SCOTCH RAGGED KIRKS AND SCHOOLS.

with the Queen, who asked him what had become of the dog. He said that Colonel Gordon had represented it as displeasing to her Majesty. "Not at all," said the Queen, "Let him come; his conduct there is quite an example to some of your hearers." If they could see the Queen as he (Mr. Wilson) had seen her they would love her not only as a Queen but as a mother. Mr. W. then spoke of her Majesty's affectionate and maternal care of her children, joining them in their amusements-and of the simplicity of her dress, linsey wolsey, without crinoline, with a bonnet that covered her head, and with good strong boots. The Queen went into the dwellings of the humble cottagers to minister to their necessities and to provide for their wants, speaking words of kindness to the people. There was a beautiful school-house, and the Queen occasionally went in to see how the children got on with their lessons, and to give them little rewards. She leaned upon her husband's arm, and they walked together, with their family beside them, to church every sabbath, and yet she was every inch a Queen. When they were going on with their mission, he thought he should like to get the patronage of the Queen, so he wrote a letter and sent it to her, but Lord John Russell would not present it. He tried a second time with Earl Grey, but failed again. At last he was informed that if he could get a letter into the Queen's private letter bag it would be seen by her Majesty. He did so by the help of a postmaster, and the Queen sent him a letter by Colonel Anson, expressing her sympathy, and enclosing £20 for their ragged kirk. Two years afterwards she sent him £25 for their school, and when they built their present new chapel, he sent to her Majesty a plan of the scheme of extension, and she sent him £50 to head the subscription list. On the last occasion when he was down in Scotland, he received a letter from Colonel Phipps, with her Majesty's commands that he should go and spend a day with herself and the Royal children at Balmoral. He was delighted with the piety, affection, and simplicity which marked the conduct of the Royal Mother in the midst of her family. He was now commanded to send his next report to Windsor Castle. To show the simplicity of the dress and manners of the Queen at Balmoral, he could not resist telling one little anecdote. Her Majesty was standing one day on the roadside opposite the castle sketching-and a capital sketcher she was-there was the castle, the beautiful terrace in front, the river, and the

66

HER MAJESTY, QUEEN VICTORÍA, AND THE SCOTCH RAGGED SCHOOLS.

mountain streams in the distance. A boy came up with a flock of sheep. The sheep would not pass. The boy called out, "Get out of the road, lady, and let the sheep go by." The Queen smiled, and stepped back a short distance. Still the sheep would not pass, and again the boy called out, “Get out of the way, I say, lady, and let the sheep go by." The Queen then moved away, and the sheep passed; but Sir James Clark, who was a short distance off, went up to the lad and said, 'Boy, do you know who you have been speaking to?" The boy replied, "I dinna ken, and I dinna care: she's no business there-that's the sheep's road." 'But," said Sir James, "that's the Queen." "The Queen! then why does she not put on clothes that we may know her to be the Queen?" So simply dressed was her Majesty that the boy could not imagine her to be the Queen. Let us thank God that we have got a court of this character. The monthly nurse was a member of Dr. Steane's (baptist) church at Camberwell. The Princess

Royal, now the Princess Frederick William, was awakened through reading a sermon of Adolphe Monod, and was led to give herself to God. When the last child was born, a Wesleyan was selected for nurse. The teacher of the Prince of Wales, Mr. Gibbs, was a nonconformist. Previous to the appointment he was sent for twice, and for two hours was subjected to a severe questioning by the Prince Consort and her Majesty to test his knowledge. All the heads of departments about her Majesty were pious people. Every child that was born in the Royal family was born amidst many prayers. Whenever a child was born the pious members of the household assembled themselves together and continued praying for the Queen until the child was born, when they gave God thanks. He thanked God for such a Queen and such a Court, and that under her God was prospering Britain, as he had never prospered us before. Mr. W. then briefly spoke of the great work which they were doing in Ireland and the Colonies, and urged his hearers to use their best endeavours to promote true religion, and concluded by singing a prize song composed by a working man of Aberdeen, to be sung at one of their anniversaries. A minister singing a song at a missionary meeting was evidently a novel thing, but it was received with great satisfaction by the audience, who testified their approval by loud applause.

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.-THE FIRESIDE.

Anecdotes and Selections.

THE TEETOTAL MONKEY.-DR. GUTHRIE, in a New Year's Tract, tells a humorous tale of a monkey. In remarking upon the debasing influence of drinking, and to show that the drunkard descends below the grade of the irrational animals, he says:-"He is worse than a beast before men. I wish that he had the sense of the beast-of Mr. P's monkey. Jack, as he was called, seeing his master and some companions drinking, with those imitative powers for which he is remarkable, finding half a glass of whisky left, took it up and drank it off. It flew of course to his head. Amid their roars of laughter he began to hop, skip, and dance. Next day, when they went, with the intention of repeating the fun, to take poor monkey from his box, he was not to be seen. Looking inside, there he lay erouching in a corner. 'Come out,' said his master. Afraid to disobey, he came walking on three legs-the fore paw that was laid on his forehead saying, as plain as words could do, that he had a headache. Having left him some days to get well, and resume his gaiety, they at length carried him off to the old scene of revel. On entering, he eyed the glasses with manifest terror, skulking behind the chairs; and on his master's ordering him to drink, he bolted, and was on the house-top in a twinkling. They called him down. He would not come. His master shook a whip at him. Jack, astride on the ridge-pole, grinned defiance. A gun, of which he was always much afraid, was pointed at the disciple of temperance; he ducked his head, and slipped over to the back of the house. Two guns were now levelled at him, one from each side of the house; upon which, seeing his predicament, and less afraid apparently of the fire than of the fire-water, the monkey leaps at a bound on the chimney top, and getting down into the flue, held on by his fore-paws. He would rather be singed than drink. He triumphed, and although his master kept him for twelve years after, he never could persuade the monkey to taste another drop of whisky."

