to their respective owners, also the gifts of clothing by an old friend of the children. A few words of prayer closed a happy meeting.

E. M.

AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF A BARRISTER.

I was engaged in my study one morning, when a client of mine, a Mr. B----, was introduced. He was in a state of great excitement, having heard that the Lord Chancellor was to pronounce judgment on his case that day.

"Are you sure," he inquired, "that nothing is left undone? If judgment is given against me, I am a ruined man. All my hopes are centred in its results. On the issue hang the prospects of my darling wife and children. Oh, tell me, can anything further be done to, if possible, ensure success?"

I endeavoured to calm him by saying that we were fully prepared, and that counsel's opinion was in his favour. This assurance having appeased him a little, he left me, appointing to meet again in an hour at the court. The Chancellor had just taken his seat as I entered, and was proceeding to give judgment in my client's case.

Casting my eyes around, I observed poor Mr. B---- seated on a bench, immediately opposite his lordship. He did not recognize me, for his entire attention was riveted on the oracle from whence was to proceed the eagerly wished for, but dreaded decision. To look upon that man was painful indeed; and although many years of professional experience had familiarized me to such scenes, yet I could not behold him without emotion, and trembled to think of the awful effect an adverse decision would have on a mind so sensitive as his, and wrought to the highest degree of painful suspense. My fears were but too soon realized. After an elaborate and carefully considered review of the case, a final decree was awarded against my client. Never shall I forget the agony of despair depicted on his countenance at that moment as, rushing from the court, he hissed into my ear the fearful words, "Oh, I am undone!"

It was a damp November day on which the circumstance above narrated occurred. Wending my way homewards through Chancery Lane, the words of my unfortunate client recurred to me. "Will _my_ case be called on to-day?" thought I; "and is nothing left undone to ensure me a favourable decree at the hands of that eternal Judge before whom I must stand, sooner or later?"

Dear reader, you and I have both a case of vital importance, the judgment of which will be eternal happiness or eternal misery. If we have no Friend at court, no skilful Advocate to plead, anything of our own--any pleadings based upon our own works or performances--will most assuredly fail. A form without the power will not stand the test of that tremendous, awful day. All false coverings will then be stripped off. Naked, ruined, and undone for ever must we be unless found clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. The lines of one of our poets have aptly described the case--

"A debtor to Jehovah's law,
My soul by nature stood,
And Justice was about to draw
His sword to shed my blood.

"'Stand forth! Stand forth!' he sternly cried,
'And pay me what you owe!'
"'Tis done,' said Jesus, 'for I died;
Loose him, and let him go!'"

What a solemn consideration it is that I who write and you who read will stand in one case or the other--"Loose him, and let him go!" or, "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness!" I ask myself--and may I ask you--Does it cause you any searchings of heart, any anxious thoughts, any tossings to and fro upon your bed? "How stands the case, my soul, with thee?" Are matters right between God and thy soul? Have I any reason to hope that I shall be acquitted? Or are you, Gallio-like, caring for none of these things, "dancing the hellward road apace"? This we are sure of--that the judgment of God will be according to truth, and those who die in their sins, destitute of an interest and hope in Christ, will have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right. Your debts are great--too great for you ever to pay. Are you trying to wipe off part of the score, endeavouring to do your best, and trusting Jesus Christ to make up the rest? Hopeless case, for--

"Could thy zeal no respite know, Could thy tears for ever flow, All for sin could not atone; Christ must save, and Christ alone."

But if, from a sense of your true state and condition, your entirely bankrupt state, with no hope or help in yourself, you have fallen down at Jesus' feet, crying, "Lord, save, or I perish!" you are on safe ground. Thy Surety paid for thee; and thou shalt know it in His own time, to the joy of thy heart.

A BARRISTER.

MODES OF TRAVEL IN PERSIA.

There are two modes of travel in Persia, caravan and chappah. The former is slow, at the pace which loaded mules can follow, say twenty-five miles a day. To travel in caravan means not to go with a large company, but in this leisurely manner. Hence our word "caravan," because large trains in the East must necessarily travel in caravan style.

Chappah travelling, on the other hand, means rapid going, at an average of eighty to a hundred and fifty miles per diem. This can only be done by riding at a steady gallop--horses rarely trot in the East--and changing horses at short intervals. The post carriers invariably travel chappah.

