THE FIRESIDE.

prayer has brought no answer of joy, the man has been ready to despair, and blamed fate and the devil, and a thousand other things. Meanwhile the real cause of the soul's long delay has been unnoticed; the heart has never really loosed its hold of its self-righteous hopes, never fairly pulled up the anchor and trusted itself to Jesus. Reader, how is it with you? Have you heaved the anchor? Have you done with self? If not, all your efforts are idle, all your prayers and tears are fruitless, and you see clearly that they must be so. Man, up with the anchor! let go every trust but Jesus, and you will soon be at the desired haven.

ADMIRAL COLPOYS.-The late Admiral Colpoys used to be fond of relating, that on first leaving a humble lodging to join his ship as a midshipman, his landlady presented him with a Bible and a guinea, saying, "God bless you and prosper you, my lad; and as long as you live never suffer yourself to be laughed out of your money or your prayers. The young sailor carefully followed this advice through life, and had reason to rejoice that he did so; while thousands have unavailingly regretted that they have pursued a different course.

PRAYER.-Prayer draws all the Christian graces into its focus. It draws Charity with her lovely train; Repentance with her holy sorrows; Faith with her elevated eyes; Hope with her grasped anchor; Benevolence with her opened hand; Zeal looking far and wide to bless; and Humility looking at home.-Hannah More.

The Fireside.

THE HEART OF THE HOME.

ALL really useful and happy homes have a heart centre toward which every member gravitates, drawn by attractions resistless because unfelt. The house-band that surrounds, strengthens, and protects, is usually the husband and father. The house-heart is usually the wife and mother. More than several times have we known the weak, the sick, the needy one of the family, to become the house-heart, to and from which the activities of every member were in steady circulation. For her room the best in the house was chosen. The stately parlour gave up its best chair and picture. To that room came the first flower, the first berries, the first fruit of orchard and vineyard. The newspaper came into that room first of all. There the father "reported" when returning, and left his good-bye when going. Thither the young girl, dressed for a party, came in to be admired in the household heart. Thither the sons have come thrice a day fresh with the last excitement and stories from the street. For her, the concert, the lecture, and the sermon have been listened to, and a story of them brought home. Her need has wrought a gentleness and unity

THE PENNY POST BOX.

through the whole family. Her tranquil judgment has tempered hasty speeches, and taught the way of impartial thought. Around her chair, or couch, or bed, as around an altar thrice consecrated, have come the daily worshippers, with Scripture, song, and prayer. And

so, through years of chastened enjoyment and trembling hope, this family has found training in a life of unity, purity, and love. The house has had a heart. The passers by said "afflicted." But the dwellers knew that the affliction was working out fruits most peaceable and rewards eternal.

The heart ceased to beat. The room was empty. The errands and the services of love ended. And the stricken ones stood together, and with voices low and earnest vowed and prayed. By the memory of the past, by the ache and emptiness of this hour, and by the hope of the future, we vow a holy living in the Lord; and we beseech Him, that in His house of many homes, we may have one, and may she be the heart of it. Amen. Blessed are they that mourn.

The Penny Post Box.

SEVEN FOOLS.

THE angry man, who sets his own house on fire in order that he may burn that of his neighbour. The envious man, who cannot enjoy life because others do. The murderer, who for the consideration of a few pounds, gives the liberty to hang him. The hypochondriac, whose highest happiness consists in rendering himself miserable. The jealous man, who poisons his own banquet, and then eats of it. The miser, who starves himself to death in order that his heirs may feast. The slanderers, who tell tales for the sake of giving their enemy an opportunity to prove them a liar.

CURE FOR LOW SPIRITS.

EXERCISE for the body, occupation for the mind; these are the grand constituents of health and happiness, the cardinal points upon which everything turns. Motion seems to be a great preserving principle of nature, to which even inanimate things are subject; for the winds, waves, the earth itself, are restless, and the waving of the trees, shrubs, and flowers is known to be an essential part of their economy. A fixed rule of taking several hours' exercise every day, if possible, in the open air, if not under cover, will be almost certain to secure one exemption from disease, as well as from attacks of low spirits, ennui— that monster who is ever waylaying the rich indolent.

"Throw but a stone, the giant dies."

Low spirits cannot exist in the atmosphere of bodily and mental activity.

FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry.

The human body is covered with ledge of the truth, but a love of the

THERE was a lad who, at fourteen, was apprenticed to a soap-boiler. One of his resolutions was to read one hour a day, or at least at that rate; and he timed himself by an old silver watch left him by his uncle. He stayed seven years with his master, and when he was twenty-one he knew as much as the young squire did. Now let us see how much time he had to read in seven years, at the rate of one hour each day. It would be 2,555 hours, which, at the rate of eight reading hours per day, would be equal to 319 days; equal to 45 weeks; equal to eleven months;-nearly a year's reading.

LITTLE BEGINNINGS.

THERE is, in the Old Testament, this story: Hazael was the favourite of Benhadad king of Syria. And Benhadad was sick. Hearing that Elisha was come to Damascus, he sent Hazael to him with costly presents, to know if he should recover. When the

man of God saw him he burst into tears. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel; their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and will dash their children, and wilt rip up their women with child. And Hazael answered in amazement, and perhaps in horror, "Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?" And Hazael went back and told the king that he should recover of his illness, and the next day took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his master's face so that he died, and reigned in his stead, and went on to do those very things which were prophesied. So little does a man know himself, and to what results a little deviating from the right may lead.

The temptations a young man will mainly find himself exposed to will come from the society of which he finds himself a part, from his companions, from his occupation. There are, of course, temptations in himself, but they are more or less affected, created, shaped, intensified, by his external relations.

None of these, however, assert their full power at once. A man does not see, does not suspect the end to which they lead from the beginning. He will not believe any one who warns him about results. He does not see them, so he will not believe them. But nothing grows more rapidly and secretly than the power of temptation. It begins a little thing, as the mighty river begins, in some tiny, far back spring. It grows upon you as tropical epidemics grow. Its power lies in the swiftness of attack, the insidiousness of repetition, the added strength that every repetition gives. A man has first only an evil desire, then it grows to a wish, then to a purpose, then to a deed, and then to many deeds or to some big one. You couldn't make him believe what danger lay in that farback evil desire. He will not allow that any such innocent looking thing has any harm in it. But Judas had first only an avaricious feeling, then it became a longing, then, as he handled the money in the bag in which the disciples kept their little property, he began to take it, and at last thirty pieces of silver tempted him