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Scripture Tasks.

DEAR SIR,-Would you kindly favor me, through the medium of your magazine, with your opinion respecting the practice of requesting children to learn a chapter in the word of God, as a punishment for want of diligence, or any other offence. By so doing you will greatly oblige, Yours truly,

AN ENQUIRER.

We by no means approve of the practice, which we think calculated to produce a distaste for the Bible. There is, however, some difference between "requesting" and compelling such a service; and whenever there is anything like a cheerful compliance on the part of the child, and an obvious propriety in the portion selected, it is perhaps allowable.

A MEMORIAL OF LITTLE ALBERT.

(Concluded from page 238.)

His last hours are thus touchingly described:

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"He slept-not deep, but tranquil; it was repose. As many times, throughout the night, he opened his eyes, looked towards the chair beside him, where I kept ceaseless watch, and said-'There's dear mamma again. Oh! go to bed, you will be tired. Oh, how I love you!' Then slept, then looked again, murmured, I love you!' and then slept again. Bertie well knew the willing spirit and weak frame of her on whom he lavished so much filial love. I was weary, and sometimes the watchful and jealous spirit detected for an instant the slow drooping of the heavy eyelids; it was but a moment, ere the Saviour's touching reproof, Could'st thou not watch with me one hour?' flashed through the unwearied, ever-waking spirit, while on its heels would follow the sad thought that soon I should be bidden, Sleep on now, and take thy rest;' and these recollections were the infallible dispellers of drowsiness, and safe props to the faithless, falling eyelids.

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"There is a world of which it is written, 'There shall be no night there.' There is a world which is described by him who cannot lie, as being 'outer darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' But in this ransomed world no night is so dark but it must give place to the light of the alternating day; nor so long, but it must be broken in upon by the grey, welcome streaks of morning. Oh! welcome

morning to the weary watcher of the night. Oh, if the lost could witness one more morning! The morning which now arose on Bertie, ushered in the last day of his short pilgrimage-a day never to be forgotten a day passed on the confines of glory,

Just on the verge of heaven.'

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!' seemed to have been whispered in his enraptured ear. He awoke, and looking upwards, spoke of Jesus-his loveliness, his sufferings, his cruel death-the wrestlings of God's Spirit with rebellious man, and the completeness of the gospel scheme; and then burst forth into expressions mingled with wonder and pity, that any could refuse so full, so free, yet so dearly purchased a salvation.

“After leaving his dying testimony to God's truth about his holy child Jesus,' Bertie appeared to be somewhat exhausted, seeing which, I proposed breakfast. This was simply barley water, of which he took a deep draught, saying, 'What a delicious breakfast! Thank you, thank you!' After this he slept again, and on awakening he seemed much refreshed. I feared that he might become worse or be suddenly removed; and, therefore, I inquired if he would like to see his brother, who was the next younger than he, being just six years old; to which he gladly assented, and I called him in. He welcomed him with a sweet smile, and then addressed him thus—'Well, Ernest, you see I am very ill.'Poor little boy!' said Ernest, his breast heaving with emotion to see the partner of all the joys and sorrows he had ever known now pressing his pale face upon a dying pillow. He's a poor little boy, mamma,' sobbed the sorrowful child. 'Mamma, did you give him my money to buy something to cure his cough, when I told you?' 'I'm not poor, Ernest,' said Bertie; Thank you, dear Ernie, for the money. I have suffered very much. If you had suffered what I did yesterday, how you would have cried! I was never so ill before, mamma; was I? But Ernest, Jesus has made me ill. He is going to take me to himself. I am going to heaven; and I shall see Jesus! And he will put on me a robe white and glistening; and I shall have a harp, and a crown, and walk with all those that are saved; they are all clothed in white shining garments—but Jesus is the brightest of them all. There is no night there, and no sorrow, and no death. Will you meet me there, Ernest?' said he, with a look of intense solicitude, and full of deep affection, as he lay at the edge of the bed looking into his brother's face, as if he tried to read his very thoughts. Yes, Bertie,' said Ernest. But,' continued he, with deep solemnity, testing the foundations-Are your sins pardoned?' Ernest did not reply, so he went on thus- 'Now if you were going to die, would you

