FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. gospel preaching, and their own well-read bibles, taught them. This, we believe, is the fact, and we should dishonour both them and the God in whom they trust if we concealed it. I only add, that so long as they need help, I hope that every week, working men of other trades will cast in their mites, as well as the rich from their abundant stores, so that not one child in Lancashire may ever go supperless to bed! AN OLD WORKING MAN. Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry. Facts. OF VAGABOND. THE real Vagabond is not one who has fallen into distress and needs helping out, but one who, too idle to work, lives by cheating. There always have been, more or less, these pests of society, whom the most severe measures could not suppress. Henry VIII. is said to have hanged 72,000 of them. In Germany they were hanged, beheaded, or tortured to death. In France forty were put in a house and blown up with gunpowder. These old vagabonds were only clumsy cheats. One cut off a dead man's leg, and exposed it as one of his own. Seeing an officer coming, he jumped up and ran away, too fast for the officer to catch him. Modern vagabonds are more expert. A woman with twins sat for ten years in the street, and the twins never seemed to grow any older. A cute negro saved £1500, and then went back to the West Indies. A new dodge is for a man and his wife and three or four children to stand silent all in a row on a Saturday night in the street, not in rags, but dressed shabby genteel, clean and neat! Only think of children being brought up to play tricks of this kind. Are they likely, when they grow up, to I work with their own hands for thei own bread? The new Poor Law, though often too harsh and severe with the honest poor, has done much to suppress the trade of the vagabond, and leave him without excuse. Hints LOVE YOUR ENEMIES is, after all, only like saying, be at peace with yourself. For how can a man be at peace with himself who is at enmity with any one? WHEN ANGRY, do as he did who repeated the alphabet before he spoke. This would give time to think what you should say or do. EVERY MAN WHO INJURES ME unjustly, injures himself by doing so. Am I then to injure myself too by doing as he did. HE WAS A WISE MAN who, when one insulted him said, I might have fought him if I had not been in a bad temper myself. A GOOD MAN once said he should never have thought of praying for some men if they had not first done him an injury. ONE GOOD PLAN for us to follow with an angry person is to do as you would with a red-hot poker; let it alone and it will cool of itself. 1 A NOBLE-MINDED MAN when told that it would be manly in him to resent a personal affront, said “I know that, but it will be God-like to forgive it. us, FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. WE SHOULD BE MORE HAPPY, all of if we had bad memories of our wrongs, and good memories of our blessings. ANGER AND REVENGE are uneasy passions, which mostly spring up in little minds. Like weeds in an onion bed, the sooner they are pulled up by the roots the better. Gems. IF A MAN LOVE GOD, he will and must hate sin, for God hates it, and how can a man love God and love that which God hates above all things? Two THINGS IN RELIGION should never be forgotten. One is that no man is able to save himself, and the other is that God, who only is able to save him, is willing too. WHEN A MAN WANTS PARDON from his sovereign he will make out as good a case as he can. Not so, when we come to God. We must then come with as bad a case as we can make out, and ask him for Christs' sake to forgive all. IT IS GOOD FOR US, when by the light of God's word and spirit, we dare to look at our own hearts and see how black and ugly and miserable sin has made them. THE SIGHT OF SIN in our own hearts would fill us with terror, if we could not turn our eyes to the cross and see there the blood that cleanseth us from all sin. KNOWING THAT CHRIST DIED to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself, fills the soul more full of joy than ever it was of terror at the sight of sin. THE REASON WHY some do not obtain the forgiveness they profess to desire is, they do not come and confess all their sins. They keep a few darlings. So long as they do so, God will send them back unforgiven. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST was shed to cleanse us from all sin, and men must be willing to let this healing balm work a perfect cure, or perish. Thou by thy light and grace, THE SHINING SHORE. Those hours of toil and danger. Our King says, Come, and there's our home THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. The Children's Corner. DONT PAY TOO MUCH FOR YOUR WHISTLE. DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was a very wise old man. Here is a tale about himself:-"When I was a child about seven years of age, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with half-pence. I went directly to a shop where toys were sold for children; and being charmed by the sound of a whistle in the hands of another boy, who I met by the way, I I at once offered him all my money for it. I then came home, and went whistling over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers, and sisters, and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much as it was worth. This put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and they laughed at me so much for my folly, that I cried with vexation. My reflections on the subject gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure. This little event, however, was afterwards of great use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, Do not give too much for the whistle; and so I saved my money. As I grew up, I met with