Duke by the way in which he begged for us. He at length got us protection, and nobody can touch us now. He says he will give himself no rest until he has secured your safety."

Whiteford was an officer fighting on the king's side, and had once been at the mercy of Stewart, who had spared his life.

at

On hearing the joyous news the father

once responded, "God bless the Colonel, he has a true heart though he is an enemy. And God bless my little girl, too, for bringing me such news!" he added, "She has in a moment taken away more than half my trouble. The foes may kill me if they will, now my wife and children are safe." And tears were again on the cheeks of the strong warrior whom no danger could affright.

But Jenny did not mean that their meeting should be a weeping one, even though the tears were for joy, so she said, "I am to give you mother's love, and she sends word that we pray together every day, that God will sustain you and, if it be His will, restore you to us. She is quite sure that He hears us, and that she will soon have you again safe and happy in her arms."

We must tell in very few words of the conclusion of this interview. Before she left, Jenny brought forth abundance of oat-cake and meat for the supply of the prisoner, as well as ointment and bandages for his painful wound. These last she herself applied, and she left him at length soothed in body and comforted in mind.

Many months passed before the mother received the answer to her prayers, but it came at length, and her husband was restored to her in health and safety.

and goodly fare, why, he tucks into the mince pies and polishes off the Christmas pudding as though there never was such a thing as a bright sunshiny day, and as though winter were the happiest time in all the year.

The fact is, every season has its pleasures, and while we are enjoying the pleasures of one season we are apt to think them greater than those of other times. Who ever thinks about cricket when they are sliding along on some well-frozen pond? and who ever longs to take tea in

the robins hopping on the sill; but this year, why, he was the first to lead the onslaught in the famous snowball fight between the Peckham pelters and the Priory School, and I do believe if you had asked him when he came home from the conflict, when every drop of his warm blood was flowing with the exercise, he would have told you that, no matter what he said last summertime, winter was the jolliest after all.

But winter has its sorrows as well as joys, even for those who love its fun the

most. I wonder how many of my little readers are fond of chilblains, how many of them like to have coughs and colds, and take nasty physic? Why, I don't believe that one of them would like to have the finest chilblain in the world; and as for physic, why, they'd splutter for an hour if they had to take the tinyest of doses.

And if these, the troubles of the winter-time, are sad for us to bear, what must they be to those who have not proper clothing to keep them from the cold, and

don't know what would have become of him but for a policeman who was told the tale, and who carried him into the hospital close by, where he was nursed and cared for.

It was in the hospital that Charlie's mother saw him, and Charlie saw him too. They had been there to see a poor man whom they knew, and saw the little pale-faced sufferer whom no one visited, and spoke to him in pity. At first he did not like to talk much, but after a while he told his whole sad story.

proper food to keep them in good health. Sad indeed is the lot of thousands in our great cities at this winter season. Why Charlie told me once the story of a little boy who tried to earn enough to eat by selling matches. But one morning his legs had got so stiff he could not rise. The wind had blown the snowdrift through the broken window-pane, and almost covered him as he lay upon his heap of filthy rags, and when he woke the pains of fever shot through all his limbs, and he could not move. I

Charlie was so much touched with what

he heard, that he could not rest till he had brought his toys to show the little matchseller, and half his books to read to him as well. And when the little boy got better, Charlie's father took him into his warehouse, to make a man of him, as he said; and I believe he will make a very good man too. Is there any little suffering heart that you could cheer, my little friend, this winter season? Try, and you will not regret that winter brings its opportunities of good. A. H. MILES.

"I HOPE IT WON'T RAIN."

HOPE it won't rain again for a whole fortnight at least!" exclaimed a little girl who was sitting in a summer-house at the end of a long flower garden behind her father's house.

I did not ask her how old she was, but I should think her years would not be more than seven.

Another little girl, her companion and playmate, shared the summer-house with my friend Mabel Gorbell, and she opened her eyes in surprise at Mabel's exclamation, and looked rather as though she took it as a personal matter, for she said in a little injured tone of voice, "O, May, you are unkind, for I wish it would rain every day for a month!" Lizzie Shale perhaps was tempted to give full licence to herself so as to have a more telling effect upon her auditor, or she would not have said she wished it would rain for a month, for no child prefers wet weather, for that means keeping closely indoors.

May was quite silent for a few minutes, indeed for some seconds these little maidens regarded each other steadily through eyes wet with tears, and the dolls they were dressing dangled idly down by one arm, looking ruefully at their scattered garments on the floor of the summer-house.

May at last found speech to express herself thus, "Well, Lizzie Shale, you are a whole fortnight more unkind than I am, I must say ; but it won't make any difference whether we want it to rain or not, that's one comfort."

Lizzie was a very tender-hearted little girl, and she loved Mabel really, and so she asked her very quietly, with her head kent down over her dolly, for she was too shy to look up bravely just yet, "Why do you want it not to rain, Mabel ?"

Mabel, also shy, too shy to pretend to be interested in her dolly, poor little woman, said, "Don't you know we are all going to Scarborough to-morrow? Everything is packed ready, and if it rains when people are at the seaside it's dreadfully miserable. Lodgings are only rooms, it is not a big house and garden like home, and we can't go out when it rains, and the rooms are so small and all other people's chairs and tables and things. It ought never to rain when people are away from home." Lizzie could look up now, and so she did, and putting her arms round Mabel's neck, she kissed her lovingly in a pretty little grown-up way, and sitting hand in hand, they tried to reason out whether it would be best for each of them to pray to God for the weather they would like the best. So they agreed to ask God that very night to answer their prayers, by giving fine weather to one of them and wet to the other.

That God is indeed love, is shown in His not giving us exactly what we ask Him for, for how often we ask for things which would injure our souls as well as our bodies if granted. Mabel found that her prayers were not answered, for it rained often while she was away, and Lizzie found it did not rain a month although she asked it; but they were taught by their parents that their prayers should be for their wills to become the will of God and then all would be right. Our prayers can never alter our Father's

Guide us a little longer-
Our sins forgive, we pray;
Make us a little stronger

To do Thy will each day. When sabbaths here are ended, And week-days all are o'er, May songs of ours be blended With angels evermore.

W. J. NELSON.

ANNIE ERSKINE'S SECRET.

PENNY for your thoughts, dear," Said Mrs. Benton one evening to a young girl who had been sitting in the opposite corner for some time without speaking.

"I was just wondering how Annie Erskine manages to be so good. I am sure she cannot find it half such hard work as I do. We all love Annie,—that is, most of us do,-and everybody speaks well of her, except a few who are jealous of her; and I am sure it must be very pleasant to be praised by our teachers and everybody. But I can't be like her, much as I would like to be. I don't believe Annie would be a bit better if she was in my place."

"I fear, my dear child,” replied Mrs. Benton, "that you begin at the wrong end of the work. Perhaps if you knew Annie a little better, you would find being good has cost her as much effort, and more, perhaps, than it would you. I think if you should inquire of her, she would say, 'I never should do right if left to myself. But God has promised to give us all needful grace. It is beginning at the wrong end, to be good only for others to see, and trusting to one's own strength.'"