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THE WEAVER.

Poetry.

A WEAVER sat by the side of his loom, A flinging the shuttle fast;

And a thread that would wear till the hour of doom,

Was added at every cast.

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And the weaver fain would have flung it aside,

But he knew it would be a sin; So in light and in gloom the shuttle he plied,

A weaving these life-cords in.

And as he wove, and, weeping, still

wove,

A tempter stole him nigh; And with glozing words he to win him strove,

But the weaver turn'd his eye.

He upward turn'd his eye to Heaven,
And still wove on-on-on!
Till the last, last cord from his heart
was riven,

And the tissue strange was done. Then he threw it about his shoulders bow'd,

And about his grizzled head; And gathering close the folds of his shroud,

Lay him down among the dead!

And I after saw, in a robe of light,

The weaver in the sky; The angels' wings were not more bright, And the stars grew pale it nigh.

And I saw, 'mid the folds, all the Irishued flowers.

That beneath his touch had sprungMore beautiful, far, than these stray ones of ours,

Which the angels have to us flung. And wherever a tear had fallen down, Gleam'd out a diamond rare; And jewels befiting a monarch's crown, Were the foot-prints left by Care. And wherever had swept the breath of a sigh,

Was left a rich perfume;

And with light from the fountain of bliss in the sky

Shone the labour of Sorrow and
Gloom.

And then I pray'd, when my last work is done,

And the silver life cord riven, Be the stain of sorrow the deepest one That I bear with me to Heaven!

ALDERBROOK.

The Children's Gallery.

WHO WILL ENLIST FOR A

SOLDIER?

WHEN a regiment of soldiers is reduced in its numbers, a recruiting party, consisting of about half-a-dozen men, is sent out from the barracks into some town or village, to induce young men to enlist for soldiers; these men are dressed in their very gayest clothes-red coats and shining buttons, tall feathers in their caps, and coloured ribbons dangling over their shoulders. Occasionally this recruiting party may be seen marching through the town; the sergeant walks first with a drawn sword in his hand, then follow the rest of the soldiers beating drums and playing fifes, and close behind these may be seen a crowd of children all delighted to attend the recruiting procession. After the soldiers have finished their march, it often happens that the same boys who followed them, form themselves into a procession; and they may be observed in great numbers parading the streets. One boy marches in front, with a stick on his shoulder instead of a naked sword; the rest furnish themselves with whistle-pipes and a toy drum;

and instead of real ribbons, they pin to their caps long strips of coloured paper: thus they march and play, believing for the time that they are real soldiers. These recruiting parties generally succeed in persuading some young men to enlist for soldiers; but they are commonly the idle, the wicked, or those who cannot get employment; it rarely happens that a steady, industrious, or sensible young man, thinks of going for a soldier. Mary and many a young man has enlisted in the following way:-He has visited à fair, a club feast, or the races; and then, when half drunk, has accepted the shilling from the recruiting sergeant, and consented to become a soldier. Poor fellows! they are little aware what they have done. Perhaps the regiment, into which they have enlisted, is soon ordered to go abroad; they are forced to bid farewell to home and friends, and set sail for a foreign land; on their ar

rival, they are frequently exposed to an unhealthy climate, and large numbers of these poor fellows fall victims to burning fevers, and they are buried in a strange land. A regiment, containing many hundreds of healthy young men when sent abroad, has returned, after a few years, with less than half its number. But it sometimes happens that the regiment is ordered to battle; the soldiers must obey: they therefore march forward, with flags flying and music playing; all their weapons are prepared-the cannons, the muskets, the swords, and the lances. At length they meet another large body of soldiers, prepared also for battle; and these armies, which meet now for the first time, are taught to regard each other as enemies! Do the soldiers love fighting? No: but they enlisted, and thus became fighting men; and they are bound to fight the battles of the nation. How strange and brutal it does appear, that because two kings should quarrel about a piece of land, or some other trifling matter, that they should find no way to settle the dispute but by setting their fighting-men to destroy one another. But, how awful a battle is! The armies are brought together; the command to charge is given; the cannon begin to roar, the muskets to fire; and the plain is quickly covered with the heaps of dying and the dead, and human blood flows among the slain in streams. What a dreadful spectacle! At length, after much slaughter on each side, one army yields, and the other is said to have gained the day. Thus, in a few hours, thousands of unprepared souls are hurried into the presence of God, to yield up their solemn accounts; and, in the same short space of time, hundreds of poor women are made widows, and

thousands of children are left fatherless; while whole families are thrown into deep sorrow and mourning. Oh, the horrors of war! My dear youths, let me urge you to grow up with an earnest resolve, a fixed determination, never to enlist for a soldier.

