The field lies waste where the useful seed
Should flourish instead of the noisome weed;
A soul cries out from its den of pain,
That God would see in His fold-again;
And, each new day, if thy heart be true,
Will find some Christian work to do.
The ghastly spectres that round thee press
Will yield to an inward joyousness,
And never more thý thoughts will be
On the phantom ships and the moaning sea."

From my dream-bound eyes the mystic sea,
Whose waters verge on Eternity,

The cold, gray rock and the maidens fair,
Of winsome beauty and languid air,
Faded away; the gladsome swells

Of the lamp-lit city's swinging bells

On my senses broke, and the notes of morn
Announced that the glad New Year was born.

RANDOM THOUGHTS.

Some say there is a wrong as well as a right way for doing a thing, but this is a mistake; for that which is called the wrong way is doing something else. There is none but the

right way.

Many persons call that common which is general, and which they understand; and to avoid being common they are apt to talk about things. of which they know nothing.

To become wise and good at once is as impossible as it is to build a house with one stroke of a hammer.

Better people than ourselves we are apt to despise, while worse ones, if there are such, we perhaps feel as if we could pity.

Persons generally use their time, money, and friends, pretty much alike. It takes a body and a mind to make a man. Some people act as if they did not know this.

The greatest folly I know of is for a person to hope to prosper by oppositions and contraries. The less opposition the more speed; and nearly all opposition can be avoided.

People can only deal with little To give up when you are even sure things, and if they accomplish any-of being right, is generally the easiest thing great it is by the accumulation of way, and often the only one by which many of these little ones.

you can conquer an opponent.

HOW JASPER STANDISH WAS BADLY SCARED.

BY DANIEL CONNOLLY.

"Don't b'lieve in 'em, eh? Well, natural. She was a sharp, seriousI do; and I guess you would, too, ef looking little woman, but with a generye knowed as much about 'em."

"Knew as much about them! Why, gracious me, Aunt Jerusha, what can you know about—"

ous fund of kindness under the mantle of severity that seemed to infold her diminutive person. Her niece, Sophia Ann, to whom she habitually did the "Never you mind, Sophia Ann, how injustice of ignoring the remaining porI come to know about 'em, but I do. tion of her name-Summerton-was Not that I ever see one on 'em myself, spending the Christmas holidays with but that don't make no diff'rence. I her, much against her own inclination, b'lieve there is sich things, plenty on for this peculiar old lady's temper and 'em, and I can't never forget that Chris'- manner were not at all attractive to mas night when Jasper Standish come the young; but in filial obedience to runnin' into our house-the old house her parents, who would have indigdown yender, Sophia-scar't a'most nantly repelled the insinuation of being out of his life. He'd been a-comin' mercenary, but who knew that Aunt pooty of'en, Jasper had, not that I Jerusha had some money, and did not ever gev him—but never mind about like to contemplate the possibility of that, dear. It was long before your its going out of the family. Aunt time, and of course ye don't care noth- Jerusha, pinched and somewhat petin' about it."

"But of course I do care a great deal, Aunt Jerusha. Come now, that's a good dear old aunty, tell me who was Jasper Standish, and what was it that scared him, so much."

ulant, and Sophia Summerton, plump, pretty, and pleasant, were sitting before a cheerful hickory fire when the conversation recorded took place.

Aunt Jerusha did not at once respond to her niece's desire for further Aunt Jerusha and her niece were information concerning Jasper Standish sitting by an old-fashioned New Eng- and the cause of his scare, but seemed land farm-house hearth on Christ- absorbed in softening reminiscences; mas Eve, passing the time chatting for her usually grave face became mild about various trifling things, until the and almost tender, while the blooming little aunt, who was much smaller and girl beside her waited eagerly for a reseemed five times older than her bloom-sumption of what she thought must be ing, pretty niece, finally and without an interesting story.

