CONTENTS. A flower sermon, 140 Where does Jesus live? 54- people's houses, 80—Ancient 67—Sally's first prayer, 110- London, 144-Isle of Man, • The old, old story,' 116- 176: Answers to, 31, 63, 95, Gran'fer enters the • Rest,' 139 127, 159, 189 147 Sea-anemones, 75 Sea-nettles, 29 Seek ye the Lord,' 100, 126 Sugar, 123 Summer in many lands, 82 New-year's day in many lands, 2 Brierton-wood, 106, 123 Teddie's bonfire-night, 164 The rising tide, 5- Fighting The children's holiday, 142, 151 with a dragon, 27 – Rescuing The cocoa-nut palm, 171 Easter in many lands, 50 captives, 35-Conquering a The first Christmas carol, 182 tyrant, 77—Rescuing a prince, The gold fishes, 98 85—Dangerous delays, 101– The Holy Ghost fell on them,' 74 The city of the great King, The money-spider, 187 131 The reed-wren and its nest, 92 Pity the poor blind,' 69 The scar of honour; or, A brave DERS: The eye, 15-The ear, The story of greedy Achan, 130 The stupid boy, 151, 179 The two sisters, 84, 125 Harvest in many lands, 146 Nelly's puppy playmates, 115 The wet Sunday, 148 Our Christmas plum-pudding, Thou God seest me,' 127 WALKS AROUND LONDON: Kew The new-year, 12 Gardens, 20—Richmond, 58— Left to perish, 167 Timidity and trust, 163 Bushey Park and Hampton Leila's fears, and how she con- Court, 90—Greenwich, 158– quered them, 18, 45, 60 Pride and Peril, 107 Epping Forest, 183 Pussy's call to duty, 23 LITTLE SALLY: Sally and gran'fer, 13—Zeph, 19-Sally hears PUZZLE PICTURES : Old books, 16 WALKS IN THE 'Zoo,' 10, 42, 70, something of Jesus, 43- -Old houses, 48–Other 103, 138, 170 NEW-YEAR'S DAY IN MANY LANDS. EW-YEAR's morning! Most of you not shake hands as we do, but salute each did nct hear the clock strike the other with profound bows. Of course this last hour of 1881. Perhaps some New-Year's Feast has a religious meaning, of you turned drowsily in your but you will agree with me that the poor warm bed as you heard the cheery Chinese, notwithstanding all this gaudy dis rap which announced the arrival of play, are far less happy at the close of their father and mother, and the older New-Year's ceremony than the Methodists brothers and sisters, who had been of Old England returning from their simple, to the Watch-night Service, to watch but sacred Watch-night. the Old Year out and the New Year Doubtless some of you are thinking of in. It may be that some of my older friends far away, and on the other side of readers were present at that solemn, yet the world, to whom they would gladly offer happy service. When I was a child I used friendly greeting. New-Year's day is already to think that the worn and wrinkled Old Year, far advanced with them. Instead of the and his fresh young successor, actually ap- chill air of winter's midnight they are inhalpeared in some mysterious way before the ing the balmy breezes of a bright summer's eyes of the congregation. No such sight as ! evening. A dashing ride across the wooded that, however, has drawn so many from their prairie shall be their New-Year's treat. In homes at this late hour. They come simply their own way, the Australian settlers will to spend in prayer and thought the last welcome the New Year as warmly as the old hours of the Old Year, and in order that the folk at home, who sit roasting chestnuts by first moments of the New Year may be given the blazing fire; and, when they reach their to God, and that the kindly feelings they journey's end, and joyously tender Newhave been cherishing may be expressed in Year's greetings to the lonely dwellers in a the hearty hand-shake, and the warm good solitary cottage, their salutations will be wishes for the opening year with which each more refreshing than the most elaborate greets his neighbour. When you are older New-Year's card inscribed, “With the Comyou will learn to look upon the Watch-night pliments of the Season.' Service as one of the most precious in the year. Some of us are this day remembered by Every civilized nation ushers in the New friends or relatives in another British coYear with special ceremonies. Perhaps the lony; and some stricken hearts will sadly most curious takes place in far-off China, turn to the land where, a year or two ago, It is known as the Feast of Lanterns. ruthless war snatched from them the young Every house exhibits a number of various- and brave and dearly-loved—the sunny South coloured lanterns, having six sides. The African country. There the walls display framework is of wood, richly gilded, and wreaths of the delicate mimosa and the over this is stretched a covering of fine, climbing geranium ; and the graceful arum transparent silk, on which flowers and figures and gay gladiola take the place of the red of men and animals are painted in