But although I do not wish you to

The recruiting party will not enlist all who are willing to become soldiers: they object to some because they are too young or too old; some are refused because they are too short, and others are rejected because they are too weak or sickly; they will receive only the fullgrown, the strong, and healthy. But the Prince of peace accepts of all who are disposed to enter his service. The trumpet of the gospel sounds, and the proclamation is, Whosoever will, let him come !"-young and old, rich and poor, the dumb, the deaf, the blind, and even cripples, are all received into the army of God, and all are equally welcome,—will you yield yourself up to God?

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enlist into snch armies as I have just obtained promises, stopped the mouths described, still there is an army into of lions, quenched the violence of fire, which you are at full liberty to enter. escaped the edge of the sword; out of I will briefly introduce it to your no-weakness were made strong; waxed tice. The Sovereign is your Maker-valiant in fight, and turned to flight the King of kings! his Son, Jesus Christ, the armies of the aliens;—would you is chief Captain-the Prince of peace, like your name added to these worand the Captain of salvation! the fight-thies? ing-men are called saints; and your ministers, and especially your Sundayschool teachers, are always employed as recruiting sergeants. Now, are you disposed to enlist? You will be expected to fight valiantly, for your enemies are powerful: Satan, your great adversary, is the chief; and Sin, which is both within you and around you, is always trying to overcome you. These foes are mighty, and they must be conquered; are you ready to engage in this warfare? The soldiers of worldly kingdoms are provided with weapons suited for their cruel work; our heavenly King also has provided a complete armour for all his soldiers-there is the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth; the feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in the left hand is the shield of faith, and in the right hand is the sword of the Spirit: thus, being furnished with the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, you will be completely equipped for battle; are you willing to join the ranks of the hosts of God? To make good soldiers for an earthly sovereign, the recruits must be bold and courageous; and if they should be of a cruel and revengeful disposition, they are never objected to on that account. Jesus likewise informs us what characters will make the best warriors in his army: they must be poor in spirit, meek, merciful, harmless as doves; they must love their enemies, and be peace-makers. The soldiers of God, who have possessed these noble qualifications in a good measure, have fought many a good fight, and, at last, have come off more than conquerors. In the books which contain the histories of these holy wars, there is recorded the glorious exploits of a host of mighty men, whose victories will never be forgotten; they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,

When young men enlist for soldiers, they usually inquire what rewards will be given for their services; and they are informed, that during the time they are able to fight, they will be provided with food, clothing, and lodging; and when, from age or loss of limbs, they become disabled for war, then a small pension is granted, which is scarcely enough to keep them from the poor-house. But the rewards of the faithful soldiers of Jesus are unspeakable-they receive a great recompense of reward. Even here, whilst engaged in the conflict, their strength and supplies shall be made equal to their day; and without shedding a drop of blood, they will come off victorious over all their enemies :

"The feeblest saint shall win the day. Though death and hell obstruct their way."

And hereafter, when the battles are all fought, and the victories all won, then, in the presence of the righteous King, each soldier will be presented with a crown of glory-he will enter into the joy of his Lord, and rest for ever in a heavenly mansion. This will be the Christian soldier's eternal re

ward; and happy will all those be who are counted worthy to join the heavenly hosts.

There is another particular with respect to these two armies I have been describing, in which they do not agree. You may refuse to enlist in Victoria's army, and still be regarded a friend to the Queen; but if you refuse to fight for Jesus, you will be treated as an enemy-you will be allowed no part nor place in the kingdom of heaven! Now, as you know the honour of the service of God, and the glorious rewards which the faithful will receive, do not, for one moment, lose sight of the doom of those who join not the army of saints-who are found, at last, among the enemies of God! T. C.

East Grinstead.

HOW TO DO GOOD.

HINTS FOR THE YOUNG.

WHEN our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ came from heaven to earth to save sinners, he went about doing good. All that love him wish to be like him, and to do good.

Perhaps you will say, "I hope to do good when I grow up; but what can I do now, when I am but a little child?"

If I tell you, will you try? If not, I would advise you to pass over this article for the present, and to keep it quite safe until you can make up your mind; for the Bible says, "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." You will try ? Then I will tell you how a child may

do good.

