one which hurt her feelings. "Moses, Moses," cried Mary. He did not directly answer. "Moses," she cried, "Why don't you speak?" "I was counting ten," he answered gently. "What for?" she asked; "have you dug up ten worms, I wonder.” "Because some good man says, 'Count ten if you are in danger of speaking an angry or hasty word, and that will give you time to think.' I am often hasty to you, Mary, and I want to correct myself.” "I know a better way," said the little girl humbly. and tell Jesus, and he helps me." I go THE FRUIT OF CARE. A POOR girl in California picked up the cutting of a grape vine, thrown into the road, in order to drive her mule with. She carried it home, and though it was wilted and worn, and appeared good for nothing, she stuck it into the ground. "It has a little life left," she said, "I will try and save it." So she watered it, and watched it, and trained it, and took as much care of it as if it were the most promising shoot in the world. Well, how did it reward her? In one year, after it was six years old, it bore five thousand bunches of each bunch grapes, and weighed one pound; these on being sold, brought her nearly a thousand pounds. You see, it is not so much having large means to do with, as it is in doing the best you can with small means. "We have need of Patience." HEB. X. 36. Duties every hour betide us, Daily by all waters sowing, If the world shall stand or fall, Neither questioning nor knowing, For the Lord will care for all. Nightly comes the Master walking In the vineyards of His love, With His weary brethren talking Of the harvest home above. Daily toiling up the mountain, Bowed with crosses, bruised and beat, Where the tents gleam out like snow, They may learn to pass them by. Ere they bear the book away. For the faces that are gone. When the twilight veils the meadows, When the longest day is ended, And in promise of that morning, Earth will bloom in Heaven's adorning, Christian in the Arbour. UNYAN, in the "Pilgrim's Progress," speaks of Christian coming to an arbour, half-way up the hill Difficulty. He went in and, after a while, fell fast asleep. As he was sleeping there came one to him who awaked him, saying, "Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise." With that, Christian suddenly started up, and sped him on his way, and went apace till he came to the top of the hill. Soon after he found, to his great grief, that he had lost his roll in the arbour; that is, that owing to indulging in ease, and indolence, he had lost the sense of the smile and favour of God. Certain it is, that our resting days are Satan's busy days. Earth is not the place for rest, our rest is in Heaven. It was while men slept that the enemy sowed the tares. In plain terms, we cannot be remiss or negligent without suffering harm and loss. Let us give all diligence to make our calling and election sure. Our prayer should ever be : This slumber from my soul, O shake! pray But walk in all thy righteous ways. T. B. |