a sufficient variety of stories to supply a nursery with Sunday amusement.

Her plan is thus far an experiment, that she has resolved upon publishing in the same volume, stories adapted to different ages, (from two years old to eight) and, the object of this plan is not so much to produce a book that the elder children may read to themselves, (though this is also a motive), as to produce one which may be read to the younger children ;- -a book that may be left in the nursery on Sunday mornings and afternoons, and in which the nursery-maid who remains at home while her companion is at church, and whose arduous duty it often becomes, after she has "put the baby to sleep," to keep three or four other busy little ones quiet and out of mischief, may be able at once to turn to some tale which may amuse and attract them, one by one, or perhaps, all together; (for, it is to be observed, that an elder child will generally listen with pleasure to the story that suits a younger one, although the mind of the younger cannot in the same way adapt itself to that which is written for the elder) :and so, in that sacred hour, when millions of the assembled Church of Christ are praying for a blessing

upon "all young children," some holy truths, (it matters not how simple the medium that conveys them) may be presented to the ready faith of those beloved ones, of whom the Saviour said, "Suffer them to come unto me". "of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." *

A child very near to the Author's heart-a boy not four years old (one, of whose loveliness, both in outward beauty, and early sweetness, and intelligence of mind, she will say nothing, lest she should say too much), had been observed to dwell with peculiar interest on the narrative of the bringing of young children to Christ, of which the picture hung in his nursery. Being asked one day, by his mother, the question (from Watts' First Catechism), "What did Christ suffer for you?" replied, " He suffered the little children to come to him." The answer would have been worth nothing had it been accidental-but, the child had taken in the truth of the love shown to him and all children, in the act of the Saviour-and his infant faith had laid fast hold of it. Who shall "forbid" such?

از

THE

NURSERY SUNDAY BOOK.

EGGS AND CHICKENS;

A STORY TO BE READ TO CHILDREN OF TWO YEARS OLD.

Do you know there was once a little girl, and her name was little Mary? And her Mamma had a little white hen in the yard, and every day little Mary used to go to feed the hen. She used to hold up her frock, so,* and her Mamma put some barley in it, and then she used to call "Chick, Chick, Chick!" and the

* Every person used to the amusing of little children by story-telling, knows that some degree of action is a matter of necessity, if their attention is really to be fixed.

B

little hen used to come running along, and pick up all the barley in a minute! Well, one day, when little Mary went to feed the hen, the hen was not in the yard. And little Mary peeped into the stable to look for her; and there was the little white hen sitting among the straw; and what do you think little Mary found in the straw, close to the white. hen? Why, she found an egg! Mary was very much surprised, and she wanted to take the egg in her hands, but her Mamma said, "Don't touch the egg, Mary;" and Mary was such a good little girl, she always minded what her Mamma said to her, so she did not touch the egg. Well, the next day, when Mary went to feed the hen, in the yard, she peeped into the straw again; and then, there were two little eggs! And her Mamma said,

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Mary, be a good girl, and don't touch the eggs, and there will come more eggs." So Mary was good again, and she did not touch

the eggs; and, do you know, the next time she went to feed the hen, in the yard, there were three eggs! and the next day there were four-and the next day there were five-and the next day there were six ;-till, at last there were ten pretty little white eggs! Then, Mary's Mamma said to her, "Be a good girl still, Mary, and do not touch these eggs, and, you will see that, in a little while, there will come little chickens out of them." So, good little Mary took great care to mind what her Mamma said. She came every morning to feed the hen, and threw the barley down for her, without going too near; and every day she used to peep at the hen, and try to see if there were any little chickens come out of the eggs; but she never touched the eggs. One morning, when little Mary went to feed the hen, the hen jumped up from the eggs (for, do you know, the hen used to sit upon the eggs all day to keep them warm)—and then