his human family; this is the true knowledge of Him that we love one another.'

Doubtless the instructions from the pulpit, do, in many instances, enlighten the ignorant, quicken the languid and the cold hearted, and alarm or persuade the sinful and the erring; and on this account alone, the day is a great good, and should be welcomed. But were any one doubtful of the blessing that attends it, I would not reason with him, but I would, if it were possible, lead him, when he knew not what day it was, where he could witness, as I have, such a scene as I have just described; and when he exclaimed, What does it all mean? What day is it?' I would simply answer, 'It is the Sabbath day.'

.

C

SAMUEL.

I promised to give you a picture, Charles,' said his mother to him, and what is it for?'

It is for having my tooth taken out, like a brave boy, as father said I was,' answered Charles.

'Yes,' said his mother; 'it is, and here are two, and you may choose which you will have for your own.'

O, what a pretty dog this is; I wish he was alive,' said Charles, looking at one of the pictures. His mother said nothing, and did not offer him the other picture, till he had satisfied himself with admiring the dog, and till he said to her, Please mother, let me see the other, but I am pretty sure I shall like the dog best.' His mother then gave him the little print of Samuel, that represents him kneeling, and looking up, and saying, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.' It was evident that Charles's first impression was, that he should not give up his dog for that; he was a great lover of

dogs, and this you might see, by the attention all the dogs in the neighborhood paid to Charles, which showed that they considered him as their friend.

'Look at that, dear,' said his mother, 'as long as you have looked at the dog, and then say which you prefer to keep.'

Charles did as his mother desired him to; and presently, with a much more thoughtful and even a serious expression in his face-a look that to his mother's eye, seemed a resemblance to the beautiful picture of Samuel-he looked up from the picture, and said, 'I am not sure, mother, but I almost like little Samuel better than the dog, though it is a very pretty dog indeed. But the longer I look at Samuel, the more I like him.' He fixed his attention for a few minutes upon each picture alternately, and then, though with some reluctance to part with the dog, gave it to his mother. I think, upon the whole, I like Samuel best. And would you be so kind, mother, as to tell me who he was, and what those words mean that are written underneath the picture?'

Read them,' said his mother. Charles did so, and read, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.'

"Who should you think he was speaking to?' said his mother.

'To God,' said Charles, for he is on his knees, and he is looking up as if he was not speaking to anybody that he could see.'

His mother then took the Bible and opened to the chapter which relates the part of the history of Samuel which is represented in the picture. She described the temple to him, and told him about the priests, and that Samuel was devoted by his mother to the service of the temple when he was an infant, and that Eli was the High Priest that year, and that, though in all other things he was a good man, yet he had not punished his sons when they were wicked, but had indulged them in doing wrong. Then she read the account just as it is related in the third chapter of Samuel, beginning, and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord,' &c. When she came to the passage quoted in the picture, she saw by Charles's attentive look, that he felt and understood all that was expressed in Samuel's face; then his mother read to him the punishment that God pronounced against Eli; Eli, whom Samuel loved as a father! and she stopped at the passage, and Samuel feared to show

Eli the vision." 'He feared,' said his mother to Charles, to give Eli pain; he was sorry for his friend; he did not want to tell him of the dreadful punishment that awaited his sons, he knew the anguish that Eli would endure at the thought of the sufferings of his children::Samuel thought of it all, and he feared for his aged friend. His mother read on from the book, Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel my son, and he answered, Here am I.' And she read what Eli said to Samuel, and his command to him to repeat all that the Lord had said to him. She stopped again as she read, And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. After a moment's pause Charles said, And he did right, mother, did not he to tell Eli everything?"

'Yes,' said his mother, he did right, and we love him for doing it. And why, Charles, do we love him for doing it?'

Because,' said Charles, it was so very painful to him to tell him of it; but then it was the truth, and so he ought to have told it, as he did, every word of it. I think, mother, he was a much braver boy than I was when I had my tooth taken out; for Samuel loved Eli, and could not bear to give him pain. I am very