unseemly." True he calls it charity; but where shall we find anything to equal it as a guide, even in what we term good manners ? The true secret, indeed, of all politeness, is to be found in the Christian maxims: do to another as you would be done by; and always prefer another to yourself. Politeness in order to be easy must be habitual. It cannot be donned and doffed as readily as Goldsmith's Chinese philosopher said an English fine lady could put on and off her company face, made up of patches, paint, and smiles. Like a fine dress, fine marners, to be pleasing, must not occupy constantly the thoughts, but must be borne about unconsciously, as if "part and parcel of the owner."

MEMOIRS.

JOHN NELSON.

JOHN NELSON was a scholar in our Sunday-school from childhood until his death, when he was over seventeen years of age. His parents, and three surviving brothers and sister, are members of our church. John was a good son, obeying his parents, delighting in home, and doing his part to make it happy. He was a kind brother, and was much beloved by his companions, who showed their affection for him during his last illness, by visiting him regularly, and praying and singing with him in their simple way. Our young friend, too, was remarkable for his industrious habits. As a scholar, he was distinguished for docility, diligence, and punctuality. He won many prizes, and not seldom carried off the higher ones.

As to his religious experience, for a long time, not so much was known. He was extremely diffident and retiring, which made familiar access to him, on the subject of religion, very difficult. It would seem he was the subject of religious impressions from childhood, and that very early he knew, in a child's degree, "the love of Christ." One day, several months before his death, we read to him a part of that grand chapter, the third of John. The sixteenth verse, it would seem, was then and there employed by the Holy Spirit, to illuminate the young man's understanding with saving, sanctifying, satisfying knowledge. To many he spoke afterwards of the hope in his soul, which that divine verse had inspired. Up to this time, he had not got into the full rest of faith, but his life proved that God was with him. Having entered upon the full understanding and enjoyment of gospel peace, he lost much of his timidity and reserve, and "witnessed a good confession.” He delighted much in hymns. Religious books and tracts he seemed to hoard up like precious treasure. But his supreme delight, towards the last, was in the inspired word itself. To his dear mother, who loved him with the strongest affection, he would say, when he himself was unable to read, "Repeat to me some texts of scripture,

as I like them best." After hearing the precious promises he would smile and say, "Isn't that nice." God has appointed the Word as the food for "new-born babes"; and John "desired" the word: a proof he was a child of God.

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But John had his "dark days" also, which tried him sore; and, for a while he had many temptations. We one day asked him, John, how do you meet the tempter? He replied, "I just tell him Jesus loves me,' and he goes away." On another occasion we said, “There is no fear of you being plucked out of His hands." “Not a bit,” he responded. About a fortnight before the end we asked him, had he much temptation? His reply was, "I had a good deal at the first, but it is mostly gone now, I am safe in the arms of Jesus.'" To his mother he said, "I thought at first, I could not face death, but I'm not afraid now, not a bit afraid." On the night of his death, and shortly before that solemn event, his sorrowing mother said to him, "you will soon be with your Saviour." In reply, he whispered words to the effect he wished it should be soon. He had his wish, as shortly after, without a pain, he died in his mother's arms, while she was in the act of lifting him into a sitting posture. Consumption was the fell disease which took him away. He fell asleep in Jesus on the 14th Oct., 1878.

Broomhedge,

Lisburn, 14th January, 1879.

E. T.

MARTHA ANN COLE, PRINCE'S END.

HE terrible scourge, scarlet fever, which has for some months raged like an epidemic in this neighbourhood, has robbed our school of one of its members, who, though so young, had by her regular attendance, general behaviour, and the interest she showed in its various operations, won the respect of the teachers and officers.

Martha Ann Cole was born in Glasgow, June 20th, 1867. At the age of three years she joined the Free Church Sunday school in that city, where she attended until Sept., 1873, when her parents removed to Whitmore Reans, near Wolverhampton. She there joined the Wesleyan Sunday school, and also the Band of Hope connected therewith. After two years, her parents left Wolverhampton, and came to Prince's End, where they soon attached themselves to our church, and Martha attended our Sunday school.

On the formation of our Band of Hope in the autumn of 1876, Martha at once became a member, and so continued until her death. She was much interested in the meetings, and at times contributed to the entertainment by readings and recitations.

She was also very enthusisatic in mission work, and on receiving a missionary box, became at once one of our most successful col

lectors. See also recited at our last annual juvenile missionary meeting.

In the end of last October, she was seized by the terrible fever of which, after a short struggle, she died Nov. 7th, 1878, aged eleven years and five months. Her illness, though short, was very severe; her system seeming to be literally scorched up with the fever. But though suffering so terribly, that when conscious she expressed a wish to die to escape her pain and misery, she was yet patient and peaceful. She seemed to have no fear of death, but gave expression to a simple and childlike trust in that Jesus of whom she had heard so much at school, and with whom she wished to be.

She was buried on Sunday, Nov. 10th, being carried to her grave by her sorrowing schoolfellows, with whom she had mingled only a short time before, in the full vigour of healthy girlhood.

T. P.

TOBACCO SMOKING BY BOYS.

