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that her object in coming was to read the scriptures to them, that she was exceedingly anxious to be useful, and that she wanted to come with him every morning for that purpose, and she wanted to commence her labour of love on that occasion, which of course we were glad to allow her. My young readers must bear in mind that colliers generally are but poor scholars; they go to the pit at ten years old, and all the education they obtain afterwards is at the sabbath school, but which, as they are so confined in the week, many are unwilling to attend, so that they would doubtless be glad to have some one to read for them. She read very distinctly and correctly, and I was quite pleased with her manner, and with the very interesting and unassuming appearance of our youthful scripture reader. It appears that she was favoured with pious parents; and having heard at home of this interesting meeting of colliers in the pit every morning, Mary, we will call her, proposed to her father that as they had some difficulty in getting the scriptures correctly read, she would go and read to them of the blessings of salvation, and the simple but affecting story of the cross. Such was Mary's anxiety to be useful, such her love of reading the bible, and such her affection for those spiritually dark, and many of them wicked men, that she braved the dangers of the mine, morning by morning, after leaving her bed at three o'clock, and walking a distance of four miles. This she did until the praying colliers were removed to other pits, as they often are, and this early pit prayer meeting was given up. Before this took place however, I may tell you that I went down on another occasion, at the same time of morning, for

the purpose of assisting at their meeting, when I again met with this interesting child, a little missionary in the bowels of the earth.

I think my dear young friends will say with me, that Mary merits our highest commendation. But while I commend Mary who went down into the coal mine to read the bible to poor colliers, and thus tried in early life to do good, like her Saviour, let me ask my youthful readers if there are any Mary's amongst them who could "go and do likewise.". I do not exactly mean who would go into a pit, at four o'clock in the morning, and read the bible; because there may be no pits where some of you live. But there are many out of pits, who would be glad to hear you read the bible; are there no poor people who have no bible-no poor blind people who cannot see to read-no aged people whose eyes are too dim to read-nor any sick people who are too ill to read-who live near you, and can you not spare time to go and read to them? Can you not give or lend tracts and books to others? Can you not persuade some boys or girls to go to Sunday school, who now run about in the streets or fields? Can you not collect something for the missionaries, who have gone to preach the gospel in heathen lands; and can you not pray for yourselves and for all other people? Oh! yes, that you can; and by so doing you will be doing good. You will be learning to be useful. Your teachers and friends will love you; God will help you, and prosper you; and great shall be your reward in heaven, if you do all you do for the glory of God, and out of love to the Lord Jesus Christ your Saviour. Ripley, Derbyshire.

W. B. B.

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YOUNG people are fond of reading or hearing tales about wild animals. In those countries where such savage creatures run wild there is often great danger. I dont think you would like to live there. In India tigers will often run away with children, and in Africa lions will take a child and gallop off with it as easily as a cat would run away with a mouse in its mouth. The missionaries who have gone into those parts to tell the poor people the glad tidings of great joy, often hear of such things, and they are obliged to be very careful both of themselves and their children.

But about this lion and wolf. These two do not often meet one another; for all wild beasts, except the royal tiger, who will sometimes fight the lion, take care to keep far enough out of the way of the king of beasts.

How was it then that this wolf fell under the paws of the lion. It might be that the wolf was prowling about looking for something to eat. And when wolves are very hungry they are very fierce, and not very nice about what they do. The lion might be enjoying a nap with its head under the bushes, and the wolf might suppose, from its hinder parts only being exposed, that it was some other animal; and so he flies at him behind, and begins to bite him, when up jumps the lion! The wolf, finding out his mistake, turns round and begins to run away, but the lion at one bound springs after him like a cat, and with one stroke fells him to the ground with one of his paws, and there he stands over him. Perhaps the noble beast is thinking whether he should give him another stroke with his paw and kill him outright, or let him go about his business as unworthy of more than his proud contempt. If he should lift up his paw, depend upon it master wolf would jump up and scamper off again as fast as his legs could carry him. And he would take care, I think, never to make such a blunder as to bite a lion again. In our country we have no savage animals running wild in our woods or forests, but many are brought over the sea to England, and put in strong iron cages for people to look at, and we may go if we keep far enough from their cages. If you ever should go to see any of them, be sure you keep far enough off; for when they are lying down as if asleep, with their eyes half shut, they are watching you, and if go too near they will dart out their paws and lay hold of you with their long claws before you are aware. Should they once get hold of you, they are so strong, and their

you

claws would hold you so fast like hooks, that even two strong men could hardly hold you back; and if they did, it might not be before the savage beast had torn your flesh and made some dreadful wounds. So be sure you mind what you are about when you go to such places. I read the other day of a woman with a child in her arms who went too near the cage of a leopard. She was showing her child od of at 37 lol has bega

the pretty spots on its skin. It seems that the beast was watching her, and he perhaps thought the little girl would make him a nice dinner; and so before the woman

could start back again with her

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child the nimble beast had laid hold of its bonnet, and if the strings had not been loose he would have pulled it out of her arms; but the bonnet came off and the child was saved. Its mother was dreadfully frightened, and made haste out of the show, trembling with fear and agitation. She ought to have known better than take her little girl into such a place. No boys or girls ought to go into a wild beast show without somebody with them to take care of them. I am sure I am right when I say so, for I have heard of many who have been very much hurt by not taking care to keep far enough off the cages of wild beasts.

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