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able and decisive moment; and, in fact, the instant the float disappeared, the elephant struck with all the expertness of an adept in the art, and landed his prey, which proved to be one of those splendid gold fish of the Ganges, which are so toothsome, but which, as a rule, as with all the fish from these rivers, one has to keep an hour or two in pure water, in order that they may clean themselves before they are cooked. The numerous

dead bodies which the Hindoos throw into the river during the night prevent many from eating fish directly they are caught.

"When Soupramany saw his successful capture, he gave forth repeatedly those cries of joy which resemble trumpet blasts, and waited until the major's eldest son came along to take the fish off the hook and put a fresh bait on. This youth, James by name, was a little rascal, full of mischief, who delighted in teasing his big comrade. After removing the fish from the hook, and placing it in the basket, he quietly returned to his place, without troubling himself about baiting Soupra many's hook. This trick did not escape the elephant, who was not going to fish without a bait, and he endeavoured to draw James' attention to the matter by his cries, which he tried to make as quiet as possible. But, in spite of every effort on his part to give a gentle tone to his voice, his cries for help were nevertheless so loud as to drive all the birds in the trees around away in alarm. The boy held his sides from laughing, but did not move in the least. Soupramany now lost patience, walked up to the child, and tried gently with his trunk to push the boy to the side where the bait-box was. When he saw that all his endeavours were fruitless, he turned round suddenly, struck with an idea, took the bait-box containing the worms and insects, and placed it at the major's feet. 'What do you want, my old Soupramany?' The animal began stamping on the ground with his feet, and giving forth again his melodious notes. I was curious to see

what turn matters would take, and pretended to run off with the bait-box. The consequences were not long in appearing. The enraged elephant placed his trunk in the river, and, to the great amusement of all present, squirted on me such a quantity of water that I felt as if a fire engine hose was playing on me. The major gave the elephant a sign to stop, and, in order to make my peace with the animal, I put his bait on myself. The elephant jumped for joy like a child, and, without giving himself time to thank me, rushed off with cries of joy to the river, in order to take his place on the bank and commence fishing again."-Selected.

"GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD."

A BEGGAR boy stood at the rich man's door

"I'm houseless and friendless, and faint and poor,"

Said the beggar-boy, as the tear drop rolled

Down his thin cheek, blanched with want and cold.

Oh, give me a crust from your board to-day,

To help the beggar-boy on his way!" "Not a crust, not a crust," the rich man said;

"Be off, and work for your daily bread!"

The rich man went to the parish church, His face grew grave as he trod the porch, And the thronging poor, and untaught

mass,

Drew back to let the rich man pass.

The service began, the choral hymn Arose and swelled through the long aisles

dim ;

Then the rich man knelt, and the words he said

Were, "Give us this day our daily bread!” --Exchange.

LITTLE FISH MARY.

LITTLE FISH

NOT one of the meetings held at a

MARY.

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The lady continued, "Little Mary A large farmhouse, by the Home brings me every week'sixpence for the

Missionary Society of Ireland,

a very sweet and comforting sense of the Lord's presence was felt by the greater part of those who filled the large room. The minister who led the devotional service was particularly struck by the appearance of a little girl there present. She was poorly clad, the tears were rolling down her cheeks, but her countenance was lighted up with an expression of great joy.

After the service was over, the minister went up to the little girl, who was then standing in the hall, and spoke kindly and encouragingly to her. He asked her

the reason of her tears, and she said, Oh, they were not tears of sorrow, but I was so glad Jesus Christ is my Friend." Being asked her name, she said it was "Little Fish Mary."

Some further conversation much interested the minister, and he spoke of the little girl to his hostess, remarking that he thought her name a very singular one. She replied that her name was not Fish, but she was so distinguished by such additional cognomen on account of her going down to the boats to buy fish, and then carrying it about for sale. The lady further spoke of little Mary and the circumstances of her conversion as very interesting.

