of elements was new to him. He turned away and sought the dwellers on the dark tempestuous land. A city reared its massy piles before him. He entered the crowded streets, and passed the portals of one of its stately palaces. It was the hour of mirth; the wine cup sparkled and the song went round. There was light in every eye, and the elastic step was buoyant with exulting mirth. They mingled in the mazes of the giddy dance, in the fulness of thoughtless joy. But the hours passed by, and each turned homeward, and there the seraph sought and found them. But O, how changed! Clouds were on every brow, and every step was languid. Strange that the young and happy have no offer ing to-night for Him, the glorious One, sighed the angel. Yet none of all the throng had aught to offer. He sat him down in weariness, if weariness can fall upon an immortal nature. His eye glanced down the glittering streets, to where a mild light gleamed from a humble casement. He arose and entered the dwelling. There, before a humble bed, a lowly girl was bending, her eyes suffused in tears, while, "God be merciful to me a sinner!"-"Lord Jesus save me, or I am lost for ever!" are the only words he hears, but they are enough. Quicker than thought he ascends, and is again amid the exulting throng that wake the echoes of heaven. The light of his radiant smile was beautiful in the glorylight as he announced the result of his mission. And the heavenly arches rung again with the overflowing of immortal joy, as the angels heard of the bending suppliant at the midnight hour-so true it is that "There is joy in heaven overone sinner that repenteth.”

public carriages between many towns and villages. Some of them were heavy clumsy awkward things, and went jolting along over the loose stones or into the deep ruts of the roads, which were very bad in many places; so that a ride of ten miles in one of these old carts made you feel almost as tired as if you had walked all the way. Since good roads have been made, carts of a neater form have come into use, like that in the picture, more comfortable and easy.

Here is another picture of a new covered carriage invented, we believe, by the French. The top is of wood, and is supported by neat iron pillars. This keeps off the rain or the

sun; and then there are curtains which they can draw all round them if it rains fast. You see it is a light handsome thing, drawn by two horses, and being fixed on springs it runs along very nicely with from twelve to twenty passengers in it. This is a great improvement on the clumsy old carriages once used in France.

And so we go on improving; and as there cannot be railways between every town and village it is a good thing to have our public conveyances between such places as convenient as possible.

FRIENDLY EPISTLES.

To Miss L on her marriage with the Rev. T. L. G.

A few brief years have passed since first I knew

A fragile timid bud come forth to view;
'Tis now a full blown flower; chosen to grace
A well-form'd Garland in another place;-

Oh! may my friend through all her life display
The glory of her Maker day by day;
Then to this Garland join'd, this flower shall be
To more perfection brought than yet we see.

To my Friend on her Birthday.

THIS day, my Thirza, thou art twenty-two;
Thy mercies many and thy trials few;
Calmly so far thy days have seemed to glide,
And yet we know not what may thee betide.
Devote thyself to Him who loves thee best,
Who gave his life for thine to make thee blest;
Trust in his mercy, goodness, power, and love,
Till He transplant thee hence to bloom above.
Barton-under-Needwood.

S. S.

S. S.

THE PIN AND THE NEEDLE.

A PIN and a needle being neighbours in a work basket, and both being idle, began to quarrel as idle folks often do.

PIN. I should like to know what you are good for, and how you expect to get through the world without a head? NEEDLE. What is the use of your head if you have no eye? P. What is the use of an eye if there is always something in it?

N. I am always active, and can go through more work than you can.

P. Yes; but you will not live long.

N. Why not?

P. Because you always have a stitch in your side.

N. You're a poor crooked creature.

P. And you are so proud that you can't bend without breaking your back.

N. I'll pull your head off if you insult me again.

P. I'll pull your eye out if you touch me; remember your life hangs on a single thread. While they were thus conversing, a little girl entered, and beginning to sew, she very soon broke off the needle at the Then she tied the thread around the neck of the pin, and attempting to sow with it, she pulled its head off and threw it into the dirt by the side of the broken needle.

eye.

N. Well, here we are!

P. We have nothing to fight about now; it seems misfortune has brought us both to our senses.

N. A pity we had not come to them sooner.

How much

we resemble human beings, who quarrel about their blessings till they lose them, and never find out that they are brothers till they lie down in the dust together, as we do.

MORE HARVEST SONGS.

GREAT God, as seasons disappear,
And changes mark the rolling year,
Thy favour still doth crown our days,
And we would celebrate thy praise.

The harvest song we would repeat;
Thou givest us the finest wheat;
The joy of harvest we have known:
The praise, O Lord, is all thine own.
Our tables spread, our garners stored,
O give us hearts to bless thee, Lord;
Forbid it, Source of light and love,
That hearts and lives should barren prove.

Another harvest comes apace,

Mature our spirits by thy grace,

That we may calmly meet the blow
Thy sickle gives to lay us low-

That so, when angel reapers come
To gather sheaves to thy blest home,
Our spirits may be borne on high
To thy safe garner in the sky.

GREAT God, let all my tuneful powers
Awake, and sing thy mighty name;
Thy hand revolves my circling hours-
Thy hand, from whence my being came.

Seasons and moons, still rolling round

In beauteous order, speak thy praise;
And years, with smiling mercy crowned,
To thee successive honours raise.