POETRY. bring us to God, is to know that which is beyond all price; the more inexcusable, then, are we, when we fail to value it ourselves, or to make known its value to others. "Truly, the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.' But this ought not so to be. While we are not slothful in business,' we should be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.' "Forget not what I have said," continued my Uncle, " for it applies, perhaps, as much to you as it does to myself. Should you get any good by it, it will do me good to know it; in the meantime, should you stand in need of any of the articles mentioned by me in the oil and colour way, I hope you will buy them of my neighbour, the man in the fustian jacket, whose shop from my house, as I dare say you remember, is only three doors round the corner." Poetry. WORK, AND PERSEVERE. BY A WORKING MAN. WORK, brother, while you may, Ere working time be gone. Work with a willing heart; To act a useful part. Spurn wrong and do the right. That leads to joys above; Salvation's glorious plan. Birmingham. ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. Work in each Godlike cause, Who is there else to fear? Anecdotes and Selections. R. C. JOHN WESLEY'S FIRST PREACHERS were, many of them, simplehearted but courageous men. One of them was, one night, stopped on the road by three robbers, who demanded his money. He asked them if they had prayed God to bless them before they set out. "None of that nonsense," said one of them, "hand over your money." He gave them the few shillings he had, and his watch, and the contents of his saddle bags, and then jumping from his horse, pulled off his top coat too; but they would not have it. "Come then, let us pray" said he, and kneeling down on the dirty road he began, but when he arose, they were all gone, leaving all they had taken from him behind them! THE CELEBRATED DR. FRANKLIN was one evening in company with a party of French infidels who were doing all they could to pour contempt on the Bible. He sat still, but they would have his opinion. Convinced that they were ignorant of the book and its contents, he told them he had lately met with a fine passage from a rare old book, which contained some of the grandest thoughts he had ever met with. They begged he would give them a specimen. He did; and when he had done they expressed their admiration as Frenchmen only can. But how did they stare when he told them that what he had read was from the book they despised. The passage was from Habakkuk iii. 3—18. A SAILOR'S SERMON.-A pious sailor was once heard explaining the nature of faith to a shipmate of his. Among other things he said:"Mind, it is'nt breaking off swearing, and the like; or even trying to make yourself good-it isn't none of these; for if they would answer for the time to come, there is the old score, and how are you to get that rubbed off? So it is not any of these things; but it is thinking about what Jesus Christ did for us, and expecting to be saved by Him who let the waves and billows go over his own head when he came to give us a hand. Just when we were all sinking, he called out, 'Here, take hold of my strength.' That's it. That's faith when you lay fast hold of him." ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. THE STILL HOUR.-Commune with yourself and with Heaven. To do this profitably, shut out the noise of men. Withdraw from all distractions of this world. Have your half-hour daily for review and secret prayer. Be still-and bid the world be still. The Divine precept must be observed, or piety wanes-'Enter into thy closet-shut the door-pray secretly to thy Father who seeth in secret.' Do this statedly-daily. No duty is more important to your spiritual welfare. Some one has said, 'Much as we need, much as we prize, the prayer-meeting, weekly and daily, we more need, and should the more prize, the still hour of communing with God.' It is here that christians can see this world's vanity and heaven's eternal weight of glory. Here, more than elsewhere, we draw nigh unto God, and God draws nigh to us—in the still hour of private prayer. THE UNBELIEVER'S CREED.-I believe there is no God, but that matter is God, and God is matter, and that it is no matter whether there is any God or no. I believe that the world was not made; that the world made itself; that it had no beginning; that it will last for ever. I believe that man is a beast; that the soul is the body, and the body the soul; and that after death there is neither body nor soul. I believe that there is no religion; that natural religion is the only religion, and that all religion is unnatural. I believe not in Moses; I believe not the Evangelists; I believe the unbelief of all unbelievers. I believe Tom Paine, not Paul; I believe not revelation; I believe tradition, the Talmud, the Koran, anything but the Bible. I believe in Confucius; in Sanchoniathon; in Mahomet; but not in Christ. In one word, I believe in all unbelief. "PULL, ADAM, PULL!"