Some time before, when one of the home missionaries was preaching in the open air, little Mary, coming by with her basket of fish, heard some of the words, and stood to listen. She stood there until the meeting was over, and all the people were dispersed; and, some time after, this lady saw her down at the bottom of a ditch, and weeping much. She inquired what distressed the little girl, and was answered, "Oh, I want to know how I may come to Jesus!" Conversation and instruction were blessed to her, and she was manifested as one of Jesus' precious lambs.

missionary cause. When she first brought it, I made some inquiries about the money. She said, Every girl, when she goes to the boats to buy fish, gives the men a penny for them to buy whiskey, that they may drink while counting the fish; but, after the Lord Jesus became my Friend, I could not find it in my heart to give them the money to buy whiskey; but the money is not mine, so I have saved it, and brought it to you. It is just sixpence a week, and I want you to take it, so that some other little girls may learn about Jesus Christ as their Friend;' meaning, though she had not language to express herself, that the money should be given to the missionary cause."

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No

One cannot but admire the childlike but happy phraseology of this dear little girl, The Lord Jesus Christ is my Friend." It shows us in what a tender and endearing relation He manifests Himself to His own. He is the true Friend, whom we all need to know. Would that none could rest satisfied without finding in their own happy experience," The Lord Jesus Christ is become my Friend." less may we admire the effect of "the grace of God which bringeth salvation," in its evidencing principles and practice, so much superior to our selfish original nature, so that the depth of poverty is made to abound in the riches of liberality. Little Fish Mary, overflowing with thankful love to the Saviour, manifests it in actions of love towards others, and contributes sixpence a week that other little girls may, through God's blessing, be made with her " partakers of the benefit." Gospel Magazine.

A CHINESE maxim says that "the pleasure of doing good is the only one that never wears out."

A

FEMALE PRODIGY.

NNE Maria Schurman was the boast not only of Germany, but also of the Low Countries, since she was born at Cologne, and her parents were natives of the Netherlands. More universal talents than this lady possessed have perhaps never been known in either sex, and the sciences and the arts acknowledged the dominion of her genius with emulative obedience. At the age of six years, and without instruction, she cut in paper the most delicate figures ; at eight she learned in a few days to paint flowers, which were highly esteemed; and at the age of ten it only cost her three hours' application to learn the art of embroidering with elegance. But her talents for higher attainments did not develop themselves till her twelfth year, when they were discovered on the following occasion. Her brothers were studying in the apartment where she sat, and it was observed that, whenever their memories failed in the recital of their lessons, the little girl would prompt them without any previous knowledge of their tasks, except that which she had gained from hearing the boys con them over. This incident, together with the other proofs she had given of her extraordinary facility, determined her father to consult the bent of her inclination in the studies she should follow; and from that time, with the velocity of aerial flight, she traversed the vast regions of sacred and profane learn. ing, and at last arrived at the possession of all human sciences, together with a profound knowledge of divinity and of the Holy Scriptures. She perfectly understood the German, Low-Dutch, English, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldean, Arabic, and Ethiopian languages, and was also endued with poetic fire, and produced some fine composition in verse. Her knowledge of the liberal arts gained her equal applause with the sciences and languages. She understood

music scientifically, and played on several instruments with great skill; and she excelled in painting, sculpture, and modelling. It is said that, having executed her own portrait in wax, by the help of a mirror, some pearls, which served to adorn the image, stood out so naturally that no one would believe they were wax till they made the experiment of piercing them with a needle.

Her letters were not only valuable for the elegance of their style, but also for the beauty of their characters, which were judged to be inimitable-so much so, that every stroke of her pen was sought after as a cabinet curiosity. All the great men who were contemporary with her solicited her correspondence; and the illustrious Queen of Poland, Louisa Maria Gonzaga, in a journey to that kingdom, deigned to visit Maria Schurman in her own house. She died 1678, in her seventy-first year.

SILK-WORMS INTRODUCED INTO EUROPE.

