ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. could give him. I myself lately saw a piece which did me great and outrageous wrong. So I sat down and wrote six practical pieces for the press, and let the thing pass. I found this the best way of keeping my temper. I think it more likely to give me a fair name with good people than those everlasting defences." A PRIZE FOUND BY READING A BIBLE.-The following was published in French newspapers: A poor shepherd of the environs of Yvetot, father of a large family, for whose wants he provided with very great difficulty, purchased last summer from a dealer in old furniture, an old Bible, with a view to occupy his leisure evenings during the present winter. Sunday evening, as he was turning over the leaves, he noticed that several of them were pasted together. He immediately set himself to work to separate those leaves with great care; but one can scarcely form a conception of the surprise of the man, when he found thus carefully enclosed a bank bill of five hundred francs. On the margin of one of the pages were written these words:-"I gathered together this money with very great difficulty; but having none as natural heirs but those who have absolutely need of nothing, I make thee, whoever shall read this Bible my heir." A TRACT IN THE SOLE OF A SHOE.-A man having received a tract, used it in filling up the space between the inner and the outer sole of a shoe. Sometime afterwards another man of the same business, sat down on a sabbath morning to put a new sole to that shoe; but when he had cut away the old leather he saw the tract, and his attention was instantly arrested by its title, "Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy." It was an arrow from the quiver of the Almighty. The work was immediately laid aside, and the man hastened to the house of God; his soul was troubled, nor could he find rest until he found it at the cross of Christ. EITHER CHRIST WAS AN IMPOSTOR, OR HE WAS NOT.-If he was an impostor, we have the inconceivable phenomenon of a base man practising virtue, self-denial, charity, forgiveness of injuries through his whole life, in scourging, contumely, and even crucifixion. Is it philosophical to suppose that a bad man would take so much pains to make men good? But if he was not an impostor, then he has told the truth, and we must believe him. SIMPLICITY. HOW admirable, says Racine, is the siimplicity of the Evangelists! They never speak injuriously of the enemies of Jesus Christ, of his judges, nor of his executioners. They report the facts without a single reflection. They comment neither on their Master's mildness when he was smitten, nor on his constancy in the hour of ignominious death, which they thus describe,—" and they crucified Jesus." THE FIRESIDE. The Fireside. BRINGING HOME THE WAGES.-My husband is a wheelwright, and always earns his guinea a week; he was a good workman, but the love of drink was so strong in him, that it wasn't often he brought me more than five shillings out of his guinea on a Saturday night, and it broke my heart to see the children too ragged to send to school, to say nothing of the starved look they had, out of the little I could give them. Well, God be praised, he took the pledge, and the next Sunday he laid twenty-one shillings upon the chair you sit upon! Oh, didn't I give thanks upon my bended knees that night! Still I was fearful it would not last, and I spent no more than the five shillings I used to, saying to myself, May be the money will be more wanted than it is now! Well, the next week he brought me the same, and the next, and the next, until eight weeks had passed; and, glory to God, there was no change for the bad in my husband! and all the while he never asked me why there was nothing better for him out of his earnings. So I felt there was no fear for him, and the ninth week, when he came home to me, I had this table and these six chairs, one for myself, four for the children, and one for him; and I was dressed in a new gown, and the children all had new clothes and shoes and stockings, and upon his chair I put a bran new suit, and upon his plate, I put the bill and receipt for them all, just the eight sixteen shillings, the cost that I'd saved out of his wages. And he cried, good lady and gentleman, he cried like a baby, but 'twas with thanks to God; and now where's a healthier man than my husband in the whole county of Cork, or a happier wife than myself, or decenter or better fed children than my own? From "The Happy Home." MY OWN HUMBLE HOME. 'Tis a sacred spot,—there's a charm in the name, To me, as the joys of "my own humble home." Which the pilgrim on earth may claim as his own, THE PENNY POST. The Penny Post. THE VILLAGE UPROAR, OR, THE RINGING PARSON. BY A VILLAGE SHOEMAKER. [We give insertion to the following lines, as we know such scenes have taken place in our villages, and we know the writer well.] SOME time ago a Parish Priest, Whose piety, O who could doubt it, Perform'd a part, to say the least, For which all honest men would pout it. My tale, though strange it may appear, Is true; and there's no fiction in it: I witness'd all, for I was there, And saw the Parish Priest begin it. I do not mean to tell his name, For some would say, "that is too bad;" Though friends and foes all cried him shame, To act a part so mean and sad. But now, to tell my simple tale A Preacher came to warn the people; But sure he must deserve a jail, For he had left both church and steeple. He there stood up quite undismayed, Beneath the canopy of heaven, Gave out a hymn, and sung, and prayed, Just as the village clock struck seven. But scarcely had he named his text, Ere our "suscessor apostolic" Came up with anger sorely vext, Looking as if he had the colick. "Thou heretic! and wilt thou now Thus make schismatics of my people? Begone! or thou shalt rue, I vow, By holy mother-church and steeple." "Now, sir, just stay," said this good man, "My doctrine is not what you deem it; I teach the simple gospel plan, And beg poor sinners to receive it." But now, instead of being moved, This only seemed more to excite him, And though it could not well be prov'd, He looked as if he fain would fight him. But still unmov'd the Preacher stood, And begg'd him to restrain his railing, As it would do more harm than good, And all his threats were unavailing. For good intent, he said, he came, Nor should he leave for his contentions; The Priest then turn'd and hasten'd home, And brought a bell of large dimensions; And which, to drown