TOO BIG TO OBEY A MOTHER.

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you are engaged in on week days, with diligence; the Sabbath to be regular at church and Bible-class; and, above all, she wants to see you a faithful Christian boy. This you own would make her happy beyond description, and you feel "too big" to yield to her wishes.

My boy, believe me, you are in a most dangerous state of mind, which makes me tremble for you, both for this world and the next. Think of Christ, the " King of kings, and Lord of lords." When he was old enough and wise enough to confound the learned doctors in the temple at Jerusalem, he was none too old and wise to obey his mother; and when he was dying, he took care to provide her with a son to render her honour and affection.

Believe me, when you are small enough to depend upon your mother for your food, and clothing, and daily care, and while she is so anxious to see you grow up into a good and worthy man, and so willing to make any sacrifice to help you on in life, you should be ashamed to say, or even think, "I am too big to mind my mother."

Search all the biographers in your own or your father's library, and tell me if you can find a case of a man distinguished for greatness and goodness who allowed such a thought to enter his mind. No; such men prize a good, watchful mother, obey her godly maxims as long as they live, and teach them to their children.

Too big to mind his mother! "Out upon such a fellow," he is worse than a Chinaman. A poor' Chinaman will love, respect, and obey his mother to the last hour of her life; and he is never ashamed to own it. But in England a boy is often considered "unmanly" if he obeys his parents. Can it be that any such good. for-nothing fellows are to be found amongst our readers ? We hope not.

A SAILOR'S OPINION OF MISSIONS. "HAVING read, in the account of some voyage, things to the discredit of missions," said the Rev. Norman McLeod, at a meeting of the London Missionary Society in May last, "I shortly after met with the captain of a ship that voyaged to the South Seas, and I asked him, 'Do you think that missions have done much good in the South Seas ?' He looked at me, and said, 'I do not know what you know about missions, but I will tell you a fact. Last year I was wrecked on one of those islands, and I knew that eight years before an American whaler had been shipwrecked on the same island; that the crew had been murdered; and no doubt you may judge of my feelings, when we anticipated that we should either be dashed to pieces on the rocks during the night, or, if we survived till morning, subjected to a dreadful death. As soon as the day broke, I saw a number of canoes, manned, pulling away between the island and the ship. We prepared for the worst consequences. Judge of our amazement when the natives came on board in a European dress, and spoke to us in English! In that very island I heard the Gospel on the Sabbath day, and sat down at the communion-table, and sang the same psalm that I had sung in Scotland.' He added, 'I do not know what you think of missions, but I know what I think of them.'"

DRUNKENNESS.

DRUNKENNESS is a flattering devil, a sweet poison, a pleasant sin, which whosoever hath, hath not himself; which whosoever doth commit, doth not commit sin, but he himself is wholly sin.-St. Augustine.

THE JUVENILE REPORTER.

THE Reporter is very much surprised, and disappointed, and grieved to find that so very few applications have been made for the New Collecting Cards. There will be a very poor return at the end of the year if matters are to go on

at this rate.

He is just about as sorry and anxious about this business as it would be safe and proper for any old man to be in this broiling hot weather. Of course it is holiday-time -he does not forget that; but the Reporter cannot see how that should be a reason why all work should be forgotten-especially God's work. [Collecting Cards may be had on applying to the Secretary of the Juvenile Mission, 51, Great Ormond Street, London, W.C.; and all moneys collected should be sent to Hugh M. Matheson, Esq., 3, Lombard Street, London.]

Besides China, the Reporter has had to speak of India, sometimes, as a mission field, and of Dr. Duff, and the godly band of missionaries who have laboured so hard in that distant heathen land. How sad the news that has

come from it of late. There has been a mutiny, or rebellion, amongst the native soldiers, who, in many of the towns, have shot their officers, and murdered and mangled in the most horrible of ways, nearly all the English -men, mothers, and children—in the place. It makes the Reporter shudder, and his old blood to boil to think of the horrible cruelties and deaths which the poor children, and their mothers, and fathers, have had to endure. A good many missionaries and their families have suffered too. May the Lord be "a sun and shield" to those who are spared!

Let us pray for poor India! Let us plead with the Lord to hasten the dawning of that brighter day when

144 LESSONS FOR THE SABBATH AND THE SCHOOL.

over the dark hills and mountains of idolatrous Indi "the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing on His wings."

The Reporter is very glad to say that another missionary, the Rev. Geo. Smith,-who is to be supported by friends in Scotland-is now on his way to China. He was ordained by the Free Presbytery of Aberdeen, on the 15th of June last. Shortly afterwards a meeting was held in Aberdeen to commend Mr. Smith to God in prayer, before leaving; and on his arrival in London, another meeting-what they call a valedictory servicewas held in Dr. Weir's church in River Terrace, when Mr. Smith and the China Mission were very earnestly commended to the Lord. Let us pray that he may be spared long, and made a blessing to China!

In the year 1774, Captain Cook visited an island in Polynesia, which he called "Savage Island,"-" because," said he, "the natives rushed out of the woods upon us, and we endeavoured, to no purpose, to bring them to a parley. They threw their darts, and appeared very ferocious."

But the Gospel has tamed these fierce people. One of the chiefs lately died, rejoicing in the salvation of Jesus. The people say their grief over his death seemed little, on account of the great delight which they had in his dying testimony.

POPISH PASTIMES.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-You all know, and I hope you all love, Mary the mother of our Lord. Do you not love her for watching so tenderly over the infant Saviour, and for following him about from place to place; never leaving him, so far as we can learn, during all the time of his sojourn here on earth; fleeing with him to the land of Egypt, living with him in the wicked city Nazareth, taking him up to the temple when he was a boy of twelve, and seeking him so anxiously when he was missed on their return; attending him on his toilsome journeys about Judea and Galilee and Samaria, when he was so ill received; standing by the cross, when all the disciples OCTOBER, 1857.

L