The method of measuring distances in Persia is by farsakhs, a farsakh representing four miles. Post stations are placed four farsakhs, or sixteen miles apart, and more rarely five farsakhs. Fresh relays of horses are kept in readiness at these stations. The post carriers, accompanied by a single attendant, both heavily armed, and wielding a fierce whip of hide, carry the mail in saddle bags. On arriving at a station they dismount, take a hasty cup of tea which is in readiness, and a few pulls at the kalian, or water-pipe. Then the horses are led out, and the postman starts for another sixteen-mile gallop over the mountain and plain, through forest and waste. These postmen are, so far as I could learn, very faithful and courageous, as they must need be, for they are sometimes attacked and killed, especially when it had leaked out that they are carrying money. Thus they go through Persia, and through life, on horseback. In summer, they have to rest during the heat of the day, but, summer and winter, they gallop all night, and practically have no rest until the end of the journey. The post rider from Teheran to Bushire goes nearly seven hundred miles before he can take a solid sleep.--_S. G. W. Benjamin._

THE VALUE OF WORK.

Earn your own bread, and see how sweet it will be! Work, and see how well you will be! Work, and see how cheerful you will be! Work, and see how independent you will be! Work, and see how happy your family will be! Work, and, instead of repining at Providence, you may, perhaps, find yourself offering up thanks for all the numerous blessings you enjoy.

COUSIN SUSAN'S NOTE-BOOK JOTTINGS ON THE LIFE AND WORK OF FATHER CHINIQUY.

THE COW, THE SUCKING PIG, AND PURGATORY.

"_The tree is known by its fruit._"--MATTHEW xii. 33.

Mr. Chiniquy died very suddenly, when his little son Charlie was only twelve years old. The boy had been fetched home from the house of a relative who lived at a distance, and where he had attended a good school, kept by a Protestant gentleman. He had gone through various lessons with his father, and delighted him with the progress he had made. They had read the fifteenth chapter of Luke, and retired to rest full of joy; but before the next day dawned, the boy awoke to his mother's heartrending cry, "Oh, my dear child, you have no more a father! He is dead!"

Poor child! He felt he could not believe it. He ran to his father's bed, kissed him, pressed his hands, and prayed that he might live. But it was too true. The breath had fled, and only a lifeless corpse remained.

After such overwhelming sorrow, surely they needed the tenderest sympathy; but only a few days elapsed before the parish priest (who had, years before, tried to get their Bible away) called on them, and, after a few cold words, he said that something was owing for the prayers that had been offered for the departed, and he would be glad to receive it! Poor Mrs. Chiniquy assured him that, although her husband had received a considerable income as a notary, yet their expenses had been so heavy that he had left her little besides debts. The house he had had built, and the piece of land he purchased not long ago, were only half paid for, "and I fear," said she, "I shall lose them both. I hope, sir," she added, "that you are not the man to take away from us our last piece of bread."

"But, madam," was the cruel answer, "the money for the masses offered for the rest of your husband's soul must be paid!"

For some time the widow sat shedding silent tears. At length she raised her tearful eyes, and said, "Sir, you see that cow in the meadow? Her milk, and the butter made from it, form the principal part of my children's food. I hope you will not take her away from us. If, however, such a sacrifice must be made to deliver my poor husband's soul from purgatory, take her as the payment of the masses to be offered to extinguish those devouring flames."

"Very well, madam," said the priest, rising, and walking out.

They anxiously watched to see what he would do; and, to their horror, he went straight to the meadow and drove away their useful and cherished favourite. Poor Mrs. Chiniquy nearly fainted; and when able to speak, she said--

"Dear child, if ever you become a priest, never be so hard-hearted towards poor widows as are the priests of to-day."

Those words were never forgotten, as our next story will show.

Many years had passed. The child had become a man and a priest, when he was invited to preach a course of three sermons in the church of a rich curate. On the second day, walking with him to the parsonage, a very poor, ragged, and miserable man took off his hat, and tremblingly addressed the curate, saying--

"You know, sir, that my poor wife died, and was buried ten days ago; but I was too poor to have a funeral service sung for her, and I fear she is in purgatory. Almost every night I see her in my dreams in burning flames, and she cries to me to help her. Will you be so kind as to sing that high mass for her?"

"Of course," answered the curate. "Your wife is suffering in purgatory. Give me five dollars, and I will sing the mass to-morrow morning."