the preacher's voice, He rang, till he could ring no longer; Then of his Clerk he next made choice, As he for ringing was much stronger. But still unmov'd the Preacher stood; Till he had tired Clerk and Parson, Who then hir'd fellows base and lewd To carry this disgraceful farce on; And said, if they would ring awhile, And drive this schism-making ranter, He would reward them for their toil, And pay them without bate or banter. So they, encourag'd by their Priest, Declared that they would never yield, Till they had conquer'd-or at least, Until the preacher left the field. And zealously, with all their power, They rang by turns the Parson's bell, Till it drew near the midnight hour, And for miles round its deep notes fell. And many came to know the cause But said he had disgraced his order. Now, to be short, and 'tis no joke, The handle of the bell gave way; And when it quite asunder broke, Then off they slunk in sad dismay. Now, said the Preacher, it is plain That victory is on our side; And though this night has caused us pain, We'll sing a hymn, and then divide. Fie! England's church, to own such men As of apostolic succession; Fie! mother church, I say again, Though it may be a slight digression. And when I write another song, I hope to write of something better; Though truth cannot be very wrongAnd this is truth in every letter. S. S. FACTS, HINTS, AND GEMS. Facts, Hints, and Gems. Facts. FACTS OF AFRICAN SLAVERY. WAR never ceases in Africa: seventeen thousand barrels of powder, and an immense amount of firearms, are supplied every year to African chiefs, that they may attack towns, lay them waste, and seize the inhabitants to sell them for slaves VILLAGES are often pounced upon at night; are set fire to. Old men, women, and children, are murdered, and the young are carried off into perpetual SLAVERY. MEN who live peaceably in their own land, in their own homes, men who have their fathers and mothers, their wives and children, happy husband. It adds a charm to beauty, it decorates the face of the deformed, and makes a lovely woman resemble an angel in paradise. SPARE MOMENTS.-Spare moments are the gold dust of time; and Young was writing a true as well as a striking line, when he mountain, and moments make the taught that "sands make the year." Of all the portions of our life, spare moments are the most fruitful in good or evil. They are the gaps through which temptations den of the soul. find the easiest access to the gar A SAFE INVESTMENT.-Dr. Frank. around them, are torn away sudlin, speaking of education, says, “If denly from all that is dear to them a man empties his purse into his -their children, their parents him. An investment in knowledge head, no man can take it away from their wives are often murdered before their eyes. FREE-BORN MEN are fettered, and chained, and are driven from the interior to the western coast. They are hurried along with the fier est cruelty: on the march they are flogged and tortured, and when they can go on no further, they are left to die of hunger and thirst, or are murdered. THE CAPTAINS AND AGENTS of the ships buy young men as we buy cattle at a fair. Hints. A SMILE.-Who can tell the value of a smile? It costs the giver nothing, but is beyond price to the erring and relenting, the sad and cheerless, the lost and forsaken. It disarms malice, subdues temper, turns hatred to love, revenge to kindness, and paves the darkest paths with gems of sunlight. A smile on the brow betrays a kind heart, a pleasant friend, an affectionate brother, a dutiful son, a always pays the best interest." EFFECTS OF WEALTH.-He is a great simpleton who imagines that the chief power of wealth is to In ninety-nine cases supply wants. out of a hundred, it creates more wants than it supplies. THE HEAVIEST TAXES.-"The Franklin on one occasion," and if taxes are indeed heavy," said Dr. those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly: and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease.or deliver us, by allowing any abatement." Yes and the old American Philosopher might have added, the tax which men and women pay when they are always pouring an enemy down their throats to steal away their brains. Gems. FACTS, HINTS, AND GEMS. HEAVEN.-To be in Christ is heaven below, and to be with Christ is heaven above. SOME STRANGELY THINK they place God under an obligation to them when they engage in religious services, as if the sun was ever our debtor because we drew light and heat from it, or the fountain because we refreshed ourselves with its waters. TEMPTATION. He that runs from temptation is in a very different position from him who runs to meet it: for the first there is a refuge, but none for the latter. PASTORS.-How awful the responsibility of pastors! How important that they should be sound in the faith! There is no more certain way of destroying the inhabitants of a town than by poisoning the public fountains whence their water comes. CONSCIENCE.-) -If our conscience be as a thousand witnesses, surely the all-seeing God is as a thousand consciences. A GOOD ACTION.-Three things enter into its composition:-these are, a right principle, a right rule, and a right end. The right principle is the Love of God. Brief Poetic Selections. A HUMBLE HEART. IF Heaven bestowed the power to raise I would not ask for length of days- LOVE CANNOT DIE. THE rose shall cease to blow, The world shall cease to move, ON DOING GOOD OR ILL. Do good in pain-pleasure in it you'll find; The pain's soon past-the good remains behind. Do ill with pleasure-this you've for your pains; The pleasure passes soon-the ill remains. SATAN, A ROARING LION. THE Scriptures tell that this foul fiend, In search of whom he may devour! GO TO JESUS. WHEN annoy'd by sin or sorrow, To the throne of grace repair; Know thy Jesus sits in mercy, On that throne to answer prayer: A THOUGHTFUL MAN said "I Go and tell him, never trusted God but I found him All thy sorrow grief and care. faithful, or my own heart but I found it false. THE GREAT GOD has two dwellingplaces the highest heaven and the humble heart. OUR CROSS.It is a comfort that if our cross be heavy we have not far to bear it. SIN has brought many a believer into suffering, and suffering has kept many a believer from sinning. WE ARE ALL TRAVELLERS in the road which leads to heaven, or in that which leads to hell. I ought to ask, in which am I going now? DEVOTION. BE all my heart, be all my days, SIN. MAN-like it is to fall into sin, TRUTH. DID we but in the holy light Of truth and goodness rise, |