tily seized the knife from his boy's hands, and put it into his pocket.

"When I first went servant to Mrs. Philips," said Mary, "she says to me, Mary, says she, I'll give you a rule; there's some things in this house you know you may take, says she, when you want them, and some you mayn't; but, depend upon it, if you are ever afraid of my seeing what you've got, you've stolen it."

John, who was a little ashamed of his own consciousness, only laughed, and said, "O that's just like her old-fashioned notions, and yours too."

"When a person has found any thing," continued Mary, "I don't believe it's theirs, be it ever so trifling, till they've tried to find the right owner, and can't."

"And so, instead of the luck of finding a thing," said John, "one's to have the trouble of finding the

owner."

"As to the trouble, you know," said Mary, we are bound to do as we would be done by; and I'm sure you were glad enough yourself, when old Betty Wyles came all the way from Hayton to bring back the half-crown you dropped last summer in the hayfield."

"Well, well, woman, I wish you hadn't such a tongue of your own," said John, rising up to go to his work. "Here, take the knife, for I suppose I shall have no peace till it's gone, and mayhap they may gie ye a something for it."

66

Well, I don't know," said Mary, 66 we are not so poor, as to need to be paid for being honest either." But before these words were ended, her husband had shut the door behind him.

"May I take it up to the hall, mother?" said little Jem, who thought if the knife was to go, he should at least like the taking it.

"Yes," said Mary; "and you, Molly, put on your bonnet and go with him: you can be back

before school-time. Ask to speak to Mr. Fisher, the butler, if you don't meet Master Harry on the road; and if the knife's his, he'll give it him, I warrant." A. B.

THE BAPTIST.

BEHOLD a prophet! yea, and more;
He dwells in solitude;

His food is but the wild bees' store;
His raiment coarse and rude.

With water he baptizes there,
To cleanse mankind from sin;
Yea, rather, doth the way prepare
For purity within.

He who comes after, doth baptize
With Spirit and with fire,
All those who to the glorious prize
Of happiness aspire.

And He again to earth will come
When the world's trial ends;
But first, to call the wanderers home,
His ministers He sends.

O may they so prepare His way,
That we be faithful found,
Leaning on Him, our hope and stay,
When the last trump shall sound.

Christian Year. (Third Sunday in Advent.)

The wicked suffer many reproaches, many rebukes in their hearts, which they will not discover, because they envy God that glory.-Donne.

Many actions, like the Rhone, have two sources— one pure, the other impure.-Guesses at Truth.

THE CHURCH IN OUR COLONIES.

No. I. (New Zealand.)

The following extracts throw light on the present state and future prospects of the Church in the English colony, New Zealand, under the wise guidance of its first spiritual ruler, the able, good, and zealous Bishop Selwyn.

AUCKLAND.

"Since my last letter I have had the great gratification of opening St. Paul's Church for Divine worship. The building was still in an unfinished state; but, feeling the great importance of collecting our congregation within the house of God, I gave directions for a private opening on the 7th of May, reserving the consecration for some future opportunity, when the church shall have been completed. The services began with a native congregation at nine, some of whom having only heard of the opening on Saturday evening, paddled a distance of twelve miles by sea, during the night, in order to be present. The greater number were in full European clothing, and took part in the Church service in a manner which contrasts most strikingly with that of the silent and unkneeling congregations of the English settlers. At eleven an English congregation assembled, and I had the great satisfaction of administering the Lord's supper to a more numerous body of communicants than I had ever met before in any English settlement. At three I officiated at the native afternoon service; and at four, Mr. Churton and I again met a good English congregation, whom he addressed in an earnest and impressive manner."

NEW PLYMOUTH.

"I have already reported the friendly and cordial manner in which I was received by the settlers at New Plymouth; a settlement which pleased me

much by its honest agricultural character, and the absence of attempt to appear what it is not, and cannot be. My impression was that an active and zealous clergyman would find a most hopeful field of usefulness among the Devonshire emigrants, who seemed really desirous of such a privilege."

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, WAIMATE.

"We have now nine students in the College, and nine boys in the Collegiate School formed on the basis of the former Mission School. Of the nine students, six are candidates for holy orders, and are going through a course of divinity lectures with me, and of Greek with Mr. Cotton; besides lectures in the native language, medicine, and Latin. The regularity of our course has been more interrupted than I could wish, by the first difficulties of settling, and by the illness of Mr. Whytehead and Mr. Dudley. The ordination of Mr. Davis, and the recovery of Mr. Dudley, having enabled me to provide for the native duties of the station, I am now more at liberty to devote myself to the instruction of my students; for which my admirable library, now opened at the Kerikeri, will supply me with abundant materials. All things, in fact, seem, by the mercy of God, to be moving on, through much anxiety and affliction, towards that settled and peaceful state, which has in it the promise of present contentment and of better things to come.'

QUALIFICATIONS REQUISITE FOR A NEW ZEALAND

CLERGY.

"The plan of the Society, in furnishing me with the means of educating young men for the ministry, has given me the greatest comfort and hope during the losses which we have sustained. If it can many be carried on, I trust in God that we shall never want a supply of men to fill the numerous village stations into which the population of this country

will soon be divided. The great towns, which a temporary expenditure of capital forced into existence, cannot, I think, be expected to increase; but I look forward to the cantonment of a healthy, and I trust a godly, population, in every beautiful little valley, and by the side of every running stream, of which there are hundreds in every part of the islands. To supply these country curacies, for they will be nothing more, we must have men bred on the spotmen of simple piety, and simple habits-accustomed to live at small expense, and acquainted with all the little difficulties-for privations there are none-of a colonial life in New Zealand."

ADVANTAGE OF UNRESTRICTED GRANTS.

In carrying into effect the various plans which I have felt to be necessary for the establishment of a sound Church system in this country, I have been continually reminded of the confidence reposed in me by the Committee, which has enabled me to act with decision in many cases where delay would seriously have injured the future prospects of the Church. It is impossible to foresee what may be the peculiar position of this Colony from year to year; even the course of population cannot be predicted. The relations with the native people involve a new element of uncertainty. If I had been fettered with strict rules, and obliged to refer every question to England; or if every clergyman were at liberty to communicate directly with the Society, instead of looking up to me as the director of his duties, and the source of his emoluments, I could never have met the changes which, even in one year, have completely altered many of the arrangements which I at first formed. Being entrusted with the charge of an undertaking altogether new and unexampled in our Church, and therefore experimental in its character, I have deeply felt the benefit of that confidential latitude which was kindly given to me