MOTHER'S TURN.-"It is mother's turn to be taken care of now." The speaker was a winsome young girl, whose bright eyes, fresh color, and eager looks told of light-hearted happiness. Just out of school, she had the air of culture, which is an added attrac tion to a blithe young face. It was mother's turn now. Did she know how my heart went out to her for her unselfish words. ens or be they men, it would be well if they would make a note of the narrative aud store it away for future reference. The journey of life has its halts and its turning points, and much depends upon temper and good sense as to how these may be passed over. It would be a pity to miss one's happy destiny by some ugly hooks and crooks of personal disposition, or some false and overdrawn theory of personal prerogative. Far better to strive after unity of aim and harmony of effort, even though there must be a surrender of personal considerations, than to stand on one's dignity, with a sacrifice of both peace and prosperity. After all, it matters but little who rules, provided that government be wise and beneficial, and the reins be held by those who have gotten possession of them by law-down and wrong side out. Lucy goes ful activity. AN OLD BOAT. I passed a boat to-day on the shore That will be launched on the sea no more. Worn and battered-the straight keel bent, Left alone, with no covering, It was shapely once, when the shipwright's hand Had laid each plank the master planned ; And it danced for joy on the curling wave, And it felt the pulse of the well-timed stroke, Oft it has carried home the spoil And often, in summer days it knew Or launched by night on the blinding waves, graves. It is useless now, as it lies on the beach, And none of all it has served in stress, -The Spectator. Too many mothers, in their love of their daughters, entirely overlook the idea that they themselves need recreation. They do without all the easy, pretty and charming things, and say nothing about it: and the daughters do not think there is any self-denial involved. Jenny gets the new dress and mother wears the old one, turned upside on the mountain trip, and mother stays at home and keeps house. Emily is tired of study, and must lie down in the afternoon; but mother, though her back aches, has no time for such an indulgence. Dear girls, take good care of your mothers. Coax them to let you relieve them of some of the harder duties which for years they have patiently borne.Christian Intelligencer. SWISS VALOR. At the battle of Sempach, eleven hundred Swiss herdsmen were arrayed against the whole army of Austria. The Austrians were afraid of nothing but that the Swiss might finally succeed in making their escape. Before the battle the Swiss sung their ancient battle-hymn: "In the midst of life we are in death;" then they fell on their knees and prayed with outstretched arms. "See" exclaimed an Austrian knight, they are already praying for mercy.' "Yes," replied another, who knew them better, "they are praying for mercy, but it is God's mercy, not ours; and what that means we will soon discover." In the subsequent battle the little company of Swiss defeated the whole Austrian army; and even now, whoever speaks of Swiss valor is sure to refer to the battle of Sempach. OUR CABINET. GRANDFATHER'S SPELLING BOOK. 66 We wish somebody would write a song about it that would be as popular as Grandfather's Clock." It is more than ninety years old, and, of course, looks antiquated. Everything looks queer when it gets to be nearly a hundred years old. If you and I should reach that age, it is more than likely that the young folks will consider us very old-fashioned. The book is heavily bound in leather, and is printed on thick paper. In those days one spelling book was often made to serve for a whole family, and, of course, it had to be substantial. There was no such thing as getting a new book every few months. Books and money were too scarce for that. The title is so long that we will not quote it in full. The following is the most important part of it: "A New Guide to the English Tongue, By Thomas Dilworth, Schoolmaster at Wapping, Philadelphia, Printed by James Johnson, 1791." Opposite the title is a portrait of "Thomas Dilworth, Schoolmaster," which looks almost rude enough to have been engraved with a pen-knife. Somebody has added a big pipe, drawn with a pen, so that the school-master appears to be smoking. Possibly this was done by grandfather himself when he was a boy. Boys, in those days, were apt to do some very foolish things. "No man may put off the Law of God. Let us now turn to Appleton's First Reader, which is used in many of our schools. It was printed in 1880, and is beautifully illustrated. Our little girl has just brought it to us at our request, and it is no doubt a favorable specimen of the books used in many of our pri mary schools. On turning to the first lesson intended to be read at sight, we find it introduced by a picture of a rat, standing on his hind legs and holding a hat with one paw and a base-ball bat with the other. The following is the lesson which the child is expected to read: "Is this a rat? This is Mr. Rat, and he has a bat. Has he a hat? He has a hat and a