Of all her plans to save our little darling.
Before we saw the princess, mother told me
What I must do and say. And when she fled
Home to her house, I waited at a distance,
To see what would be done. The princess came,
Attended by her maidens. When they reached
The spot where the ark floated, how I trembled
For fear they should pass by. They stopped,
And my heart throbbed as forth I sprang to join them,
Just as the maiden came up from the river,
And laid the bulrush ark before the princess.
Unfolding then the covering, they beheld
The child; and, lo! the baby wept-

The little creature wept. I watched the princess,
And saw compassion pictured on her features
As she exclaimed, It is a Hebrew's child.

So, bending on one knee, I humbly asked,

Shall I

go

call for thee a Hebrew woman,

To nurse the child for thee? Go: she replied,
And home I sped, swift as the antelope.

Now, mother, tell the rest.

JOCHEBED.

Joyfully I hastened

To receive my charge. When I arrived,

The princess thus addressed me; Take this child
And nurse it well for me, and I will pay thee.
With joy I clasped my baby to my bosom,
And bore him home rejoicing.

AMRAM.

Blessed be God!

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob—
The God who heareth prayer; whose mercy
Is treasured up for thousands; and whose goodness
Is boundless as his own eternity.

Come now, my Miriam, sing us the Lord's song. For though as strangers in this land we dwell, The LORD hath not forgotten us.

All our sorrows

Are known to him, and in his own good time
He will deliver us, and bring us forth
To dwell in the fair land he promised
To Abraham and his seed. Surely this child of ours
Is spared for some high purpose. His salvation
May be a type of that which all his brethren
One day shall find, when God, with mighty hand,
Shall lead us forth from Egypt's hated plains.
Sing Miriam, sing! my heart is joyful now.
MIRIAM sings.

The LORD is our strength and our song,

He also is become our salvation.

He is our God, and here shall he dwell;

Our father's God shall here be exalted.

The LORD is the mighty God,—that is his name.
His right hand is become glorious in power.

Great in his excellency is JEHOVAH.
Who is like unto Him among the gods?

Who, like Him, is glorious in holiness?
Who, like Him, is fearful in praises ?

Who, like Him, doeth wonders?

Thon, in thy mercy, wilt lead forth thy people; Thou wilt guide them by thy strength to thy holy habitation.

Thou shalt plant them in the mountain of their inheritance, In the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever!

THE LOVE OF CHILDREN.

TO BE READ TO YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.
"SPEAK gently to the little child, so guileless and so free,
Who with a trustful, loving heart, puts confidence in thee."

CAN anything be dearer to you than your tender offspring? Is not their loveliness, their innocent simplicity and artlessness, delightful to you; and are not all their fond affections like so many ties around your hearts? They are pledges of the endearment subsisting between yourselves in this world of trouble, and they are entrusted to your care and keeping by that Great Being who gave you birth, and who watches over and provides for all the human family. In their infancy when life hangs as it were by a thread, they require the most tender care, and can only make their wants known by cries and very faint attempts at words, and are oftentimes the source of the deepest anxiety; yet they richly repay those who are fond of them, and strive to make them happy. If parents were fully aware that much crying is hurtful to their infants, in spoiling their tempers and dispositions, and even laying the foundation of disease, they would use all

means to prevent such evil consequences? and if they reflected for a few moments on the time when they themselves were children, and were now to look upon them as little parts of themselves, it would greatly strengthen the bond of love towards them, and add much to the comfort of home. They are sometimes spoken to by those who have the care of them, with a harshness which wounds their tender feelings, yet they know the difference between kind and unkind treatment, and it is delightful to them to be noticed. Fathers and mothers need not fear spoiling their children by making them too happy, and it is impossible for them to commence too early in training the infant mind; education begins when the child can tell father from mother, and the heart of the little one is open to the most tender impressions.

Little children are interesting charges-they thrive in the element of love, and can well understand the language of kindness. Happy indeed is the home, and thrice happy the parents and little ones, where this feeling is habitually prevalent. It is in their nature to be fond and loving.

"Blessings on them! they in me
Move a kindly sympathy,

With their wishes, hopes, and fears;
With their laughter and their tears;
With their wonder so intense,

And their small experience."

The poorest of the poor can have a joy of their children which is sometimes unknown to the wealthy; and their love of their own little ones is better than the carelessness of those who are rich and ought to set a better example.

It is much to be feared that some parents seek to sub

due the tempers and dispositions of their children by violence rather than by love; this is wrong in the Divine sight, and offensive in the eyes of men; the result of such training is sometimes seen in the miserable end of these unhappy children; but parents who are fond of their offspring, studying their health and cleanliness, teaching them right things, to love their brothers and sisters, and all their play-fellows, will have a reward in their dutiful conduct, and that sweet inward consolation of which no stranger can deprive them.

The Saviour of the world rebuked his disciples who would have prevented their being brought to him, and said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God, and he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them and blessed them."

Doubtless many of you have cares and troubles to contend with in addition to making a provision for your families; this is the common lot of humanity, to which all are subject; high and low, rich and poor, gentle and simple, wise and unwise,-share alike in this respect; this should not lessen the love, but on the contrary, cause it to flow more strongly; as the ivy clings around the oak for protection, and the weaker plant around the stronger, so will your offspring cleave unto you, and be a comfort in old age. Thus loving and caring for these little ones, shewing all patience and forbearance, you will perform your part towards them; having done this duty, you may rely on the fulfilment of the promise, that by training up your children in the way they should go, when they are old, they will not depart from it. London.

E. D. H.