any provocation thereto, suddenly At last, awaking from her reverie, dropped into regions of the super- Aunt Jerusha vigorously attacked the

blazing wood on the hearth, poking all turned quick, and there stood that and punching it violently with the old creetur, lookin' so awful shook that tongs, as though it had offended and she father jumped up and took hold on him were inflicting summary and salutary and made him sit right down by the punishment, and then, settling herself fire, at once. He did'nt say nothin'

once more in her comfortable chair, at fust, and I rec'lect how I was abruptly returned to the point at which wonderin' what could be the matter; the conversation had been dropped. but by'n by he come round a little "Well, then, Sophia Ann, ef ye and 'peared to feel better, seein' real really do care, I'll tell ye all about it. human faces about, and then, when This is Chris'mas Eve, and-let me he'd stopped shakin', and his narves see-yes, it will be forty year to- got nat'ral agen, he up and told us what it was and how it all happened.

morrow night since Jasper was scar't a'most to death."

"But what was it that scared him, Aunt Jerusha? I'm sure it could not have been-"9

"Child, ef ye can't keep still, I shan't tell ye nothing about it. There!"

This threat had the agreeable effect of inducing pretty Sophia Ann to put one arm around Aunt Jerusha's neck and give the displeased and venerable maiden half a dozen rosy kisses; then, with a little coaxing and a promise of no further interruption, the old lady consented to go on.

"In them times, Sophia Ann, folks didn't hev new notions, like nowadays, and wasn't above believin' things jest because school-books said they couldn't be so. It was arter the witch times, consid'rable, but folks was still a-talkin' about them days, when old women was soused and sich for bringin' badness on people that never done 'em any harm, and a story had been goin' round that suthin' strange was happenin' at nights down to Jelliker's Pond, nigh the road from our house to Jasper's, and that Nancy Jelliker, who was drownded ever so many years ago for bewitchery, "Well, as I was sayin', Jasper was 'pearin' down there, floatin' around came in drefful badly scar't, lookin' in the air, and sometimes divin' down a'most as white as the snow that was into the pond and risin' out of it agen, lyin' deep all round, and a-tremblin' as and floatin' and floatin', jest like ef she though all the ague in Tuckertown had was a fish-bird. It was dark that night got into him right there. Father- when Jasper started up the road, walkyour grandfather, Sophia Ann-was in' fast on 'count of the cold, for it was settin' at one side of the fire, and a drefful winter and the snow along the mother was settin' at the other, and road was froze 'most as hard as ice. Jemima, your mother-she wa'nt "Deary me, what a long time it do more'n about ten then-and me was seem since that night! Sophia Ann, a-lookin' at some picture books between ef you stay in this world as long 's I've 'em, when the door opened suddent ben in it, and don't have no husband to and Jasper came in without knockin', make things light and easy and sociawhich 'peared kinder strange, for Jas- ble for you—though indeed some on per had good breedin' anyhow. We l'em don't do that, but quite contrary VOL. X.-3.

-forty year will be a drefful long the old story 'bout Nancy Jelliker, but time when you look back at 'em and pooty soon he buttoned up his coat think how much everything is changed tighter and started on agen, wishin' since you was a young gal, with no the road was shorter, or at least somefrettin' or worry to trouble you, but body with him to make it pleasanter everything fresh and pleasant and travellin'. Somehow or other though, nice, as you are now. My, my, what he couldn't get his mind off Nancy Jela long, long time, to be sure!

liker, and the suddent great cold, and the noise of the trees, and he was beginnin' to feel kinder shook in the narves when he got up to the pond,

as before. Suthin' seemed to come over him, and kinder take away his strength, and when he got to 'bout the middle, where a path run down among the trees, it 'peared to him 's if he'd have to set right down in the snow, he felt so tired like and done up.

