The dwarf seemed to be considering for a short time, and then said, "I am sorry for you, Peter Munk, bad as you are; your wish was not a foolish one, and therefore I will not refuse you my help. Now, listen; you cannot regain possession of your heart by force, but you may by stratagem; and perhaps it will not be very difficult, for although Michel thinks himself uncommonly clever, he is in reality stupid. Go directly to him, and do exactly as I tell you." Then the dwarf instructed him fully as to how he should proceed, and gave him a small glass cross, saying, “You need not fear for your life, Michel cannot touch that; and if you hold up this cross to him, and say a prayer at the same time, he will not be able to hurt a hair of your head. And when you have got what you desire, meet me again at this place."

Peter Munk took the little cross, repeated carefully to himself all the dwarf's instructions, and then set off on his way to Michel's dwelling. He called aloud three times, "Michel! Mr. Hollander! Michel!" and immediately the giant stood before him.

"So, you have killed your wife," he said, with a horrible laugh. "Well, I should have done it too, if she had wasted my fortune upon such a set of worthless beggars. But you will have to leave the country for a time, for there will doubtless be a stir about it when it's found out. I suppose indeed you have thought of all this yourself, and have come to fetch some money for your journey?"

Yes, you have guessed rightly," said Peter; "and this time I want plenty, for America is a long way off."

Michel turned from him without answering, and entered the house; there he opened an old oak chest, and took from it one bag of gold after another. Whilst he was busy counting it out on the table, Peter said, "You're a nice fellow, Michel-what a pack of lies you've been telling; trying to persuade me that I had a stone in my breast, and that you had got my heart!" "And is it not so?" asked Michel, astonished. "Do you feel your heart beat? Is it not as cold as ice? Do you feel joy or sorrow. Can you repent of any action?"

"You have made my heart stand still, that is true," answered Peter; "but I have got it safely in my breast, and so has Ezekiel, and what's more, he told me that you had cheated us; you are not clever enough to take a man's heart out of his breast without hurting him. To do that you must be a sorcerer."

"But I tell you it's a fact," cried Michel, angrily. “You, and Ezekiel, and all those whom I have assisted, have got cold stones in their breasts, and their right hearts I have here in my chamber." "Oh, what a bare-faced liar you are!" laughed Peter; "but you can't take me in any longer. Do you think I haven't seen such juggling tricks by the dozen, when I was out on my travels?

The hearts you've got here in your chamber are all made of wax. You're a rich fellow, that I'll allow, but you're no enchanter." The giant rose and flung open the door of the adjoining room, in a great passion.

Come here and convince yourself. Read that, and that," he said, pointing to the papers on the jars. "Look, that is Peter Munk's heart. Do you see how it beats? Could any one make that out of wax ?"

"And yet that is all it is," answered Peter. "A proper heart does not beat in that way. I have got mine still in my breast, and you are no sorcerer.'

I will prove it to you," cried Michel, angrily; "you shall feel that it is your own heart."

So saying, he tore open Peter's jacket, took the stone out of his breast, and showed it to him. Then breathing upon the real heart, which he had held meantime in one hand, he set it carefully in its right place. Peter felt it beating violently, and was overjoyed at the success of his plan.

How do you feel now?" cried Michel with a laugh.

"Well, I must confess that you were right after all," answered Peter, quietly drawing the little cross out of his pocket; "but without this proof I really could not have believed such a thing possible."

"Ah! I thought you would say so; and you will allow then that I am an enchanter? You are thoroughly convinced, are you not? But come, now, I must put the stone in again for you.'

"Gently, Mr. Michel!" cried Peter, and stepping back a few paces, he held up the little cross. "People over-reach themselves now and then, in spite of all their cunning, and this time you have been deceived." And immediately he began to repeat all the prayers he could remember. As he did so, Michel seemed to become smaller and smaller. He fell down on the ground, writhed there like a worm, moaned and shrieked; all the hearts began to dance up and down in their cages and to beat so loudly that one could have fancied one's self in a clock-maker's workshop. Peter felt horribly frightened, and thought only of how to make his escape as quickly as possible. He ran out of the room and out of the house, and climbed hastily up the rock, all the more quickly because he heard Michel stamping, raging, and swearing behind him. When he had reached the top, he ran without once stopping to look behind him, to the Pine Hill. A dreadful thunderstorm broke over the forest-more than once the tall trees on either side of his path were struck by the lightning; but at last he reached in safety the dominions of the Glassdwarf. His heart beat joyfully, and only because it beat. For the thought of his past life filled him with horror. He remem

bered Dame Elsbeth, his good and beautiful wife, whom he had murdered; he thought of his cruelty to his poor old mother, and for these crimes alone he seemed to himself a wretch unworthy to live, and when he arrived at the little Glassman's dwelling he was weeping bitterly.

Sir Treasurer was sitting under a fir-tree and smoking a little pipe; his countenance was decidedly more cheerful than when Peter had last parted with him. "Why are you weeping?" he asked. "Have you not got your heart? Is the cold stone still in your breast?"

Ah, good sir!" said Peter, "whilst the cold stone was there, I could not weep, my eyes were as dry as the ground in summer, but now when I think of all the wicked things I have done, my old heart feels ready to break! I have cruelly oppressed my unfortunate debtors, I have hunted the poor and the sick from my gate, I have even set my dogs at them, I have been a most unkind son to my poor old mother, and you Sir Treasurer know only too well, how in my fury I killed my sweet wife. You saw the blow fall on her fair forehead."