The poor man replied that his wife had long been ill, and he was too distressed to pay the money, and begged that five low masses might be said for her. The priest told him he must pay five shillings for them, but the wretched man declared he had no money, and that he and his children were starving.

"Well, well," said the curate, "I saw two beautiful sucking pigs before your house this morning. Give me one of them."

"Those pigs, sir," said the man, "were given me by a charitable neighbour, that I might raise them for my children's food next winter. They will surely starve if I give my pigs away."

Chiniquy could not wait to hear the conclusion of the shameful bargain. He hurried away to his room, refused to take tea, and spent a sleepless night wondering whether the Church of Rome could be the Church of Christ. Next morning, he gave five dollars to the poor man, and went breakfastless to church.

After preaching, he was led by the curate to his dining-room. The long fast had made him very hungry, and the foremost dish was a delicious sucking pig. He had cut a piece, and was just about to eat, when the scene of yesterday flashed across his mind, and he inquired, "Was this _that_ sucking pig?"

"Yes," replied the curate, with a hearty laugh, "it is just that. If we cannot take the poor woman's soul out of purgatory, we will, at all events, eat a fine sucking pig."

The priestly guests all joined in the laugh except Chiniquy, who, with a burst of righteous indignation, pushed his plate away, and in a few thrilling words told them what he thought of the whole proceeding. Of course they were very angry; but the sucking pig was untouched by any one.

Thus were Chiniquy's eyes gradually opened, and he "saw men as trees walking," until the final touch gave him to "see all things clearly."

Lord, open Thou our eyes, and give us clearer and yet clearer light, that we not only may forsake every evil way, but may follow Thee with full purpose of heart.

QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS.

What is earth, sexton? A place to dig graves.

What is earth, rich man? A place to work slaves.

What is earth, grey-beard? A place to grow old.

What is earth, miser? A place to dig gold.

What is earth, schoolboy? A place for my play.

What is earth, maiden? A place to be gay.

What is earth, seamstress? A place where I weep.

What is earth, sluggard? A good place to sleep.

What is earth, soldier? A place for a battle.

What is earth, herdsman? A place to raise cattle.

What is earth, widow? A place of true sorrow.

What is earth, tradesman? I'll tell you to-morrow.

What is earth, sick man? 'Tis nothing to me.

What is earth, sailor? My home is the sea.

What is earth, statesman? A place to win fame.

What is earth, author? I'll write there my name.

What is earth, monarch? For my realm 'tis given.

What is earth, Christian? The gateway of heaven.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LORD'S GRACIOUS DEALINGS WITH
MARY STUBBS,
WHO DIED AT GODMANCHESTER, DECEMBER 19TH, 1887, AGED
TWENTY-FOUR YEARS.

We cannot say when, or by what means, the Lord first implanted the seed of eternal life in our sister's soul; but as in nature, so in grace--there is first the dropping of the seed, then the blade and the ear, and after that, the full corn in the ear; the full corn in many, as in our sister's case, not appearing until they are laid down by a fatal disease.

By letters which I received from her the last few years, I had a hope the seed was sown from the love which she manifested to the truth and people of God. At the same time, many of her words and actions manifested much impatience, showing that she was a child of fallen Adam, and that she was under another influence than the Holy Spirit of God. This was a trial to us, giving us many errands to the throne of grace, not knowing what the end might be; and not only was it a grief to us, but also to herself.

Some months ago, writing to me, she said, "I feel so very unhappy. I wish I had never been born, for I do not feel fit to live, nor yet fit to die."

Her sister, with whom she lived, says, "Once or twice before her last affliction have we found her weeping, after she returned from the house of God--once especially, when Mr. Oldfield spoke from the words, 'Thou shalt preserve me from trouble,' at which time she seemed sorely tried; and referring to it on her dying bed, said, 'Satan did tempt me so then; but what a mercy God preserved me! I felt that, if I had died then, I must have been lost.'"

At another time she found her in great distress, and, inquiring the cause, she said, "I feel so ill! I do not think I shall live long, and I know I am not prepared to die."

About three weeks after this, she went to St. Ives' anniversary, and heard Mr. Hull preach from the text, "In this place will I give you peace." The words seemed to have an abiding-place in her heart, and proved a promise to her in her affliction. They were as "bread cast upon the waters, found and enjoyed after many days." When she returned from St. Ives, she looked quite ill, and said, "It seems as though I am not to go anywhere and enjoy myself."

