I think I see several little boys, and girls too, of nine, ten, eleven, and twelve, who are idling about, doing no good to any one, perhaps less than none, perhaps doing mischief. I hope they will think of little William J. Not that I would disapprove of a good game of play, at a right time, when you have done what you can to be useful, or been at school; but I fear many children are disobedient and disobliging, and leave their poor mothers to labour at home, never thinking how much they owe to their care and kindness; still less, I fear, do such children ever think what a debt they owe to the boundless love of God, and for which they ought to try to show their gratitude by constant love and duty to their parents. I am sure God is pleased to see little William striving to help his sick mother. I wonder whether William ever learned these very pretty verses :—

I must not tease my mother;
For she is very kind;

And every thing she says to me,
I must directly mind:

For when I was a baby,

And could not speak or walk,
She let me in her bosom sleep,
And taught me how to talk.

I must not tease my mother;
And when she likes to read,
Or has the headache, I will step
More silently indeed.

I will not choose a noisy play,
Or trifling troubles tell;
But sit down quiet by her side,
And try to make her well.
I must not tease my mother;
I've heard dear father say,
When I was in my cradle sick,
She nursed me night and day.
She lays me in my little bed,
She gives me clothes and food;
And I have nothing else to pay,
But trying to be good.

I must not tease my mother,
She loves me all the day,

And she has patience with my faults,
And teaches me to pray:
How much I'll strive to please her,
She every hour shall see;
For should she go away, or die,

What would become of me?

I advise you to learn these verses, and perhaps they will remind you to be as thoughtful as Useful William.

Another day, when I called, his grandmother was there; for his poor mother became worse and worse. I said to her, I was glad to hear he was so useful. "Ma'am," said she," when that little girl," pointing to one about two years old, "was a baby, he would nurse her, feed her, and do almost every thing for her." William goes to the Sunday school, and I think he promises fair to be a comfort to his parents all their lives.

I have told you this story, in hopes it will make you think, “Am I doing all I can to please my mother? am I as useful to her as I can possibly be? am I so kind to my little brothers and sisters, that they all love me?" If not, pray to God, for Jesus Christ's sake, that he would make you obedient and attentive; but, above all, that he would give you his Holy Spirit, to make you a child of God: then all that is good, true, lovely, and of good report, will soon follow. The poor sick woman told me William knew a great number of hymns, and verses of the Scriptures; and that she herself, when in service, had been made by her mistress to learn a piece every week, and that what she had so learned was now one of her greatest comforts, when she was too weak to read. Dear children, lay up a good store of passages from the Bible and hymns in your memory now. They will be your great riches in the time of sickness or old age.

P. J.

LOUISA'S IMPROVEMENT.

SOME of the readers of " The Child's Companion" may remember an account of Louisa, and of a resolution that she made, which was given in the volume for 1841, page 161. I do not know whether any

have been induced to mitate her example, by forming the same wise determination to learn something useful or improving every day; but I should be sorry to think that the lesson there given has been altogether forgotten.

Louisa's resolution was kept pretty well, and of course she improved in proportion, as she was growing a great girl. It is true, she was occasionally thoughtless and giddy; but a reproof from her mother was generally sufficient to make her sensible of her fault, and she steadily went on trying to amend. You may think that it did not signify whether she were diligent or idle, anxious to learn or careless and forgetful; but Louisa's mother knew that good habits cannot be acquired too soon, and therefore she taught her to strive against indolence. Nor did this watchful parent forget to pray for the Divine blessing on her instructions ; desiring that her little daughter might not only improve in understanding and conduct, but also become "wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

One gloomy afternoon in winter, Louisa was with her mother in the parlour : she had been engaged in helping her to wind some balls of wool, which were to be knit into warm socks for her little infant brother, and then they sat down to needlework. Before they had completed their task, it

was nearly dark; then the shutters were closed, and the window curtains drawn, and the candles placed upon the table. then they heard the church clock strike four.

Just

"Mother," said Louisa, "how much faster the sun goes round the world than he did in the summer time! He used to peep in at my window in the morning before 1 was awake, and it was always light when I went to bed. Will you please to tell me why the days are now so very short?

"In the first place, my dear," said her mother, "I must correct a mistake that you have made. The sun does not move round the earth."

"Did you not tell me, dear mother, a