never be subdued. But Christ himself has said, "Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Longton.

E. PALMER.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A STRANGER AND A SUNDAY SCHOLAR.

(Continued from page 109.)

S. S. See, Sir, yonder are the teachers and schoSon their way to Chapel.

lars

S. Yes, I see; why they form quite a long procession, and walk in beautiful order.

S. S. They do, Sir, ours is the best school in this neighbourhood. There are about 200 scholars, and nearly 40 teachers. Our minister sometimes comes and joins the procession, and I have heard him say that it is Hollingworth's most pleasing sight.

S. That I am sure will please the children, and encourage the teachers very much. Ministers can hardly believe what a stimulating and gracious effect a short visit, or a little attention from them, produces on both teachers and scholars. I dare say you have a school lecture sometimes.

S. S. Yes, Sir, Mr. T about once in every six weeks.

delivers one to us

S. A good practice. I hope he speaks in simple. and easy language, so that the children may understand.

S. S. He does, Sir; a short time since he had for his text, a very simple and pretty verse, which he said one of the Stalybridge teachers had taught

his little daughter, and which she was repeating when he left home that morning.

"I am a little child you see,
My strength is little too;
I have a precious soul to save,

Lord, teach me what to do."

This took the attention of the children wonderfully, and nearly all of them got it off by heart, and are ever repeating and singing the words.

S. Well, my young friend, I was going to request you to accompany me a little further, but upon second consideration, and having heard such an interesting account of the Chapel and school, I

will go up with you to the House of the Lord, and

then, perhaps, you will walk with me part of the

way.

S. S. I will, Sir, with very great pleasure. I had been to see my aunt, who is ill, when you overtook me on the road, and as I have not been to school I should hardly like to be absent from Chapel.

The Stranger and the Sunday Scholar were soon devoutly engaged in worshipping God. They had scarcely taken their seats when the congregation led by a full and effective band of singers, and not a little aided by the scholars, began to sing in sweet and swelling strains of melody, that delightful hymn (the 216th),

"Come thou fount of every blessing, &c."

It was evident the stranger had not been prepared to expect such good singing: he seemed surprised and delighted, the more so, as there was

not a musical instrument in the chapel. Sometimes he sung, and sometimes he listened; but the words, "Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither, by thy help, I'm come," seemed deeply to affect him, and the animation of his countenance, bespoke the lively gratitude of his heart. And then, when the people sung, and he tried to sing,

"Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to save my soul from danger,

Interposed his precious blood,"

his breast swelled with emotion-he lifted his eyes towards Heaven-the starting tear fell-his voice faltered-he could sing no more. During prayer he was intensely earnest, and poured out his soul in fervent supplications before God, and when the preacher pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the School, and all Sunday-schools, his responses were solemn and loud such responses as would come from a benevolent and devout teacher's heart

and yet, he appeared unconscious of being heard, save only by his God, and the God of Sabbathschools. Him he invoked to hear and bless. The text was soon read, and one more suited to the state of his mind, and to the holy and important work in which he had been so long engaged, could not have been chosen. Youthful reader, lay your Magazine down, and take up your Testament, and then turn to the 9th verse of the 6th Chapter of Galatians, and you will find the passage; à passage which has often encouraged and cheered the teacher in his toil, and the disciple in his conflict. It was a word in season-all seemed profited-many

were filled with peace and joy, and while they said, "Master, it is good for us to be here," Luke ix. 33, they resolved through all difficulties and distresses, to be in labours more abundant, and to endure to the end. The preacher did not particularly dwell on any department of christian duty; and yet the subject was so applied to every heart, that the stranger and all the teachers thought and felt they were the "Us" and "WE" referred to in the text; and so did the class leaders, and the stewards, and the trustees, and the aged pilgrims, and the young converts, and so did they all. At the close of the service, while the Sunday Scholar was explaining to his teacher the cause of his absence from school in the morning, the Stranger had an opportunity of conversing with one of the superintendents, who informed him that his youthful companion was a very pious and very clever boy. He had entered the school when only four years of age, and although he had never been at a day school, such had been his serious behaviour-his attention to his books-his eagerness to learn-and his devotedness to prayer, that he had far excelled others with ten times his advantages, and bid fair to be a young man of extensive information, deep piety, and great usefulness.

(To be concluded in our next.)

.THE POST OFFICE.

"WHATSOEVER ye shall ask in my name, that will I do," John, xiv. 13. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any

thing according to his will, he heareth us," 1 John, v. 14.

In order to prove to you that God hears the prayers of children, I am going to tell you a story of a little boy, whose prayer was answered in a wonderful manner, although, as you will see, he made a great mistake in the way in which he asked. It is a true story, and happened in Germany.

This little boy, whom we will call Frank (as I do not know his real name), was only six years old; he had lost his father, and was, by this sad event, deprived of the means of continuing his education. Now this was a great grief to Frank, for he was not like some children, who are quite pleased to be idle, and very glad when their master is away and cannot teach them. Frank knew he was ignorant, and had much to learn before he could be