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PRAYER.

GLEANINGS.

THERE is an eye that never sleeps,
Beneath the wing of night;
There is an ear that never shuts,
When sink the beams of light.

There is an arm that never tires,
When human strength gives

way;

There is a love that never fails,

When earthly loves decay.

That eye is fix'd on seraph throngs,
That ear is fill'd with angels' songs,
That arm upholds the world on
high,

That love is thrown beyond the
sky.

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to her husband's commands, he directed her to touch the head of the insect with a little of the ghee, to tie one end of the silk thread around him, and to place the repI tile on the wall of the tower. Seduced by the smell of the butter, which he conceived to be in store somewhere above him, the beetle continued to ascend till he reached the top, and thus put the vizier in possession of the end of the silk thread, who drew up the pack-thread by means of the silk, the small cord by means of the pack-thread, and by means of the cord a stout rope capable of sustaining his own weight-and so at last escaped from the place of

But there's a power that man can { duresse.-Quarterly Review.

wield

THE ARABS.—It is said by travellers, that the wandering that love to Arabs are more attentive than

When mortal aid is vain; That eye, that arm, reach,

That listening ear to gain.

That power is prayer, which soars on high,

And feeds on bliss beyond the sky!

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the people of Christendom, to the instruction of their children in the knowledge of religion and letters. An empty tent is appropriated in each camp for the purpose of religious worship, for the entertainment of strangers, and for a place of morning instruction to the children. In that tent all the children are assembled every morning before day-break; and are by an Iman, or other remayligious person, taught to read the prayers from the Koran, which are put before them in Arabic characters inscribed on boards, and also to commit those prayers to memory.

GREAT RESULTS FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS.—The possibility of a great change being introduced by very slight beginnings, be illustrated by the tale which Lockman tells of a vizier, who, having offended his master, was condemned to perpetual captivity in a lofty tower. At night his wife came to weep below his window. "Cease your grief,' said the sage; "go home for the present, and return hither when you have procured a live black beetle, together with a little ghee (or buffalo's butter), three clews, one of the finest silk, another of stout pack-thread, and another of whipcord; finally a stout coil of rope.' When she again came to the foot of the tower, provided according

THE DESIGN OF LIFE.-Certainly God hath some further design in giving me my life, and preserving it by continual miracles, within and without, than that I should eat, drink, and die. -Adam.

TRIFLES.-Be not disturbed for trifles. By the practice of this rule we should come, in time, to think most things too trifling to disturb us.-Adam.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUALITY.

METHOD is the very hinge of business; and there is no method without punctuality. Punctuality is important, because it subserves the peace and good temper of a family: the want of it not only infringes on necessary duty, but sometimes excludes this duty. The calmness of mind which it produces, is another advantage of punctuality; a disorderly man is always in a hurry, he has no time to speak to you, because he is going elsewhere; and when he gets there he is too late for his business; or he must hurry away to another before he can finish it. Punctuality gives weight to character. "Such a man has made an appointment: then I know he will keep it." And this generates punctuality in you; for, like other virtues, it propagates itself. Servants and children must be punctual where their leader is so. Appointments, indeed, become debts. I owe you punctuality, if I have made an appointment with you; and have no right to throw away your time, if I do mine own.

CHARITY.

I SEE beneath a wintry sky
A boy go forth to sow;
By earnest eyes, and quiet step,
He must be Faith I know.

I see a smiling child look up

The parted clouds between;

She smiles as none but Hope can smile,
For heaven is dimly seen.

I see another, meek of brow,

Lift up a wounded bee

That lately stung her loving hand,

And she is Charity.

Faith ploughs and sows this evil earth,
Hope watches changeful skies,

But Charity shall dwell in heaven

With bright and tearless eyes.

H.T.

ROBERT RAIKES IN THE SUBURBS OF

GLOUCESTER.

"It was his custom to visit in person the families of the poor, and to persuade the parents to feel interested in the well-being of their children; while, at the same time, he persuaded the children to come to the Sunday-school."

