To put away Faults.

TO PUT AWAY FAULTS.

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ONE day I was watching a great Newfoundland dog. He had been told by his master to fetch him a basket of tools that the gardener had left in the shed. The great dog went to obey his young master. He took hold of the basket with his mouth, but he could not lift it. What did he do? Give it up? No, never! One by one he took the things out of the basket and carried them to his master.

One by one! That is what we must try to do with our faults. Try and get rid of them one by one. Jesus knows how hard it is for you to do this, and so he has given you a word that will help you to do it, and that word is, 'To-day.'

I will show you how. Take one fault--we will call it bad temperand in the morning when you get out of bed ask God, for Christ's sake, to help you 'to-day' to overcome that bad temper. Perhaps, by-and-bye, something will begin to make you feel angry; then remember your prayers and try and drive away the angry feeling, and say, 'Not to-day.'

If you have learned any bad, wicked words, like some poor children in the streets, who do not know any better, then ask God, for Christ's sake, to help you to-day; then, when you are tempted to do so, remember, 'Not to-day; I will not say any wicked words to-day.'

And do the same with all your faults. Take them one by one, and try for one whole day not to give way to them. It will come easier then.-Guiding Star.

A SPIDER AND TOAD.

A CORRESPONDENT of Science Gossip relates the following: One day, as a friend of mine was standing in a farm-yard, he observed a toad attempting to enter a barn by crawling beneath the door, and when in the act a spider descended the door and alighted on the toad's back, which it apparently bit. The spider then ascended the door, and the toad retraced his steps to a plant, the Waytre' (plantago major) which grew a few feet distant, and partook a little of its leaf. He then made a second attempt to enter the barn, but was pounced upon by the spider as before, and again resorted to the 'waytre.' After nipping its leaves, he made a third attempt to get beneath the door, but his wary enemy made another successful charge. The toad retreated again to where the plant grew, but in the meantime my friend had removed it, much to the apparent disappointment of the sufferer. The toad, when it could not find the plant, immediately sank upon its belly, its body began to swell, and within an hour it died.

I AM COMING.

1.

I hear thy welcome voice That calls me, Lord, to thee, For 2. Though coming weak and vile, Thou dost my strength assure; Thou

Wash me, cleanse me, in the blood That flowed on Cal-va-ry.

'Tis Jesus calls me on,

To perfect faith and love;
To perfect hope, and peace, and trust,
For earth and heaven above.

"Tis Jesus who confirms

The blessed work within,

By adding grace to welcomed grace.
Where reigned the power of sin.

And he the witness gives
To loyal hearts and free,
That every promise is fulfilled,
If faith but brings the plea.

All hail, atoning blood!
All hail, redeeming grace!
All hail, the gift of Christ, our Lord,

Our strength and righteousness.

A TOUCHING STORY.

E had been missing from the 'Potomac' for several days, and Cleveland Tom, Port Huron Bill, Tall Chicago, and the rest of the boys, who were wont to get drunk with him,,could not make out what had happened. They had not heard that there was a warrant out for him, had never known of his being sick for a day, and his absence from the old haunts puzzled them. They were in the Hole in the-Wall saloon the other day, nearly a dozen of them, drinking, smoking, and playing cards, when in walked Ugly Sam.

There was a deep silence for a few moments as they looked at him. Sam had a new hat, had been shaved clean, had on a clean collar and a white shirt, and they did not know him at first. When they saw that it was Ugly Sam, they uttered a shout and leaped up.

'Cave in that hat!' cried one.

'Yank that collar off!' shouted another.

'Let's roll him on the floor!' screamed a third.

There was something in his look and bearing which made them hesitate. The whisky red had almost faded from his face, and he looked sober and dignified. His features expressed disgust and contempt as he looked around the room, and then revealed pity as his eyes fell npon the red eyes and bloated faces of the crowd before him.

་

'Why, what ails ye, Sam ?' inquired Tall Chicago, as they all stood there.

'I've come down to bid you good-bye, boys!' he replied, removing his hat, and drawing a clean handkerchief from his pocket.

'What! Hev ye turned preacher ?' they shouted in chorus.