"Peter, you have been a great sinner;" said the dwarf. "Your wicked avarice and idleness have been the ruin of you; they turned you heart into a stone, so that you could neither feel joy, sorrow, remorse, nor compassion. But sincere repentance will atone for much, and if I were certain that you were indeed truly sorry for the sins of your past life, I might perhaps still be able to do something for you."

"I desire nothing," answered Peter, in a low sad voice. "It is all over with me now, I can never be happy again if I live a hundred years. What could I do? so lonely and miserable as I must be. My mother can never forgive me for my cruelty to her, and perhaps, wretch that I am! my conduct has already brought her to the grave. And then my poor wife, my dead Elsbeth No, Sir Treasurer, you had better kill me at once, and put an end to my wretched existence."

"Very well," answered the dwarf, "if that is all you desire, your wish can soon be granted; I have my axe close at hand." So saying, he took his pipe from his mouth, quietly knocked out the ashes, and replaced it. Then he rose slowly, and, going behind a fir-tree, disappeared for a few minutes. Peter meantime threw himself weeping on the ground, covered his face with his hands, and awaited patiently the dead-stroke. In a short time he heard soft steps behind him, and thought to himself, "Now the executioner is coming."

"Look up, Peter Munk!" cried the dwarf. Peter wiped the tears from his eyes, raised himself, and beheld-his mother and Elsbeth, who were looking at him with faces, in which not the

shadow of a reproach was to be seen, but only the most tender and compassionate love.

Peter sprang to his feet joyfully. "Then you are not dead, Elsbeth! And you there too, mother! And can you forgive

me?"

"Yes," said the dwarf, "they will forgive you, because you are truly penitent, and from this moment all shall be forgotten. And now go home and take to your old trade of charcoal burning. If your are diligent and honest, you will prosper, and your neighbours will soon learn to love and respect you, more than if you possessed mines of gold." So spoke the good little Glass-man, and then took a most friendly leave of them.

The three thanked and blessed him, and then departed cheerfully on their homeward journey.

The rich Mr. Peter Munk's magnificent mansion was no longer to be seen; it had been struck by lightning, and burned to the ground, together will all the treasures it contained; however, Peter's old cottage was not far off, and thither they directed their steps without troubling themselves much about the loss of their former grand habitation.

But how were they astonished on arriving at their former cottage, to find that it had suddenly been turned into an excellent and substantial farm-house! There was a large farm-yard, barn, cow-house, stable, piggery. Entering the house they found it simply but well furnished with everything that could possibly be required.

"This is the good little Glassman's work!" said Peter.

"Oh, how delightful!" exclaimed Dame Elsbeth, "here I shall feel far happier and more at home than I did in that grand house yonder with all those servants." From this day forward, Peter Munk became an honest, industrious, and good man. Contented with his small fortune, he attended diligently to the farm; was a kind and indulgent master to the few labourers he employed; and by his conduct alike towards rich and poor made himself universally beloved and respected. He treated his old mother with the greatest kindness and consideration; never said a harsh word to Dame Elsbeth, who was now as happy as the day was long; and never turned away a poor man from his door.

When the three had lived thus happily in their new home rather more than a year, Elsbeth became the mother of a fine little boy.

Peter was delighted, and thought directly how much he should like to have the good dwarf for a godfather to his firstborn. cordingly he dressed himself in his Sunday suit, went to the Pine Hill and repeated his verse. But no little glassman appeared in answer to the call-" Be so good, Sir Treasurer, as to listen to me

just this once, I only came to ask you to stand godfather to my little son."

Still no answer, only a gust of wind sighing through the tops of the fir-trees, which sent down some pine-cones to the place where Peter was standing.

"Well, then, if you will not show yourself," said Peter, "at least, I will take these as a keepsake," and, putting the fir-cones into his pocket, he turned reluctantly away. In the evening, when his mother was carefully folding up his coat, before putting it back into the chest, four long paper rolls fell out of the pockets, and when these were opened, each was found to contain, one hundred bright crown pieces, and that was the Glass-dwarf's christening present to his little godson.

As years passed on they still led a very happy and contented life, and when Peter Munk became a grey-headed old man, he would often say to his grandchildren, "It is better to be contented with little, than to have gold and silver in plenty, broad acres to boot, and a cold heart."

THOLUCK'S ILLUSTRATIONS OF PROPHECY.

IN the thirteenth year of Josiah (B.C. 627), whilst the land is still in the enjoyment of peace and prosperity under this monarch, Jeremiah sees brandished in the distance as the rod. of Jehovah's chastening hand, the Chaldean power, at that time not yet become independent. Shortly before the prophet's public life began, Josiah had made a beginning of abolishing the wide-spread idolatry of the land. Since the time of Manasseh Assyrian divinities and Egyptian modes of worship had been introduced. Hence the prophet threatens:-" Also Egypt's sons shall break the crown of Israel's head; because the nation hath forsaken the living God" (Jer. ii. 16). Pharoah Necho's victory over Josiah, the deportation of his son Jehoahaz to Egypt, and the devastation of the country, verified this threat about twenty years afterwards (B.C. 607-8). In the battle of Carchemish Josiah lost his kingdom and his life together, and Chaldea was now the only power from which Egypt had anything to fear (2 Kings xxiv. 7). After the Egyptian power had been decisively overthrown, the Chaldean conqueror appears before Jerusalem and makes Jehoiakim tributary. With redoubled vehemence bursts the storm of the prophet's threatenings" The bones of the princes, priests, and prophets shall