again. The work was sought for, and the anecdote referred to was pointed out. It was that of a little girl who wept on being prevented by her father from contributing to the Bible Society. "My child," said the collector to her, "dry your tears; the Lord Jesus does not need our gifts, he is richer than your father. The heart is what he regards; he knows your willingness to give, and if you pray for the Bible Society you will contribute to it more than many who have money to give."

Fanny. It does seem strange that these great societies should have risen from such small beginnings, and that the least of our savings may answer such great ends.

Miss S. But do not forget that unless our service comes from the heart, it is of very little benefit to ourselves. No doubt many helped Noah to build the ark, and afterwards perished in the flood. Nor have we anything that we can call our own. King David was not permitted to build a temple for the worship of God (1 Chron. xvii.), but he made preparations for it in his trouble, as he adds (chap. xxii. 14); and again, when his people added their offerings to his store (chap. xxix. 9-14), he praises God, saying, "All things came of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." The great point is not what we give, but whether we have first "given ourselves to the Lord," and then we shall not desire to keep back anything.

I will now read you a copy of part of a letter addressed to Elizabeth, the second daughter of King Charles I of England, who died young; and though much of it might have been said to any royal person,

there seems ground to believe that she was taken away from the evil to come, and that some good thing was found in her to the Lord God of Israel. copied from the first part of William Greenhill's Commentary on Ezekiel').

66

(It is

"Solomon, the wisest of princes, counsels us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth; it is a great virtue to be mindful of God timely. Timothy from a child knew the Holy Scriptures. Josiah, that good prince, while he was yet young or tender, began to seek after the Lord; he did that which was right in his sight; he walked in the ways of David; he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. The Lord takes special notice when young ones are mindful of him; the children's crying Hosanna is recorded in the gospel; children walking in the truth is observed by John; and the Lord minded the good found in the son of Jeroboam. Doubtless, God's eye is upon your highness; for that good is found in you in these your tender years, and is well pleased that your sweetness of nature and choiceness of wit are joined with desire to know him, with love to his worship, affection to the godly, which with these precious speeches of yours, 'I had rather be a beggar here than not go to heaven,' and 'How shall I be sure to go to heaven ?' are acceptable to the Highest, and make strong impressions upon us inferiors.

you

"Your desire to know the original tongues, that may understand the Scriptures better; your resolution to write them out with your own princely hand, and so come to the perfect knowledge of them, breed in us hopes that you will exceed all your sex. (Here

followed the mention of Lady Jane Grey and other celebrated females). Your diligent hearing of the word, careful noting of sermons, understanding answers at the catechising, and frequent questions of holy things, do premise great matters from you. If the harvest be answerable to the spring, your royal highness will be the wonder of the learned and glory of the godly. It is my unhappiness that I cannot be sufficiently helpful to such princely beginnings; yet, because this following treatise is an exposition of Scripture, I take the boldness to present it to your royal highness, and shall continue to pray to Him who is able to give you all," etc.

This young princess appears to have died while reading her Bible, which was found before her, open at Matt. xi. 28, ("Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,") as is mentioned on her monument at Newport, in the Isle of Wight. You have, I dare say, heard of the young king Edward VI, who would not allow his companion at play to stand on a copy of the word of God. Perhaps, too, you know how, just before his last illness, he showed his attention to sermons, and desire to be useful, by founding the Bluecoat School and other public charities. Our present queen's father, the Duke of Kent, was an attentive reader of the Bible; and I need not remind you of her grandfather, King George III, who expressed a wish that every child in his dominions should be able to read the Bible.

A TRUE STORY OF THE SILKWORMS. “MAMMA, mamma, it must be time now to have my silkworms' eggs hatched; you said I must wait till spring," said little Tom, one fine bright sunshiny morning.

"Yes," said mamma, "I will fetch them for you. You remember I put them in the dairy last autumn, because they must be kept cool."

So mamma went down stairs, and Tom stood waiting for her; however, she soon came back with a sad tale to tell. The eggs were gone.

"Oh dear! oh dear!" said Tom, "what shall I do? Who can have taken them away, when they knew how I wanted them ? It is unkind."

No, not unkind," said mamma; nobody wishes to be unkind to my dear boy. I will ask the servant; you know she has only been with us a few days: she may have taken them away."

"Oh yes, ma'am," said the servant, when mamma had asked her, "it was only yesterday I was tidying up the place, and I thought it was no use keeping a bit of dirty paper, so I threw it away. I am very sorry, ma'am; I did not know it was to be taken care of."

When Tom heard this he was sadly distressed; but his mamma comforted him by telling him she thought she could get him some more eggs from his young friends, Bella and Jessie, two kind little girls who lived near.

Tom lived in a very happy home in the country, with a kind papa and mamma; he had a sister called Edith, and a brother called Alfred, both younger than