ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS. perform the last office of respect for me. May you be prepared for the same change when the messenger Death shall call for you; then shall I hope to meet you in Heaven, to join in singing praises to God and the Lamb, through the countless ages of eternity. I pray the Lord to grant it, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. I now bid this vain world adieu for ever, with all its temptations, and snares, and hope to be admitted into the sacred presence of God, only through the blood of the Lamb, my Dear Redeemer, who loved me, and who died for me; for ever praised be his most Holy Name! S. W." "It is my desire," she said, "that the following text may be spoken from at my funeral sermon, Psalm xxxix. 4-7, and also that the following hymn may be sung, composed for the occasion, by S. W." DEATH is a solemn event to all the human family. It separates the nearest relations, and the dearest friends. It is the sad fruit of sin. Death removes the sinner to hell-but the saint to heaven. Death leads to an unalterable state of being-puts an end to all we can do in this world-and prevents any further use of the means of grace. Then the righteous will be righteous still, and the filthy will be filthy still. Oh, then, how solemn, how important is death. To this event we are all exposed; but are we prepared? Perhaps our husband, our wife, our parents, or our children, are prepared, whilst we are not. Let us remember that we cannot escape the icey hand of death; it may be laid upon us in a moment, and if we are then lost we are lost for ever! Now is the only time to secure the salvation of the soul. "The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin." May we all, young or aged, be awakened to a serious concern about our eternal well-being. Our Saviour has forewarned us that "the night cometh when no man can work." Dear reader, what thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, for there is but a step between thee and death. Believe in Jesus. He is the resurrection and the life. He will deliver thee from the power of death, and ransom thee from the grave, and save thee from going down into the pit. Flee, then, from the wrath to come; for who shall abide the fierceness of his indignation when his wrath is kindled but a little? Kirton Lindsey. T. D. C. THE FIRESIDE. Facts and Hints. WHICH Will you do-smile, and make others happy; or be crabbed, and make every one around you miserable? The amount of happiness you can produce is incalculable, if you show a smiling face, a kind heart, and speak pleasant words. LIBERTY of conscience is a thing that ought to be very reciprocal. Liberty of conscience is a natural right; and he that would have it ought to give it.-Oliver Cromwell. WHEN we are idle we tempt the devil to tempt us, as careless people make thieves. CHARACTER is, in many cases, more than equivalent to wealth. Ir is calculated, states the Stamford Mercury, that the druggists of Lincoln sell 1,872 gallons of laudanum annually. Every one ought to have printed over his shop, "Dealer in death-old people and children quietly disposed of." THE REV. ISAAC BENSON, incumbent of West Acklam, and surrogate for the diocese of York, refused to grant a marriage license to a party the other day on the ground of drunkenness. A BOY, aged four years and nine months, died lately in Manchester, in consequence of having drunk a glass of strong whisky and water, which his father left on the table. THE Gateshead Observer states that nearly all the cases tried at the present winter assizes in York had their origin in strong drink. OF 96 prisoners for trial at the last Middlesex Sessions, two could read and write well, 15 could read only, 39 were imperfectly instructed in both, and 38 were entirely ignorant of either acquirement. THE person who first planted potatoes in Scotland was named Henry Prentice; he has not been dead more than twenty-one years. THE revenue derived from tea in the last year, amounted to £5,110,807. More than all the poors rates in England and Wales. The Fireside. THE IRISH MOUNTAIN BOY. As we have nothing of much importance in our "Penny Post" box at this time, we occupy its space, also, to send the following to the "Firesides" of our readers, assured that those firesides may always be scenes of domestic peace and comfort, if that monster, Intemperance, be only kept from entering in at the door. It is a capital good anecdote. We may just tell our readers that Mr. Hall, who relates it, is a literary gentleman of high repute, and husband of the celebrated Mrs. S. C. Hall, who has written so many excellent papers on Irish manners and customs. "Few incidents of a busy, and somewhat varied life, afford matter for more true enjoyment than my first lesson in temperance -a lesson which led immediately to reflection, subsequently to THE FIRESIDE. consideration, and ultimately to the adoption of a principle, which I have ever since continued to regard as a blessing, second only to that of christianity, in its influence on my mind and heart. That lesson which, by divine mercy, has been made to produce fruit for my own great benefit—and, I humbly hope, for the benefit of others -was given me by a poor boy, a guide who accompanied me, about four years ago, from the village of Enniskerry to the far-famed seven churches in savage Glendalough, 'Whose gloomy shore Sky-lark never wanders o'er.' The youth was perfectly unconscious of the train he was laying of the seed he had planted for the hereafter. He as little fancied, perhaps, that I should become a teetotaller, as that I should be crowned king of the ancient territory of the O'Tooles, over which we were tramping, and to this day remains in ignorance that his simple story carried with it such conviction as to have led to many blessings in his pupil-improved health, augmented income, greater intellectual strength, infinitely higher motives for continuous labour, a surer foundation to domestic happiness, and a perpetual safeguard from self-reproach. The youth as little knew that the brief hour he spent with me was productive of benefit, not to me alone —that he was making me an instrument of good to others, adding to the cause of temperance one member, who devoutly hopes to be the means of largely increasing the number of those who see in temperance religion's best auxiliary, and, next to religion, the safest teacher of duty to God and man. My anecdote is briefly told. I took the youth somewhat suddenly, as my guide, from a cottage door, beside which he was standing, and bade him at once mount the car upon which I was proceeding to visit the marvels of the gloomy lake. The evening was cold and raw, and I had in my pocket a flask of "Mountain Dew"-the poison so called in mockery of the delicious draughts which nature sends each morning to the bees and flowers. Having drunk of it myself, I offered it, as a matter of course, to my companion. He declined it, to my surprise-for the temperance movement in Ireland was then new to me, and I had little notion of the spread it had even at that time made. Having little faith in a resolution so un-Irish, and being, moreover, anxious to test its strength, I pressed the drink upon him, and, at length, went so far as to offer him a crown if he would drink some of it. "No,' said he, not for a thousand crowns, nor for all Lord Wicklow's lands, if they were offered to me, and,' he added, after a pause, if yer honour knew as much about me as I know about myself, I do not think you would be after asking me to do so bad a thing.' A very little persuasion led to his telling me his simple story. 