but to watch and pray so as to make our calling and election sure; and not to despise those that are less favoured than ourselves, but if we can to help them in the way to salvation, or, at all events, to pray for them.

Miss M. I will read you a beautiful hymn on the influence for good which the poorest and weakest among us may have upon our fellow-creatures. First read me the fourth chapter of Judges, so as to be able better to understand it. (Mary reads.)

Miss M. Now the hymn which I am going to read to you refers to the chapter you have just read.

"Forth look'd the mother from her lattice high,
To Judah's valleys turn'd her proud dark eye.
Why do his chariot wheels delay so long?
Why tarries thus the valiant and the strong?

Have they not sped? have they not won the day?
To every man hath been a glorious prey,
The gorgeous work by Syrian maidens plann'd,
And fair young slaves, the brightest in the land.'

Sure he will deck his loved ones with the spoil!
In vain she looketh toward that favour'd soil;
With shout and song in peace returning home
He cometh not, nor e'er again shall come.

Far, far away, within the Kenite's tent,
His brow is pierced, his stately head is bent;
Where Kishon's ancient waters hurry by,
On Taanach's plains his trampled warriors lie;
For Israel's God hath led the glorious fight,
Abinoam's son hath conquer'd in his might;
And she who sat by Bethel's judgment-tree
Has risen to chant the song of victory.

One woman dwelling in her tent alone

In the Lord's name hath slain the mighty one.

She heard the cry of battle on the blast,
She stay'd the flying chieftain as he past.

Then say not here on earth are feeble things
Too weak and mean to serve the King of kings;'
The shallow stream scarce noticed in its course
Feeds the broad lake, and swells the torrent's force.

Prayers of the poor and lowly, heard above,
Hang like a charm around the Church we love;
And sighs prevail, and simple words have power
More than we think when foes like tempests lour.

The lowliest child, that holy Church within,
Hath his own work to do, his fight to win.
To watch, to pray, to keep his own young heart,
God giveth strength for each appointed part."

(Verses for the Holy Seasons.)

Miss M. Here are some more verses on the same subject:

"Go thou and love thy neighbour too,

On this our earth are more that live;
But they may work another's good,
Though small their power to give.

With loving heart, with soothing tone,,
That raise the heart by sorrow riven;
With cheering word, and helping hand,
Unask'd, but freely given.

Nor say thou canst not reach to some
Too great, too high, too far away:
One Lord is for the rich and poor,
And, Christian, thou canst pray.

In little drops the night-dews fall,
They nurse tall tree and lovely flower;
And lowly deeds bear precious fruit,
And simple prayers have power."

(Verses for the Holy Seasons.)

Miss M. Let me see, if you understood the first hymn that I read to you. Who is supposed to speak the words with which these lines commence ?

Ellen. Deborah.

Miss M. Who was Sisera ?

Charlotte. The captain of the host of Jabin.
Miss M. Who judged Israel at that time?
Mary. Deborah.

Miss M. What was the fate of Sisera ?

Kate. He was killed in the tent by Jael.
Miss M. What do we learn from this?

Susan. That God makes use of the weakest instruments to accomplish His purposes; and none is too low or too feeble to serve Him in His appointed way. Miss M. How can Christians always help the Church and each other?

Charlotte. By their prayers.

CHAPTER II.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.

Matt. xiii. 3—9. 18-23. Mark iv. 3-9. 14-20. Luke viii. 5-8. 11-15.

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'BEHOLD, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way-side, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked

them. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear... Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which receiveth seed by the way-side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matt.

:

Miss Morton. What is the subject of this parable?
Jane. A sower sowing his seed.

Miss M. You have all of you seen seed sown?
Children. Yes.

Miss M. How is it done ?-does the sower take every little grain of wheat, and place it carefully in the ground?

Mary. No; he scatters it about the field.

Miss M. Can he then see that every seed falls in exactly the best place?

Charlotte. No; that would be impossible.

Miss M. Just so; thus it was with this sower: he

sowed his seed, and it fell on different kinds of ground. Mention the different sorts of ground on which it fell. Jane. Some on stony ground.

Mary. Some among thorns.

Charlotte. Some by the way-side, and some on good ground.

Miss M. What happened to that which fell on stony ground?

Mary. It sprung up directly, because it had no deepness of earth; but when the sun was up, it was scorched, and the corn withered, because it had no root.

Miss M. What became of that which fell among thorns?

Jane. The thorns sprung up and choked it.

Miss M. What became of that which fell by the way-side?

Mary. It was trodden down, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Miss M. Can little Anna tell me what the fowls of the air are?

Anna. The birds.

Miss M. Quite right; now Ellen tell me what happened to that which fell upon good ground.

Ellen. It brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold.

Miss M. After this parable, our Lord says, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Can you give me some other instances of His making use of this expression ?

Ellen. In Matt. xi. 15, after He has told them that John the Baptist was the expected Elias.

Jane. And also in the same chapter from which our