"SOMEBODY'S GRANDFATHER."

'OH," cried Emma Rich, out of breath with running up to Julia Kent, "there's an old man coming down Truman Street, and he walks so queer; the boys are pestering him, and it frightened me awfully." Julia looked round, yet saw nobody but Emma at her side, pale and trembling. "How did he look?" asked Julia. "Awfully," said Emma, who saw him through her fears; and fears, you know, often give quite a wrong impression. Julia looked again, and then caught sight of an old man staggering round the corner, with a pack of rude boys behind him. "Let's run away," cried Emma.

Instead of that, Julia stopped. "I should think those boys would be ashamed to treat an old man so," she said, her cheeks glowing. "He's somebody's grandfather." "Oh, I am so frightened," cried Emma again. 'Frightened!" cried Julia, indignantly; "then run." Julia went back. 'Boys," she said boldly, "I think vou ought to be ashamed to treat a poor old man so

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"Who

Should you like it, if 'twas your grandfather?" are you?" cried the rude boys, and they began to sneer at her. "You may laugh as much as you please," said Julia; "I don't mind it."

street. I

"I hear a friendly voice," said the old man, "but I'm blind; I cannot see where it comes from." "It is I," answered the child, going up to him, "and I will lead you home if you like me to do it. May-be you lost your way, sir. It must be so hard not to see. "Yes, dear child," said the old blind man; "I'm a stranger here. I'm visiting my daughter, who lives in just stepped out to air myself, and somehow missed my way. The boys think I'm tipsy, for I can't walk with young legs. How came you to befriend me, dear child?" "Oh, sir," said Julia, "I thought you must be somebody's grandfather, and I could not bear to see you treated so. I will lead you home, sir." "God bless you, dear child," said the old man.

As soon as Julia took him in charge, the rude boys sneaked off, showing that the brave stand of even a little girl for the right puts to flight the wicked. Carefully she helped him down steps, and round sharp corners, and past the dogs and the people in the streets, the old man thankful for a little child to lead him, and Julia very pleased to do it, for Julia had been taught to respect and care for the aged. Her grandfather had lived in her father's family, and she knew old feet needed young, active steps to go for them; old eyes wanted young, bright eyes to see for them; and old hands, which had done the hard work of other days, must now have young, strong hands to help them.

So in every old man, no matter how poor he was, she saw "somebody's grandfather," who ought to have respectful behaviour and kind attentions.-American.

BURN YOUR NETS.

Two years ago there lived in the village of S- a very wicked man. His lips were full of oaths and cursing, his passionate temper was the misery of his family, while his understood occupation was that of a poacher.

Some eighteen months ago, the sexton of the parish being ill, this man was employed to dig a grave. It was that of a young lady, cut off suddenly, though not unprepared. Often had she spoken to this man of his sins, and of the sinner's Friend; often had she longed and prayed that the hearts of many in that village might be touched by the Spirit's power. Whilst digging the grave, the thought crossed his mind, "She is safe, I know; but what am I? If my grave were being dug this day, where should I be in heaven or in hell?”

The thought which came to him thus suddenly, was a nail in a sure place; the man could not escape from it; and a dangerous illness which followed, made him feel still more his sin and danger. Nothing, for a time, could give him comfort. He feared his sins were beyond pardon. Could such a one as he ever be saved? By-and-by the light dawned. The promise, "Him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out," brought him in faith to Jesus; and now his very look told of the peace he had found. For a time his life hung in the balance; but in answer to prayer, God restored him to health, that he might bear witness, by a new life, to the grace which had found him. His former practices he can no longer follow. He becomes an epistle, read and known of all men. Morning and evening he has prayer in his family. He loves the public means of grace, and is now a regular communicant. The change in his home, too, is very apparent. His children are sent regularly to school; his wife attends church, and declares that she has now a happy home.

One incident deserves special mention. As a poacher, he had nets worth some thirty shillings. What should he do with them? Should he sell them to any of his companions? He resolved not to do this, lest others should use them as he had done. Though but a poor man, with seven children dependent upon him, he burned the nets which had been the instruments of his unlawful gains.

Reader, learn this lesson from this simple but true story:

Sin forgiver will be sin forsaken. The saved sinner hates and forsakes his old sins. This man lived a new life put away former sins-even burned the nets which before he had used. If you profess to have found mercy, do you show it in the same way? Are old sins loved or hated-cherished or forsaken? Every one that hath this hope in him" (that is, in Christ) "purifieth himself, even as he" (that is, Christ) "is pure." O reader! be sure that you burn your nets! That darling lust, cast it away, and for ever.-British Messenger.

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ONLY BELIEVE.

"CHRISTIANS might avoid much trouble and inconvenience," says Dr. Payson, "if they would only believe what they profess-that God is able to make them happy without anything else. They imagine if such a dear friend were to die, or such and such blessings to be removed, they should be miserable, whereas God can make them a thousand times happier without them. To mention my own case, God has been depriving me of one blessing after another, but as every one was removed, he has come in and filled up its place; and now when I am a cripple, and not able to move, I am happier than ever I was in my life before, or ever expected to be; and if I had believed this twenty years ago, I might have been spared much anxiety."

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THE BEST RULE FOR DRESS.

A LADY asked the Rev. John Newton what was the best rule for female dress and behaviour. "Madam," said he, so dress and so conduct yourself that persons who have been in your company shall not recollect what you had on." This will generally be the case where singularity of dress is avoided, and where intelligence of mind an 1 gentleness of manners are cultivated.

"I LONG TO SEE THE SUN.”

THERE are salt mines in Germany, deep under the ground. The miners there have their families with them; and sometimes it happens that their little children, having been born there, never see the light of day. By the feeble light of the miner's lamp, they see such objects as a salt mine furnishes. On one occasion a boy, who had been from his birth in these deep caverns, was visited by a traveller, who began to talk of what he had seen and enjoyed under the warmth and rays of the sun, describing the sky, and the fields, and the rivers, and a great many other things presented to the view of those who live above ground, where the sun shines.

The boy pointed the traveller to the arched galleries made of mineral salt, and to their dazzling splendour, from which the light of a thousand lamps was reflected, and asked if that was not a scene as brilliant as he could

wish to see. The traveller tapped him on the shoulder, and told him that the gloomiest day above ground was brighter far than the most brilliant light that ever met his eyes in that deep mine; and again told him of the sun in the heavens.

From that hour the boy's thoughts ran in a new channel. His former enjoyments grew wearisome, and he began to look upon the mine as no better than a prison. His lamps, and their bright lustre reflected from transparent salt columns, lost all attraction. I long to see the sun, was the burden of his prayer. When his mother asked if anything was the matter, he would reply, I long to see the sun. Nor would he rest till his eyes beheld what he longed for-the sun.

Dear young people, this is just what the soul feels when told from above of something better than the glittering lustre of this earth, which is grand and attractive only