IS IT WELL?'

Is it well with the child? 2 Kings iv. 26.

An Address to the children of Union Chapel Sunday School, Southwark, occasioned by the death of Susan F ****, aged Twelve years.

'Converted last, yet first with glory crowned.'

Dear Children,-We have asked the above question concerning a late fellow scholar; and we intend to reply to it by giving a short account of her life and happy death, as gathered from her parents and teacher, from which we leave you to judge whether it is well with her or not.

Susan F was born on the 5th of January, 1832, of parents in the middle order of society, in Southwark, where she lived a peaceable life, and died a happy death. When between six and seven years of age, she was sent by her parents to the British Girls' School, Fair-street, Horsleydown, on the week-day, and was a scholar in Dockhead Sunday school for some time previous to her coming among you.

Susan was admitted into our school, February 11th, 1844. She was a girl of a meek and gentle disposition, and consequently much beloved by her several teachers, especially her late teacher. She was kind and affectionate to her parents, and obeyed their commands in all things. Mark this, dear children, and imitate her. 'Obey your parents,' for 'this is right.' Though naturally of a very cheerful temper, she seldom joined in frivolous amusement with any of her companions; generally preferring to read instruc tive lessons from little books, which she had received at different times as rewards for her good conduct at the Sunday school.

During the severe illness of her mother, which took place about twelve months since, Susan was almost her only attendant, acting in the twofold capacity of nurse and companion. Before the indisposition of her mother, she, with three sisters and a brother, was taken ill with the scarlet fever-one of them died. This violent attack so shook her frame, that she never recovered. The fever having left such a weakness in one of her knees, she was alarmed lest she should become a cripple.

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About the beginning of May last, her knee becoming so much worse, she was obliged to absent herself from the Sunday school, and finally take to her bed. During this time she amused herself by reading a little book, entitled Original Poems,' some lines in which, headed The Little Cripple's Complaint,' seemed to strike her very much. On turning over the leaves of her little volume, when she came to those lines she exclaimed, Oh, mother, these lines are on me.' Her mother being about to leave the room, she said, 'Oh, pray stop, mother, and hear it.' She then read the lines, and on coming to that part, which speaks of the poor little cripple being compelled to use crutches, her mother said, 'But you are not come to that yet, Susan.' She replied, But you know I might, mother.' She did not, however, for she was on her death-bed, and her spirit was about to flee into the mansions of eternal rest.

At this time her teacher visited her, and gives the following interesting account of Susan on her death-bed :

Having enquired of one of the scholars, as to the cause of her absence, I was informed she was slightly indisposed with a bad knee. I therefore called at her home on the following Friday, and to my great surprise, found her labouring under the effects of brain fever, and quite delirious. Her medical attendant at this time considered her past recovery. I called again on the following Sunday evening, and was told she had revived, and had been sensible the whole of the day. When I entered the room, her parents said, 'Susan, here is your teacher.' She made an effort to raise herself in the bed; but being unable, stretched out her feeble arms, and said, 'Dear Teacher, come nearer.' Her countenance, at this moment beamed with joy. She clasped me round the neck, and said, 'God bless you, God bless you, my dear teacher, God bless you.' I then expressed myself exceedingly thankful that the Lord had once more restored to her her senses, so that I might speak to her concerning her soul. said, 'Susan, you are young, but old enough to know that you are a sinner. You have been taught at school that all are born in sin; have you prayed to God to pardon your sins for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the whole world,-died that you might live with him in heaven?' She said, I have been praying all day,' and immediately began to pray with great apparent fervour, saying, Pray God, pardon my sins,-make me a good girl,-and bless me for the sake of Jesus Christ. Oh, blessed, blessed, Jesus Christ!' During this affecting period, the tears rolled down the cheeks of her afflicted parents, as they gazed on the pallid countenance of their dear child. On uttering the last sentence her voice faltered, and she became dreadfully convulsed for some time. On recovering she said, 'Dear father and mother, do not cry. Pray God, bless them; pray God, bless my dear brother and sisters. God bless teacher ! God bless all my kind friends,' naming each of them. She then commenced the Lord's Prayer. When she came to 'thy will be done,' her mother said Oh, Lord, enable us to say, 'thy will be done.' She then said, 'Poor father and mother, come and kiss me.' When they had done so, she said, 'God bless you.' Then complaining of her head, she said, Oh, my poor head, where shall I rest it? where can I lay it?' Where could she rest it but on the bosom of Christ, through whom she alone hoped to be saved?

'Jesus can make a dying bed,
Feel soft as downy pillows are."

Speaking seemed to exhaust her very much, but still she continued to pray. She then repeated parts of Dr. Watts's hymns,

one of which, commencing :

There is beyond the sky,

A heaven of joy and love,

And holy children when they die,

Go to that world above."

After sucking an orange she seemed refreshed, and said,

'And now another day is gone,

I'll sing my Maker's praise;

With many other verses which I cannot now recollect.

