burnt its whiskers, singed off its hair, and at last shut it up in a dark place, where it remained for days before its mistress, who could hear its piteous cry, found out where it was. They called it "fine fun," I suppose; but it was a mean and wicked thing to do. A wise and learned poet once composed a poem about a man who shot a sea-bird out of mere wanton cruelty, describing the dangers and troubles he got into afterwards. He wrote it to teach us to be kind to all living things, and give them no needless pain, remembering that they are God's creatures as well as we. He finished his poem thus:

"He prayeth best who loveth best,

All things both great and small, For the good God who loveth us, He made and loves them all." H.

THE FIRST DEATH IN OUR SUNDAY-SCHOOL.

FEW miles to the north of the great town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is the pleasant and retired country village of Mason-Dinnington, with its village-church, mantled with beautiful ivy. In this quiet hamlet, a few years

ago, a Wesleyan Sabbath-school was commenced, one of its earliest scholars being the subject of our present sketch, Elizabeth English.

Elizabeth was kind and gentle in her disposition, loving and affectionate towards her little brothers and sisters, and much attached to her school-fellows, and was greatly loved by them. She was not apt to resent an injury, but always strove to overcome evil with good." Up to the time of our school being commenced, she attended the one connected with the villagechurch, but was among our first scholars, and soon gave cheering evidence of how much she enjoyed being present on the Sabbath. She was never absent, except when she was really unable to attend. In her class she was attentive and serious, anxious to learn, and glad when her teacher explained to her the hidden meaning of God's Word, which she dearly prized. Her attention and conduct soon attracted the notice of her teacher, and she became one of those who make a teacher's heart glad.

With a desire to give herself more fully to that God, whom she knew had pardoned and blessed so many Sabbath-scholars, she

joined the Society, and became a member of the Wesleyan Church. Her conduct ever after was worthy of the young Christian. She was a regular attendant at the weekly prayermeeting; and upon many a cold winter's night she might have been seen wending her way, by her father's side, to the house of God.

Her religion made her very happy, and she was often heard expressing her feelings in singing the beautiful hymns of Methodism's great poet, Charles Wesley. On a Sabbath-evening she was sometimes to be seen, with her little brothers and sisters gathered around her, singing together the sweet songs of Zion, and forming a happy group. She strove hard to persuade them to be good, and to guide their little feet into the path that leads to heaven and God.

Soon, however, she was to be taken from them; for disease seized her, and a long and painful illness followed. By the grace and support of her Heavenly Father, she bore it with great patience and resignation. She never repined or complained; but when she sometimes saw her mother standing by her bedside, with the big tears rolling

down her cheeks, she would say,-"O, mother, don't weep for me!"

One fine sunny morning in spring, as she was lying on her sick bed, looking out upon the fields and the hedges, again bursting out into beauty and life, she was apparently lost in thoughts upon God's beautiful world by which she was surrounded, but which she was so soon to leave. Her father approached gently, when she calmly raised her eyes, and said,

Father, how I should like to depart, and go to heaven;" thus showing that, although she felt earth was beautiful, yet she longed, and was waiting, to be carried to one of the of the

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many mansions " Father's house above.

At length the end of her affliction drew near, and her wish to depart was shortly to be granted. When she felt that her time on earth was nearly gone, she began to sing,

"On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,

And cast a wistful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
O, the transporting, rapturous scene,
That rises to my sight;
Sweet fields array'd in living green,
And rivers of delight!"

r

Shortly afterwards she said, Lord Jesus, come quickly," Her Saviour heard her cry, and did soon come. As if recognizing the "face Divine," she gently and sweetly sa said, "Jesus!" and so departed, “to be with Christ, which is far better."

She died on the 19th of April, 1865, aged thirteen and a half years; and, in a few weeks afterwards, was joined in her heavenly home by one of her little brothers, to whom in life she had been much attached.

Such was the death and life of Elizabeth English, over whose early removal

we mourned. Yet we greatly rejoiced that, when it pleased the Lord to take her, she was ready, and was permitted to leave us such a good example; and that we could derive so much comfort from the first death in our Sundayschool."

T. W.

“WHAT WOULD GOD LIKE ME TO DO?"

SO thought Nelly, a little girl of eight years of age, one fine afternoon, when her companions were going to gather blackberries. Her