many, very many, who gave too much for their whistle." You may see a MAN so fond of beer and company, that he will spend his time and his money at the beer-shop neglecting his work, and injuring his family. That man gives too much for his whistle. You may see a WOMAN so fond of gossip that she sets off to talk scandal among her neighbours instead of setting her own house to rights, or mending her children's clothes. That woman pays too much for her whistle. You may see a BIG LAD strutting about with a cigar or a pipe in his mouth when he ought to be improving his mind by reading, That lad gives too much for his whistle. You may see a GIRL, with flowers, and hoops, and parasol, as fine as a peacock, but with holes in her stockings. That giddy girl gives too much for her whistle. But I need not point out any more of those folks who pay too much for their whistle. If you keep your eyes open you may see one every day. And mind, or you will catch yourself doing so. When tempted to buy what you dont want, ask yourself, " Will it be only a whistle?" "SHE LIVED CHRISTIANITY." WHILE yet young in years she was thoughtful and serious, but decision for God was delayed until seven years of wedded life had passed. This she afterwards deeply deplored. Apart from true religion, as a creature of the earth, she had all that heart could desire,-increasing wealth, an attached husband, and lovely babes. But the brightest prospect may be dimmed. In March, 1838, affliction and death for the first time entered her home. Her first-born, a boy of five years, was then gathered by the Husbandman into the heavenly garner. The bereavement was severely felt by both parents. They mourned for him as for an only child. A short time before this event, the whole family had narrowly escaped devouring flames. Smoke and sulphurous vapour from a slumbering fire had passed into their sleeping apartments, inducing a death-like slumber, from which it was difficult to awake them; and soon the fire shot from the basement to the roof. For a considerable time it was feared that one of the children had perished. All was excitement and distress. None had taken the lost one from her bed; and none had seen her in the general confusion. Happily, she had been aroused by the loud alarm, and had escaped through the smoke, unperceived, into the garden; where she remained, shivering with cold and fear, under the shelter of a tree, until the returning day revealed her hiding-place.. As in the natural, so in the providential kingdom of God, one change rarely comes alone. Stroke follows stroke in human life, as wave follows wave, but here, not unfrequently, from opposite and unexpected quarters, till all God's billows have gone over the soul. In the following autumn, Mrs. W. narrowly escaped death by a fall. The day after, she gave birth to twinsons, not long to live on earth. In December and May following they were taken to the paradise above. These trials and deliverances were sanctified. They led her to God. With true contrition of soul, she sought and found mercy. She often referred to the Divine goodness in rescuing her from sudden death; saying, "What a God of mercy! Had I died then, I must have been a lost soul. What a monument of mercy am I! How full of compassion is God! How 'slow to anger,' and 'not willing that any should perish,' or I should have perished in my,sins!" The gratitude that now welled from her heart found expression SHE LIVED CHRISTIANITY." in vocal music. Blessed with a voice of both compass and sweetness, she delighted in songs of praise. During her last few years she aspired to a higher walk in the Divine life. Her soul yearned to be conformed to Christ,—to be holy in all manner of conversation;” because it is written, "Be ye holy; for I am holy." To attain this, she watched, and wept, and prayed, and read and heard God's word. She looked not for a flood-tide of irresistible and unsought grace to descend and hallow her soul. Hence she sought to "work out her own salvation with fear and trembling" to "add to her faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." Her creed she wished to embody in her every-day obedience. There was no parade, but a meek, retiring, unobtrusive spirit of piety pervading her whole life. The broad line of demarcation between the church and the world she steadily observed. While she had much in common with others, there were evident traces of Divine grace subduing the corruption of the heart, governing the tongue, curbing the temper, and prompting the heart and hand to love and good works. If the tree is to be known by its fruits, and the fountain by its streams, then did this christian woman attain a state of holiness not generally realized. Her spirit had been subdued and sanctified: Behold," said her faithful Lord, "I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Within a few years she saw seven of her children sicken and die; of whom it may be said, that they sleep in Jesus." The last of the seven was a daughter of more than ordinary promise. When her education was nearly completed, the cold hand of death was laid upon her. She received the message with calmness. She often said, "Death has no sting to me. I have no desire to live, but to serve Christ.” Just before she passed to the spirit-world, she said, "O, how sweet is the love of God to my soul!" Then, addressing her friends, she added, "And what love I feel to you all! Tell my brother J how I long for his salvation. Give him my dying love. I hope he will meet me in heaven." Soon after, she put forth another effort to speak: "I want one promise from you all. It is my last request. Meet-me-in-heaven." Her head reclined on the bosom of her parent; and her spirit gently passed into the presence of her Maker, May 17th, 1855. 66 |