Softly, softly, nature's waking, See, she's rising up from rest, Softly, softly, they're beginning Hark, they're twittering in the grove; With their melodies of love. Softly, softly, men of labour Now begin to leave their homes, Softly, softly, wisdom's speaking— Wanderers from the truth she's seeking All who listen must rejoice. Softly, softly, day is dawning For the last on many a one; Death can make a house of mourning, Softly, softly, there is glory I may enter 'tis before me- -Teachers' Offering. A CHILD'S MORNING PRAYER. Suffer little children to come unto me. ALMIGHTY FATHER! at whose word This breathing world arose, By whom the simplest prayer is heard Forbid that I should dare to raise Teach me, O Lord, that prayer and praise VARIETIES. The shades of night have passed away, To give my soul to thee. O may thy mercy be my song, Lead me away from what is wrong, For Jesus' sake thy love bestow- VARIETIES 159 THE LOVE OF GOD. Mr Cochran, of the North American Mission, asked a youth who had been blind six years, how he had employed his mind since he lost his sight, he said, "In going over those things which I learned at school. I have not been able to know day from night; but I have felt such a pleasure in reflecting on the love of God in sending his Son to seek and save sinners, that I have not thought the days and nights long." LOVE TO A MOTHER. A little Irish boy, the son of a poor widow, once repeated to his teacher four pages in the spelling-book, and four chapters in the Testament. A gentleman, who was present, was so much pleased, that he called him to him, and gave him the choice of a pair of blankets for his mother, or a suit of clothes for himself. Although he was dressed in ragged garments, and much needed a new suit, he at once chose the blankets. The gentleman then gave him the clothes too, as a reward for his kindness to his poor mother. 160 VARIETIES. REVERENCE FOR AGE. How beautiful it is to see the young reverence old age! We never see a little boy bowing respectfully to an aged man in the street, but we feel sure he is a good boy. Many of our readers will remember the conduct of the irreverent children to the prophet of God, and their awful death. Although bears may not be sent to punish the irreverent now, nevertheless God will always punish them one way or another, "Reverence is always due to aged people. God, nature, and a proper education say to the young, reverence old age. Grey hairs are crowns of glory when found in the way of righteousness. The promptings of our kindly nature teach us to respect the aged, to rise up before the hoary head. The dim eye, the furrowed brow, and temples thinly clad, who would not respect, reverence, and love them?" REAL THINGS. I was looking one day at what I thought was a plate of very fine fruit in a shop window. There was a large bunch of grapes with the bloom upon them, a fine rosy apple, and cherries, and nuts, and currants, looking so ripe and so sweet, that I quite longed to eat some. But on looking closer, I found it was all a sham; the fine fruit was a deceit, for it was all made out of stone, and the grapes that seemed so soft and juicy were as hard as marbles. They were well to look at, but they were not real things. How many boys and girls there are like these flowers and fruit. They appear to be good, they will listen to good advice, they will learn to pray, they seem to fear God and obey their friends, but they will at other times tell lies, be saucy, and show that they neither mind their parents nor fear God. We must be good as well as seem good, and try to be instead of a sham thing a real thing. Talk with the Little Ones. REMEMBERING GOD. DEAR YOUNG READERS,-I think I need hardly tell you that this picture represents a little nursery. You see it has an air of neatness and comfort about it. What a nice, neat, tidy cot bed that is, all so nicely arranged to give repose. But there is something far more lovely still. That nursemaid and her young charge, before retiring to rest, do not forget Him from whom all our blessings flow. You see the sweet attitude of that little boy. "How touching 'tis to see him clasp his dimpled hands in prayer, And raise his little rosy face with reverential air! How simple is his eloquence, how soft his accents fall, When pleading with the King of kings, to save and bless us all!" 162 REMEMBERING GOD. Well, may our readers not learn some important lesson from this subject? Why should Jehovah be remembered? It is because he is the kindest and best of all friends. Who gives you life and health? It is God. Who has provided you with so many comforts, and given you kind parents and teachers to instruct you in all the branches of useful knowledge? It is God. Who so loved you as to send his beloved Son Jesus into the world to bear the curse due to you for sin? The answer again is-God. Do you not think, then, that this God of infinite love ought to be remembered? You would never think of forgetting your father or mother; much more, then, should you remember Him who gave you afther and mother. 0, let me entreat you not to forget Jehovah. Dear readers, allow me to ask, Do you ever pray? If you honestly answer in the affirmative, it is a sign that you remember God. But I may ask-Do you know whether or not your prayers are acceptable with Jehovah? Many children are taught from their infancy to pray, and they continue so doing without having any knowledge of the true nature of prayer-they will repeat the same words over morning and evening, something like a parrot, totally ignorant of the meaning of what they say. Now, if you pray to God in this way, you never can expect him to hear you. Such prayer is only a repetition of mere words-not the sincere desires of the soul. In order to pray acceptably, you must have faith in Jesus Christ. This is the first thing which God requires of you. To have faith in Jesus is just simply to believe the testimony which the Bible gives regarding him, in other words, the glorious gospel of his grace. The gospel is just the good news or glad tidings, that "Christ died for our sius." 1 Cor. xv. 3. Here you are told that Jesus |