AND who is he that's seeking,

With look and language mild,
To heal the heart that's breaking,
And glad the vagrant child?
He searches lane and alley-
The mean and dark abode-
From Satan's hosts to rally
The conscripts due to God.

With words of kindly greeting,
Warm from an honest heart,

He's ignorance entreating

In knowledge to have part.
With charity unfailing,

He patiently doth take

Rebuke and sinful railing,

For Christ the Shepherd's sake.

He wins from vicious mothers
The children of neglect ;

The sisters and the brothers

From households sadly wrecked.
And these the truth impressing,

Beneath his gentle rule,

Have called on him a blessing,

Who formed the Sunday-school.

I'd rather my life's story

Should have such episode,
Than all the gorgeous glory
Napoleon's history shewed:
For when no more war's banner
With shouting is unfurled,
Those children's sweet hosanna
May shake the upper world.

LONGINGS AFTER HEAVEN.

JERUSALEM! O how I long

To walk thy happy streets;
To join that one-accorded throng
Where each a brother greets.

I long to cut the fruit that grows
Where Satan never trod,

To drink the crystal stream that flows
From 'neath the throne of God.

I long to see my Saviour there,
Where on his throne he sits;
And, ever joined to him, to share
His Father's benefits.

Thou quick'ning Spirit, thou alone
Hast the sufficient grace,
Self, my great idol, to dethrone,
And fit me for the place.

Come thou, and sanctify my heart,

And all my powers prepare;

Gladly to leave the joys "in part,"

Fulness of joy to share.

L. P.

CORRESPONDENCE.

DUTY TO STEP-PARENTS.

REV. SIR,-In all the addresses to children from the pulpit and in Sunday-school, I have never heard any thing said on the duty of children to their STEP-parents. The reason I believe is, ministers and teachers generally suppose when they address a number of children on duty to parents, it is understood by all as applying to Step-parents as well as to a child's own natural parents. But such, I am sorry to say, is not the case, as must be well known to all who have attentively studied the habits of children. I therefore beg to call attention to it, hoping no reader will pass it over as a trifling subject. For how many unhappy families, from the disobedience of step-children to their step-parents, within the knowledge of every reader of the "Teacher's Visitor," might be rendered happy and united, only by a few kind and affectionate words from a Sunday

school Teacher! as it must, I think, be acknowledged, that the cause of such unhappiness generally takes its rise in the latter; for, from the decease of the parent until the appearance of a step-parent amongst them, the children are often left without restraint; so that when regularly told of their faults, or corrected (even in the kindest manner) by a step-parent, they at once rebel and put all their authority at defiance.

I do not say such is the case in all such families: but I do say, and firmly believe, that in most families of the poor a greater amount of actual misery is daily experienced by step-mothers than is generally dreamt of. Teachers, with you it rests to remove part, if not all, this unhappiness from so many family hearths; for often a word from a Sunday-school Teacher is taken more notice of by a child than all it hears beside. Oh, then, when you teach them to honour their father and mother, if there is only one child in your class who has a step-parent, in the name of every step-parent, I would say, tell them how incumbent upon them it is to honour the one as well as the other.

Some may be led to think the writer is himself a step-parent; he would assure the reader he is not: he is a step-son. Well do I remember, when quite a little boy, following the remains of my dear mother to their long home. In course of time, my father married again. In my step-mother I always found a sincere, kind, and affectionate MOTHER. Most probably, had I never had a stepmother, these lines would never have been written by me for the "Teacher's Visitor," and I should not have beenWorcestershire.

A SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER.

MEANS FOR KEEPING CLASSES QUIET.

REV. SIR,-What are the best means for lessening the noise during the time the scholars are engaged in reading and repeating their lessons? A SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER.

Wigan.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"A Sunday-school Teacher" had best get access to a good Commentary for the explanation of his texts.

"E. H." not quite suitable.

Communications to be sent in future to the Editor, at Casterton, Kirkby Lonsdale.

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