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ship, you trust to the strength of the ship, and the skill of the captain and crew. Often people who have done so have been deceived, and drowned; as were the hundreds that went down in the 'London.' If that ship could not have sunk, then their trust in it would have carried them safe to Australia. But God cannot fail. The ark in which God saves us cannot sink.

I

He

I once was walking in the Highlands of Scotland, and wanted to cross a deep rapid river. I saw no way of crossing but by a tree laid across. It looked very shaky and rotten. On the other side was a great stout country-looking man cutting grass in a meadow. shouted to him, and asked if the tree would bear me. replied that it would; that I might trust to it, for he had just come across it himself. As he looked heavier than I by a good deal, I felt I might try; and so I trusted to the rough bridge, and passed over in safety. The man might have deceived me; but he did not.

God cannot deceive. He cannot lie. He tells us that all who trust in Him are safe; and His words are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Greater sinners than you or I have gone over in safety, and we have only to do as they did to trust and be safe.

God loves to be trusted. So do we. You love a little bird who flies for safety from a hawk and nestles in your bosom. You would not let the hawk kill that bird if you could prevent it. You would repay the little bird's trust by loving and saving it. Jesus says to all little children, Come unto me; come and I will give you rest. The destroyer shall not touch you so long as you hide your head in the bosom of the Friend of sinners. 'He shall save them, because they trust in Him.'

SUMMER.

THE wintry winds are hush'd to rest,
There's music in the forest glade;
Glad sunbeams dance on ocean's breast,
And lilies bloom in grassy shade.

The thorn is white on hedge and tree;
The lilac opes her fragrant bell;
The child's own daisy paints the lea,
While fairy songsters haunt the dell.

Pale violets love the woodland nook ;
The ivy has a carpet there:
Soft murmurs fall from silvery brook,
And light and joy are everywhere.

From hill and glen, from rock and sea, From silent cave where sea-birds light, One anthem, Lord, we raise to Thee: All glory to the God of might.

Dear little ones, who twine your flowers,
Know they are gifts from God above;
He smiles on you through sunny hours,
And nature whispers of His love.

We've seen the snow on mountain side,
We've seen the primrose and the spring;
And now 'tis fairest summer-tide:
O'er all the earth our God is King

Stay, children, listen while you play,
We will not talk to you of gloom :
Heaven is one long summer day,

And there the flowers will ever bloom.

You love to watch the golden sun;

You've seen him crimson in the west,
And as he sinks, the day is done:
Thought wafts you to the land of rest.

Christ is the Light in that fair land.
He left it once for us to die ;
And now He reigns at God's right hand,
His ear will catch your faintest cry.

Then pray to Him at early day,

And praise Him ere the evening fall:
At morn, at noon, and sun's last ray,
He's nigh to bless and watch o'er all.

M. M. C.

KISS AND BE FRIENDS.

A STORY ILLUSTRATIVE OF EPHESIANS IV. 32. BY HETTY BOWMAN, AUTHOR OF 'CHRISTIAN DAILY LIFE,' ETC.

No, you sha'n't

have it; it's my

doll, and I want it. Boys don't play with dolls. Go and get your cart, or your ball.'

'I want dolly to put in my cart, Maggie, and give her a ride, just to see how she'll look; do let me have her-only a minute.' No, no, Lulie ;

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you'll break her. There, let go directly, you naughty tiresome boy!' And Maggie spoke in a very angry tone.

But Louis pulled with all his strength, which, although he was the younger, was greater than his sister's, until at last he gained possession of poor dolly-though not, I am sorry to say, before one of her round fat arms was broken in the struggle.

'I told you so,' said Maggie; 'I knew what would happen, if you didn't stop pulling.'

She did not cry, though she felt as if she should very much like to do so; but she swallowed down the lump in her throat, and walked sullenly away to the window. Poor Lulie stood in sad dismay, holding the doll in one hand, and the broken arm in the other; his lips rolling over into a low grieving cry. Maggie took no notice. She looked out of the window, with a dark cloud upon her face, and very angry, unkind thoughts in her mind. The sunshine was bright and pleasant out-of-doors, and on the lawn opposite, a little water-wagtail was walking daintily about, picking up a tiny mouthful here and there. But Maggie had no eyes for anything of that sort. She had turned her back upon Lulie and the broken doll; but still she seemed to see them, better than anything else.

'Little mischief!' she thought, 'what business has he to take my things? He always breaks them. My best doll too; and Uncle Harry gave it me!'

A quiet voice in Maggie's heart whispered just then, 'Never mind; he's only a little boy; he doesn't know the harm he is doing. Better to forgive him; he's very sorry now.' But Maggie did not listen to the quiet voice. She knew what it was very well, but she would not give heed to it.

any

'I'm very sorry, Maggie; I didn't mean to do her any harm,' pleaded Lulie, coming up to the window, and throwing his little arms round her neck.

'You should have stopped pulling when I told you,' said Maggie shortly, shaking herself free from him, and going towards the door.

'Don't go away, Maggie; please, Maggie, don't. Let us kiss and be friends.' And again spoke the quiet voice

in Maggie's heart, but more loudly this time-like the echo of Lulie's words-' Kiss and be friends.' But no; Maggie would not hear it. She shut the nursery door with a bang, and, snatching up her hat in the hall, ran out into the garden ;-not to look at the flowers, with their fair colours and sweet scent, or to hear the low hum of the bees, or the merry 'twitter, twitter' of the birds. At another time, Maggie would have seen the beauty of all these things; but this evening the flowers did not seem bright; and as for the birds, she never heard them at all, though one or two hopped shyly quite close to her, as if they wondered why she would not notice them. She was very busy holding a sort of conversation with the quiet voice, which repeated again and again, 'You are wrong-you are wrong; kiss and be friends.'

'No, I'm not wrong,' persisted Maggie; 'it's enough to make any one angry. My best doll! and just when

I had told him not to touch it.'

'Did you never do what you were told not to do?' whispered the voice. Maggie didn't like this question; so she passed it over. How troublesome it was to be reminded of that just now! But, at any rate, there might be some excuses for her, though there were none for Lulie.

Well, it was trying certainly. I do not mean to say that Maggie could easily feel good and loving just then. But you know, and I know, dear reader, that God would have helped her, if she had asked Him; if she had just lifted up her heart in prayer to Him, who is always near, though we cannot see Him, and who will give us at any moment just the grace and strength we need. But Maggie did not think of this; or, if she thought, she did not do more. And so, at last, the quiet voice ceased to make itself heard, and the angry temper had all its own way.

But now she must return to the house; for the early autumn evening was growing chilly, and she knew that Lulie would by this time be almost ready for bed. Her turn would come next, and she must not keep nurse

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