How encouraging, as I sit down by the father's and the mother's side, to commune with them, respecting the salvation of their offspring, to see the tear of parental affection, the overflowings of parental piety, and the throbbings of a parent's solicitude ! And most of all, how full of holy pleasure, to see the dear child, or youth, hang upon my lips, with a tearful eye and a contrite heart, as I describe a Savior's love, or rehearse the story of early piety! Yes, this is pleasure—it has oft been mine—mine may it be a thousand thousand times again. HAPPY NEW YEAR. Parents, Teachers, Scholars, all—a HAPPY NEW YEAR. May you be happy in each other, happy in yourselves and happy of God. This is my sincere and earnest prayer. The changes which this new year may effect in the condition of any of you, I cannot foretell. It comes to you a stranger, whose character you can learn, only as it passes day by day. It advertises not whether it comes to bring you joy or sorrow; health or sickness; to lengthen out your days, or cut them off forever. It whispers in your ears, "Be diligent, be faithful, for this year thou mayest die." Only give heed to this admonition, and as parents and children, teachers and scholars, be diligent, be faithful in the performance of all your respective duties, then, come joy or come sorrow, come health or come sickness, come life or come death, this will be, indeed, a HAPPY year to you all. "BUT I HAVE A SOUL.” The late Rev. Samuel Kilpin relates the following fact. "I shall never forget a good woman, a praying, visiting woman, calling to see the mother of a sick child that was really dying. After she had coldly looked upon the little creature, the poor mother said, Will you pray with my daughter?' She replied at the door, 'No, no, it is only a child!' The little creature pushed aside the bedclothes, and exclaimed, with all her remaining strength, • Yes, I am a child, but I have a soul!' Reader, children have souls! Parents, Sabbath school teachers, that too long neglected child has an undying soul,---a soul that may bear your impress, through eternity, in heaven or in hell! D. The Card below has just been published by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, and also the SUPERINTENDENT'S COMPANION, given on the next page. These, together with the TEACHER'S COMPANION, a specimen of which was published in the November Visiter, are for sale at the Depository. The SABBATH SCHOLAR'S CAMPANION is printed, some on plain white cards, some on fancy paper, and some with colored pictures. HOW CAN I REWARD THE KINDNESS OF MY TEACHER? 1. I must, if possible, be punctual at School, every Sabbath.My Teacher always seems grieved when I am late, or absent. 2. I must always meet my Teacher with a smile of love.It would be very ungrateful not to love one, who shows so much affection for me. 3. I must be quiet, attentive, and serious, during all the exercises. How must my Teacher feel when I am restless, inattentive, or trifling! 4. I must get my lesson perfectly.-A good lesson always covers my Teacher's face with smiles. 5. I must keep the Sabbath holy.-At home and by the way, in the school and in the house of God.-O, how it must pain my dear Teacher, to see any of the Class whispering and playing in meeting, or talking loudly and laughing around the meeting-house, or on their way home! 6. I must cheerfully do whatever my Teacher requests me to do.-How affectionately these requests are always made, and always intended for my good. 7. I must, every week, try to improve and grow in the knowledge of the Bible.-This always seems to make my Teacher very happy. 8. I must pray for my Teacher every day.-O, how many anxious prayers that dear friend has offered up for me! 9. Fully to reward my Teacher's labors, prayers, and tears, for me, must give my heart to Christ. Dear Savior, help me to do it NOW. SUPERINTENDENT'S COMPANION. DUTIES OF THE S. S. SUPERINTENDENT. 1. Punctuality, to a minute, in commencing the exercises at the appointed hour.-Mr. R., for seven years, was never absent, a Sabbath, from his school, and seldom tardy a moment. Mr. C., for six years, was absent but once. 2. In the opening and closing exercises,-whether reading, singing, remarks, or prayer,-be very brief. 3. Have the utmost order and decorum through the whole school. 4. Go from class to class, with a word of instruction, advice, encouragement, or admonition, to scholars and teachers. 5. The Superintendent should make himself perfectly familiar with the lesson. 6. He should become acquainted with the teachers,-their characters, qualifications, fidelity, and methods of communicating instruction, and illustrating truth. 7. He must be a bright example to his teachers,-in familiarity, in impartiality of conduct, in love for his work, in piety, in zeal and holy earnestness for the SALVATION of the scholars. 