brilliant and white holly and misletoe, emblems of colours. These lanterns are very costly, joy and purity. The family circle gathers , some of them being valued at five hundred in the wide verandah to listen to the twicepounds of English money. These, however, read budget of Christmas letters from the are much too large to hang from the windows. old country. The servants, too, are enjoyThey are equal in size to a small room, and ing their Christmas in the open-air, and the Chinese men and women pass in and out, little half naked black children come in for greeting each other by the bright light of the their share of the feast. Everywhere, from torches which are fastened in the walls, hot Africa to frozen America, the New Year You will see, from the picture, that they do brings to young and old, joy and hope, kind 6 CLIMBING AND FALLING. 3 thoughts and neighbourly deeds. In the we have a glimpse of New Year's day among right-hand corner of our picture you see a the snowy heights of the Pyrenees. There Canadian welcoming friends from a distance. three merry French children have left their The ground is thickly crusted with ice and little hut on the mountain-side and are snow, but this does not deter the happy little greeting all their neighbours with a carol. company from driving merrily across the Their sweet childish voices are so bewitching frozen ground in their pretty sledges, drawn that they need not fear lest the basket they by a train of well-fed, active dogs, whose carry with them should be long unfilled. bells tinkle merrily as they dash along. The These carol-singers do not expect money, cold is so great that travellers are muffled but each thrifty housewife chooses from her to the eyes; but what matter if the biting store some gift to gladden the hearts of the air penetrate even through the thickest little ones. Sometimes sweetmeats are given, wraps ? Is not the heart within far too sometimes a cake of white bread, considered warm to be chilled out of its feeling of a great luxury by the peasants, whose food kindliness, goodwill, and hope? At last the all the year round is common black bread, door of the far-offhomeis reached, and regard coarser than any that you see in England. less of the cold, kind hands assist the be- Many little hearts, the world over, are beatnumbed travellers to alight, and loving voices ing high this New-Year's morning with bright wish them New-Year's blessings. And by hopes; and let yours, dear children, be filled, the blazing fire inside is a table loaded with too, with earnest prayer and holy purpose, gifts, each neatly labelled with the name of so that this first day and first Sabbath of the one of the guests; for in North America New Year may long be remembered as a time New-Year's gifts are universal. of great and lasting blessing. In the left-hand corner of our picture CLIMBING AND FALLING. 'Fain would I climb, but that I fear to fall.' PERHAPS some of you have heard the story brilliant is the dress of the company, that with which our picture and motto are con- you are quite dazzled; here is a young nected, but, whether new or old, it is full of dandy in buff-coloured shoes adorned with interest to us all, especially now that the jewels ; there another in crimson cloak and New Year lies before us. How often in the satin vest. Some are chatting gaily, saying past we have tried to mount upwards, and many soft words of flattery to the young to be and do better than ever ; sometimes Queen ; others, with graver brow, discuss our foot has slipped, and instead of climb- the latest news from Spain. In a windowing we have fallen. But if we have man- niche apart from the company, stands a tall, fully picked ourselves up again, our fall has handsome man, intently occupied in cutting only made us more wary. The old Romans on the pane with a diamond-ring. Ever and consecrated the first month in their year to again the Queen casts a side glance at the Janus, the god who had two faces : one corner where he is at work. His thoughts looking backwards over the trodden path- have been full of her ever since the day way, the other peering into the unknown. when he spread his new cloak in the muddy Let us hope that the earnest, eager eyes way, that she might pass over without soiling turned towards the New Year may be all the l her delicate shoes. more watchful because of the mistakes of This young man is a climber, and the the Old One. heights he seeks to scale are dangerous. He, Now for my story. Go back with me | a subject, would win the hand and share the three hundred years, and take a peep at the throne of a Queen. He starts back at his splendid court of Good Queen Bess.' So own daring, but he will scratch his thoughts |