he took it for granted he was going to be punished, and begged the traveller not to beat him. Traveller. "What are you about there ?" Slave. "I pray to God." Trav. "Who are you praying for?" Slave. "For myself, poor Negro, poor sinner. I pray to God to save me." Trav. "Why do you come to this lonely place ?" Slave. "Because, if I were seen praying, I should be flogged." Trav. "My friend, I worship the same God as you do." Slave. "You, massa! Can it be ?" Trav. "Yes; and to prove it to you, I will come and pray with you." Slave. "Do, do, massa; and kneel on the body of the poor slave." So saying, he threw himself flat on the ground; but the gentleman raised him up, and they knelt side by side. They thanked God that, by the preaching of his Word, men of every nation might be saved; and, for one night at least, the poor Negro went home happy. BE FIRM. THE wind and waves may beat against a rock standing in a troubled sea; but it remains unmoved. Vice may entice, and the song and the cup may invite. Let your principles stand forth unobscured. There is glory in the thought that you have resisted temptation and conquered. Your bright example will be to the world what the lighthouse is to the mariner upon the sea shore; it will guide others to the point of virtue and safety. A MISSIONARY'S HOUSE. (See Picture on first page.) THIS picture represents the house of a missionary in West Africa. The houses there are usually built of wood and stone. He lives, as we would say, tr up stairs," for he never occupies the ground floor of his house, but uses that as a cellar or store place, which is built of stone. The upper part, where he lives, is made of wood, to which he ascends by a flight of steps on the outside, as you will see in the picture; and the entrance to the cellar is underneath. Sometimes he has a gallery or verandah running round on the outside of his house, which affords him shelter from the heat. Perhaps you think his house looks very much like an English house, but it has no tall chimneys, with cans on the top of them, as we have. There are no chimneys because they require no fires, as the weather is always warm enough without them. Of course they require a little fire to cook their food; but this is done in a small oven outside, and detached from the house altogether. The missionary's house, as you may suppose, is much superior to the huts of the natives among whom he settles; for his duty and object is to raise them up to his level, if possible, not that he should sink as low as they are; but, even with a better hut than a native one, he has to forego many of the commonest comforts which he used to enjoy in his native land. The climate of that part of Africa is very noxious, and often so deadly, that the district has been called "The White Man's Grave." You will be surprised to know that often, when suffering from intense heat, his clothes and shoes get so damp and mildewed in his house that he is obliged to put them out to the sun to dry; a fact sufficient to show how deadly the climate must be. 60 MONUMENT TO A CHINESE BOY. But men are to be found willing to go there and labour, even if for a few years, among the swarthy sons of Africa, if they may be able to bring some to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. How small a part we have to perform in this great mission work! We think it a great deal to go a mile for á subscription for the Mission Fund; but what is that to crossing distant seas, and living in a land of drought, and damp, and death, amidst a heathen and often a filthy people, far from home and kindred? How do men have hearts brave enough to do it? The apostle Paul explains it "The love of Christ constraineth me,"- "I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me." MONUMENT TO A CHINESE BOY. IN the churchyard at Wentworth, a beautiful upright tablet has been erected to the memory of a Chinese boy, who was brought to England at the conclusion of the war in 1843. He was introduced to Earl Fitzwilliam, at his lordship's expense was placed at Mr. Beardshall's Academy, Ashcroft, near Wentworth, where he remained until his death, February 8th, 1850. The Bishop of Victoria always manifested a lively interest in the deceased, and on a recent visit to Wentworth suggested the desirability of erecting a suitable monument to his memory. Many of the old schoolfellows most cheerfully offered their pecuniary assistance, and Mr. Beardshall was thus enabled to carry out the wishes of the Bishop and other sympathising friends. The inscription runs :~ "Sacred to the memory of Chow Kwang Tseay, a native of Changhae, near Ningpo, China, better known by the English names of John Denis Blonde, who was baptized in Wentworth Church, on Sunday, October 15th, 1850, MISSIONS AND PRIVATEERING. 61 aged seventeen years, and was buried near this spot. His fervent piety towards God, and humble reliance upon the merits of the Saviour; his devout resignation to the Divine will, amid the protracted sufferings of his last illness, and the grateful affection which he manifested towards his earthly benefactors, have rendered his memory an example dear to many fellow-Christian friends, and caused their thanksgivings to abound to the Almighty, on behalf of this outcast from China, safely gathered to his heavenly home." A CHILD'S LAST QUESTION. A LITTLE boy, on his death-bed, was urging his father to repentance, and fearing he had made no impression, said, "Father, I am going to heaven: what shall I tell Jesus is the reason why you won't love him ?" The father burst into tears; but, before he could give an answer, the dear boy had fallen asleep in Christ. MISSIONS AND PRIVATEERING. THE hero of the following well-authenticated incident is still living. A privateer once captured a merchant ship of Cardigan, Wales, in St. George's Channel. The commander boarded his prize, and when in the cabin, saw a little box with a hole in the lid, in a prominent position. Suspecting its design, he said to the captain, "What is this?" pointing with his cane to the box. The pious Cambrian replied, "I and my poor fellows have been accustomed every Monday to drop a penny each into that box, for the purpose of sending men to preach the Gospel to the heathen; but it is all over now." "that is very good;" and after pausing a few minutes, added, “Captain, I will not touch a hair of your head, nor injure your vessel." The topsails were swung round, the sails filled with the breeze, the free vessel bounded gladly on her voyage, and when the privateer was a fading speck on the horizontal wave, the happy crew thanked God for a missionary box. And we may safely infer it was well replenished at the period of the next annual payment. "Ah!" said the commander, Are you surprised at this? You need not. God says in the Bible, "Them that honour me I will honour." THE DEW. 'MAMMA," said little Isabel, And in each floweret's eye. "I wonder why the grass and flowers For early through their tears they smile, 'Perhaps 'tis when the sun goes down They fear the gathering shade, And that is why they cry at night, Because they are afraid. "Mamma, if I should go and tell The pretty grass and flowers |