the yielding snow upon the animal's skull, and so kills it on the instant.

It is sad to say that these Esquimaux have no religion-they have some superstitions about witches and sorcerers, about good and evil spirits, and about a good and bad place hereafter. Missionaries have gone amongst them almost in vain, for they do not give any heed to the teachings of the Christian faith, which might cheer and comfort them in their hard and dreary lot.

It is said that the late beloved Prince Consort caused a marble statue to be carved for one of the staircases at Windsor Castle. The figure represented Edward VI. with an open Bible in one hand and the sceptre in the other, pointing to the text, 2 Kings, xxii. chap., 1st and 2nd verses, “ Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.” The Prince, by this statue of a religious king of England, who died in early youth, sought to keep before the eye of the young Prince of Wales two bright examples in regal life.

THE tear down childhood's cheek that flows
Is like the dew-drop on the rose;
When next the summer breeze comes by
And waves the bush, the flower is dry.

Sir Walter Scott.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.— I remember, on one occasion, travelling in this country with a companion who possessed some knowledge of medicine; we had arrived at a door, near which we were about to pitch our tents, when a crowd of Arabs surrounded us, cursing and swearing at the “rebellers against God.” My friend, who spoke a little Arabic, turning round to an elderly person whose garb showed him to be a priest, and said, “ Who taught you that we are disbelievers ? Hear my daily prayer, and judge for yourselves." He then repeated the Lord's Prayer. All stood amazed and silent, till the priest exclaimed, "May God curse me if ever I curse again those who hold such belief! Nay, more, that prayer shall be my prayer till my hour be come. I pray thee, O Nazarene, repeat the prayer, that it may be remembered, and written among us in letters of gold.” — Hay's Western Barbary.

A LIVING FAITH.-In a public school in New York a short time since, on an alarm of fire, a terrible panic ensued, and many of the scholars were injured by rushing to the doors, and one of the teachers, a young lady, jumped from a window. Among the hundreds of children with whom the building was crowded there was one girl, among the best in the school, who, through all the frightful scene, was quiet and calm. The colour, indeed, forsook her cheek, her lip quivered, the tears stood in her eyes, but she moved not. After order had been restored, and all her companions had been brought back to their places, she was asked how she came to sit so still when every body else was in such fear. “My father," said she, “is a fireman, and he told me if there was an alarm of fire in the school I must just sit still."

MOTHER in different languages has a somewhat similar sound. In Saxon it is medder; in Latin, mater; in German, mutter or muder; in Spanish and Italian, madre; in Danish, moder , in Dutch, moeder; in Persian, mader; in Sanscrit, matree.

EN

KlNG ALFRED AND THE PSALMS.

NEARLY one thousand years ago Alfred was King of England. He is often called Alfred the Great ; and he has a good claim to the name: for he was great in war, so that he is said to have fought fifty-six battles by sea and land, chiefly against the Danes. He was great in wisdom, for he governed so wisely, that robbery was unheard of, and it was said that goods might be safely left even on the highroad. He was great in learning. In his time it was said that there was hardly a man from the Thames to the Humber who understood Latin ; but Alfred knew it well, and turned many books from Latin into the Saxon tongue, that his people might read them. He also endowed schools in different parts of his kingdom, and founded the University of Oxford. But, best of all, King Alfred was great in goodness. He divided the twenty-four hours into three equal parts: one he devoted to the service of God, another to public affairs, and a third to rest and refreshment. He often entered the churches secretly in the night for prayer. Like all good men in all ages, he loved the Word of God. He found time not only to read the Bible, but to copy out for himself all the Psalms of David, and always carried the book in his bosom. He was most anxious that his people should have the benefit of these Divine words, so he began to translate the Psalms of King David into AngloSaxon, but he did not live to finish this good and holy work.

“MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS FOR YOUR FEET.”

YOUNG woman who wished to serve God always, but who every now and then was absent from church, or neglected her prayers, or said or did what was not becoming her Christian character, went to ask her clergyman to help her to overcome her weakness. The clergyman, who had known her almost all her life, asked her how it was that, this last time, she came to forgether duty and yield to temptation. She told him that she had gone last Sunday to spend a few hours with some cousins who were not at all godly |...}. and that they had laughed at her for being so strict, and had sneered at religious folk, and said they were no better than their neighbours, though they gave themselves such airs—and she had been so weak as to join in their jests—and then she had been

afraid that they would laugh at her if

she left them to go to her usual place in church ; so she stayed and spent the whole Sunday in foolish talking, though all the time she felt an ache in her heart, and could not forget that she was doing wrong. “Well, Mary,” said the clergyman, “I see how it is ; it is just this,”—and he took up a ruler that lay on the table beside him, “you are making a track like this;” and he drew a crooked waving line along the floor. “You allow yourself to be led first to one side, and then to the other, by your neighbours and companions. You are so rash as to go and sit in the seat of the scorners, and to enter their houses on the Lord's own day, and thus you are led astray, and you lose all comfort in your religion. ow, Mary, believe me, this crooked track will only end in terrible misery that can never be mended or ended, therefore take my advice, and begin at once to do this;"—and he drew a straight, steady line along the floor with the ruler; “choose your

THERE is a game which some foolish boys seem to think capital fun, they run across the road just in front of a carriage, and see how near they can get to danger without being hurt. They are not as wise as the Irish coachman, who got his first place in this way. A gentleman had two beautiful horses, and he wished a careful man to drive them: as he paid good wages, there were many men who were eager for the place. He fixed an hour when they were all to come to his house, that he might choose the best. When the first man went upstairs to see him the his ter said to him, “Now, my man, how near the edge of a precipice would you undertake to drive my carriage?” The man thought a minute, and then he answered,—

“Within a foot, plaze your honour, and no harm.” “Very well,” says the master: “go down stairs, and I'll give you your answer by-and-bye.” The next man came up and was asked the same question, and he said he could drive safely within half a foot. The next thought he could go within five inches, and another said he would undertake to go within three inches and a half. There was only one more; and when he came up, and was asked how near the precipice he would drive, he answered, “Plaze your honour, I'd kape as far off as I could.” “You’re my coachman,” said the master. And so the man who did not run into danger, but kept as far from it as he could, got the place. Boys, if they are wise, will keep as much out of harm's way as they can, and not amuse themselves by seeing how near they can get to it without being hurt. Tom Trotter's mother had often told him not to run across the road in front of carriages and carts; but Tom thought there was no danger, for he had quick eyes and nimble legs; and so when the other boys ran across he did the sanne. One day he was coming home from school, and he ran across the road in front of a spring cart that was coming along at a swinging trot, and his foot slipped over a loose stone, and down he fell. The man in the cart tried his best to pull up, but it was too late, the horse could not check itself soon enough. You would have thought that Tom must have been killed, but God took care of him ; the horse's hoofs did not strike him, though one came so near that it grazed his leg, but the wheel of the cart went over his arm, crushed it sadly, and broke the bone; and for many days Tom lay in bed, and for many weeks he could not use his arm. How often in those days and weeks he