-There was a lad in Ireland, who was put to work at a linen factory, and while he was at work there a piece of cloth was wanted to be sent out which was short of the quantity that it ought to be; but the master thought that it might be made the length by stretching. He thereupon unrolled the cloth, taking hold of one end of it himself and the boy at the other. He then said, "Pull, Adam, pull!" The master pulled with all his might, but the boy stood still. The master again said, "Pull, Adam, pull!" The boy said, "I can't. "Why not?" said the master. "Because it is wrong, said Adam, and he refused to pull. Upon this the master said he would not do for a linen manufacturer; but that boy became Dr. Adam Clarke, and the strict principles of honesty in youth laid the foundation of his future greatness. Old Jonathan. THE FIRESIDE. The Fireside. GOOD NURSING. GOOD NURSING is a great blessing. At one time or other we all need it. Of Julius Cæsar we are told Yes, and many a British soldier during the late Russian War was found by Miss Nightingale in this prostrate condition. Miss N. has lately published a book called "Notes on Nursing' She says:-"How immense and valuable would be the produce of her united experience if every woman would think how to nurse!" In her 'Notes' she endeavours to suggest such thoughts as would aid nursing, and the knowledge of those principles which would assist its practice. These relate to the following subjects:Ventilation and warming, health of houses, good management, noise, variety, taking food, what food? bed and bedding, light, cleanliness of rooms and walls, personal cleanliness, chattering hopes and advices by visitors of the sick. These are all treated with great common-sense, a rich vein of humour, and a plainness that the most stupid can understand. Were these only made the subject of study and practice in ordinary nursing of the sick and attending to the well, diseases would, in many cases, be prevented, and be more easily arrested when they seized a patient. "The very first course of nursing," says Miss N., "the first and last thing upon which a nurse's attention must be fixed, the first essential to the patient, without which all the rest you can do for him is as nothing; with which, I had almost said, you may leave all the rest alone, is this: To KEEP THE AIR HE BREATHES AS PURE AS THE EXTERNAL AIR WITHOUT CHILLING HIM. Yet what is so little attended to? Even where it is thought of at all, the most extraordinary misconceptions reign about it. Even in admitting air into the patient's room, few people ever think where that air comes from. It may come from a house always unaired, always full of the fumes of dinner, or various kinds of mustiness: from an underground kitchen, sink, washhouse, water-closet, or even, as I myself have had sorrowful experience, from open sewers loaded with filth; and with this the patients room or ward is aired, as it is called-poisoned, it should rather be said. Always air from the air without, and that, too, through those windows by which the air comes freshest. From a closed yard or court, especially if the wind do not blow THE PENNY POST BOX. that way, air may come as stagnant as from the places mentioned. With a proper supply of windows, and a proper supply of fuel in open fireplaces, fresh air is comparatively easy to secure when your patient or patients are in bed. Never be afraid of open windows then. People dont catch cold in bed. This is a popular mistake. With proper bed-clothes and hot bottles, if necessary, you can always keep a patient warm in bed, and well ventilate his room at the same time." The Penny Post Box. SPEAK A KIND WORD TO THY WIFE. I WANT to say a few words for the wives of working men, for I know what many of them have to go through. I suppose you will not object to my expressing them in plain rhyme. Birmingham. SPEAK a kind word to thy wife, 'Twill help her along by the way, Amid all the trouble and strife, She meets with from day unto day. Speak a kind word to thy wife, In a gentle encouraging tone, Speak a kind word to thy wife, And remember the days that are past, Speak a kind word to thy wife; If such a good treasure be thine, Who can make like a palace thy cot. That is found on the seat of the sot. Speak a kind word to thy wife, 'Twill help her each burden to bear; And amid the vexations of life, 'Twill soothe ail her sorrow and care. Speak a kind word to thy wife, Who is thine both in word and in deed; And of kind words she much stands in need. R. C. |