of the death-angel, and he could not speak to us. That look—the last his blue eyes ever gave on earth, told me I was forgiven. But, Celia, I could not forgive myself then. That one unkindness rose in my memory like a black cloud, to blot from my sight the beautiful heaven that was opening upon my dear brother! God has taken him!' spoke my father, as his breath hushed, and we listened in the stillness of death. And he knelt down in prayer. I knelt down to weep to weep with a bitterness, may you be kept from knowing, my dear cousin!"

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·

Oh, Willie !" cried Celia, stretching her hands involuntarily to the crib. Willie's black eyes were wide open, dreamingly watching the glass danglers above him; and they were full of wonder, when his sister caught him up to smother him with her tears and kisses, crying, "No, Willie! you must not die! it would break my heart-oh, dear me ! Cousin Lucy, I shall remember this afternoon! I never will speak an angry word to Willie again-never!

"May you keep this resolution, Celia! and then the angels will not have taken my Louis in vain! But there are the carriage wheels-run! hold sweet Willie to watch at the window for mamma!"

HABIT IN CHILDHOOD.

A pebble on the streamlet scant

Has turned the course of many a river;

A dew drop on the baby plant

Has warped the giant oak for ever.

NEED we inform our readers that there was a time when the Pope of Rome was much more eager to gather gold than to

9

lay up treasure in heaven. Instead of being poor, like Him who had not where to lay his head, he lived in a palace, dressed in splendid robes, eating and drinking sumptuously every day. This could not be done without a great deal of money. To obtain what he wanted, the Pope committed a great sin, for he gave a written permission to the people to do wrong, if they would only pay for it. Priests were sent by him through the cities of Europe, who opened shops in the market-places, and told the people that they might buy pardon for wrong-doing with silver and gold. They sold them pieces of paper with pardons written upon them, called Indulgences." But all the people were not so weak as to believe that one man could make the wrong-doing of another man, not wrong-doing, by simply paying a few shillings to him to say so. Thousands of them loved the truth in their

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heart.

At last God raised up a man as bold as a lion, who found out that truth was a part of the Almighty, and must be stronger than man. This man's name was Martin Luther; he was only a poor monk, so no one thought he was worthy of notice. But, little by little, he learned God's Word; and at last saw, that not the Pope, but the Lord Jesus Christ, was the way to heaven. As soon as he knew the truth, he began to teach it to others. He preached against the wicked "Indulgences" of the Pope, and printed tracts and books, and gave them to men to read. This enraged the Pope, and he set about silencing Luther. He was summoned to appear at the imperial city of Worms, there to answer any questions that might be put to him about the doctrines he had been teaching for some time, and the books

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he had published A promise was given him by the Emperor Charles that no one should hurt him. Some of Luther's friends, however, had no faith in this promise, and they said to him, Stop at home. Don't go. What is the value of a promise of safety, when John Huss, after having received one, was burnt to death." But Luther, who knew that the God of Truth would go with him, felt no fear.

He set out for Worms, travelling through roads crowded with people who had come out to see him, perhaps, as they supposed, for the last time. On his way, in spite of the Pope, he preached the Gospel, and the people listened. He went on again, and the crowd still followed to see the man who could go to be killed. They cried, "There are so many cardinals and bishops at Worms, they will burn you to ashes, as they did John Huss!" But still he went on.

At last he reached Worms. He was brought into the hall of judgment, before a great assembly. There, in splendid robes, sat kings and princes, dukes, archbishops and bishops, ambassadors and counts, and nobles and barons, more than two hundred persons of distinction. There was a solemn stillness through the hall. A man, called a Chancellor, stood up, and cried out, 'His Sacred Majesty has summoned you before his throne to answer these two questions:

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"1st, Were these books composed by you?

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2nd, Do you mean to retract these books and their contents?"

When the titles of the books were read, Luther said directly, that he had written them; but the second question he had a day to consider, perhaps that he might look the books

over again, and see if he had made any mistakes. He found them all right. The next day he stood again before the assembly. With a loud voice he gave his answer to the second question, "HERE I AM, GOD HELP ME; I NEITHER CAN NOR WILL RETRACT ANYTHING."

He felt that he was in the presence of God as well as in the presence of men, and he would not deny what he knew to be true, though he might lose his life for it.

The assembly was amazed. Many of them felt that God was with Luther, and that he was the greatest man in the

room.

you

Dear reader, learn this, remember this, that as long as live you are before God too. At all times, if you speak the truth, no real harm will happen to you. If you can say to yourself, "I am doing right," then you will have nothing to fear.

ANSWER TO THE ENIGMA-THOUGHT.

To your ENIGMA, sir, an answer I've sought,

And after much guessing I guess it is " THOUGHT."
For thought is unseen, and is restless I'll own,

And with lightning speed about it is borne ;

No human hand can check its bold flight,

For it soars far beyond these dark scenes of night.

Thought is good, thought is bad, thought is grave, and thought's gay, Thought never can die, though all do decay:

And I think you will own, if you look these lines through,

That I referred to thought ere I showed them to you.

Weston Favell.

WILLIAM MARTIN.