the berries are gone?" said the tortoise, actually teased at not being able to frighten the robin out of his singing propensities.

Nay, but if it comes to supposing,” exclaimed robin, "I shall suppose it won't, and so I shall be happy still."

"But I say it may happen," shouted the tortoise.

"And I ask, will it ?" rejoined the robin. "Which you know I cannot answer," retorted the tortoise. "Nobody knows exactly about the weather or the berries beforehand."

"Then let nobody trouble himself beforehand," said the robin.

Puzzles

MRS. GATTY.

THE answer to the first puzzle in the October number is,- "One." Some of our young friends made the number to be several millions. Let such carefully look the question through again.

The answer to the second is,-4163 gooseberries.

The following have answered both correctly,Richard Moore, F. E. Chester, W. E. Beckett, H. J. Gibbs, J. T. Dawson, W. Crozier, T. W. Storey, A. Soothill, W. H. Whitworth, J. Greenwood, H. Wardleworth, J. W. Stephens, H. Ostler, R. J. Wakefield, T. E. Wakefield, G. H. Andrews, Ann Chippendale, H. LI Snape, J. W. Curra, F. A. Carver, M. A. Ormerod, James Brown, A. Thackray, F. Hedley, T. Moorhouse, R. Fletcher, A. H. Low, T. Smith, R. W. Bennett, E. Henderson, J. K. Wolstenholmə, C. Taylor, Mary Lord, W. Lord, John Lord, Walter Rushworth, Mary E. Butterworth.

The following have answered one correctly,Lillie Elstob, Alice. M. Cozens-Hardy, T. Quick, Mary Hoyle, Alice Kirk, W. Smethurst,

R. Wyld, Florence Sharpley, C. J. Townend, Helena Townend, J. Clegg, T. Fielding, J. Wyatt, H. Redley, W. S. Gibson, A. Brooke, A. Pickering, A. Halmshaw, George Hepper, Oliver Dixon, M. B. Wyld, E. J. Mills, R. W. Linton, F. L. Garry, Willis Briggs, M. E. Ingham, Polly Charlesworth, James Richards, M. J. Cornthwaite, W. Hardman, H. Weddell, S. E. Barrat, J. E. Stinart, A. Weddell, E. Garlick, E. Ratcliffe, W. Newbold.

I.

How can you prove that there must have been two trees in Scotland, which had last summer precisely the same number of leaves?

II.

Two men set out on a journey, the one at half-past 9 o'clock, and walking at the rate of 3 miles an hour; the other started at quarterpast 10 o'clock, and walked at the rate of 4 miles an hour. How long time will it be, before the second overtakes the first?

The fifth line in the first puzzle for November, should read, "two maidens with their two brothers."

Communications for the Editor to be addressed Mr. M. MILLER, 4, Mountfort Crescent, Barnsbury Square, London, N.

London:-T. NEWTON,

119, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street.

J. H. ADAMS. Printer, 7, Wilderness Row, London.

A

T this season of the year friends are wont to wish each other "A Happy New Year." It is a very good custom. We wish the readers of the HIVE, and there are many thousands of them, "A Happy New Year." But what is much better than the good wishes of our friends is, that God wishes us "A Happy New Year." God wants us to be happy all the year through. His thoughts concerning us are full of mercy and love.

But although we have wished each other a happy New Year, and although God has wished us the same blessing, yet it does not follow that we shall have a happy New Year. Many persons seek for happiness where it does not exist, and therefore where it cannot be found.

There are some, for example, who seek for their happiness in making a deal of money. But money of itself will make no one happy. There are some children who think that finery in dress will make them happy. Others think that jewels and diamonds would make them very happy; but this is a mistake. It is said that the Emperor of Russia, not long ago, gave £90,000 for a diamond, about the size of a pigeon's egg. Now suppose a girl, who reads the HIVE, could have this diamond set in a fine brooch, and she was permitted to wear it every Sunday, do you suppose that this would make the year happy? Surely not. It is foolish to suppose that our happiness is determined by a few bits of stone, no larger than peas. One of our English Queens told Miss Burney how well she liked at first her jewels and ornaments. "But how soon," said she, 66 was that over! Believe me, Miss Burney, it is a pleasure of a week, a fortnight at most, and to return no more! I thought at first I should always choose to wear them, but the fatigue and trouble of putting them on, and the care

they required, and the fear of losing them, believe me, ma'am, in a fortnight's time I longed again for my own earlier dress, and wished never to see them more." Then let not the girls suppose that fine dresses, and rings, and brooches, bring happiness. Look what a happy face the girl has in our first picture for the present month. She earns her living by selling brooms, and is as blithe as a bird. 'Tis true she has earrings, but it would be very silly to suppose that these have anything to do with her happiness. They are only of a common sort, made at Birmingham, but if they were the finest in the world, they would not make her one whit happier. Others seek their happiness in pleasure, but the poet tells us that—

"Pleasures are like poppies spread,

You seize the flower, its bloom is shed!
Or like the snow-fall in the river,
A moment white-then melts for ever;
Or like the borealis race,

That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the rainbow's lovely form,
Evanishing amid the storm."

men.

This is very true. The men of pleasure have been amongst the most miserable of If we wish to be happy we must be good; and to be good we must love and serve God. Good Matthew Henry, when he was dying, said: "You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men. This is mine, that a life spent in the service of God and communion with Him is the most pleasant and comfortable life that anyone can live in this world." Tens of thousands of men could say the same. Then if our young friends wish to have a happy New Year, they must ask God to help them to be good, and then the days will pass pleasantly along.