length to-morrow, for to-day's reading has already taken us up nearly our usual time, and I think we shall have a good deal to say upon the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Mary. Oh, Mamma! may not we go on to-day? I am not at all tired.

Mrs. B. No, my love; I have other things to do, and I cannot go beyond our time; and it would be a pity to begin so beautiful a parable without going through it. So we will shut the book till to-morrow.

Mrs. B. WELL, my loves: I see you are come very exactly at our time for the parables.

Henry. Oh yes, Mamma, I do so like these readings! and Mary and I both think that we make out the parables better every day. But will you begin, Mamma, with the one that you said yesterday was so beautiful?

Mrs. B. You are in a great hurry, Henry, but bring me the book, and we will lose no time. The parable immediately following those which we read yesterday in St. Luke's Gospel, is that of the Prodigal Son. It is partly upon the same subject as the former ones; but as almost every word in it is of consequence, I think we had better read it through without stopping for remarks, and then begin with it over again, and take it bit by bit." A certain man," said Jesus, "had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.' And he divided unto them his living. And not many days. after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would" gladly have satisfied his hunger "with the husks that

the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him."

Mary. Poor man, how very miserable he must have been! And how very sorry that he had ever left his father's house! But go

on, Mamma, I will not stop you. What did he do?

Mrs. B. You shall hear, my love.—“ And when he came to himself, he said: How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired

servants."

Henry. That's right, that's right! You see, Mary, he was very sorry. Well, Mamma!

Mrs. B. "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."

Mary. O, Mamma, I am so glad! and I

don't know why, but I could cry, though I am very glad for him.

Mrs. B. "And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came, and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound."

Henry. What a pleasant surprise for him, Mamma! How glad he must have been when he came in, to hear such good news, and to see his brother again!