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The Months and Remarkable Days.

BY THE REV. W. L. ROBERTS, HOLMFIRTH.

III. MARCH.

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HIS month, like many others, derives its name from an old heathen deity-MARS, the god of War. This month is an interesting one, because it is the spring month, the fields and the gardens shew signs of life, dark evenings give place to light ones, and towards the end of the

month warm days begin to be somewhat more common than for sometime past.

The 21st of March is called the Spring Equinox: then the days and nights are of equal length all over the world. The variations in the length of day and night are produced by the peculiar motion of the earth round the sun and on its own axis. About the time of the equinoxes both in March and September, there are commonly strong winds, called equinoctial gales; and those readers of the Hive who live by the sea coast, or near the large rivers, will also find high tides, which are called equinoctial tides. When the equinox is passed we have entered upon the season of Spring.

The days in this month most worthy of notice are Lady Day, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Lady Day is always on the 25th of March. It is also called the Feast of the Annunciation, and is intended to commemorate the visit of the Angel to the Virgin Mary, to announce to her the fact that she should be the mother of Jesus. An account of this visit will be found in the Ist chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, 26th to the 38th verses. is an old Romish festival which is retained in the list of festivals of the Church of England, but is hardly ever recognised in a religious manner. Many of the people of this country understand Lady Day better as a time for chang

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ing houses, leaving situations, paying rent, and such like

events.

The other three days that we have named are called moveable feasts, that is, they are not always observed at the same time. They are frequently later, but very seldom earlier than this year. They are all connected with each other. Easter Sunday governs them all. This day is appointed for the commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The way Easter is fixed is this. Take the 21st of March to start from, and find the first full moon which occurs on or after that day; then the first Sunday which comes after that full moon, is Easter Sunday. This year the full moon is on Monday, the 25th, and the first Sunday after this is the 31st, or the last day in March. Last year the full moon after March 21st, was on the 5th of April, and Easter Sunday was on the 9th of April.

Palm Sunday is always the Sunday before Easter; it is intended to commemorate the triumphant entry of our Blessed Lord into Jerusalem, as recorded in Matthew 21st. verses i-xi., when the people spread branches of palm trees on the way and cried, saying,—“ Hosanna to the Son of David, &c." In olden times palms were gathered and taken to Church on this day; some of them were burnt, and the ashes preserved until the following Shrovetide (nearly twelve months); and these were the ashes that were strewed on the heads of the people or Ash Wednesday, as described in last month's Hive. The whole of the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, was formerly observed as a week of prayer and fasting, and was called Passion Week. Passion in that case means suffering, and refers to the sufferings of Christ prior to his Crucifixion.

Good Friday is the Friday between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, and on that day we bear in mind the death of the Saviour. The Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ are important events in the history of the world, and they deserve a fitting remembrance; but while these days

have been fixed upon as the anniversaries of those two events, and are generally recognised as holidays, they are, by the great bulk of the people, spent in pleasures which have no connection with the events themselves. On Good Friday many people eat Hot Cross Buns for breakfast. Probably most of the readers of the Hive know something of these cakes and can enjoy them. They are relics of olden times, and it is not known when the custom arose. Fish is also eaten for dinner by many people who are not Catholics, in accordance with Romish customs.

At Easter, bonfires used to be kindled; these afterwards passed away and large candles were burnt in Churches during the night preceding Easter Sunday. Another custom of boiling and dyeing eggs, called Easter Eggs, prevails in many parts of the country. It is also probable that many of the boys and girls who read the Hive, will be having new jackets, caps, dresses, and bonnets for Easter Sunday; to these we would address the words of Him who " rose again for our justification,"-Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these, Matt. vi. 28, 29.

"A person converted in youth, is like the sun rising on a summer's morning to shine through the long bright day." -A. J. James.

The Two Mites.

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called

unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into thetreasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."-MARK Xii. 41, 44.

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AM glad this poor woman came in just as she did. I am glad she did not stop, look at her mites, and say, "There is no use in my giving only these." I am glad she did not look at her little family, and say, "I must not rob my children." I am glad she did not look at her rich neighbours, and say, "They will not expect me to give." Because, if she had, St. Mark could not have told us how the Lord loves little. does not love stingy littles, or careless littles, or grudging littles. If we give Him such littles, we cannot expect his favour or approval, " for God loves a cheerful giver." This poor woman gave him her little all; and it was the "all" that pleased the Lord, whether little or much, because God loves to be trusted, not half vay, but wholly.

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Did you ever hear of the poor woman who gave her teakettle? Perhaps not, Well, she did. She was poor and old, and lived with her son, who never gave her a farthing. She had not much comfort in anybody but God; he comforted her; and she took great delight in praising him and praying. She was never tired of saying, "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." And it pleased her to hear the minister tell about preaching Christ to the heathen, and getting the little black children

into Jesus' fold; and she wished she could do something The minister asked her one day if she had not her widow's mite to give. "Come in two weeks," said she, "and

see."

Well, she thought and thought where she could get it, and quite likely wondered how the poor widow in the Bible got hers. She was past earning it, and besides, she lived on the edge of the pine woods, where money was scarce. One night as she lay praying and thinking, she thought of an old brass tea-kettle there was up in the garret, under the eaves of the house, and the next morning she found it among the dust and rubbish of years. tea kettle. She took it under her shawl to smith's shop, and there sold it for-how much do you think? Two shillings! When the minister came back she put them into the Lord's Treasury, and how happy and thankful she was. It was one of those "little alls "

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Then you know how the "two mites" gained, according to God's arithmetic. This poor widow," said Jesus, "cast in more than they all;" for " two mites added to love, and multiplied by faith, and that multiplied again and again by prayer, will run up very fast; I expect, faster than we can count, or see to count. Nor can we see the answer; but God can. It is in a rich revenue of blessing-a treasure laid up on high.

Is it not comforting, children, to think God will take our "little alls?" What are you going to do with your two mites? Do not spend them foolishly; do not spend them carelessly. I will tell you what to do. Put, "For Christ's sake" on them, and cast them into God's treasury. Let him use them for carrying on his great and blessed kingdom, and you will never be sorry for that--never, never.— Family Treasury.

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