'I have been a guide to the seven churches,' he said, 'almost ever since I could strut the distance; and many's the half-crown, and more, I got for my day's walk. I earned a dale in the week THE FIRESIDE. and spint it. When I'd get my day's hire-though the gentry I'd be with would give me drink enough-it's for more drink I'd go with the money. You wouldn't give three-ha'pence for the dirty rags I carried. I never stretched on a dacent bed, but mostly in a neighbour's out-house, and oftener in a gap of a ditch. I had the fever once, and I lay there like a dog to die. My old grandmother was begging about the country at the same time. Augh! yer honour, I was drunk morning, noon, and night, and the bastes I used to be amongst had more sinse than I. Well, how is it now?' he added—and drew himself up with honest and truly dignified pride -'yer honour took me of a sudden, or it isn't in this coat that I'd have been with ye; for I've two better, and a top-coat besides; and I've as nate a cabin as you'd wish to see-and my grandmother keeps in it, spinding her old days in pace; and I've five pounds ten in the savings' bank, in case of the sickness; and, in place of being a blackguard nobody would trust, I'm respected by the gintry, and lock and kay is never put upon anything that comes into my hands, and, more than that, there's a purty colleen* that thinks I'm a'most good enough for her, and her father's been to see if the cabin would suit, and all this change, yer honour-glory be to God !– because I wouldn't buy poison, nor take it when offered to me! And now,' he addded, with emphasis approaching solemnity, 'I lave it to yer honour's self if you'll ask me to take the drop you carry.' My answer was at once: Indeed, my good lad, God forbid that I should tempt you; but I owe you a compliment, and I'll pay it freely.' I took the flask, and flung it far over a rock into the waters of the lake beneath. The scene is before me at this minute, as vividly as when it first happened. The youth literally danced for joy-capered backward and forward on the mountain summit, absolutely intoxicated by a pure draught of pleasure. The compliment touched his warm Irish heart-it went so far beyond his expectations; it was so practical a comment upon his story; so comprehensible a mark of its approval. I never saw pleasure expressed in a manner so impossible to be mistaken. It is likely the youth has long since forgotten the transaction; but I have not forgotten it, and never can forget it. That day was a white spot in my life. The moral of this simple anecdote is obvious. Every temperance advocate-no matter how humble may be his position, weak his intellectual powers, and apparently inefficient his means-cannot say what may be the amount of good he is doing, when he tellsto many or to ONE-the blesings conferred by temperance on him. I date my conversion to total abstinence from that evening. My teacher was a rude lad who could neither write nor read, but I— and, with me, those who have been influenced by my counsels and example owe a debt of gratitude to that youth-my humble guide to Glendalough." * A pretty girl. THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. The Children's Corner. CONVERSION Of a Canadian BOY. -JAMES is a boy thirteen years of age. He had become unmanageable, and his father and mother were heart-broken. On one occasion, when the pastor of the church was addressing the Sunday-school children, James had a long stick in his hand, with which he was striking the children as far as he could reach. The pastor fixed his eye on him, and addressed him personally on his awful condition-saying he was the child of pious parents-their tears, their prayers, their example, would soon rise up in judgment against him. He feigned inattention to the address, but after the sermon in the evening, came forward, the tears streaming from his eyes, and expressed a wish to be prayed for, and to receive instruction on the subject of salvation. He became evidently and deeply concerned about his soul; but being a youth of violent passions, there was a dangerous irregularity in his Some time religious movements. A few after, he called on the pastor, and spoke of Jesus Christ and the design of his death, in a manner that surprised him. It was then proposed to pray, and James at once engaged, with affecting expressions of penitence and fervour. sentences were as follow:-" 0 Lord, thou hast often sown the seed of thy word in my heart, but I have wickedly thrown it out, and I am so wicked, that I shall do it again, if thou dost not prevent; O Lord, keep The thy word in my heart now! devil has often taken the word out of my heart, but, O Lord, if he come again to do so, dont let him!" From this time he became steady in his attention to the subject of religion, a thorough change of temper and conduct ensued, and he, who had been the pest of the family, became its ornament. His father and mother, both members of the church, declare that, the change is not more pleasing to them than it is marvellous. They admire the grace of God in him. His views of acceptance through Christ are very distinct. He speaks of the Saviour with great solemnity and energy. This, indeed, is not astonishing, when it is recollected that the boy had often felt the uncontrolable character of his passions, and despaired of having them subdued; but faith in Christ has released him from their tyranny. His anxiety for the salvation of others too is become steady and ardent. A CHILD'S PRAYER. By nature, far from all that's good, For that can make me clean. To choose and love thy ways; To manifest thy praise. Then, when my dying hour shall come, LOVE TO SABBATH SCHOOL. And join the heavenly song. |