Do you not know some poor man living near you who cannot read? He sits all day by the fireside; for he is infirm, and not able to work. Poor man, the hours pass away heavily; for his wife has enough to do to mind the house, and his children are at work, so that he has no one to be with him, to talk to him, or to comfort him.

When you are at home, after school, say, "Please, dear mother, may I go and see the poor man at, or the sick child at, or the woman that

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keeps her bed at Then, if you have leave, go and take your Bible, and ask if you may read to them. Be careful to read very slowly and distinctly. Oh, how glad it would make many a heavy heart, if once or twice in the week you would try to do good in this way!

But I will tell you another way in which you may do good. Most likely you know some children in your street who do not go to Sunday-schools; say to them, "We are so happy at our Sunday-school, I wish you would come with me. Our minister comes to see us, and our teacher is very kind. Shall I go in and ask at your house, whether you may come to school with me, and then I can call for you in the morning, as I go by ?"

Perhaps in this way you might bring some children to school, who, if left to themselves, would grow up ignorant, and idle, and wicked.

Trying to do good to others, is the right way to make oneself happy; for it is very sad to idle away the hours which will never return again. Your teacher will tell you how you may do good at school; but, after all, home is the place where most good may be done. To obey a parent is to do good; to be kind to a brother or a sister is to do good; even to play kindly, and at the proper time, is to do good. So you see it is quite in the power of a very little child to do good. In short, if the matter be ever so small, “to do the right thing in the right way" is to do good.

I have said a few words about the right thing, now a few words concerning the right way. By the right way

I do not mean the "best method," though this is important, but that a "new heart and a right spirit" are most needful of all; for the "Lord looketh on the heart." Pray, then, earnestly, that the Holy Spirit of God may dwell in you; for without him can do nothing that is good.

you

THE FATHER AND HIS LITTLE willing that he should think of it as

SON.

"Just as the twig is bent,

The tree is inclined."

EARLY impressions on the minds of children are the most important and the most lasting. Few parents take sufficient pains to teach the young minds of their children concerning God, their mortality, their future existence, and many other truths which deeply concern their well-being; and which, if once rightly impressed on their minds, would never be effaced. For example, a father once attempted to teach his little son for the first time the certainty of death!

It was just before he was going to bed. His little sister Lucy was lying asleep in the cradle, and his father had carried him to his room, intending to inform him then, for the first time, that he must one day die. He had before spoken of death, described it in reference to animals, and had given him some accounts of children who had died. The child, however, only conceived of it as a calamity which sometimes occurred. He was now, for the first time, to be informed, that it was the common and inevitable lot of humanity.

long as he pleased, At length the child broke the silence by saying:

"God hears me when I tell a lie."

"Yes; and if you do not ask him to forgive you, he will punish you by-andby."

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"Heh?"

"God will punish all who tell lies, if they are not sorry for it, for they will all die. By-and-by we shall all die, and go to God; we shall see him then."

George looked up into his father's face, with surprise and great anxiety in his countenance, and said:

"I don't want all the folks to die." "Well, they will. I shall die-and mother will die-and George will die."

A pause followed, which the father would not interrupt; it was at last broken by George's saying, in a trembling, faltering voice:

"I don't want all the people to die."
"But they will-they must die."
"No, they mus'n't."

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Yes, they must; God will make them all die."

Another pause.

"When we die we shall all go to God and see him; and if we have been sorry when we have done wrong, and if he has forgiven us, we shall be happy. God will take us and make us very

The father took little George in his lap, and began rocking him in a rocking-chair. He commenced the conver-happy." sation as follows:

The father then waited some time, but the child did not speak; he was evidently lost in thought-musing on the new and striking truth which had been presented to him. His father "Yes," said George, " one's name is asked him, at last, whether he was George, and one's name is Lucy."

"God looks down into all the houses and sees all the little children. There are a great many little children in all the houses around here."

"God sees all the little boys; he sees all that are bad, and all that are good."

"Well, I am not going to be an obstinate, ungrateful boy."

The meaning of these words, and their applicability to his own conduct, had been explained to him. It must be borne in mind that the child could scarcely talk, and his articulation of such words was of course very imperfect.

"Well, I hope you will not." A pause. The father having given him a good subject for reflection, was

asleep?
No, sir."

"Are you thinking ?"
"Yes."

"What are you thinking of ?"
66 I don't know."

Soon after the conversation was closed, and the child was laid down upon the bed, and left to be undressed for the night. As his father was leav ing the room, George called to him, "Father, are you going to die pretty 800n ?"

"No," said he; "it will probably be some time before I shall die; after a great many days we shall die.”

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