Page images
PDF
EPUB

ber one and three proceeded on tip-toe, to eat the tempting morsel, and soon returned, saying in soft accents, "How

[ocr errors]

1

[ocr errors]

1

sweet! beautiful, beautiful!" Smack Smack, smack, went their lips, in high glee with the delicious sweet; they little dreaming that their joy would soon be turned to sorrow. "Now number two," said number one, "look sharp,” and away he went, not thinking for one moment that God had His detective there; yet there he was, hid in a peculiarly constructed place, with his weapon sharp and pointed, ready to pierce any that might come near. Number two having reached the desired object, looked with admiration on the tempting liquid and maiden comb, pale and shining under the moon's silvery beams. Bit after bit was taken, but suddenly a movement was heard below; so grasping a large piece, and without looking it over, he thrust it into his

[ocr errors]

3

mouth, and in a moment God's policeman arrested him on the spot; a bee hidden in his cell had stung him in the tongue. Hasting back to number one and two, he cried, "We are caught, we are caught, a bee has stung me in the tongue!" Now the two culprits began,' an, with the wounded one, to tremble. "Don't call out, don't call out," cried the eldest, "stop till we are in bed." Off went the clothes, in great haste, and without bending their knees in prayer to God for pardon, they sprang into bed to hide their guilty heads, and poor number two was left to proclaim their guilt. But in a few moments this became a difficult matter. The weapon by which the thief was pierced was tipped with poison, and every moment it was rankling through the tongue, so that the tongue became stiff and swollen, so much that not a word could be uttered distinctly; so he cried "Fa-er, fa-er." Soon this was changed to a dismal noise ah-er, ah-er." Hearing a cry so unusual, father and mother hurried up stairs, and turning the light of their candle upon the bed from whence came a moaning noise, they beheld number two with mouth wide open, the tongue swollen to an enormous size, and protruding, and the swelling rapidly ex

ἐσ

[ocr errors]

"1

tending down the throat. In a moment the truth flashed across their minds; but there was no time for chastisement; a remedy must be provided to counteract the poison. This was done, and after three hours of intense agony, agony arising not so much from the sting, as the fear of death and hell-the swelling abated and the trembling thief was left to reflect upon his folly, and to be among his friends, a standing monument of the truthfulness of God's words, “Be sure your sin will find you out." Should these remarks be seen by him, for he is now a Christian minister, he will pardon the writer in his endeavours, by a rehearsal of his youthful folly, to teach the young that poisonous as a bee sting may be, there is a sting, the poison of which is far more dangerous, unless the remedy be soon applied. The bee sting only affects the part around that into which the poison is injected, but the sting referred to affects the whole man, body and soul, and all have been stung by it "For as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death has passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." "The sting of death is sin." Death could not have entered into the world, if sin had not entered first : sin not only introduced death, but has armed it with all its destroying force. The effects of sin's poison are to be seen in disobedience, thieving, lying, cursing, drunkenness, and all the evils which afflict mankind, and it is not in the power of vinegar, or nitre, or earthly physician, to heal the poisoned ones. There is only one kind of balm and one Physician that can arrest and destroy the poison of sin a fountain of spiritual healing is opened in Jesus for sin. Many specimen cures you have recorded in the Gospels. His precious blood cleanseth from all sin. The boy fond of pilfering, the girl that does not always speak the truth, and those guilty of all manner of sin may be healed; but the remedy provided must be applied, used, appropriated, made your own. "He died for me, to pardon me, to heal me."

"Heal me O Lord! and I shall be

healed." "Lord I believe. Precious balm, precious medicine, precious blood, 'tis mine, 'tis mine." "O death where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory?""The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1. T. EDWARDS.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

t

[graphic]

HE female alligator will not allow the male to approach her nest. He has a gluttonous habit of eating all the eggs, thus necessitating her laying more, which she does not like to do. So, whenever she catches him in that neighbourhood, she thrashes him on general principles: he either has done mischief or intends itat any rate, he is meddling in domestic matters, and deserves snubbing. I am told that it is really amusing to see the big bully stick his tail between his legs and sneak off, the very image of a henpecked husband, after one of these conjugal scoldings. He is not by any means a model husband; and although he takes his thrashings kindly, he revenges himself by watching until the eggs are really hatched, and then eats up as many of the causes of the family dispute as he can catch. gators don't like to know their own fathers.

Young alli

I heard of but few instances where these creatures have

attacked grown men. They are fond of children, and show their attachment to the offspring of other people as they do to their own. In one instance, when a man on horseback was crossing a ford, he was seized by the leg, but

when his dog plunged in, the alligator left his leg to take the more delicate morsel. In another instance, an alligator struck at a mule pulling a cart, and bit out two spokes from one of the wheels, leaving a tooth sticking in one as a memento of the visit. He hurried off with great speedon the look-out, I suppose, for a dentist.

'Gators like dogs, pigs, and young darkies. The dog is a special favourite. The whine of an alligator is easily mistaken for that of a puppy, and may mislead a young and inexperienced dog. A wise Florida dog will not go boldly down to the water to drink; he learns by experience after having been eaten once or twice. If the shore is open he will draw all the alligators to one place by barking and then scamper off to some other place where the coast is clear; or he will creep down to a moist spot, tail down, body crouched, eyes skinned and ears up, pushing his paws before him slowly to feel the water, lapping it without noise, and then sneaking away again.-Lippincott's Magazine

[ocr errors]

The Lord by wisdom hath founded
the earth.

PROVERBS iii. 19.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][ocr errors]
[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

quistage norw Univar yra availed rod awa The Introduction of Christianity into England.

HE introduction of Christianity into England is generally attributed to St. Augustine. He was originally a Monk of Rome, but was sent with about forty other Monks to convert the natives to the Christian religion. This mission was undertaken in the year 596. Augustine and his companions having passed through France

embarked for Britain. They landed on the isle of Thanet. After a short time they repaired to Ethelbert, King of Kent, who allowed them to preach without molestation, and assigned them a residence in Canterbury, then called Dorobernia. Of this city St. Augustine was the first Archbishop. He is usually styled the Apostle of the English. Our cut represents an interview with some

[graphic]
« PreviousContinue »