The Fireside.

PARENTAL AUTHORITY.

No children are ever so happy as those who have been early taught implicit and immediate obedience to a parent's wise and proper commands. Would that parents more universally felt that! When they suffer their children to disobey them, they are absolutely teaching them to sin against God by breaking one of his commandments, and one to which the promise of long life is given. No

THE PENNY POST BOX.

wonder if God, in just displeasure, remove the child from such bad tuition. Remember what a solemn lesson the Holy Scriptures have given in the history of Eli. There is much danger from a foolish wish to gratify a child. If you once direct a child to do a thing, however unpleasant it may be to yourself and child, insist with firmness upon immediate and full obedience. There should be no demur or delay. Prompt obedience is as lovely in a child as its enforcement is dignified in a parent. The firm and gentle constraint of parental authority commands respect, and even inspires reverence and love in the child towards the parent. Thus, then, if you desire your children should grow up, cherishing for you profound esteem and affection, insist upon this filial duty—the duty of implicit obedience and commence early. To begin right is the way to end right. But take care that you only command what is right.

The Penny Post Box.

SINS OF THE TONGUE.

In my opinion we do not say enough or think enough about these. I dont mean just now the foul and filthy words of wicked men, who seem as if they could not open their mouths without saying something that makes one shudder. But I refer to those of us who are not very careful of what we say ourselves. For few persons have a proper idea of the extent of the sins of the tongue. The Psalmist prayed that the Lord would set a watch before his mouth, and keep the door of his lips. This prayer should be offered by us all continually and earnestly to God. Who that knows anything of what it is to watch against sins, but must feel how often he is ready to fall into sins of the tongue, and, like Moses, to “speak unadvisedly with his lips." We do not mean really wicked and lying words, from which a child of God would start back with horror, but words not quite true; impatient, hasty, or angry words; vain and foolish words; proud boastful words, exalting self; unguarded, thoughtless, unkind words, which wound the feelings of others. How often are some men's words "like sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of Juniper." They pierce and burn, and yet they turn away and say, we have done no harm. "Foolish talking and jesting," when indulged in, is also a serious evil. Some, because they feel no special condemnation for this, justify themselves in it. But no man nor woman can attain to elevated piety, or be eminently useful, that indulges in this habit. Although condemnation may not be felt, it is apparent in the barrenness of soul which follows. Speech is one of God's noblest gifts to man, and should be wisely improved. Our tongue should be employed for the glory of God. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry.

Facts.

Hints.

IF ANY ONE unjustly attempts to injure you, say, "That man tries to hurt me by hurting himself."

IF AN INJURY is done to me I must not do myself a greater injury by revenging it.

DISPUTES with others are often awkward and unprofitable. But disputes with our own hearts may do us much good.

IF I ESTEEM A MAN just because he is of my opinion I am then only giving my esteem to myself.

IF I ONLY WANTED to do good to a man by reproving him, I should never do it in an ill temper. That would spoil all.

THE ONLY SAFE WAY not to speak evil of any one is, not to think evil of any one.

JEWISH BURIALS. The first land ever purchased was for a tomb -that of Sarah, the mother of the Hebrew race; and of all people, perhaps the Jews are most solicitous as to their sepulture. Their name for a burial-place is worthy of the once chosen people of God-"The house of the living;" an expression finely implying that it is the dead alone who truly live. The human body, according to their notion, has an indestructible part, called Luz, which will be the seed of its resurrection. This is a small bone, in shape like an almond, placed at the end of the vertebræ, which bone they declare can never be destroyed. For many ages a superstition also prevailed amongst them that the resurrection could only take place in their own land, and numberless Jewish bones were, consequently, wont to be sent to Palestine, to be interred in the holy earth. SomeA WISE MAN once said, that if times a wealthy Jew would import he hated anybody it would be a earth from Jerusalem, to line his question if he loved anybody. European grave. But this love for Gems. the national dust seems to be inherent in their race, as even Joseph would not leave his bones in an Egyptian grave, but took a vow of his descendants that they would carry them back with them to the beloved country, where their sole possession was a sepulchre. Both he and Jacob, however, seem to have undergone the Egyptian process of embalming, and to have been mummies rather than skeletons.

Another very remarkable fact may here be noticed. No nation, though dwelling on its shores, has ever been known to make a burial place of the sea.

WHEN WE FEEL DISPOSED to condemn others, we had better perhaps first sit in judgment on ourselves.

NEVER DESPAIR of the mercy of God, for you never can be where it cannot reach you.

"FATHER, FORGIVE THEM," from Christ, for his murderers, was a glorious exhibition of the spirit of the gospel.

No MAN can truly desire to bring others to Christ who has not first come to Christ himself.

Do GOOD TO ALL MEN, but do not expect their love in return, for you may never get it.

SAY WHAT GOOD YOU CAN of another, but if evil is to be spoken of him, leave that to the devil.