Battle between a Tiger and an Alligator.

265

Dear little reader, were you ever guilty of telling or acting a lie ? If so, then ask pardon from your heavenly Father for breaking his holy and remember that, although you are forgiven, yet every sin

law;

leaves a scar.

BATTLE BETWEEN A TIGER AND AN ALLIGATOR. In the quietude of our own happy England we can form but little idea of many scenes of excitement which take place in the hot eastern climes. The engraving on page 266 gives a pretty correct idea of a battle which took place some time since between two mighty antagonists. The tiger is the most formidable and cruel of all quadrupeds. He is bloodthirsty and malevolent. The average size of a tiger may be stated as about eight feet from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail. Tho alligator often measures about seventeen or eighteen feet, and is also of prodigious strength. The following account is from the Missionary News :

It was twelve o'clock in the morning when the mission vessel was lying at anchor. Beautiful woods skirted the river, forming a vista of several miles in length. About one hundred yards from the vessel an alligator was seen crawling slowly out of the water. At length it lay quietly enjoying its noontide sleep in the rays of the sun.

In about half an hour an immense tiger made its appearance. It was seen, with the most cautious pace imaginable, approaching the alligator. Its broad face and fierce eyes were turned towards the vessel, and made the missionaries tremble to think of encountering such a foe. When he had come within the power of his leap, the tiger bounded from the earth, descended upon the alligator's back, and then seized it by its throat. The monster of the deep, roused from its slumber, opened its tremendous jaws and lashed its terrific tail. Each seemed to exert its utmost strength. The saw-like tail of the alligator inflicted some severe blows on the noble beast of the forest. But the battle was soon concluded; the alligator was conquered. The tiger then shook his brawny side and seemed unconscious of pain. He then dragged the alligator a little further from the shore, and sat over it like a cat over a captive mouse. Then he took the creature in his mouth, and walked off with it to the jungle.

In about ten minutes the tiger emerged from the forest, gazed at the missionaries for a few minutes, and then turned away to his prey. The lives of the missionaries were preserved.

man.

ABDALLAH, THE MARTYR.

THE battle between the tiger and the alligator shows the cruelty of beasts. The following tale of martyrdom illustrates the cruelty of And how strikingly do such accounts prove to us the necessity of sending the gospel to those parts of the world where it is unknown, and also the necessity of maintaining the gospel at home, for were it not for its influence we should soon have scenes of equal cruelty displayed in our midst to an alarming extent. The country, where the following incident occured, is Bokhara, which lies north-west of our Indian possessions.

Abdallah, the martyr, had been a Mohammedan, and had visited the Prophet's tomb. He was an officer under the King of Cabul, where he perused a Bible belonging to an Armenian. This was the means of his conversion. But in Cabul it was death for a man of rank to become a Christian. He therefore filed to Bokhara. His friend Sabat followed him. They met in the street; Abdallah threw himself at his feet, confessed his faith, and begged for his life. But Sabat had no pity. He was seized and delivered to the king; was sentenced to die, but was offered his life if he would deny Christ. 'No,' said he, 'I cannot deny Christ.' Then one of his hands was cut off. But he stood firm. A physician, by desire of the king, offered to cure the wound if he would recant. He made no answer, but looked to heaven with streaming eyes, then looked forgivingly upon his friend. His other hand was then cut off. But he remained firm, and when his neck received the stroke, and his headless body fell, all Bokhara seemed to say, 'What new thing is this?'

RESOLUTIONS FOR A HOLY LIFE.

I resolve by the help of God the Holy Spirit

1. To seek forgiveness of past unfaithfulness through the infinite merit of my Redeemer's death-to realise the cleansing power of His blood, and to devote myself afresh to the service of my God and Saviour.

2. To govern my thoughts as well as my words and actions.

3. Constantly to watch and pray against all sin, and to shun the very appearance of evil.

4. To practice self-denial—to make the glory of God my chief concern in all things-and to the end to take Christ as my pattern and example.

5. Every night to examine my heart and to test my conduct through the day by these resolutions, as well as by the word of God and prayer, and every morning to review and renew them on my knees before God.

J. BELL.

CURES POR FITS.

For a Fit of Passion.-Walk out in the open air; you may speak your mind to the winds without hurting any one, or proclaiming yourself a simpleton.

For a Fit of Idleness.-Count the ticking of a clock; do this for one hour, and you will be glad to pull off your coat the next and work like a negro.

For a Fit of Extravagance and Folly.-Go to the workhouse and speak to the inmates of a jail, and you will be convinced

'Who makes his bed of briar and thorn,

Must be content to lie forlorn.'

For a Fit of Ambition.-Go into a church-yard and read the gravestones; they will tell you the end of ambition. The grave will soon be your bedchamber, the earth your pillow, corruption your father, and the worm your mother and sister.

For a Fit of Despondency.-Look on the good things which God has given you in this world, and to those which he has promised his followers in the next. He who goes into his garden to look for cobwebs and spiders, no doubt will find them; while he who looks for a flower may return into his house with one blooming in his bosom.

For all Fits of Doubt, Perplexity, and Fear.-Whether they respect the body or the mind; whether they are a load to the shoulders, the head or the heart, the following is a radical cure which may be relied on, for I had it from the Great Physician: 'Cast thy burden on the Lord, and he will sustain thee.'

For Fits of Repining.-Look about for the halt and the blind, and visit the bedridden, and the afflicted and deranged, and they will make you ashamed of complaining of your lighter afflictions.