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HERE are many verses in the Bible which teach us to be generous, and give to those who are poorer than we. Not a child will read this little book but is meant in that verse which says, "Freely ye have received, freely give." We all enjoy many blessings and comforts, which we might share with others not so blessed.

We need not always give great things, for there are some who give great things who are mean in trifles ; but Jesus tells us, "Whoever will give a cup of cold water shall not lose his reward." A cup of cold water is a very little thing, but when one is hot and weary it is very refreshing, and so is every little gift that is prompted by a kind, loving heart. It is not the worth

of the gift which God looks at; but if it is given cheerfully, out of love to Him and love to our fellow-men, then it is pleasing to Him.

There was once a boy who had learnt this verse one morning, and determined he would try that day to do some good by giving. At school, in one of his classes, was a little boy whom he knew as being a good scholar; but he never met him at play with the other boys, and only knew him because he kept near the head of his class. This day he noticed the boy had on a very thin coat; the elbows were neatly patched, but the short sleeves did not cover his wrists; his pantaloons, too, looked worn and small.

It did not take Harry long to determine he would find out where Charles lived, and ask his mother to let him take him a suit of last winter's clothes, which were rather small for him, but would fit Charles. When school closed, Harry looked for him, but Charles could not be found. He went home to ask his mother about the clothes, and found his grandmother there spending the day. She sat by the fire knitting, and soon finished a pair of warm gloves, which she gave to Harry. After dinner he put on his thick overcoat and his new gloves, and went to town with his father.

They were walking along through the snow, when a little boy stepped up and said, "Have a paper, sir?" It was a familiar voice, and Harry looked: there stood his school friend, a leather strap over the thin jacket, and a bundle of papers under his arm. Harry noticed. the purple hands which held the papers, and the fingers so numb he could scarcely handle the change as he gave it to Harry's father.

Harry thought but an instant: "Surely grandma would not care-he needs them more than I do." The next minute he thrust the new mittens on Charley's hands, and ran on to overtake his father.

The next day Charley thanked his new friend, and Harry asked if he might come to see him. At first Charles would not tell him, saying, "You would not care to visit a poor newsboy;" but Harry insisted, and Charles agreed to come for him after he had sold his papers. It was a big bundle Harry carried under his arm that night, as he followed Charles through the narrow streets, and his widowed mother thankfully accepted the warm suit of clothes. sister of Charley's, only two years seem any more warmly dressed than he was. Harry's little sister was just learning to sew, and she was so interested in her brother's new friends, that she spent all her leisure time in making some warm woollen dresses for the little girl.

He found a little

old, who did not

1

Harry's

These children had learned how to give. heart was warm if his hands were cold, for he rejoiced to know that Charles's hands were kept warm with grandma's gloves. And Harry's sister, as she sat at her sewing, day after day, sang like a bird, for she was happy in being useful.

Forty-first our.

THE GOLDEN RULE.

WHATSOEVER YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO

UNTO YOU, DO YOU EVEN SO TO THEM."

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UPPOSE an angel should come to this world and tell us some way in which all we touched might be turned to gold, how eagerly we would listen to every direction he would give-how anxiously we would try to do as he directed us-and how joyful would we be at our riches and happiness!

But a greater than an angel has come down from heaven, and in a few short words has given us a rule which is more precious than gold, and which, if everybody followed, would fill the world with the riches of true happiness.

Hundreds of years before Jesus came, wise men and scholars tried to discover the secret of human happiness. They thought and talked, and wrote great plans and sets of rules by which they hoped men could live in peace and die in happiness. The great kings of the earth believed in war and in power,-that men should

submit to be ruled and live in peace, because all were alike subject to the great powers that conquered the earth. Scholars toiled and wrote, and left long rolls of written parchment for other scholars to study, looking in vain to discover some great plan for human virtue.

After all this, there was a Man who grew up as a carpenter, who was never a scholar of any of the great philosophers of the age-who never wrote a line in His life that we know of-who had no earthly throne or power, and yet one day gave a simple rule to His few followers which will last until the end of time, and which, if obeyed in all the world, would make a golden age.

The people expressed no joy when this new rule was given, nor did they realise that they were in possession of the long-looked-for secret. There was one of the great ones of the world who saw the beauty of these links of golden deeds that could bind the hearts of men in a chain which would reach to heaven. It was one of the emperors of Rome who had this rule inscribed in letters of gold on the walls of his chamber.

We should feel shame at the example of this Roman, for now, in this Christian land, how few of us make this the rule of our lives! There is scarcely a child but what could repeat it, if they were asked the Golden Rule; but instead of asking if they could say it, if we should watch each one carefully from morning until night, how many would show by their actions that they kept the Golden Rule bright in their hearts? How many large boys treat their little brothers and sisters as they would like a larger brother to treat them? How many sisters are kind and sweet and gentle to would like their elder sisters to be to them?

all, as they

How many