Tell Me the Old, Old Story. 97 said, "Willingly, willingly, young man, if you are disposed to undertake it." So I took him upon my back; but as the water was quite deep, I had to use a great deal of caution and care; but at last I got him safely upon the opposite bank. When I put him down, he offered me a well-filled purse. I thanked him, and said I wished for nothing but the regular fee. As I spoke I looked towards him, and a halo of light seemed to surround his head, as he repeated these words: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto another, ye have done it unto me," and he was gone. 'How I got back and into bed again I have no recollection. In the morning, when I got up, my light was burning in the window as usual. The rain had ceased, and I looked out to view the devastation caused by the late storm, when, lo and behold! there stood the bridge, apparently as strong and defiant as ever. Then I knew my labour of love had been "all a dream." But, boys, it left an indelible impression upon my mind, and after that I was more inclined than ever to do good as I had opportunity. 'I hope you will profit by the secret I have told you. Try to do as you would be done by; it is a very easy rule to follow. If you are inclined to do wrong, just stop and think, Would I like to have another do so by me? That will decide it, and then you must do the right thing. 'Boys, I am an old man now; but let me tell you that I never found anything that would pay better than the practice of the Golden Rule.' TELL ME THE OLD, OLD STORY. TELL me the old, old story, Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, G 98 Tell Me the Old, Old Story. Tell me the story simply, Tell me the story slowly, Tell me the story often, Tell me the story softly, With earnest tones and grave; Remember I'm the sinner Whom Jesus came to save. Tell me the story always, In any time of trouble, Tell me the same old story Yes, and when that world's glory Shall dawn upon my soul, Tell me the old, old story, 'Christ Jesus makes thee whole!' THINK AGAIN. ICTORIA, our fair and good Queen, among many other noble qualities, has always been distinguished for her benevolence and humanity. It is related that during the first few days of her reign, and she was then a girl betweeen nineteen and twenty years of age, some sentences of a court-martial were presented for her signature. One was death for desertion-a soldier was condemned to be shot, and his death-warrant was presented to the Queen for her signature. She read it, paused, looked up to the officer who laid it before her, and said— 'Have you nothing to say in behalf of this man?' 'Nothing; he has deserted three times,' said the officer. 'Think again, my lord,' was her reply. 'And,' said the gallant veteran, as he related the circumstances to his friend (for it was none other than the Duke of Wellington), 'seeing her Majesty so earnest about it, I said, he is certainly a bad soldier, but there was somebody who spoke as to his good character; and may be a good man for aught I know to the contrary.' 'Oh, thank you a thousand times!' exclaimed the youthful Queen, and hastily writing Pardoned in large letters on the fatal page, she sent it across the table with a hand trembling with eagerness and beautiful emotion. he Now what a world of instruction, goodness, and true philosophy is contained in these two words, Think again! Could we adopt their spirit as the rule of our own lives, one and all, what a happy change would come over society! In all our business concerns, in our social and moral relations, our political and religious duties, what important results might follow, if on many, very many occasions, we would think again before we decided upon action!- Young People's Mirror. 100 Minnie Brand's Beacon. MINNIE BRAND'S BEACON. A TALE OF THE CORNISH COAST. BY MRS. GEORGE CUPPLES, AUTHOR OF MISS MATTY,' 'FOUND AFLOAT,' ETC. ETC. CHAPTER II. INNIE lay down in her little bed that night with a very pale face and a o sad heart; she could not sleep, and Hofor the first time in her life she started at the sound of her father's brvoice, when he at last returned a towards morning, and she covered her face up with the clothes, dreading lest he should come to look at her, as he often did, while she lay asleep. The wind had fallen through the night, but by noon of the ensuing day it rose again, at first in fitful gusts, but showing signs of increasing in fury. As Minnie came down from her little sleeping-place to the family fire, she wondered how she should hide from her father the consciousness of the secret her mother had entrusted to her; but she soon found that he was too busy with other matters to take much notice of her, as he went and came from the fagot-house to the beach, taking a hurried mouthful of breakfast between times. He did not speak but when he couldn't help it, and then only a syllable or two in a constrained voice, as if his thoughts were far away. When the day closed, the wind had risen to twice the violence of the previous night, with a steadier and more relentless force; and again Roger Brand went down to the shore, and Minnie and her mother were left to exchange looks together, while they once more sat by the fire to watch and wait for his Minnie Brand's Beacon. ΙΟΙ coming. While they were sitting, Minnie with her head as usual laid on her mother's knee, the latch was lifted, and the door flew open by the force of the wind, showing poor Jacky Bell standing dripping wet outside. Mrs. Brand at once rose and brought him in, and reclosed the door with some difficulty, taking off his jacket to dry, while Minnie hastened to get an additional log to lay on the fire, very glad of this unexpected addition to their little circle. 'Little Siss,' said Jacky, after he had sat and laughed in his own peculiar way, and rubbed and clapped his hands in his delight at being there, 'Jacky's ship's come; a great big un, I seed it out there i' the offing this arter noon, and I'll be a going off, ha! ha! Little Siss, ha! ha!' 'A ship, Jacky!' said Mrs. Brand, looking scared and haggard. Few large ships ever pass this way. What does the boy mean?' though she was quite aware of the boy's strange notion about the ship coming for him. I seed it out there,' said Jacky, pointing with his finger towards the west, 'just off the Earl's Cliff, and Jacky's been on the rocks watching for it, till the dark come, and him see it no more. But Jacky knows who sees it,' and he drew his stool closer, and peered over his shoulder in a frightened way. The bogarts! They're down at the cave; I seed their fire, and I ran away to Little Siss. No bogarts come near Little Siss! no, no-ha! ha!' If poor Jacky had been possessed of the ordinary sort of intelligence, he might well have been astonished at the effect of his words. Mrs. Brand started up as if to rush to the door, then turned a glance of strange meaning on her little daughter, while she began to pace the floor with restless steps. 'Oh Roger! Roger!' she moaned, as if to herself, while at intervals she wrung her hands together, 'I had a feeling it might come to this.' At the sight of her mother's grief Minnie choked back the tears that were blinding her eyes, urging her, with affectionate caresses, not to cry. |