HE following letter was addressed by the Bishop of Manchester to the chairman of a meeting on Juvenile Smoking held in the Young Men's Christian Association, Manchester :

Sir,—I am unable to attend the meeting which it is proposed to hold for the purpose of endeavouring to diminish the habit of tobacco smoking among young boys. It is an evil, and it seems to me a growing one, which I have often seen and deplored. Whatever may be thought of the habit of smoking generally, I believe that medical authorities are universally agreed that it is physically most mischievous to young people under the age of eighteen. The moral effects, consequent on the too frequent association of this habit with others of a pernicious tendency, are not less hurtful to the character. It has often been a matter of surprise and regret to me that parents seem so indifferent to both these classes of consequences to their sons, and though I have no practical remedy to suggest for what I regard as a great and increasing social evil, I hope that the meeting which you are going to hold will help to fix public attention both on its proportions and its effects. It was stated in a leading article in the Times a short time ago that so sensible is the German Government of the mischief wrought by the habit on the constitution of growing lads, that in many towns the police forbid boys under sixteen to smoke in the streets, and that the offenders against this regulation are punished by fines, or in default of payment even by imprisonment. (See Times of September, 14, 1878.) I remain, sir, yours faithfully,

Bishop's Court, Manchester,

Jan. 14, 1879.

J. MANCHESTER.

HOW COULD HE DO IT?

IN a recent lecture Prof. Brewer of Boston, United States, told the following anecdote.

In 1876 a Scotch collie, a shepherd dog, was shipped by express from a town on the Lake Shore R. R., between Cleveland and Toledo, to a town in Kansas, distant about 900 miles; a gift from a father to his son. The dog was five days in making the journey, confined in a close box-car all the way, saving possibly at one or two points of transfer. On reaching his destination he was tied up over night in the barn of his new owner. The next morning he was gone. In eighteen days he reappeared at his old Ohio home, footsore, worn and weary, but with evident joy at rejoining his old master. How could he have made his way back over that unknown journey?

FOUR TYPES OF BOYS.

HE following taken from an American paper, will be found worthy of attention by English as well as Yankee boys. We have all these kind of boys in England.

"I saw specimens of four types of Yankee boys in as many minutes," said an English gentleman, who was visiting in Boston.

"I was looking for the residence of a friend, and holding the address in my hand, I asked a stout fellow who came along with his cap drawn over his eyes, ‘Can you tell me where B. Street is, my boy?'

Dunno,' he growled out savagely, and passed on.

I've no doubt he did know, for he was carrying a dinner to some one in the neighbourhood, and looked as if he was kith and kin to the soil and cobble stones about him. That was the surly Yankee boy.

"Whistling as merrily as a lark, his hat on one ear, and his pants tucked into his boots, a boy came towards me, of whom I asked the same question. The fellow looked up, and with a glance took in my size, my dress, my nationality, my profession, and almost my

name.

"Yes, gov'nor,' he replied, with a quizzical look; 'follow your nose, and you'll be there afore you know it.' This was 'Young America;' and as he passed on, I heard him mutter. A Johnny Bull clargy! What a 'at!'

"I next stopped a finely dressed boy and asked him to direct me. "B. Street? It's three or four or five streets beyond. Any boy there will tell you;' and he passed without looking at me. As I did not know which way beyond' was, his reply did not help much. This was the civil boy-barely civil.

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104 REASONS FOR TEACHING THE YOUNG NATURAL HISTORY.

"I next stepped in front of a plainly dressed lad, with books and a lunch-box-I had found this the only way of stopping a Yankee boy. When I asked him the question, he lifted his cap, and turned and walked a few steps with me. 'Pass up this street three blocks, sir, till you come to that large tree before a drug store. The street which crosses this at that point is B. Street.'

"This was the little Yankee gentleman, although he had no sealskin cap or gloves like the boy I addressed just before.

"If I dared, I should have offered him an English crown; but there was a nobility in his manner which told me he would resent the offer."

Here is a lesson to profit by. The reception a stranger meets from boys in the street helps to form his estimate of a nation; and no Yankee boy would like his countrymen to be regarded as rude and selfish boors, who have neither respect nor kindly feeling for the stranger within their gates.

REASONS FOR TEACHING THE YOUNG

NATURAL HISTORY.

HERE is a reason why the study of natural history is deserving of wide-spread support and encouragement. There can be little doubt that, especially in great cities, the instinct of most boys, if not girls, leads them, if unchecked, to think little of the sufferings of what in our arrogance we call "the lower animals." Now, nothing is better adapted to make the young tender and thoughtful in their treatment of dogs and cats or of tame birds than a greater familiarity with the structure and habits of that animal creation which is

"Ordered by an intelligence so wise

As might confound the atheist's sophistries."

Cruelty to animals is an unerring indication of a low type of civilisation; and it is impossible for an English traveller to visit the great cities of Spain and Italy without being horrified at the savage barbarity with which the horses and mules employed there are commonly treated. In his delightful book of "Roba di Roma,” Mr. STORY, the famous American sculptor, has entered a vigorous protest against the inhumanity of the Italians as exemplified by their dealings with the brute creation. The existence of our own "Society for the Suppression of Cruelty to Animals" sufficiently indicates that persistent vigilance is necessary even in England to prevent our streets from being the scenes of many harrowing sights. With all that can be done by the humane and thoughtful, the daily service of a great city can hardly be performed without the infliction