THE FOOLISH VIRGINS.

I

N certain parts of the East it is the custom for a man when he is married to bring home his bride at night, and for his relatives and friends to go out with lamps and torches and music to meet him. Ten young women had been invited to meet the bridegroom with their lamps burning and to sit down with him. at the wedding feast. Five of them were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones took a supply of oil in case their lamps should burn out before the bridegroom arrived; the foolish five took no oil but what was in their lamps. But before the bridegroom came they all fell asleep.

At midnight there was a cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." But five lamps had almost burnt out, and the foolish virgins said unto the wise, "Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out." But the wise ones answered, "Not so; lest there be not enough for us and for you. Go ye, rather, to them that sell, and buy for yourselves." And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage-feast, and the door was shut. Afterwards, came also the other virgins, saying, "Lord, Lord, open the door to us. But he answered and said, "Verily I say unto you, you not," and would not open the door to them.

I know

In this parable the bridegroom means Jesus returning to earth, on the Day of Judgment. The ten virgins are the people of this world, some of whom have their hearts full of the love of God and keep their lamps burning with a steady and bright light; that is, they fulfil God's commandments and obey the teachings of Christ. The others have not this love in their hearts, and are not prepared for Christ's coming. Their lamps give out a feeble light and soon will go out.

RACHEL AND JACOB.

HE picture shows an Eastern woman drawing water from the well and pouring it into a stone trough, that the sheep of her flock may drink. It must have been some such scene that we read

of when Jacob first met his cousin Rachel.

Jacob had fled from the anger of his brother Esau, whom he had greatly wronged, and who had threatened to kill Jacob. His mother had advised him to flee to the land of Laban, her brother, and to stay there until Esau's anger had passed. As he journeyed he beheld a well in a field, and near it were three flocks of sheep. Speaking to the shepherds, he asked if they knew Laban, the son of Nahor. And they said, "Yes, we know him. He is well, and behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with his sheep." But as it was only the middle of the day, Jacob said, "It is not yet time to gather the flocks together. Give the sheep water and food."

Then Rachel came up with her father's sheep, and Jacob went near and rolled the stone away from the well's mouth and drew water for them. Then he kissed his cousin Rachel and wept, and told her who he was. Rachel ran

and told her father, who hastened out to meet Jacob, and embraced him and brought him to his house. When Jacob had stayed there a month, his uncle asked him what wages he should give him, for he had kept Laban's flocks for him.

Now Jacob loved his cousin Rachel and wished to have her for his wife, so he told Laban that he would work for seven years without wages if at the end of that time he would let Rachel become his wife. And Laban agreed; but when the seven years had gone by he deceived Jacob, and would not give him Rachel unless he agreed to work for him for another seven years. And Jacob assented, and obtained his wife.

THE WOMAN OF CANAAN.

ESUS came unto the borders of Tyre and Sidon, where the people were not Jews but Gentiles. And there came out to Him a woman of Canaan,

who cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." She besought Him to cast out this evil spirit from her daughter. But He answered not a word, and His disciples counselled Him to send her away. Then He told her He was not sent unto the Gentiles, but unto the lost sheep of Israel; meaning the Jews. This was said to try her faith. Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me." But He said, But He said, "It is not meet to take the children's food and to cast it to dogs;" meaning that His help was due rather to the Jews than unto the Gentiles. And she said, "Truth, Lord, yet the dogs sometimes eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table; meaning that, though she was a Gentile, she believed in Him as the Son of God.

Then Jesus answered, and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou desirest. Go thy way; the devil has gone out of thy daughter." And when she was come to her house she found her daughter made whole and laid upon the bed.