watchers dared not make a noise for fear of frightening the birds away from the neighbouring trees.

Just as Smith had finished setting his traps, he called to the boy to bring him a piece of paper, and he gave his father one of the tracts. But after he had got it he found that the trap would do better without it, and so he screwed

it

up and put it into his own pocket, and then moved away to watch, only going up to the traps when a bird had been caught, taking it out, putting it into a cage, and then returning to his hiding-place behind the hedge. Smoking was the general occupation while this was going on, for of course there could be no talking; but Smith, to his dismay, found that he had forgotten his pipe this morning. He turned everything out of his pocket, but it was not there; and he was glad to open any scrap of paper and read it, to pass away the time, until at length he came to the tract. He wondered how that came to be in his pocket when he saw the title; but he thought he might as well read it as stare about the vacant fields, more especially as there was no one here to see him do it, for little Tom had fallen fast asleep, tired out with his long walk.

When he awoke, however, the tract was still in his father's hand, and two large tears were trickling down his cheeks. He brushed them away when he saw that Tom was awake. "We'll go home now, my boy," he said, in a subdued voice. "Ain't you going to wait for the others, father ?" he asked, as he saw his father beginning to pack up his things.

"No, not to-day, my boy; I want to think about a thing or two ;" and, to the boy's surprise, he saw his father release all the birds that had been caught.

They scarcely spoke on their way home; and after dinner, instead of going out as usual, he went into a room by himself, telling his wife to send little Tom to Sunday-school.

Mrs. Smith could not understand her husband's unusual gentleness, and thought he must be ill; but after a time he told her of the tract he had been reading, and how it had convinced him that he was a great sinner in the sight of God.

The poor woman hardly knew how to contain her joy when she heard her husband say this. "Oh, Tom, I have sinned against Him too," she said; "for I doubted whether He could save you; but He will forgive us both, for 'the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.""

It was not for some time, however, that Smith could believe that his sins were forgiven; but he never went out bird-catching again; and very soon the changed appearance of his home proved that he was a changed man.

That tract had done its work, under the blessing of God's Spirit; and his wife often said that the greatest happiness of her life came from that Sunday-morning's walk.

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"A Glint of the Lord Jesus."

AR away in a Highland cottage home lived a poor woman who would not appear to be a subject for envy. Yet truly many might have been content

to change places with her, or at least to come and be taught her secret of happiness. Hers was a poor little home. In a low-roofed hovel, dependent on a parish. allowance, she lived alone, and yet she was not lonely, for she knew who has said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Her husband had died long years ago, and her children were scattered so far away that she had little hope of seeing them again in this world. But though the tear might be in her eye at any bad news from them, or a sad thought about the years gone by, the smile was on her lips, and the wellspring of joy in her heart rippled out in her words.

A lady who was staying awhile in the village enjoying the beauties of the wild mountains and glens, had often wished to find her way into some of the cots to make friends; and one day when close by this old woman's home a drenching shower compelled her to ask for shelter, which was readily granted. While watching the rain, they fell naturally into

friendly talk; the converse was of Jesus, and the old woman's heart was cheered. In the midst of tribulation, as she said, there always seemed to come a warm glow in her heart when with those that loved her Lord, and her heart went forth at once to meet them, and that she "likit" her young visitor's face, "there was such a bright look upon it as the love of Jesus shone out." This indeed was true of the old woman herself.

That was the beginning of a pleasant series of little visits, when books were lent, and thoughts exchanged on the blessed Book wherein we learn of the home above, which both were longing to reach. At the last visit the "Life of Captain Hedley Vicars" was given. Old Sarah had long desired to possess it, and now much wished to purchase it, but the lady would only take, in return, the promise that it should be lent to all within her reach. Gratefully her old friend thanked the giver, desiring that she would look out in heaven not only for her, but for the fruits of the lending of that book, as she was sure that by God's blessing on it the life of so good a man must do good.

The old woman's words oftentimes sent the lady away deeply humbled at her own want of faith, and her little likeness to Jesus, and yet thankful that she had been permitted to minister in any way to one of the Lord's humble followers, and that the old woman thought that she brought "a glint of the Lord Jesus" with her.

It is an honour indeed to win others to Christ by our Christ-like demeanour. It is a blessed thing when we come down from communion with Jesus with a shining face and chastened manner; when those around can take knowledge of us, as of the disciples of old, that we "have been with Jesus." Do we strive after likeness to Jesus as we ought? Do we exercise ourselves with the thought, what would Jesus have said or done in these circumstances, and what shall I say or do, so as to show myself most like Him? Is it a pain and grief to us to know that, by our imperfect rendering of his mind and will, our failure to exhibit "the meekness and

gentleness of Christ," we have hindered some halting soul in the desire to be Christ-like? Alas, it is a humbling thought that, truly loving him, so as to be able to call him our Saviour and our Friend, we yet so often do him such dishonour by our little likeness to him; by our faint, and flickering, and broken reflection of him; by marring the effect of our words by the display of an unchristlike temper, that he may well say to us, "Is this thy kindness to thy friend ?" If we are following him afar off, too far off to see well the exquisite perfection set out in him for our imitation, or if we allow anything ever so small or so insignificant to intercept the light with which he would shine upon us, we cannot wonder that the world fails to be attracted by the light which should be reflected from our faces and snowwhite garments, and sees not in us the attraction of "the beauty of holiness." Alas!

"Full many a spot defiles the robe

That wraps an earthly saint."

Weli may we cry out,

'Oh, for a heart that never sins,

Oh, for a soul washed white,

Oh, for a voice to praise our King,

Nor weary day or night."

Let us then strive more to keep close to Jesus, entreating to be moulded into his image and likeness. By contact with him we shall grow like him, and as with open face we "behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' 'Daily we have to mourn over failure when there should be victory, over darkness when there should be light; but, submitting ourselves to the guiding and teaching of the Holy Spirit, we shall ever be growing up into His likeness "which is the head, even Christ." So shall we "recommend the gospel," and "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour," and joyfully shall we say, "Now are we the sons of God; and we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." "Every

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one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as Christ is pure." Are we then purifying ourselves? and can we say, "I shall be satisfied when I awake up with thy likeness?" Do we feast our heart

"With thoughts of resurrection glory,
The promised satisfaction of that hour,
The awaking in his likeness,

Whose image now so faintly we reflect?"

Do we try to realise

"The joy surpassing of that glad surprise,
When in the Saviour's image we shall rise?"

We fall far short of our aspirations; but let the old woman's words rouse us to a sense of our deficiency, and make us give more earnest heed to St. Paul's injunction, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Then if our life is hid with Christ in God, and our conversation is in heaven, we need not fear but that we shall take "a glint of the Lord Jesus" with us wherever we go.

Memorable Spots in Bible History.

NAZARETH.

OMING from the Plain of Esdraelon (the ancient Jezreel), a ride of two hours north-west from Mount Tabor brings you to the foot of a steep ridge of hills, many of them a thousand feet high. In the bosom of these lies Nazareth, now called En-Nazireh. Two roads lead to it from the plain; one going right up the steep ravine, the other winding round the rocky shoulder of the ridge; but both meeting ere long, to form the highway to the town. This highway is little better than a succession of rocky slopes and ledges; but who can traverse it without remembering that up this toilsome steep the incarnate Son of God has ofttimes passed, and when a child was carried by Joseph and Mary? At a sudden bend, the little town comes into view, lying in a beautiful hollow toward the west. If it