AN AFRICAN FOREST.

PERHAPS there is nothing that English girls and boys enjoy more than a good ramble in the woods in summer time. Who cannot remember the long bright holiday afternoons spent among the nut-trees, or beneath the clustering honeysuckle, or in cheerful gares

R

th

of hide-and-seek, in and out among the trunks of t trees, and along the narrow green paths that ke losing themselves among the thick bushes? Ver different from these pleasant excursions are the wal which the Missionary sometimes has to take among woods and forests of Africa. Instead of the leafy branch ing trees of England, wide fanlike palm-trees, such a you see in the picture, like giant ferns, lift up in fan like fashion their enormous leaves. Flowers of strang shape and splendid colour grow around their trunks but without fragrance. What would the traveller giv for the sight of a daisy, or the scent of a violet! Then as the poem says,

"Strange bright birds on their starry wings,

Bring the rich hues of all glorious things;" but alas! they are songless; and who would not gladly exchange their brightest plumage for the plain dres of the lark, or the little brown nightingale? Nonutting, no honeysuckle gathering in an African wood. The hot, close air would almost stifle an English child, and besides, the grass is full of venomous creatures, some of whom by their bite would cause almost instant death. I remember walking with a Missionary through one of the green fields of England, and Inoticed that he kept striking the sides of the path with his stick, as we walked and talked. He explained that it was a habit he had learned in the country where he had long lived. He did it to frighten away the snakes and scorpions! "Then," I said, "you never, I suppose, leave the path to ramble on the grass ?” “Oh no," said he; “parents there tell their children to keep out of the grass, as you might tell yours to keep out of the mud, or away from the pond." Poor children! I thought, to whom the wide forests and green fields can

66

THE NEW YEAR'S GIFT.

ve no real delight. Happy the children of England, their country pleasures and innocent out-of-door ys, in the healthful air, the flowing meadows, and e leafy woods of their own dear land!

THE NEW YEAR'S GIFT.

0.

MANY of my young readers have lately received a ARD with an invitation upon it to collect a Christmas New Year's offering, to the Mission. I am sure at if they know how the money will be spent they ll be anxious to give all they can spare, and to collect much as they can.

The New Year's Gift is to be for the support of ative preachers, especially in India.

And who are these native preachers? They are men ho once were heathens, but who have cast away their ols and learned to follow Jesus. Ah, it was a hard ing for some of them to do! They had not only to ve up the gods whom they had trusted, but to say od-bye to all their dearest earthly friends. Parents, rothers, even children sometimes scorned and cast hem off, from the day they declared themselves to be hristians. The poor Hindoo convert suddenly finds mself alone in the world! But he is comforted, for knows he is doing right, and his Saviour is with m. It is not wonderful that he should long to tell is old friends of that Redeemer's love. But again, e task is hard. How can he stand up before eople who are sure to laugh at him, to insult him, rhaps to persecute him? Then what can he say? he minister from England is a wise sahib, and knows 1 about the Bible; but he, the poor Hindoo, but yesrday a heathen, how can he preach the wonders of od's truth? Like Jeremiah, he is ready to say, “I

am but a little child” Yet, he will bry. Ot least he knows, “Jesus loved me and gave him He can tell his brethren that. And the add, "That Saviour loves you too, and ting

me."

you may have eternal life." Well, here is s to begin with: from time to time the V teaches him more, or he learns more from God. And so he goes forth to his work. E to people in the street; he stops under se to a little company sitting in the shade: he lod house, and offers to read an interesting story Bock; he gives a tract to a little boy passing sometimes more boldly still he walks into the a great fair or festival, and preaches Christ at once. Some laugh him to scorn as he others walk away, mocking; but a few se attentively, and the native preacher's heart He goes to his friend the Missionary, to tell day's adventures; and there he meets with indeed. The Missionary helds up a letter. he says, "is from England. It tells me Sunday-school boys and other Christian chilingi country feel so much interest in you ani g that they are going to try and support you They mean to make a grand collection at or the New Year, and while

they give their

sure they think of you with love, and pray to G

lighter,

bless you." Surely the poor Christian Hindee lay his head down that night with a spirit, filled with thankfulness to God, and overti with love and prayer for the dear Christian childre

England.

I ask you all, then, to do your part in this g work. Cive cerfully, little or much, as you h

your power. Work hard to get your card filled. y to God to bless all who give and all that is given, well as those for whom the gift is intended.

Your

:w Year's offering will be then a noble one, Jesus nself will accept it, and his servants, the humble tive preachers of India, will go to their work with creasing cheerfulness and zeal.

૨.

ATTENTION.

A CHAPTER FOR BOYS.

THERE was a little boy named John Smeaton. He ould often leave his play to watch men at their ork. He would ask how one part was to be fitted to other, and how the thing was to be used when it was ɔne. If money was given him to buy cakes or playings, he chose rather to spend it on tools, and tried > do what he had seen done with them.

Once he was seen at the top of his father's barn, ixing something like a windmill. At another time he aw some men putting up a pump, and took great otice of all they did. They had a thick piece of wood vith a hole bored through it; it was longer than they vanted, so they cut off a bit. The little boy asked if le might have the bit. It was given to him, and with t he made a little real pump, with which he could raise water. When John Smeaton became a man, he contrived many very clever and useful things. He found better ways than had been known before of making mills, to be turned by wind or water; and he built a tall lighthouse on the top of a rock in the sea, which serves as a lantern to show the sailors the way they should go, and warn them where there is danger. By