bat." We have no room for extended comment, but do not hesitate to say that, so far as the reading lessons are concerned, we greatly prefer Dilworth to Appleton. The earliest lessons of childhood are sure to linger in the memory, and even in old age there are times when we seem to hear them again like some soft The contents of Dilworth's Spelling Book are of the most varied character. It is, in fact, not only a Primer and Spelling Book, but a Reader and Gram-strain of distant music. It may serve mar, all in one. Probably very few scholars got further than to the end of this book, if indeed they got so far. The author evidently attempted to put too much into a single volume, and as a shield against temptation to consider that "No man can put off the law of God;" it may strengthen the weary heart to exclaim, "My Joy is in God all the day"; but what comfort can it bring the case. Similar errors in naming children are by no means unfrequent. Parents imagine that an extraordinary name will confer a certain distinction upon their offspring, but the reverse is generally A few years ago we heard of a member of the Kansas Legislature whose name was Epaminondas Squash. No doubt his parents imagined that by giving their child the name of a great Greek general they would add dignity to his surname, which is certainly not euphonious, but they only succeeded in rendering it more conspicuous. Would it not have been better to call him John, or Robert, or William? Names are sometimes given to children which become ludicrous when taken in conjunction with their surnames. The eminent New Yorker whose name was Preserved Fish would doubtless have preferred a Christian name like those of ordinary mortals. It is said that a Mr. Frog, of Chester county, named his child Bull, in honor of the Rev. Dr. Levi Bull. He did not observe, until afterwards, that his child had thus become a Bull Frog. For similar reasons alliterative names should be avoided. Peter Piper and Timothy Titmouse will do well enough in meter, but the persons who have to bear such names are sure to dislike them. Hamilton is a very good surname, but Mr. Hannibal Hamilcar Hamilton was not well named. It is not well to name children after living great men, because these so-called great men sometimes become very little before they die. Children who, during the Revolution, were named Benedict Arnold were afterwards regarded as disgraced by Arnold's treason. An eminent New York merchant could never be induced to reveal his Christian name. It was only after his death that it was discovered that he had been named Aaron Burr. It is hardly credible that parents should sometimes make the mistake of giving their children names which properly belong to the opposite sex, but this is certainly sometimes the case. We once knew a man whose name was Venus, and have heard of a girl who was called Virgil. In certain localities girls are not unfrequently named Aquila, though if the parents had turned to the New Testament they might have read all about Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Scripture names are ordinarily safest, though even these must be selected with discrimination. Names taken, for their oddity, from the Jewi-h genealogical tables are sure to prove disappointing. However much such names may have been admired by the ancient Puritans, we would not advise any one to name his child Zurishaddai or Maher-shalalhash-baz. It has been said that the best garments are those which attract attention neither by their splendor nor by their inferiority, but are felt at once to be perfectly suited to the person who wears them. In the same way it may be said that the best names are those which are neither pompous nor hideous-neither too old nor too new-but are of the class that have for several generations been frequently chosen by people of taste and refinement. With all our searching it is probable that we will find no better names than those which have become illustrious in the history of the church. AND oh, to us, dear Lord, SUNDAY-SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. THE RESERVE CORPS. Every superintendent has been trou-needed. bled by the irregularity of teachers. With the best intentions in the world they take charge of classes, but after to promise him that, though they could, or would not become regular teachers, they would act as substitutes whenever needed. Soon their number was increased, until he had as many of these regular substitutes as he had classes in school. Then he assigned each one to a particular cla s; that is, each class, in had the same substitute. This was a case of the teacher's absence, always wards become careless and think it no great matter to absent themselves for an occasional Sunday. Sometimes, too, a teacher becomes sick, and his place necessarily remains unoccupied. Under great gain. No worriment about unsuch circumstances classes must be supstitutes. No substitutes unacquainted supplied classes. No unprepared subPilied as best they can, possibly by a with their classes, and unversed in the Vsitor or by one of the elder scholars, methods and routine of the school. hat the arrangement cannot fail to For it was not long ere, by regular pove