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Her parents speaking of the kind visits and prayers offered by Mr. she said, Where is he?' I said, I believed he was at chapel,' to which she replied, God bless him, God bless him.' I then took my leave of her, in doing which, she clasped me round the neck and said, 'God bless you, my dear teacher.' On my promising to see her again the next day, she said, 'Do come early, and stop long with me.' After I had left she gradually grew worse, and lay in shrieking convulsions several hours, but being sensible at intervals continued to pray to the last. As she lay in great agony and groaned bitterly, the nurse said, 'Oh that the Lord would give you rest,'-thinking her insensible at the moment to which she responded aloud, 'Oh, blessed, blessed Jesus Christ, take me to my rest.'

Shortly after, at a few minutes past eight o'clock in the morning, it pleased her heavenly Father to take her to that rest prepared for the children of God, where sickness and sorrow are felt and feared no more, and where all tears shall be wiped from their eyes, and they shall be the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. Thus died Susan F*** May 28th, 1844, at the early age of twelve years and five months, after three weeks' painful illness.

It is well, then, with your companion, for she was a good and pious child. She 'being dead yet speaketh;' and the question sounds forth from her tomb, Fellow-scholars is it well with YOU?' And what is your reply? You are many of you silent. O then, we fear your silence shows that you have not repented that your hearts are not changed-that you have not accepted the offers of mercy made to you by Jesus Christ-that God is not your Father. What would become of you were you to die this moment? Would you see Susan F.? Yes, you would see her but we fear it would be afar off! The voice from her grave says, If you wish to be able to say it is well,' you must prepare to meet your God!' How solemn to meet God! It is a very great thing to look forward to meet friends gone into eternity, and to meet with angels, but to meet God !-to meet him unprepared, is eternal death, to meet him prepared, is eternal life! When like Susan's, your bodies lie in the cold, cold grave, shall we be able to say, It is well-they are gone to be for ever with the Lord?' Will the Saviour welcome each girl or boy, as we believe he did Susan F****, and say—

'Come in, thou happy spirit, come!

Thou now shalt dwell with me at home;
Ye blissful mansions make her room,
For she must stay for ever?'

May this be the case-may we all meet in heaven, and meet to part no more-meet and be clothed in beautiful white robes, and receive a crown of glory; and sing with those that are gone before, Glory, glory, to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever,' who when on earth invited little children to come unto IIim.-Amen.

A CAUTION IN SEASON.

"Thou shalt not steal.'

I was led to the consideration of this subject the other day, by finding a quantity of ripe fruit, which had been stolen and hidden by a Sunday scholar. He had shared his ill-gotten booty' with others. I remonstrated with them; some equivocated, others told positive falsehoods; hence the natural progression of sin in the youthful mind. I regretted the unhappy circumstance, and was led to think that some public notice thereof, suppressing the names of the delinquents, might operate as a salutary caution to others. Now we know, at this season of the year, what a temptation the laden orchards and gardens present to children; and hence in our schools, Sabbath after Sabbath, should we lift up the warning voice before the young ones; and it would render admonition not less efficient if teachers

now and then were to give the children a 'treat' of ripe fruit, at their joint expense. I knew a mother—an anxious mother-regarding the minds and morals of her children; they had to pass the stalls in the market place in their way to the day school, and in the fruit season she was accustomed to give them extra 'pocket pence,' that they might be regaled without the temptation to covet or pilfer. But many of the parents of our Sabbath scholars have not the means of doing this, and, alas, but few of them the disposition. How easy, then, would it be to many teachers to indulge the children of their several classes with a little dessert, occasionally; it could hardly fail to impress the youngsters with the kindness and sincerity of their faithful admonitions on the sin of coveting and stealing. This may seem a novel and fanciful notion to some of our graver brethren; but if only a teacher here and there take it up and act it out, the children of their respective classes will, at all events, have the benefit of enjoying a better share of the good things of this life,' besides the accompanying and befitting instruction. Shall I add that two other Sunday scholars of this place have recently been arrested, imprisoned, tried, and transported (all within three short weeks) for theft: and who knows but their unhappy career began in the garden, the orchard, or the turnip-field? It may not be out of place to notice here, that in some schools where the senior teachers alternately (according to

THE WHITE ANTS' NEST.

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written or printed plan) take the afternoon address, it might be an improvement for each one to have a subject assigned him: thus a useful and engaging variety would be kept up, and the teachers led to give that attention and application which would enable them to do something like justice to their respective subjects; whilst it would protect them against the common evil, of acquiring a rambling method of delivering addresses to children. Now on lists of subjects, the writer would respectfully suggest, for the reasons given, that the eighth commandment should form one Thou shalt not steal? E. R.

To the little ant we are referred by Solomon for lessons of wisdom, industry, and union. Prov. vi., 6; xxv., 30. Our space will not allow us to narrate one half of the interesting and wonderful facts which have been collected concerning this insect. The ant of this country is a truly astonishing creature, but the white ant of tropical climates is far more so. Their houses are five hundred times higher than themselves. Were we to build houses in the same proportion, they would be about fifteen times higher than the Monument in London, or St. Peter's in Rome, The nests represented above are often twelve and twenty feet high, with a vast number of rooms, galleries, apartments, and magazines, for different purposes and of different sizes. Some are shaped like pyramids, others like mushrooms, both admirably fitted to carry off the rain. Part of these edifices is below, and part above ground; thus the ants can regulate the heat, going down stairs when the