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be afraid to meet Jesus?' 'Yes,' said Ernest, drooping his head 'Then your sins are not pardoned,' rejoined he, with deep disappointment; which, instead of damping his zeal, seemed only to goad him to still deeper solicitude for his brother's salvation, and to a still clearer demonstration of the truth as it is in Jesus!' And he continued, with mingled affection and reproach, 'Why, you don't know your Saviour! don't you know him who died instead of you for your sins? Don't you know that God so loved you that he gave his only Son to die instead of you, that you may live with him in heaven for Jesus' sake? Oh! acquaint yourself with him! Now, Ernie, do you ever go into your bed-room and think how he has loved you, and what he has done for you; and then pray to him, and say, My Father! thou art the guide of my youth?' No,' said Ernest, evidently impressed, 'Will you, from now, dear Ernie?' added he, as his soul seemed to go out at his eyes and lips in deep anxiety for his brother's salvation. 'Yes, Bertie,' replied he. 'Now kneel down then and pray-mamma,' and he looked at me as Ernest knelt, to prompt the prayer. He seemed much exhausted; but when Ernest arose from his knees, he resumed the interesting conversation thus-' And now, dear Ernie, I am going away, and mamma will want some one to comfort her: will you supply my place?' Ernest promised him. Then observing him playing with his fingers on the sheet, he said, 'Those five little fingers can do as much for mamma as ever mine have done.' (Oh! Jesuslike sympathy; ' Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!') He seemed thinking, and Ernest moved a little, on which he said, Stay, I have more to say to you now, Ernie, be a wise little boy. When mamma reads and talks to you, do not say, 'What? what?-how? how?'—but wait till she has done, and then ask her. And don't go away and forget it, but think about it after; and then you will gain a little knowledge here, and a little there, until at last you have a great deal of wisdom. And now, dear Ernie, promise me to meet me in heaven!' 'Yes, I will,' said Ernest, and then drew a little aside, to make room for his sister Emma, who was three years old. I seated her on my knee, close beside him. Oh! the wisdom of the little preacher. Altering his style instantly into baby language, and sweetly smiling in her anxious and thoughtful little face, he said, 'Well, Emmie, me very ill, me going to Jesus!' and his countenance lighted up with joy. Then looking earnestly at her, he asked, 'Does Emmie love Jesus?' 'Yes,' said Emma. Would Emmie be afraid to die, and meet Jesus?' 'No,' said she, smiling,' Jesus died for me.' Oh! mamina,' Said he, with deep gushing joy, Emmie loves her Saviour!' Then

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turning to his brother, he said, Why should you be afraid of him who died for you?- but you won't be afraid of him, will you, Ernie?' 'No,' said Ernest. Then turning to Emma, he went on, Me going to heaven, to Jesus! Jesus loves little children, and said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' Jesus would not let anybody prevent the little children coming to him. Will Emmie be sure to meet Bertie in heaven?' 'Yes,' said Emma. He then told her to kneel, and we all kneeled around for the last time in an unbroken circle. Oh! what a solemn moment for a mother, between the living children and the dying one. 'Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me; and I committed them to the covenant mercies of my God and their God in Christ Jesus. I was loth to rise. I knew it was the last time we all should unite in prayer together on earth.

"After this, he affectionately kissed them, and they left the room. They wept he heard them all down stairs-but Bertie looked as serene as though he should meet them all to-morrow. The baby was not parted with, but often, when she was brought to me, he would say to her, I love you, baby-Jesus loved you, too, and died for you!' Oh! that the little band may meet again unbroken, where—

'Around the throne of God in heaven

Thousands of children stand⚫

Whose sins are all through Christ forgiven

A holy, happy band,

Singing glory, glory!'

He was now much exhausted, I felt afraid that he would scarcely rally-but he fell asleep; and awoke again refreshed. And now, he asked me how Aaron died. I turned to the passage, and read how Moses and Aaron and Eleazar' went up into mount Hor... And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.' After reading this, I said, My child, you can say, Thy word have I hid in my heart; ' he answered, but you see I forget; but when I get to heaven I shall remember all I ever read.' He then desired me to repeat to him the last verse of Pope's Dying Christian to his Soul.'

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The world recedes, it disappears,
Heaven opens on my eyes; my ears,

With sounds seraphic, ring.

Lend, lend your wings; I mount-I fly !

O Grave! where is thy victory?

O Death! where is thy sting?

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"And now,' said he, read to me about "my sheep hear my voice" -where they know not the voice of strangers," and a stranger will they not follow." I asked where I should find it-he replied, Oh! in John, I suppose,' in allusion to our frequent preference of the writings of that beloved disciple. While reading the 10th chapter of John's Gospel, towards the conclusion, he fell asleep again. When he awoke again he was lifted out of bed to arrange the pillows, and to refresh him a little. The sun was shining brightly over the gardens which were in front, and the green lane looked very inviting by comparison with the sick chamber. He asked when he might go out again? Seeing in a moment that he thought himself better, I determined at once to reply without reserve. I therefore said, that we dared not take him out on account of the danger of getting another attack of the croup, and that the doctors said he would not live till the weather became warmer. I now hung breathlessly upon his reply. At once he caught the truth that he was nearer home than he had before expected. Oh!' said the now delighted child, if I die I shall be so happy! I shall be so glad when I see Jesus! I shall climb on his knees! There will be always some one on his knees amongst so many.' Before I laid him again in bed I asked him to let me lift him towards the window to show him one particular tree now so covered with crimson and white blossoms, that it looked like one large flower. But he refused. The near prospect of gazing on the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys' had shut out for ever the dazzling beauty of ten thousand flowers. As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.' This seemed the language of his soul, as he contemplated how soon he should sit 'down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit would be sweet to his taste.' After he had again lain down, I asked him how it was that a few days before he had hushed me whenever I had spoken to him about his spiritual interests. He replied, I was very ill, and could not bear to talk, but I always loved Jesus from the time when you first taught me to call him " Pa in the 'ky!" until now!'

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It was thus that God was pleased out of the mouth of this dear child, so to perfect praise, as to still the enemy and the avenger, by this sweet and tender and touching testimony to the reality of true religion. For who, after all that little Bertie said and did, and felt, can question that the Gospel is the great power of God?

But we must hasten to the closing scene:

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"Now' said he, writes his distressed mother, take me in your arms.' He laid his head upon my breast; on that dear spot once He had often asked through the night, When will the sun

more!'

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