and thrones. It was men with brown faces and sinewy arms that built the pyramids on Egypt's plains, reared the temple on Mount Moriah, and walled the Holy City with adamant, circled 'an Asiatic empire with impenetrable granite, put arm in arm the old and the new worlds as whispering mother and daughter, spanned the American continent with a thoroughfare of iron from sea to sea, cut a canal for steamers in forty months across the desert sands where the Israelites wandered for forty years it is men with sunburnt features and nerves of steel that to-day whiten the world's wide waters with the sails of commerce, navigate all rivers, explore all lands, and subdue the earth as God at first commanded. An idle man, however white, and soft, and smart, is not God's man.-Workday Christianity, by Alexander Clark. Finger Marks. GENTLEMAN employed a mason to do some work for him, and, among other things, to "thin-whiten " the walls of one of his rooms. This thin-whitening is almost colourless until dried. The gentleman was much surprised, on the morning after the chamber, was finished, to find on the drawer of his desk standing in the room, white finger-marks. Opening the drawer, he found the same on the articles in it, and also on a pocket-book. An examination revealed the same marks on the contents of the bag. This proved clearly that the mason, with his wet hands, had opened the drawer, and searched the bag, which contained no money, and had then closed the drawer without once thinking that any one would ever know it. The " thin-whitening" which happened to be on his hands did not show at first, and he probably had no idea that twelve hours' drying would reveal his wickedness. As the work was all done on the afternoon the drawer was opened, the man did not come again, and to this day does not know that his acts are known to his employer. Children, beware of evil thoughts and deeds! They all leave their finger-marks, which will one day be revealed. If you disobey your parents, or tell a falsehood, or take what is not your own, you make sad stains on your character. And so it is with all sin. It defiles the soul. It betrays those who engage in it by the marks it makes on them. These marks may be almost, if not quite, invisible at first. But even if they should not be seen during any of your days on earth (which is not at all likely), yet there is a day coming in which every sin will be made manifest. Never suppose that you can do what is wrong without having a blot made on your soul. It is impossible. If you injure another, you by that very deed hurt your own self. If you disregard a law of God, the damage is your own. Think-ever bear it in mind-dear children, that every sin you commit leaves a blemish upon yourselves. Even should it not be seen by those around you on earth, it will be seen, to your condemnation, at the bar of God.-Home Journal. Memoir. CHARLES HULMES, OF GLOSSOP. THE subject of the following to attend our Sabbath-school, memoir was born at Glossop, December, 1850; before he was four years old he began and remained a scholar in it up to the time of his death. Possessing an amiable dis position, he soon gained the affection of all. It is pleasing to know that he was warmly attached to the Sunday-school, and attended remarkably well, until his health began to fail. His mother says that he gloried in his teacher, and his dear teacher says that Charles was a very attentive scholar, and very regular and intelligent. Charles was ever ready to sing, My own Sunday-school Is the best. The school was the principal topic of conversation, both in the family circle, and amongst his companions: he loved the school because of the good he had received in it. Six years ago he joined the chapel choir, and just before the last Sundayschool sermons, he said on reaching home, "I must put this fiddle away until I am stronger; I cannot play, my nerves are so weak." This was a great grief to him, for he gloried in music. It was painful to him to know that the time had come when the last cords must be struck, the last composition be laid aside, and the fiddle (the well-beloved friend of six years) be left to other hands. But ah! he forgot that there was a richer and fuller melody, than any of which he had ever yet conceived, awaiting him in yon bright world above. He did not become decidedly religious until a short time before his death. During his affliction, he sought and found the Lord, and was able to rejoice in a sense of sin forgiven. He For about four months he was unable to follow his work, and for a time was anxious to recover. said,—“ My father and mother are getting old, and I wish for their sakes to get better." He loved his parents, and wished to help them. He had a good mother: she prayed with him many times during the day. "Mother' he would say, دو "let us pray," and then they knelt down and prayed together, and when unable to kneel, he would stand up. and pray. When asked "Does the Lord bless when you you pray?" he said, "I think He does, for I could hardly cease praying this afternoon." The last time I saw him, he said, "I want to get hold of that harp;" thank God he has got it, and will keep possession of it for ever. "I cannot sing much here" he said, "but I shall sing in heaven." He has bidden farewell to the tabernacle choir, and has gone to join the heavenly one; he has received a white robe, a palm of victory, and a celestial harp; and if we could just catch the sound of their voices we should hear them singing, Unto Him that hath loved us, &c. As his end drew near, he prayed "Lord take me home to heaven," and with great calmness gave directions respecting his funeral, and wished his teacher and the scholars, and the singers, to be invited. A short time before his death, his mother said, "Charles, have you given yourself up?" he said, "Yes mother." Then she felt satisfied. And on Saturday, September 24th, he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, in the twentieth year of his age. His death was improved by the writer from Joshua iii. 17. May this brief account speak to the hearts of the children and youth in our schools. JOHN COLLINGE. |