8. He should learn the names of the scholars,—always meet them with exhibitions of affectionate interest-notice all absences, and the next Sabbath go round to each, and learn the cause-and keep a record of every thing encouraging or otherwise, respecting each member of the school. 9. Daily study ways and means, and weekly make thorough preparations, to give variety to the exercises, and secure the highest interest and efficiency of the school.-Mr. P. used to devote two whole days, weekly, to these preparations. 10. Devise plans to enlist the scholars in the cause of Missions, Temperance, and all the objects of benevolence. 11. He should feel and manifest a deep interest in the Teachers' Meeting and the Concert. 12. A good Superintendent will be, eminently, a person of PRAYER. VARIETY IN SABBATH SCHOOLS. Perhaps there is no place, where variety is more indispensable, than in the exercises of a Sabbath school. Nothing will more certainly weary and disgust children, than an unvarying sameness, whether it be in their sports, their labors, or their studies. A good superintendent will ever be devising plans to awaken new interest, and relieve all tedium and monotony. There are many ways in which this may be done, without dispensing with uniform lessons. In cities, where the young are accustomed to constant variety, during the week, it requires more effort, than in the country, to give sufficient variety to the exercises oft he Sabbath school. The following are specimens of the lessons, that are, occa sionally, introduced in the Belknap-street Sabbath school, Boston, for the purpose of giving variety. A. ABHOR that which is evil. ABOUND in love. AVENGE not yourselves. ANGER resteth in the bosom of FOOLS. ACTIONS are weighed. ADULTERERS God will judge. Ask and it shall be given you. ALL turn to dust again. AWAKE thou that sleepest. ARISE and be doing. THE FALLING LEAF. We all do FADE AS A LEAF, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. The host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their host shall fall down, AS THE LEAF FALLETH from off the vine. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her Leaf shall be green. His LEAF also shall not wITHER, and WHATSOEVER HE DOETH SHALL PROSPER. ONE. One God there is, who reigns in heaven above, MARRIAGE AT CANA OF GALILEE. On the third day after the call of Philip, Jesus, his mother, and his disciples were invited to a marriage in Cana of Galilee, on which occasion Jesus performed his first miracle, recorded in John ii: 1---11. Jesus said to his mother, "Woman what have I to do with thee?" This may, at first, appear to us irreverent; but it was then a common mode of address from servants to the most noble ladies. "What have I to do with thee ?" This reproof was necessary, as Mary was attempting to direct the public life of Christ. It is a reproof, too, which seems to have been intended for all those who still entreat her to use her influence, and exercise her authority over the Son of God. But Christ did not refuse to work a miracle, for the accommodation of his host; and as soon as his appointed hour had arrived, exceeded his mother's largest hopes. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." This is a comment on the domestic life of Jesus, such as few, if any, have ever merited. Mary was confident that he would help them in this extremity, and knew that he would not err in the manner of giving relief. "When men have well drunk." Have nearly satisfied the natural appetites of the human system: those which are unnatural-artificial-have ever been condemned by the voice of inspiration, and are not here to be understood. It should be borne in mind, also, that the wine in common use in Judea, was a very different article from the poisonous preparations used as wines at the present inventive period. It was customary to provide wine sufficient to last three weeks, and if any should be left, on this occasion, after the entertainment was over, it would be a reward for the hospitality which Christ and his followers received; according to a promise afterward given, "Whosoever shall give you a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward." "Manifested forth his glory"--his power and willingness to bless. How unlike the glory of the kings of the earth! After the marriage, Jesus and his mother went to Capernaum, it is supposed, to provide an abode for Mary, where she might remain while Jesus pursued his work. E. L. E. "DO YOU WISH YOUR CHILD TO GROW UP A LIAR?" The celebrated Robert Hall was once spending an evening at the house of a friend, when a lady, who was there on a visit, retired to put her little child, of four years old, to bed. She returned in about half an hour, and said to a lady near her, "She is gone to sleep, I put |