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OUR FIRST ADDRESS.

OUR dear young readers will expect us to say a little to them about the charming title we have chosen for their own little magazine. In walking out to the green fields, or to the garden, as it may be, they will have seen little crystal drops hanging on the points of the grass, or from the leaves of the lovely flowers; these they know to be drops of dew, and most of them will know that by these the little tender blades, and buds, and flowers are refreshed, and sweetened, and prepared for the growth of the day. They are familiar with these

OUR FIRST ADDRESS.

dew drops, and if any of them are not so well acquainted with such, they will be getting up, some fine morning soon, to see if they can find them hanging by the little leaves. This, you will see, our kind artist has anticipated in the nice little picture which he has prepared for the head of our first number. He has presented us with a little girl out in a dewy morning, and she is looking earnestly into the bosom of a flower to admire the lovely crystal diamond with which her heavenly Father has increased the beauty of the blooming rose. But we think we hear some one saying, "We know all about these lovely things that are seen on dewy mornings," and he is asking what we intend by this Dew-drop. Well, dear young reader, we are likening your young mind to a tender flower that is just opening out of the bud, and giving promise at no very distant day, of a rich full blossom, and afterwards of still richer fruit. We are likening the truth about Jesus and the soul, and holiness and heaven, to the refreshing dew, so that those little precious portions of that truth which we hope to send you from month to month will be just like Dew-drops. Our Great Teacher has taught us to use this most interesting figure. He says-" My speech shall distil as the dew." He loves the young; his kind heart feels most kindly toward those who are yet unable to bear the heavy shower. Thus he provides for them the tenderest lessons of his divine instruction, and causes it to fall gently upon them like the soft and yet precious and powerful influence of the

OUR FIRST ADDRESS.

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morning dew. We are most glad to think that all the subjects which we shall require to introduce to you, will be well fitted for such gentle distillings. Our great engrossing theme will be the love of Jesus-the holy, ceaseless, boundless love of Him who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of God." We are to speak of that love just as it glowed in his bosom when he took little ones like you in his arms and blessed them. This love will prove to our dear young friends like the dew of heaven itself. Oh how your little eyes will sparkle with delight when you read of the glorious One, whom all the angels worship, and know more and more fully how much he loves you! We hope, too, that all the various subjects of interest and value with which our tiny pages will be filled, will be so simply, and so kindly, and so clearly treated, that none of them will prove unlike the beautiful object under the similitude of which we have commenced our labours of love for the young. Little brothers and sisters will find a happy work in teaching each other from the Word of our God as we shall be favoured, from time to time, to send it cut to them in Monthly Dew-drops. May the kind smile of our great, and compassionate. and Divine Father rest upon every line! Will not those of our dear young readers who know Jesus ask him to make great use of their own little magazine? He is willing-he delights to hear and to answer the prayers of little ones.

A FIRST CONTRIBUTION.

A FIRST CONTRIBUTION.

BY J. O. J.

DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-We cannot tell you with how much delight it is we embrace this opportunity of writing our first paper for the Dew-Drop. We are perfectly happy in setting about this pleasant work; and only hope you will be as happy in reading as we are in writing for you. That was a beautiful saying of Dr Dwight, and we love to think often upon it:-" He that makes a little child happier for half an hour is a coworker with God;" because God is doing all he can to make all little children and all grown-up people happier, and that not for half an hour only, but for all eternity. Now we wish to be like God; and therefore engage in this effort to make you, dear young people, happier in the best sense of the word. This conviction makes us happy in turning from severer studies to write for you; and so much do we love you that we shall think it among our pleasantest employments from month to month to talk a little with you. We wish we could gather you all into one large assembly, that we might see your bright eyes and smiling faces, and tell you all that is in our heart. But as we cannot gather you all into one place, or see you face to face, we will guide our pen to tell you on paper the thoughts we think, and the love we feel, for you.

We well remember when we were little boys ourselves; and how we thought and felt then. How full we were of life and spirit; how we roamed the fields, and rambled by river sides, and raced about as blythely as the young lambs that may now be seen in the fields. Ah! these were joyous times indeed, and we love to think of them; and often do we think of them just that we may enter into the feelings of the hundreds and thousands of young folks who are now, in the bloom of health, enjoying the beauties of the new world. We love to see you, dear young people, at your merry games of play; we love to hear the sky ringing with your joyous laugh, and would not check your enjoyments. We know they are natural to your age; we

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