brother, and more than once was forced to sit down and rest.

By this time, a turn in the road brought them quite in sight of their home. It was not more than half a mile off, on a little gentlyrising hill just before them. They could see their father's house, and the gardens and orchards which were behind it; even the very doors and windows of the house were to be seen; and, more than this, Felix was almost certain he could see their brothers and sisters on the green lawn before the house. Oh, were they not glad then! They no longer felt that they were tired, or thought of the hot sun that had beat upon them, or the steep hills they had had to climb, or the rain that had wet them. All these things they forgot; even Arthur did not think of his aching head and limbs: but they both began to run as fast as their legs could carry them, and they did not stop until they had quite reached their home.

And then what a happy meeting there was, who cannot but guess? And how happy Felix and Arthur, and their sisters and brothers and parents, were to see each other, all those little boys, and girls too, who have been away from a dear and loved home for five whole months

can tell. One thing we may well believe, that the toils of the long journey that Felix and Arthur had taken, made the rest which they enjoyed when they got home the more sweet. Do you not think so?

CHAPTER XIII.

GRANDMOTHER'S PARABLE EXPLAINED.

GEORGE listened attentively to his grandmother's story; and, when it was finished, he asked, "Is this a true story, grandmother?"

Grandmother. I must not say that it is quite true, though I knew two school-boys who walked home from school, and met with some of the little adventures that I have mentioned. But I have not told it to you as a true story, but as a kind of parable. Do you know what a parable is?

George. Yes, I think I do. It is-it isI cannot quite explain it. But is not the Pilgrim's Progress a kind of parable?

Grandmother. Yes, it is; and a parable is a history made up of the common affairs of life, to teach some important lessons. You know that the Lord Jesus Christ often taught the people in parables.

I am afraid that my parable is not a very simple one; it does not agree together in all its parts; for I was thinking about the real adventures of my own two little boys, when I mixed up other adventures with them. But if you are not tired of hearing me talk, I will tell you a few very important truths, which, when I have told them, my little

history may help you to remember. Would you like to hear them?

George. Yes, if you please, grandmother; I am not tired.

Grandmother. Then, to begin at the beginning, we will suppose that the two little boys, Felix and Arthur, are meant to represent children of God on their way to heaven.

ful.

George. Oh yes; like Christian and Hope

Grandmother. Yes, only there is a little difficulty at the beginning. They, you know, left very wicked cities, to flee from the wrath to come; while Felix and Arthur left their school to go home: and school is a very proper place for little boys. So we must put the school out of the question, and only think of the journey.

The first thing, then, that I have to say is, that it is a good thing to start very early on our journey to heaven. You remember the little verse

"When we devote our youth to God,

"Tis pleasing in his eyes;

A flower, when offered in the bud,
Is no vain sacrifice."

Do you not remember it?

George. Yes, grandmother; I remember my father once repeated it.

Grandmother. I hope my little grandson will not only remember the verse, but do as

the verse says.

You cannot start too early

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on your journey to heaven. The sooner the better; for God says, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." I do not know whether you have already begun this journey or not; but if you have not, oh, how happy we should all be if you were to begin to-day.

The next thing that I wish my story to teach you is, that it is better to go to heaven in company than alone. It would have been a long walk, which Felix and Arthur took, for them to have taken alone; but the company of each other made the road pleasant, and they helped one another. Besides, if they had left another brother behind them, while they were going to their father's house, would it not partly have spoiled the pleasure of the walk? My little boy, we ought not to be contented with going to heaven alone. We should try to take every one with us that we come near, especially our own dear friends. Will you think of this, and not only seek to be in the way to heaven yourself, but also to take your little sisters with you too?

Then the two little boys I told you about, had to walk home. Their father could have sent a carriage for them, if he had chosen, and thus have saved them the trouble of walking, as well as have kept them from straying from the right road. And so, if our heavenly Father pleased, he could take his children to heaven without any trials and

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troubles in this life; but he generally sees fit that we should walk to heaven-not ride there. He says, "Through much tribulation ye must enter the kingdom."

"We walk a narrow path and rough,
And we are tired and weak;

But we shall soon have strength enough,
In that bright land we seek."

But though we have to walk such a rough path, we know that our dear Saviour has trodden it before; and that he is always near to help us.

You recollect that I said how very pleasant everything seemed when Felix and Arthur first started on their journey. So it is when Christians first begin their journey to heaven. They find that the ways they are taking are indeed "ways of pleasantness," and the paths, "paths of peace," although they may also be sometimes narrow and rough.

Well, what shall I say about the hill which our two little travellers had to climb, and the happy prospect they had from the top of it? Why, I think we may say that the hill is like some of the troubles which good people experience on the road to heaven, and which lift them so high above the common world, as to make their own dear home in heaven visible to them; that is, when they look for it with the eye of faith. Then they can say, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding