perishing traveller, assuring him that "friends are near and help is coming." Solomon says, "Go to the ant," and learn to be industrious, but I have “ gone to the dogs," and have been reminded by them that the happiest way of passing through life is to try if, by any means, we may save some; and so, I quite agree with Solomon when he says "A Living Dog is better than a Dead Lion." THE INDIAN "SALOME.' A MEMOIR. ALOME, the daughter of Joseph and Mary, was born in November, 1846. Her parents consecrated her to the Lord by baptism in her infancy, as they did the rest of their children, because they wished to bring them up in the fear of the Lord, which fear was also the principle of their own life. She was sent to the Mission day-school at the age of three, and to the surprise of her neighbours, made speedy progress in her study, so that she was thoroughly able to read books in the course of two years. At the age of six she was admitted into the boarding-school at Santhapooram. In school she manifested great diligence, aiming at the thorough knowledge of her task, and was fast improving in her studies both in English and Tamil. All the time she was in school her conduct was satisfactory to her kind pastor and mistress as well as to her teachers, so that she gained the love and approbation of every one of her superiors, for we know of no case in which her conduct offended her superiors in school. After she came home, having finished her studies in school, she Was diligent in the domestic work allotted to her, and tried to im prove her leisure hours in reading the Bible and other useful books, both in English and Tamil. Godliness, which is profitable unto the life which now is, and that which is to come," had in her infant years deeply rooted itself in her mind. She was fond of singing hymns and sacred lyrics to native tunes, committed many of the verses to memory, and the sweet tone of her voice excited admiration and joy in her hearers. She regularly attended upon the means of grace, as public worship, Sunday classes, &c., and gave an attentive ear to the Word of God preached, and delighted in prayer both public and private. Some months ago, when her kind mother and elder sister were afflicted by severe illness for many days together, she herself attended to every part of the house affairs without any failure, and gave a sure proof of her patience under hardships, by enduring weariness, want of proper sleep and rest, &c. Though so young (only 13), and though none of her equals in age had become members of the Church before her, yet the love of her Saviour excited in her a desire to acknowledge her faith, and to become a lively member of His Church. So that she requested her kind pastor to admit her into the Church, and after she was tried upon the evidence of her piety she was received into the Church as a disciple of Christ, at the beginning of this year. The answers she gave to the questions proposed to her on the subject were satisfactory and expressive of her feelings. When she was asked why she wanted to join the Church at so early an age, she replied, "Many who are as young as I am, and some younger than I am, are unexpectedly cut off by death; so I may die soon, therefore I wish to express my love to my Saviour even now, though young." Ever since her admission she has lived a consistent life. Although very young she has been sustained by Divine grace. She partook of the Lord's Supper but twice here on earth. She is not here now. She is a member of that Church above which is before the throne of God, and she now sees the Saviour whom she loved here below "as He is." MADAGASCAR. CHRISTMAS GAMBOLS. BY MR. J. S. SEWELL. HRISTMAS is not forgotten at Antananarivo, and it has been a somewhat difficult task to the missionaries to prevent its being superstitiously observed. They endeavour to make it a time of rejoicing to the children in the different schools, and whatever may have been the case in previous years, this year they have been decidedly successful. But first you must remember that the weather at this time of the year in Madagascar is totally different from Christmas weather in England. It is summer with us, and the sun at noon is vertical; and if it were not that we are between four or five thousand feet above the level of the sea, to be out of doors, except as a matter of necessity, in the middle of the day, would hardly be thought of. A few days before Christmas, rewards for good attendance and diligence in their studies were given in all the different schools. These consisted mainly of arti cles of clothing, though slates, cedar pencils, umbrellas, and a toy telescope were among the articles distributed. When the prizes had been given, in most of the schools every child received a trifle of some kind. In one school, marbles, cedar pencils, and pictures from English periodicals served this purpose; in another, bags, pen-wipers, tiny needle-cases, scissors, pin. cushions, little card boxes, any thing that could be made available, were handed round. But the day before Christmas was with these schools the great day. A kind native Christian had willingly granted his grounds as a place in which the children should enjoy themselves and have dinner together. So about nine o'clock, on a delightfully fine day, nearly 600 children, with their teachers and a few others, were on their way to the grounds, on the outskirts of the town. Many years ago these grounds were laid out by Mr. i Hastie, the Consul of King George IV, in the time of Radama I. Though they have sadly deteriorated since then, the clumps of trees, and the water, and the nice broad walks, &c., &c, made it a most excellent place for the purpose for which it was required. Had it been in the exquisite order of a nobleman's grounds in England, where "you must not go there," "You must not touch that," "You must not do so," &c., &c, &c., would have had to be continually said, it would not have done half so well. The happy children of all grades of society in the town, from the sons and daughters of the nobles to those of their slaves, all dressed in their very best, soon spread over the grounds; some seated themselves under the shade of a clump of trees, others got to a canoe on the pond, and with their feet and hands paddled themselves about. Round one of the missionaries was collected a large group who were greatly interested in watching the ascent of a paper balloon. In another place they were running races. In another a few of them had been busily engaged in dressing up one of their schoolfellows with the long grass, so that he was covered with it from head to foot, hands and face and all. He was then left to run about with a switch of grass in his hand, chasing the others all about the grounds, their great amusement, and it was delightful to hear their peals of laughter. Children are children in Madagascar just as they are in England, and though their faces are much darker and their speech totally different, they exceedingly enjoy a little fun, and they laugh, and cry too, just as English children do. In another place some were pul. ling with ropes - one party pulling one way and another another, trying to pull each other over a line. Two of the missionary party then proposed a game at leap-frog, but they had to practice upon other's backs in order to show what was wanted. This seemed very funny to the crowd around, and called forth a great deal of hearty laughter. Leapfrog lasted for a little while, and then the long rope was tried. The missionaries again had to give the lesson first, and they' found each teaching to play was quite as interesting to their pupils as teaching reading or long division. This game lasted for some time, only a few venturing to run in and out of the rope; but the others were greatly delighted to watch, though pleased most when there was a tumble or a failure of some kind or other. After this a little screw steampacket, worked by springs, was set afloat upon the pond, on the steep edge of which almost the whole company were collected to obtain a view of it. By this time younger and older began to be very hungry, and all were pleased when they saw preparations were being made for the dinner. Many English children would have much enjoyed the amusements already described. Perhaps, however, they would not equally have enjoyed the dinner. Squatted on the ground, some under trees, some not able to find a shelter, large banana leaves were spread out before them, and on these piles of cooked rice with lumps of meat were placed. After a hymn had been sung each brought out his horn spoon and attacked the heap before him, half-a-dozen or more to each; then taking it in turn to bite at the lumps of meat, they soon got as much as they wanted. The Europeans had provided themselves with a table full of good things under the shelter of a large tree, and when they, too, were satisfied, the large company went together to the chapel at Amparibe to see our exhibition of magic-lantern slides. This, however, had soɔn to be brought to a conclusion, for after a few scenes from "Pilgrim's Progress" had been shown, the heat became so oppressive from the fact of all the doors and shutters having to be closed, that the consequences would soon have been very fearful had they remained as they were. It was a day calculated to awaken many encouraging thoughts in the hearts of the missionaries. They could not but contrast the happy innocent enjoyment of the children and the Christian influence under which they had been brought with the state of things in the island but a few years before. It was calculated, too, to increase their gratitude to God for |