unsatisfactory. the weekly teachers' meetings, and repeated practice in the work of teaching in the school, this reserve corps became as efficient in the work, and as interested, as the regu On this subject we find a suggestion, in an article by Rev. J. Max Hark, in a recent number of the Sunday School Times, which we commend to the attention of pastors and Superintendants. After speaking of the troubles caused by the irregularities of teachers, the writer continues:-"Such a state of affairs had for a long time worried a certain superintendent of quite a large and good school. He frequently declared it to be the one thing that troubled him more than all else in his work He has now overcome it, has removed the load of care from his mind, and has improved his school to a wonderful degree He started a reserve corps of teachers; and its snccess solved the difficulty almost at once. He did it thus: By personal solicita tion he persuaded a number of ladies and gentlemen, not connected with the school, to attend his weekly teachers' study meeting. He got them thoroughly interested in the series of lessons. The next time a regular teacher was absent he prevailed upon one of these to take his place that Sunday; and the person rather liked it. He finally succeeded in getting half a dozen of them attendance at lars' themselves." ANCIENT PROVERBS. When Satan wishes to raise a harvest he plants the seeds of pride. The heart is the source, the tongue is the fountain. Heart and tongue are but a span asunder. Even-song and morning praise "I SEND out my children to their daily tasks, surroun led by the hallowed breath of prayer," said a Christian father. So doing he aided them in the struggle against evil. "If my children get angry with each other," said another, "I at once make them all sit down and sing together in unison some pleasant hymn or song; its soothing effect is magical; they forget their little quarrels and go kindly to their sports again."-Christian Intelligencer. LESSON VI. NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. August 6, 1882. THE FRUITLESS TREE.-MARK 11: 12-23. Commit to memory verses 12-14. 12. And on the morrow, when they were | 18. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and come from Bethany, he was hungry: sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. 13. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon; and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not ye'. 14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man cat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. 15. And they came to Jerusalem; and Jesus went to the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16. And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, my house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 19. And when even was come, he went out of the city. 20. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away, 22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, and shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 1. THE UNFRUITFUL TREE WITHERED OUTLINE:{ 2. THE POLLUTED TEMPLE CLEANSED. GOLDEN TEXT: "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." John 15: 8. INSTRUCTION. Verse 12. Morrow-Monday of Passion week. 13. Fig tree** leaves: it usually bears fruit first, then leaves. Time not yet-had not fully come, but it made a show of fruitfulness. 15. Began to cast out; He had done the same nearly three years before; but the evil custom was revived. (Read John 2: 13-19). 16. Through the temple, i. e. ; through the court of the Gentiles. 17. Written; Isaiah 56: 7. 19, Even-Monday evening. 20. Morning-Tuesday. Dried up; the barren must perish. 21. Thou cursedst; Peter says: Jesus had not used the word cursed. 22-23. A lesson on faith. Mountain means any great obstacle, hindrance, difficulty. CATECHISM. Ques. 32. But why art thou called a Chris- | myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to tian? Ans. Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus am partaker of His anointing, that so I may confess His name, and present Him; and also, that with a free and good conscience I may fight against sin and Satan in this life, and afterwards reign with Him eternally, over all creatures. QUESTIONS. Verse 12. When did the events of this lesson take place? What does the hunger of Jesus teach us concerning His nature? 13. Which usually appears first on a fig-tree, leaves or fruit? Did this tree, then, make a profession of fruitfulness? What had it only? 14. What sentence was passed upon the unfruitful tree? What fruits does God expect of those who profess the faith of Christ? (see Galatians 5: 22--26). What nation put forth leaves, but bore no fruit? Is this the case with hypocrites and unfruitful members? 15-16. When, before, had Jesus cleansed the temple? What court of the temple was specially polluted? 17. What is God's house? What do wicked men try to make it? 18-19. What made cowards of His enemies? 20-21. What did Peter say ? 23. What is meant by mountain? Has the faith of Christians already cast down the mountains of idolatry in many lands? What prayer ought we to make? (Lord, increase our faith). LESSON HYMN: “ What shall I render to my God." |