journey, so that he saw but very little that night of the beautiful gardens lying round Ash Grove, as his uncle's place was named. But in the morning, as soon as the sun was up, and casting his cheerful beams into his room, his cousins were at his door, calling on him to rise and accompany them for a stroll round their gardens. "Now," thought he, "if they have any flowers I will show them a little of my learning. I have not studied botany for nothing."

66

As it happened, each of the boys had a small flower garden, which they tended with great care. It was always a desire with them to possess fine flowers and display good taste in the care of these plots; so that, if Cornelius was proud of his botany, his cousins were. proud of their flower gardens. Of course he was taken first to see these; and not a little annoyed were they when he blamed them in one thing, found fault with another, and even called their very best flowers "common things." 'Oh," said he, "if I were you, I would have such flowers as these." And then he rattled off a number of fine Latin names, which he had picked up in his botany text-book. The young Halls opened their eyes in wonder, for never, in all their lives before, had they listened to such a display of learning. They clearly began to think cousin Cornelius a very clever boy; and the end of it was, that they asked their father to allow them to pull up the flowers and plant others. On hearing this story, he asked them what flowers cousin Cornelius had recommended. They could not tell him a single English name; for, though the city lad had run over many Latin names of flowers, he had never taken the trouble to find out their

English ones. Mr. Hall saw how matters stood, and therefore wisely refused his permission.

Some few days after, Cornelius was walking with his uncle in the gardens, and, seeing a large piece of ground which seemed to have nothing growing there, he inquired what it meant. Mr. Hall explained that there were some seeds sown there, which would in time spring up, and doubtless yield a good crop. On being told it would be some weeks, probably, before the seed would spring up, he said, in a vain manner, “If I were you, uncle, I would have large green-houses and hot-houses, and inclose all your fields, and then you would not have to wait so long."

At first Mr. Hall burst out into a hearty laugh at the idea of such a thing, and then began to talk to the lad about the folly of the thing. Cornelius listened till he saw that he should gain nothing by trying to shine in his uncle's presence. From that time he reserved his boasting till he was alone with his cousins.

One beautiful summer evening, the lads set out for a ramble as far as to the end of Miller's Lane. The scenery was lovely, and the country lads began to admire it, thinking, no doubt, that cousin Cornelius would admire it too. But he was not in the mood just then to allow that anything in the country was worth seeing. So he began to tell them about London and its wonderful sights; about its streets, squares, monuments, buildings, bridges, and museums. All this was very well, and rather interested the boys; but when he came to talk of London schools, and to call country boys "ignoramuses," it required all their

forbearance and good temper to keep from resenting it. He talked about chemistry and arithmetic, and grammar and algebra, and Euclid and geography, till he completely puzzled his cousins, who by this time half wished him back again at his own home.

Alfred, the eldest of Mr. Hall's sons, at last summoned up courage to tell him that " country boys were not such 'ignoramuses' after all, if city boys pleased to think them so."

The time at last drew near that Cornelius should wish his friends "good bye," and this he did with much feeling; for, although so full of conceit, he was of an affectionate disposition, and the different members of his uncle's family had endeared themselves to him by their constant kindness. But when the last morning arrived, Mr. Hall took Cornelius aside into his private room, and kindly gave him the following advice :-Said he, "My dear boy, you will no doubt have to go out into the world among strangers, and you will need to be very careful of your failings. Now, all of us have some failing or other; in one, it may be the temper, in another a disposition to be uncharitable, while a third may be very wise in his own conceit. You know who has said, 'Be not wise in your own conceit.' Now, my boy, take what I say as coming from a kind friend, for I mean it for your welfare, and just for a moment think if you are not a little given to conceit. Now is the time to check this feeling; and you may depend upon it, if you learn to be humble in youth, you will have much matter for rejoicing as you pass through life. I remember reading of a certain gentleman who led a

youth through a low dark passage. As the lad did not stoop low enough, he struck his head against the rafters, when the gentleman said to him, 'Learn to stoop, learn to stoop, my boy, and do not hold your head so high.' Now I think a conceited person, whether he be boy or man, is just like this youth, holding his head so high that he is sure to get some knocks, and pretty hard ones too, while a humble person goes on uninjured. Good John Bunyan thus

sang:

'He that is down need fear no fall,

He that is low no pride;

He that is humble ever shall

Have God to be his guide.'

"If you have received superior advantages in the shape of education, thank God for them, my boy. Remember that He who has given you this happy lot, might also have placed you in some far-off heathen land, where your position would have been a far different one. And for your privileges you are held accountable. Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.' Then ask God to give you his Holy Spirit that you may be useful as a boy, and useful as a man. Pray that you may follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was meek and lowly of heart. Be more and more like him, and then will be useful and happy."

you

Many years have passed by since that time, and Cornelius Hall is now a grey-haired old man ; but he has never forgotten his kind uncle's advice, and, through God's mercy, he has long ago become a sin

cere believer in the Saviour, in whom is all his trust, and through whose merits and precious blood he hopes to enter heaven at last.

BE THOU MY GUIDE.

JESUS, by thy Spirit be,
Daily, always near to me.
Dangers all around me are ;
Saviour, make my soul thy care.

I am ent'ring on life's way,
Suffer not my steps to stray;
Guide me in the happy road,
Leading up to thy abode.

Put within my heart thy fear,
May thy word my spirit cheer,
Light my path by day and night,
Showing me the way that's right.

Guard me by thy watchful eye,
While I live and till I die;
And when hence I shall remove,
Take me to thy home above.
Heavitree.

E. B.

CHARITY teaches us to have the best opinions of persons, and to put the best construction on words and actions that they will bear.