A FIRST CONTRIBUTION. are sure they are beneficial to your health; and we would not therefore stop your innocent sports. We loved them ourselves when we were young, and regret not that we enjoyed them to the full. We do not like to see a dull, melancholy child; we would rather see one that can romp and run and race with glee. But you cannot always be at play. There is a time to work. Hence we would say, play heartily while you do play; but work well when play is over. Most of you, no doubt, are at school; you are getting knowledge that will be useful in after life. And the more knowledge you get, and the more you get the habit of attention, the better, wiser, and more useful will you become in after life. You are now sowing the seed, and you will reap the harvest as you grow up. But there are times when you are not required either to play or work; these I shall call times to think, and to be occupied with God. All of you get a little time every day for thinking of Him. A short while in the morning, perhaps, or more likely a longer time at night. Then you have one whole day in every week the Sabbath,-which is set apart specially for thinking of heavenly things. Then it is you hear much about subjects more important than either your play or your work; since they respect the soul, and the things of eternity, while play and work only have regard to time. Those subjects that relate to the soul, are called by the name of religious subjects, and they are called religious because they are intended to bind us back to God, as the word religious signifies. And as we are all wanderers from God like the prodigal son who was so wretched when away from his father's house, surely those subjects that lind us back to God must be very delightful, and should make us happy, even as the poor prodigal was happy when his heart was bound back to his father in words never to be broken. Don't forget what religion means. It is a being bound back to God. A religious book is one therefore written upon subjects that are intended to bind us back to God. A religious man in the true sense, is one whose heart is bound back to God; and he alone can DEAR LITTLE JANET. be a happy man. Now, dear children, we wish you all to be religious, that is, to have your hearts bound back to God; therefore it is we intend to make our little Magazine a religious Magazine, as it will be on subjects fitted to bind you back to God. But these subjects are all connected with the GOSPEL, the precious truth that Jesus was given up by God to die for you, to atone for your sins, and to convince you of God's love, so that being assured of that, you might love him in return; and you know loving God is just having the heart bound back to God-is just the same as being religious. And happy shall we be if by God's blessing, we are enabled so simply and so lovingly to explain to you the gospel of a God of love, as that you, dear young people, shall one and all, be induced to "love Him who first loved you." NARRATIVES. DEAR LITTLE JANET. OUR kind young readers have been promised, among other papers, that they should have memoirs of dear children who have known and loved their blessed Saviour, and have been called in early days to go to be with Jesus. When this was proposed, it was not suspected that the lovely little girl, of whom we are about to write, should have the first place in the memorials of the Dew-Drop. She was then expecting with great delight that her little brother would read many a sweet and precious lesson to her from these pages, and she set herself with renewed energy to master her reading that she might be able to read it for herself. Now she is in glory; and in the presence of Him she dearly loved, she is taught among "the spirits of the just made perfect." We will therefore now try to raise a little monument to the departed child, so that our dear young readers may be truly benefited by reading of one whom many of them knew. Janet Lang Kirk was born at Hamilton, on the 23rd DEAR LITTLE JANET. of January, 1843. She was in infancy and the earlier stages of childhood a pleasant little one, with rather a bold disposition. She grew up a great favourite with many, more especially with her dear mamma, and the kind servant who was her early and affectionate attendant. Her first ideas of Jesus were those of some kind One of whom she heard her father and mother speak, as he from whom all her blessings came, and who had died for her sins upon the cross. Gradually she began to know more and more about him until she was always ready to tell any one who asked her who was kindest to her, that it was "Jeese'." She was peculiarly fond of that lovely hymn which she translated into her baby tongue, thus, Gente' Jeese' meek an' mild, Suffe' me to tum to 'ee. Many a time did she lisp this little prayer, and her kind Redeemer led her nearer and nearer to a knowledge of his love to her precious soul. Dear little Janet left her native town when only three years of age, and entered upon new scenes, and got many new acquaintances in Edinburgh; but she steadily advanced in the knowledge and love of her kind and heavenly