A few weeks after this, she took to her room, which she never left again. But, as her bodily strength decreased, she became more and more anxious about eternal things, and said to her sister and one of the members, who were sitting with her, "I do not think I shall get better. If I was sure I should go to heaven, I should not mind dying; but I keep thinking of all my past sins, and all that I have done and said. Do you think the Lord will forgive?" and with great earnestness she exclaimed, "Oh, do tell me--do you think He will forgive all my sins, and take me to heaven?" They told her they felt sure, if the Lord had made her sins a burden to her, and enabled her to beg of Him to cleanse her in His precious blood, He would, in His own time, answer her petitions, and they encouraged her to give Him no rest until He spoke home peace and pardon to her soul.

On Saturday, November 12th, Mr. Oldfield called to see her. She asked him if he thought the Lord would forgive her. He assured her that, if the Lord had made her long for His pardoning love, He would appear for her. He had sweet liberty in prayer on her behalf, and, having read at her request the twenty-seventh Psalm, he inquired if she had any favourite hymns. She replied, "Yes--'There is a fountain filled with blood.'" He remarked, "The dying thief felt he needed that fountain, and so do you and I, Mary." She answered, "Yes, we do."

In the evening, two of her sisters came to see her, and she exclaimed, "What! are you both come so far to see me? I am not worthy," and burst into tears.

On Sunday, November 13th, she said but little during the day, but still kept begging of the Lord to forgive her all her sins, and take her to heaven; and in the evening He answered her prayer, and sweetly spoke home peace and pardon to her heart. She exclaimed, "Jesus has pardoned all my sins! Yes, yes, He has told me so! I am so happy! Oh, so happy! Jesus! Jesus! Thou art precious to my soul! Oh, come and take me! I long to be with You, dear Jesus!" and, with solemn sweetness, she added, "'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.'

"Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,
Unworthy though I be,
For me a rich, a free reward,
A golden harp for me.

"Jesus is 'the Chiefest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely.'" Thus she laid, blessing and praising His dear name till she was completely exhausted.

Early the next morning she said, "I am still on this bed of affliction. The Lord has spared me one more day, but I hope He will soon come and fetch me. I do so long to go, but

"I must wait a little longer,
Till His appointed time,
And glory in the knowledge
That such a home is mine.

"Yes, 'that such a home is mine!' I shall wear a white robe there, and sing 'Hallelujah! Hallelujah!'

"Yes, loudest of the crowd I'll sing,
Whilst heaven's resounding mansions ring
With shouts of sovereign grace."

On Monday, November 14th, I and my brother visited her for the first time. She was at first overcome, but soon revived, and said, "I am so pleased to see you both. I asked the Lord to spare me to see you all before I died. How kind He is to hear me!"

I spent, altogether, the greatest part of four days with her, and those will be reckoned amongst the happiest days of my life, though mixed with sorrow at the thought of losing one made doubly dear by the sweet manifestation of the spirit of Christ in her. We could but look on and say, "What hath God wrought!" she herself saying, "I am not the one I was once, but am a new creature in Christ Jesus, for the Lord has heard my prayers, and forgiven all my sins, and now I know I am going to heaven," her countenance at the same time beaming with joy.

On Tuesday, November 15th, she asked her eldest brother to read to her--

"When languor and disease invade
This trembling house of clay,
'Tis sweet to look beyond our cage,
And long to fly away,"

which she much enjoyed.

On Wednesday, November 16th, she said to me, "Oh, Joseph, I feel Jesus is all around me, and I know He is soon coming to take me home. I am so happy, and waiting to go to my home of eternal rest."

Turning to those present, she said, "You do not mind parting with me, now you know I am going to heaven, do you?" and, seeing us in tears, she said, "I cannot think what you have to grieve about. If I were not going to heaven, then you might grieve."

At times she seemed completely lost to all around, and was in sweet communion with God, and laid blessing and praising His dear name. The following are only a few of the sweet words that fell from her lips--"Oh, Jesus, I am so happy! Thou art precious to my soul. I long to be with Thee, dear Jesus--not that I wish to leave my brothers and sisters, only to come to Thee. I can leave everything to come to Thee, dear Jesus. Come and fetch me. Fetch me soon, if it is Thy will; but if I must wait a little longer, give me patience to wait Thy time."