"Well, as I was sayin', Jasper started up the road that run by Jelliker's Pond, and was walkin' fast to keep off the cold, and p'raps whistlin' with thick ice all over it, and white for company, for it was dark and snow lyin' all round. A minute before lonesome through the woods in them that, he thought he'd go past the pond times, with no human place between quick, so 's he wouldn't have time to our house and his, 'way down in the see anything, but we ain't always able holler. He was thinkin', too, 'bout the to do what we want to, and Jasper warm fire before him, and picturin' a soon found he couldn't go half as fast pleasant Chris'mas night in our old settin' room, with Jemima and me to talk to, tho' Jemima was only a chit of of a gal, then, and nobody thought he come so often to see her. But bless us, dear, I never wanted him, and when he went away, arter I had told him so, without-but this ain't what I was "While this feelin' was on him, the goin' to tell ye, and-jest throw on air 'peared to light up with a pale, some more wood, Sophia Ann, you're drefful sorter light, and grow colder consid'rable spryer'n I be now. and colder at the same time, and then "It was 'bout a half a mile from the cracklin' among the trees began Jasper's house to the pond, and an-agen and seemed to grow sharper and other good one to our house, and as sharper and come nearer and nearer, till I've jest said, there wan't no human it 'peared to be not more 'n a few yards place between 'em. He didn't see nor hear anything partic'lar till he come nigh the pond, and then it 'peared to him 's if the bare trees standin' up in the snow was shakin' and rattlin' in a peculiar way, and the air 'peared to grow ten times colder, so suddent that he stood still a-wonderin' about it and thinkin' what could make it act like that. It kinder russled him for a minute or so, and made him think on

from where he stood. Then he turned round to see what it was, and the sight he saw that minute made chills run up and down his body like ice. Jasper wan't no coward, I think, but I don't b'lieve no human creetur could stand where he stood and see what he seed without feelin' that he was sinkin' right down into the ground.

"When he turned round, his face was to the path that run down to the

pond, only about twenty yards away, he couldn't hear any sound of a word, and movin' down that path was a lot and tryin' to move her hands that was of people that 'peared to go in pr'ces- tied tight behind, and the women sion, in a drefful solemn, funeral kinder around looked drefful at her and shook way, and Jasper noticed that they left their heads and pointed to the pond. no marks on the snow, which must ha' Some o' the men shook their heads too, been softer there 'n it was on the road. and their heads 'peared so loose that Their dress was strange-sorter old- Jasper 'xpected to see 'em drop off, fashioned, like folks wore 'way back and pointed to the pond jest like the in the witch times, and their faces women, and then a man that acted like had an awful pale look, like faces that if he was a cap'en over 'em made a was dead. They went down the path motion fust to her and then to the pond. two and two, all stern and pow'rful Then two men went for❜ard and took lookin' men, till about twelve on 'em hold on her, and two women come up and had gone, and then arter these came tied suthin' round her feet, and the ciran old woman, with her eyes shinin' cle pointed at the side next the ice, and like stars and her hands tied behind, the men carried that poor old woman and then there come some more men to a high place at the edge and kept alike the fust and arter them a lot o' swingin' her to get ready for a good women that kept lookin' straight on, with anger and malice gleamin' in their drefful pale faces. Sometimes the old woman that had her hands tied would turn her head and look back with an implorin' look, but the other women only raised their long arms and pointed to the pond, and the men 'peared to shake their heads and point the same way. Onct the woman in the middle staggered and fell, but two o' the men behind picked her up and made motions like if they would strike her for fallin', and arter that there was no more motions or stumblin' till they got down to a clear place at the end of the path.

throw. Pooty soon they'd got all the swing they wanted, and then they throwed her 'way out from the edge as far as they could.

"The pond was covered with thick ice, but that didn't 'pear to make no diff'rence at all, for the old woman dropped through like if it was nothin' but water, and jest when she 'peared to sink she gev a drefful shriek that a'most made Jasper fall right down, but the men and women lookin' on didn't seem to mind it a bit. They stood and watched the place awhile, lookin' steady at it, and pointin' with long thin fingers, and by'n by they turned round and came up the path agen, movin' so close to Jasper that he could a'most have touched 'em, and lookin' straight for'ard with drefful starin' eyes, and then went 'way down the road as solemn and silent as death. All that was done didn't take more'n a few minutes, though it seemed's long's

"When they got down there they all spread 'emselves around, sorter in a circle, 'cept the old woman, who had to stay in the middle, and then it 'peared 's though they was talkin' about her and discussin' what they should do. She looked awful scar't, Jasper thought, and kept op'nin' her mouth, like if she was speakin', though a whole night to Jasper standin' there on