Christian in the Slough of Despoud. OHN BUNYAN tell us in the Pilgrim's Progress that Christian, hastening from the City of Destruction, fell into the Slough of Despond. Here he was in so sad a plight that he was tempted to turn back, but being afraid that he would perish, he struggled hard to get through. When at the greatest extremity, a man whose name was HELP, came up, gave him his hand, drew him out, set him upon solid ground and told him to go on his way."

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If any of our young readers should ever feel the burden of their sins to be so heavy, that they begin to doubt of

God's mercy and of the saving merits of Christ, so as almost to despair of salvation, let them earnestly call on the name of the Lord, and He will send them HELP and deliverance. Then shall they be enabled to say with the Psalmist,- -"He brought me out of a horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Psalm xl. 2. T. B.

In Honour Preferring One Another."

OIS VANDERBERG, with her shawl over her head, had been standing at the gate more than half an hour, in the chill evening air, looking vainly for her little brother Pierre, when suddenly the boy appeared through the thick mist as if he had risen out of the earth.

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Ah, here you are," cried Lois. "How slowly you must have walked !

Father has been waiting an hour for his paper. But come now, We've got a splendid roaring fire for this dreary night, and we're going to have hot cakes for tea!"

But to this cheery intelligence little Pierre only responded,-" I'm sure I don't care if we are," in such a dismal tone, that, as they entered the bright fire-lighted kitchen, Lois turned upon him a look of great anxiety.

"I'm afraid you're sick, Pierre," said she, seeing very clearly that something had gone wrong.

"No; don't trouble me; I'm only tired."

Nevertheless, Lois noticed that when he had hung away

his damp coat and tippet, he seated himself by the window as far as possible from the bright, cheerful fire, and hid his head behind the curtain.

"Now, Pierre," she whispered, following him, "you must tell me what has happened.”

"Don't ask me, sister," said Pierre, melting a little. "I'm ashamed to tell."

But Lois persisted, and she had such kind,“ taking ways" that as Pierre would have told you, she never let down her little bucket of sympathy into Pierre's heart without drawing up nearly all his troubles.

“Well, Lois,” said he slowly, "in the first place, you know how anxious father has been that I should be head boy at school this year, and you know how I've studied early and late, and haven't missed a single lesson!"

"Then you know that Herbert Bell is the only other boy who has been studying so hard, and I'm sure I can remember at least three times he has missed this quarter." "Yes, well?”

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'Well, 'to-day, Mr. Simmons asked me to stay a few minutes after school, and when the scholars were all gone, he said,-- I have been very much pleased with some of my scholars lately, and I've been thinking I should like to make the one who has the most good marks at the end of the quarter some reward for his industry and good behaviour. Now what should you think a boy, about your age, would like best for a present this winter?' O Lois, you can't think how my heart beat! I thought right away, 'I'm sure he means me,' and I'm afraid he thought so, for it seemed to burn right through my cheeks. But in a minute, I said, just as carelessly as I could, 'Why I should think, sir, a boy couldn't like anything better than a nice little sled, with iron shoes, and painted bright red,' for you know Lois, I've wanted one three winters, and father never could afford it, and now times are harder than ever. Well, he

smiled, and said he should think that would please a boy, and then he looked right in my face, and said, 'What do you think of Herbert Bell? Isn't he about as good a scholar as we have in the school?' I declare, Lois, if my cheeks burned before, I felt this time as if my whole head had tumbled off into the stove, and I was choking with the smoke besides. I couldn't speak for a moment, but just pretended I had a terrible cough, and by and by I just managed to say, “Yes, sir, I don't believe there's a better fellow in all the world.'

'That's all right,' said Mr. Simmons very kindly, and now I've one more favour to ask of you. As you and Herbert are such very good friends, your tastes must be something alike, and I should like some pleasant Saturday to take you with me to the city, to help me to pick out just the right kind of sled, for it is a good while since I was a boy, and I'm afraid I don't know so much about some things as I did then.'

I hardly remember what I said, sister, but pretty soon I was out on the road, thinking I knew just how that wicked old Haman felt, for you see I thought I was the boy Mr. Simmons delighted to honour, instead of that I must go to B—— and pick out a pretty sled for my Mordecai." Pierre's voice shook, and leaning his hand against the window, he stared out into the dark rainy night.

But, Pierre," said Lois, "I'm sure you're not at all like that bad Haman. You certainly don't hate your Mordecai."

"No indeed, sister; there's all the comfort there is in the matter."

"Not at all," cried Lois! "there's something more. I think it was a very great honour for Mr. Simmons to consult you about the present. It showed that he thought you had a noble, generous heart, and were above all feelings of envy and jealousy."

"I never thought of that," said Pierre, brightening;

"but then, sister," he added more sadly, "I'm pretty sure he saw what I was thinking about, and knew just how mean I was."

"Not so very mean after all," said Lois, smiling. "It was kind in you to praise Herbert-"

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"Why, sister?" interrupted Pierre, with a look of surprise. What else could I do? Didn't I have to tell the truth?"

“To be sure,” said Lois, smiling still more; "but I do not believe Mr. Simmons has such a very poor opinion of you. He knows very well how hard it is for a boy who has studied as you have, to stand aside, and let some one else take the first place. Ab, yes, little Pierre, we all have to struggle very hard and pray a great deal before we can very cheerfully in honour prefer one another.''

"But you can do it at last, sister?"

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Oh, yes; we can so far conquer our selfishness for Christ's sake, that at last we shall very much prefer other people's happiness to our own."

Pierre looked thoughtful, but was much comforted, and so far reconciled to life, that the call to supper and nice hot cakes was by no means disregarded.

One pleasant Saturday, a few weeks after, Pierre rushed in with a bright face.

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'Well, sister, it's done at last. I and Mr. Simmons have bought the sled, and it's a regular beauty. It's name is 'Rocket,' and it's the brightest red. Oh, won't Herbert's eyes snap! But now, sister, do you think it was wrong for me to wish for one too? There were plenty more beauties in the store, but they cost money," and little Pierre sighed. "Never mind," he continued bravely, "Herbert is just the best fellow,-and I really do think at last, that if only one of us could have it, I would rather it should be he, and I think I'll give him my little flag, too, so everything will be complete. And oh, sister, I almost forgot,―examina