Shepherd. She was remarkably fond of going to the chapel, and fond to hear a word that she could understand, or remember so as to get it explained to her when she came home. She was observed by many as remarkably decorous in her manner in the house of God, especially in prayer, when she always turned round to her seat, laid her hands upon her little face, and laid down on the cushion, remaining thus bowed before the Lord till prayer was over. My young reader, do you feel thus the solemnity of the wor ship of God? Dear little Janet found a most delightful work in the gratuitous distribution of the Day-Star. In her walks with her mamma on the Calton Hill, and afterwards along the Meadows, she was most earnest in this congenial work. One day while passing along one of the paths on the hill, she saw a woman sitting at some distance, and requested her mamma to give her a Day Star 8 DEAR LITTLE JANET. for her. Having received it, she ran to the woman, and gave it. On returning, her mother asked her what sks had said; with great simplicity she replied, "I said, if you please take this, it is bread for your soul-something to let you know that Jesus died for you." Our dear young readers will, we trust, feel their desire greatly increased, for promoting the circulation of that precious little magazine by this sweet example. While Janet was thus impressed with the solemnity of Divine things, and earnest to spread the gospel, she became remarkably fond of helping on in her own little way whatever household work was going forward. When doing so however, if her father began in a distant part of the room to speak of the Saviour, or of any serious subject to her little elder brother, she would observe what was going on at once, and come slipping near that she might have all the benefit she could of the lesson imparted. She thus acquired more knowledge than might have been expected from her years. She was thus able to advise those of riper life. One day her mamma had fallen on the ice and somewhat hurt her side. At table she was mentioning the circumstance, and expressing some anxiety as to the bad effects that might follow. Dear little Janet very quietly put in her word, saying-"Don't think, mamma, about your side-just think of all that Jesus has done for you." Beloved young reader, will you remind your parents of Janet's advice when you see them in distress? About six months ago her younger brother began to lisp a little about Jesus, and to love to hear any one speak of that ever charming name. Janet became his teacher of her own accord. She would sit with him on her little knee, though scarcely able to hold him there, and then tell him of how the Saviour loved him, and died for him. She succeeded in teaching him two lines which he has tried to sing every morning since her death immediately on awaking. The lines are these "Oh that will be joyful, When we meet to part no more. Thus has the dear little lamb left behind her at least some sweet fruit of her early efforts. She was influenced in the general tenor of all her actions by the delightful principles of the gospel of the blessed God. After hearing that most precious little book, "A Kiss for a Blow," she was always observed to give her brother the "largest piece" when the choice lay with her. She had also an extreme horror of persons in a state of intoxication, and never permitted intoxicating liquor to touch her lips. When she saw any one evidently the worse of drink she would do everything in her power to escape from their vicinity, drawing her mother away from the direction in which they appeared, even though they were at a great distance. Under a deep impression produced on her mind by some scenes of this kind, and by what she heard from time to time on the subject, she became very desirous to have her name enrolled as a member of the Edinburgh Abstinence Society. Her earnest request was granted, and nothing could exceed her delight when the pledge card was brought home with her name engrossed. No member or advocate of that good cause could be more enthusiastic than dear little Janet. Her pledge card was framed and hung on the wall underneath her portrait, and among the first exulting sentences uttered to her dearest friends as she pointed to the card was, "See, I'm a teetotaler!" May my dear young readers follow her example here. They will thus escape many a snare. Little Janet displayed the spirit of her Saviour also in being remarkably affectionate to those who required to do anything for her. The kind servant who accompanied her from Hamilton to Edinburgh, and has been her daily helper since, was ardently loved. Some time ago she supposed that she would require to leave the family, and actually gave up her situation. Little Janet said almost nothing at the time, but on hearing one day at breakfast that the servant was to stay, she earnestly remarked that she "would have had a fine crying face if Marion had gone away." No one about her escaped her love. Some months before her death she became remarkably fond of singing, and most of her songs were of Jesus or of glory. One of the happiest evenings she |