'Boys, ye know I can whip any of ye, but I hain't on the fight any more, and I've put down the last drop of whisky which is ever to go into my mouth! I've switched off. I've taken an oath. I'm going to be decent.'

'Sam, be you crazy?' asked Port Huron Bill, coming nearer to him.

'I've come down here to tell ye all about it,' answered Sam. 'Move the cha'rs back a little and give me room. Ye all know I've been rough, and more too. I've been a drinker, a fighter, a gambler, and a loafer. I can't look back and remember when I've earned an honest dollar. The police hev chased me around like a wolf, and I've been in jail and the workhouse, and the papers has said that Ugly Sam was the terror of the Potomac. Ye all know this, boys, but ye didn't know 1 had an old mother.'

The faces of the crowd expressed amazement.

'I never mentioned it to any of ye, for I was neglecting her,' he went on. She was a poor old woman, living up here in the alley, and if the neighbours hadn't helped her to fuel and food, she'd have been found dead long ago. I never helped her to a cent-didn't see her for weeks and weeks, and I used to feel mean about it. When a fellow goes back on his old mother he's a gittin' purty low, and I know it. Well, she's dead-buried yesterday! I was up there afore she died. She sent for me by Pete, and when I got there I seen it was all day with her.'

'Did she say anything ?' asked one of the boys, as Sam hesitated. 'That's what ails me now,' he went on. 'When I went in she reached out her hand to me, and, says she, "Samuel, I'm going to die, and I know'd you'd want to see me afore I passed away!" I sat down, feeling queer like. She didn't go on and say as how I was a loafer, and had neglected her, and all that; but, says she, “Samuel, you'll be all alone when I'm gone. I've tried to be a good mother to you, and have prayed hundreds o' nights, and cried about you until my old heart was sore!" Some of the neighbours had dropped in, and the women were crying, and I tell you I felt weak.'

He paused a moment, and then continued:

'And the old woman said she'd like to kiss me afore death came, aud that broke me right down. She kept hold of my hand, and by-andbye she whispered: "Samuel, you are throwing your life away. You've got it in you to be man, if you'll only make up your mind. I hate to die and feel that my only son and the last of our family may go to the gallows. If I had your promise that you'd turn over a new leaf, and try and be good, it seems as if I'd die easier. Won't you promise me, my son ?" And I promised her, boys, and that's what

The Conquering Power of Kindness.

199

ails me! She died, holding my hand, and I promised to quit the low business, and to go to work. I came down to tell ye, and now you won't see me on the Potomac again. I've bought an axe, and am going up in Canada to winter.'

There was a dead silence for a moment, and then he said:

'Well, boys, I'll shake hands with ye all around afore I go. Goodbye, Pete-good-bye Jack-Tom-Jim. I hope ye won't fling any bricks at me, and I shan't never fling at any of ye. It's a dying promise, ye see, and I'll keep it if it takes a right arm.'

The men looked reflectively at each other after he had passed out, and it was a long time before any one spoke. Then Tall Chicago flung his clay pipe into corner, and said:

'No man can say Ugly Sam's head isn't level!'

'That's so!' repeated the others.-Detroit Free Press.

THE CONQUERING POWER OF KINDNESS.

ATTENDING a school in the United States was a boy who was very disobedient, wilful and unruly. Various attempts were made to reform him, but each seemed to fail. Each fresh effort hopefully begun appeared to make him worse; hope was inclined to die, success with him seemed more and more unlikely and remote. The school did not like to expel him. This appeared cruel, and likely to make his reclamation a life-long improbability; yet his influence was an injury to the whole school-counteracting the good impressions made and encouraging the bad. Expulsion must be the ultimate course after repeated and varied attempts to reform him were tried, and no other alternative remained. In the school was a teacher famous for leading his scholars to Jesus. His ability as a teacher was evidenced by his success-by the love the scholars bore him, and the good he taught them. This teacher was requested to admit this incorrigible boy into his class. It was with extreme diffidence, after repeated requests, that he complied. He felt his own insufficiency, and he knew the responsibility which would rest upon him as the teacher of that boy should he enter his class. The boy soon manifested his rudeness and unruliness and his dislike of restraint. At last the teacher thought of an expedient—he would talk to him alone. So he said to him,