N the time of Rome's meridian glory, silk was an article of most expensive luxury, being equal in value to its weight in gold. Immense sums were annually sent into the most distant parts of the world for the purchase of a foreign manufacture which employed no citizen or tributary subject, and a great part of the profits of this commerce fell into the hands of the Persians. Justinian, the emperor, had long desired to turn this lucrative commerce into a Roman channel, but insuperable obstacles prevented the execution of his design. Those difficulties, however, which all the policy of the emperor could not

FIRST THINGS.

remove, were surmounted by the enterprising sagacity of two Persian monks, who, in the quality of missionaries, had long resided in China. Amidst their religious occupations they had viewed with an investigating eye the manufactories of silk in that country, the myriads of silkworms, and the mode of their treatment. They discovered that the importation of so delicate and so short-lived an insect from so great a distance was impractic able, but they imagined that in eggs a numerous progeny might be preserved and propagated. Knowing how agreeable the undertaking would be to the imperial court of Constantinople, they arrived after a long journey at that metropolis of the Roman empire, and, having imparted their project to the emperor, were, by the liberality of his gifts and the splendour of his promises, encouraged to carry it into execution. The two monks having travelled back to China, and by concealing the eggs of the silk-worm in a hollow cane, deceived a people ever jealous of its commerce, returned in triumph to Constantinople with the spoils of the East, having made a greater conquest than either Justinian or his celebrated general, Belisarius, had ever achieved. Under their direction, the eggs were hatched by an artificial heat. The worms were fed with mulberry leaves. They lived and laboured, and, by the use of proper means, the race was propagated and multiplied. Experience and reflection soon correct the errors incidental to a novel attempt; and, in a short time, the subjects of Justinian equalled the Chinese in the management of the insects and the manufacture of silk.

From Constantinople this valuable insect has been gradually introduced into all the southern parts of Europe; and the material produced by it is now manufactured in almost every country in this quarter of the globe. Thus, in consequence of a singular circumstance in the history of commerce, of which the epoch is assigned to A.D. 552, modern Europe enjoys at an easy expense one of the most costly

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luxuries of the ancients, which was formerly peculiar to China, and sold at an enormous price.-Bigland's "Letters on History."

FIRST THINGS.

1. KEEP a list of your friends, and let God be the first in the list, however long it may be.

2. Keep a list of the gifts you get, and let Christ, who is the "unspeakable gift," be first.

3. Keep a list of your mercies, and let pardon and life stand at the head.

4. Keep a list of your joys, and let the "joy unspeakable and full of glory" be first.

5. Keep a list of your hopes, and let the hope of glory be foremost.

6. Keep a list of your sorrows, and let sorrow for sin be first.

7. Keep a list of your enemies, however many there may be. Put down the "old man" and the "old serpent" first.

8. Keep a list of your sins, and let the sin of unbelief be as the first and worst of all.-Home Words.

TWO KINDS OF GIRLS. THERE are two kinds of girls; one is the kind that appears best abroad, the girls that are good for parties, rides, visits, balls, &c., and whose chief delight is in all such things. The other is the kind which appears best at home, the girls that are useful and cheerful in the dining. room, the sick-room, and all the precincts of home. They differ widely in character. One is frequently a torment at home; the other is a blessing. One is a moth, consuming everythiug about her; the other is a sunbeam, inspiring life and gladness all along the pathway.

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2 S

And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

3 M

T

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works,
Thy Word is truth

Food and medicine, shield and sword:
Let the world account me poor,

2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.

instruction in righteousness:

John xvii. 17.

Christ and this, I need no more.-Newton.

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Whom resist stedfast in the faith

Because many false prophets are gone out into the world 1 John iv. 1.
The devil is a liar, and the father of it

20 Th Put on the whole armour of God

21 F And take the helmet of salvation,

John viii. 44.

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26 W

To the law and to the testimony

28 F

29 S

Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, &o..

30 S

Prove all things;

31 M

Hold fast that which is good.

27 Th If they speak not according to this Word......there is no Search the Scriptures

Ephesians vi. 11.

Ephesians vi. 17.

Luke iv. 4.
Matthew iv. 11.
Colossians i. 5.
Isaiah viii. 20.
light in them.

John v. 39.
2 Timothy iii. 15.

1 Thess, v. 21.

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