with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest, and dwelt with her mother-in-law. And at the end of the harvest, Boaz desired to make Ruth his wife, and said to her, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. Also he said,

Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her, and she went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law she told her all that the man had said to her. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me, for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.

Then Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there; and he said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance: ye are witnesses this day. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of

thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age. For thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.

And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed. He was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.

The chief lesson to be learned from the story of Ruth is, how great a comfort children may be to their parents. Ruth left her own land and her own relations to follow poor Naomi, who stood to her in the place of a mother. It was not that Naomi was rich, for she had nothing, and had lost her husband and her two sons. Ruth went with Naomi because she loved her, and hoped to be able to keep and comfort her, as indeed she did. What would Naomi have done without Ruth, who worked all day in the field. for her, and brought her home food at night? And how richly was Ruth rewarded! She married Boaz, a very good man, who was rich as well as good, and gave a home to Naomi; and from their son Obed was afterwards descended David, from whose family our blessed Lord took His human birth.

What relation was Ruth to Naomi?

Where did Ruth go to with Naomi when they left Moab?
Whose field did Ruth glean in ?

Was Boaz kind to Ruth?

Who married Ruth?

What was the name of her son?

Who was descended from Obed?

The Story of Samuel.

LITTLE child was Samuel, brought In God's own house to dwell; And there, by good old Eli taught, He learned his duty well.

He heard God's voice one night in bed,
But felt no childish fears;

And answered, as the High Priest said,
"Speak, Lord, thy servant hears."

So may we listen for God's voice,
With silent heart, at night;
Early, like Samuel, make our choice
Only to walk aright.

Poor Eli loved his Maker too,

But spoiled his sons perverse;

He let them disobey, and drew
From God a heavy curse.

Hophni and Phinehas both were slain
When Israel lost the day;

And Eli died of grief and pain
When the ark was borne away.

But Samuel faithful still remained
To Him who blessed his youth;
His purpose strong his life sustained
Before the God of Truth.

CHAPTER XIX.

Samuel is vowed to God from his Birth. The Philistines take the Ark of God. Eli's wicked Sons die.

OW there was a certain man of Mount
Ephraim named Elkanai, and his wife

Hannah had no children. And this man' went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. And Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord there. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. And Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore, because she had no child. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt remember me, and give me a son, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life. And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli saw her, and said unto her, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him. So Hannah went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned to their house to Ramah. And Hannah bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of