SILENT INFLUENCE. 75. MAY NOT is a profound reasoner, and worthy of trust in all things. She never suffered impulse to act in opposition to reason, and even her parents frequently apply for and value her opinion. Her principles are fixed, and her deeds worthy of imitation. I could say a great deal more in her praise; but as I desire that you closely cultivate her friendship, you will soon discover what a valuable acquisition you have made. At first, you may think. her austere, and fancy that her dignified countenance bears the expression of severity; but the more you know, the more you will love her, and her counsel will prevent your getting into many of the scrapes to which young ladies under, aye, and over the age of twelve, are liable. Farewell for the present, then, my dear young friend; you have hitherto been, and I trust will continue to be, a happy little girl. How can you be otherwise, with such kind, good parents, who do all that is best and wisest for you? My space and your patience are nearly exhausted; yet I must, in conclusion, assure you of the affection and friendship of SILENT INFLUENCE. A PEBBLE in the water thrown An influence ripples round about, A. M. H. 76 A BOY'S PRAYER MEETING. And, though forgotten in an hour, Speak truly then, do all with care; Remember God looks on, Hears every word, is everywhere, And writes the record down. Taken from "Sunday" Sunshine," a beautiful book of "New Hymns and Poems for Young People."-Nisbet. A BOY'S PRAYER MEETING. VERY interesting have been the news from America lately. God seems to be pouring out his Spirit upon the people. Thousands have become earnest about salvation who never thought of it before. In New York, and many other cities, prayer-meetings are being held in the churches and chapels on week-days, and thousands of people leave their shops and counting-houses at midday to attend them. Young men have prayer-meetings in their shops and warehouses, and boys in their schools. Lately, a union prayer-meeting of boys was held on a Saturday afternoon in the lecture-room of Dr. Cheever's church. The room was completely filled. It was a lovely sight to see all these boys come together on a holiday for prayer. Several ministers addressed them. One spoke of the importance of securing salvation now, before their hearts were hardened and bad habits formed. He concluded by asking those boys present who wanted to Become Christians, and wished to be prayed for, to hold up their hands. It was a solemn sight. Quite a large number held up their hands. There was no carelessness, no trifling, no idle talk; every one seemed in earnest. Tears were shed by some of their parents and friends present on seeing so many of the boys hold up their hands for prayer,—thus promising to give themselves to A CHAPTER ON BENEFICENCE. 77 God. One of the oldest boys present engaged in prayer. Before separating they resolved to meet again on that day week. Every boy held up his hand for a continuance of the meetings. How delightful to read of such meetings as these! how much more delightful to see them! But why should we not have such meetings in England? Are the boys in America to be first in the race for heaven? Are they to have such refreshing showers, and we to remain with souls parched and dry? With God there is enough and to spare, and he is equally willing to bestow. Why, then, should our boys remain so cold, so dead, and so far from Christ? A CHAPTER ON BENEFICENCE. PERHAPS you say, "A hard word that; what is beneficence ?" It is a hard word to many, even to numbers of those who understand it, for it is much easier to know the meaning of the word than to act upon it. It means, THE PRACTICE OF DOING GOOD; ACTIVE GOODNESS, KINDNESS, OR CHARITY. How much better and happier would all of us be if we were more engaged in active goodness! The noblest example we ever had, or can have, of this, was the Saviour himself. His whole life on earth was one of active goodness; not in receiving, but giving; and last and greatest of all, He gave himself, "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." And it is almost altogether through giving that we know God. He is always giving to us, every day and hour we live. You did not think so when you awoke this morning; but if He had not given you light how could you have seen? had He not given you air, you could not have breathed; and if He had not given you reason, you might have been screaming about—a raving maniac. 78 A CHAPTER ON BENEFICENCE. And those who know and love God ought in this to try to be like him. There have been many noble examples of Christian beneficence in all ages, amongst rich and poor, young and old; it often does my heart good to hear of them, and therefore I now try to write down a few for you, that you may learn to follow in their footsteps, as far as they followed in the footsteps of Jesus. Once a gentleman held a meeting in Africa, at which, among others, a few poor slaves were present. He told them of the heathen state of the people living in the`interior of that great country. At the close some money was contributed by the white people present for the Missionary Society. After they had left the house a poor slave woman and her daughter called upon him, and said, "Sir, will you accept anything from a poor slave, to help to send the gospel to the poor things beyond us ?" "Most certainly him eight pence I will," said he; upon which she gave and her daughter fourpence. They then rushed out, clapping their hands for joy that their offerings had been accepted, and ran to some slave men who were waiting outside to hear the result. On hearing from her that even the subscriptions of poor slaves were accepted, they all rushed into the room, and every one threw down all he had, "to send the gospel to the poor things beyond." My young friend, have you a heart as Christlike as were the hearts of these poor slaves? What a question!— to ask any reader of the "Juvenile Messenger" if he had not as good a heart as an African slave! Yes, I ask it; because it is quite possible you may not. If you have, how do you show it? What are you doing, or giving, to send the gospel to "the poor things beyond" — in China, and other lands? What have you done—what are you doing for the Juvenile Missionary Fund? RAGGED ROWLEY. A LESSON AND A WARNING. 79 A SHORT time ago, a returned foreign missionary from the Syrian mission made an address to a Sunday school in America, during which he said he would leave with the superintendent a little box, made of the wood of a "cedar of Lebanon," to be given to the scholar that should commit and repeat in Sabbath school, the next two Sabbaths, the greatest number of verses from the Bible. The prize was taken by a little girl, thirteen years of age. About the same time, two members of her class were converted and united with the church; and the ceremony of their admission made such an impression on her mind that she said "that she ought to have been with them." In a few days afterwards she was converted, after which she was suddenly attacked with scarlet fever and died. What is meant by conversion? Don't you know? Just the same thing that Jesus meant when he said, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This applies as truly to boys and girls as to men and women. If you were to become ill and die, could it be said of you, as of this industrious little girl, that you were first converted-"born again"-and admitted into the kingdom of God before you were taken away? . This would be a sad epitaph to write upon your tomb, and yet it might be placed over many a grave: "Very clever, very industrious: took many prizes at Sabbath and day schools, but died young, and, worst of all, died unconverted, without Christ and without hope." "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul ?" RAGGED ROWLEY. POOR ROWLEY had lost both father and mother, so he had no one to care for him. about the lanes singing Sometimes he would wander "Nobody cares for me, And I care for nobody." But that wasn't quite true, for, although Rowley was a rough looking chap-altogether rough in his ways-yet |