Poetry.

BY

THE GREAT QUESTION.

ALICE CARY. “ How are the dead raised up, and with what body doiley

come?”
The waves they are wildly heaving,

And bearing me out from the shore,
And I know of the things I am leaving,

But not of the things before.
O Lord of Love ! whom the shape of a dove

Came down and hovered o'er,
Descend to-night with heavenly light,

And show me the farther shore.
There is midnight darkness o'er me,

And ’tis light-more light I crave-
The billows behind and before me

Are gaping, each with a grave;
Descend to-night, O Lord of might!

Who died our souls to save :
Descend to-night, my Lord, my Light,

And walk with me on the wave !
My heart is heavy to breaking

Because of the mourners' sighs,
For they cannot see the awak’ning

Nor the body with which we arise.
Thou, who for sake of men did'st break

The awful seal of the tomb,
Show them the

way
into life, I

pray,
And the body with which we come!
Comfort their pain and pining

For the nearly wasted sands,
With the many mansions shining

In the house not made with hands;
And help them by faith to see through death

To that brighter and better shore,
Where they never shall weep who are fallen asleep,
And never be sick any more.

Central Advocate.

waters

The Nile:
HIS river is one of the most famous in the

world. Many books have been written
about it, and the country through which
it flows. It is to this river that Egypt is
mainly indebted for food and trade. The
Egyptians depend much on its yearly
flooding, on which occasion its
overflow its banks and cover all the flat
grounds on either side.

On subsiding, a deposit of fine mud is left behind, over which seed corn is cast, which generally produces rich crops.

The ancient Egyptians not only considered certain animals and vegetables to be gods, but the river also. They believed that this god-river in his benevolence spread himself over the land, that by his means the people might be fed. When the annual overflow was late in appearing, they offered a sacrifice to this god, dressing a beautiful girl in fine clothes and jewels and then throwing her into the river,

Alligators and hippopotami infest the Nile. The latter were most likely the kine Pharaoh saw in his dreams in the days of Joseph, son of Jacob. On its surface, Moses floated in safety in his ark of bulrushes. Its waters were afterwards turned into blood, as one of the plagues by which the Egyptians were compelled to set the Israelites free. Egypt has long been under the dominion of the Sultan of Turkey, and through oppression and other causes, the prophecy uttered many years ago, that Egypt should be one of the basest of kingdoms, has been, and still is, fulfilled. This is a striking proof of the wisdom and the faithfulness of Him whose word abideth for ever.

T. B.

Only a Peuny. T was only a penny, you say?" "Yes 'em," said the old woman, meekly.

“ Tisn't the value of the money. I'd not have come for that; but when little Master Harry took it out of my till, you know, ma'am, it was a theft all the same as if it had been a crown."

“ Absurd,” said Mrs. Rose. " The

boy is only six years old. He's a mere baby. There's another penny. Of course I'm willing to give it to you."

“ I don't want the penny,” said the old woman, half crying. " What I want is to have him properly punished.”

“You revengeful wretch,” said Mrs. Rose.

“Tain't revenge,” said the woman. “ It's love for the child. When my Ann was nursery-maid here, I seen a heap of him, and I like him so much, a pretty dear. Please do, ma'am, punish him and learn him not to steal. It's a mother's duty, ma'am. 'Tisn't only poor buys that turn out bad.”

“This is unbearable," said Mrs. Rose. “Punish that little fellow for picking up a penny. How did he know to whom it belonged? And you—a person like you, to talk to me of my duty. It is so preposterous.”

“ O do hear me, ma'am," said the old woman. “'Twasn't picking up a penny. I was in my back room and saw through the curtain. He came through on tip-toe, watching and peeping, and he slipped round the counter, and took the penny from the drawer. Then he knocks, and says he, when I comes :

'I want a pennyworth of lemon drops,' And I took the penny and came to tell you: not for the value"

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mamma.

“ Take your penny and go, "said Mrs. Rose. “After the presents I have sent you, and kind as I was to Ann-gave hier her wedding dress and a set of China, when she married—to go on so about a paltry penny! Bridget, open the door. I suppose that Mrs. Jones don't see it. And after this, Bridget, when I send you for trimmings, there is a new shop to go to. Quite a decent sort of person keeps it. I shall patronize her.”

“It was just because of your kindness, ma'am, that I want Master Harry to be cured of being a thief,” said the old woman, “can you understand?"

“I understand your are ‘an impertinent woman,” said Mrs. Rose. “Bridget, give that woman her precious penny, and lock the door after her. Here, Harry, pet, come to

When Harry wants a penny, don't ask any one but dear papa and mamma.”

And the young mother kissed her darling fondly.

He was a beautiful child, but not a frank-looking one, and his mischief always developed itself in secret forays on the cake-box and preserve jars. To be sly was natural to him, and the servants knew this, if his mother did not.

Of course he was not punished. Indeed, he seemed to himself rather a hero than a culprit, and the next opportunity which offered to help himself to (that which did not belong to him, was seized upon with avidity.

He helped himself to knick-knacks in friends' houses, and to toys belonging to neighbours' children. If his mother forgot and left her purse upon the table, he rifled it of change.

Generally he managed to conceal his depredations; and when discovered, friends feared to offend the indulgent parents, and contented themselves with putting portable property out of Master Harry's reach, when they had the pleasure of a visit from that small, but troublesome individual.

As for his mother she thought the child "too cunning to scold," and only shook her headlat him when four-penny