YR

Joy amongst the Angels.

"Thy brother is come."

ES, "safe and sound" the Father hath received him: "Where sin abounded grace did more abound.”

And now the wanderer has gone his farthest

Our Father hath received him safe and sound.

Weighed in the balance of earthly judgment,
Wanting in all that might redeem his case,
Still counted worthy in his outcast poorness
A Father's welcome, and a glad embrace.

Far in the labyrinth of sin he travelled,
Deep in its deadly cup of poison drank;

While Mercy's hand, e'en then outstretched to save him,
Caught him ere yet beneath the waves he sank.

Thus far may Satan come, but stay-no farther!
Can kill the body, but no more may do.
Shattered the life, perhaps, but then the working
Of God-"Behold I create all things new."

Not to the swift the race is promised surely,
Nor is the battle certain to the strong;
Last in the eye of man, oft first in glory:
The day shall witness it, nor tarry long.

Think ye that he was sinner above others
Since into Satan's toils God let him fall?
Nay, but the blood, the innocent which cleanseth,
Is the same gracious blood which cleanseth all.

Prayers long unanswered in the courts of heaven, Prayers bound with promises, and "granted"—passed; These must be ratified in very earnest,

And so the weak one is "safe home" at last.

Heavenly cordial in the glad assurance,

The son that was long lost at length is found;

Only not a wreck," though nigh engulfèd,

The Father hath received him "safe and sound."

66

The Nettle and the Dock-leaf.

URRAH! hurrah!" shouted three happy voices, as three pair of feet hurried upstairs; and, forgetful of the accustomed courtesy of knocking at Aunt Lizzie's door, it was violently opened, and, breathless with excitement, little Henry pushed past the others, exclaiming, "Oh, Aunt Liz! do you know" when he was quickly joined by his two cousins.

put down her pen..

"But what is it all about ?" said their aunt, as she quietly "If three little children insist on speaking all at the same time, and all speak in their very loudest voices, I have no chance of making out what the good news is, and I want to hear it very much."

"Do let Bessie tell, Henry," said Augustus, the eldest of the group.

"Well," said Bessie, "mamma says it is such a lovely day that we may have a half-holiday, and go with you to the old wood; only she wants to know, if you feel strong enough for it, and would quite like to go.. Would you, dear Aunt Liz?" and the speaker's arms were thrown lovingly round her neck. "Indeed you must not come unless you really like it."

"And you know," added Augustus, "I can take you a short cut through the fields, and we will carry a shawl for you to sit on, while we get wild flowers and all sorts of curiosities."

"I shall like it of all things," said Aunt Lizzie; "my letter can wait till Monday. When are we too go?? and where is dear mother??"

"Mammaa iss in the dining-room, making sandwiches," said Bessie.. "She thinks the sooner we set off the better: and perhaps, whem papan hass finished his sermon, they may

"And Snap may come with us as well," said little Henry; "I will take care of him."

"All right! Then I can carry the basket of sandwiches and aunt's shawl," said Augustus; "and, Bessie, you can take her little work-basket."

"I am afraid you will all spoil me," replied Aunt Lizzie. "No fairy princess was ever better attended, I think."

A warm squeeze of her aunt by the gentlé Bessie was the answer, and all went to prepare for the long-looked for excursion to the "dear old wood."

It was indeed a rare place, that old wood; so rich in the variety and luxuriance of its wild flowers and 'ferns; such lovely shady nooks, with openings just sufficient to let them

see how bright was the sunshine, from whose heat it afforded such a pleasant shelter. Then it was as rich in animal as in vegetable wonders-such curious nests of birds and insects; and that nothing should be wanting to make it charming, a little brook murmured through it, where it was a sight to watch the silver sparkles of the water as it eddied round. and round some large stones, uncertain by which channel it would dance its merry life away to yonder dark pool. No wonder that our little friends, and not less the elder one, should have enjoyed that bright summer afternoon. New and still newer treasures were brought to show Aunt Lizzie, who had established herself in a charming little spot by the stream, where it was agreed they would take their luncheonwhen they were tired.

Heated with their rambles, they at last thought it would be a pleasant variety to sit down and rest; the basket was unpacked, and such a surprise it was to find a glass jar of gooseberry-fool hiding beneath the papers of sandwiches. "Was it not just like mother to think of it—the very nicest thing we could have when we are all so hot? Don't you like it, aunt ?"

Full justice had been done to the lunch, and Augustus congratulated himself on the diminished burden he would have to carry home, when, suddenly, Bessie cried out, "Here they are!" and, to the imminent peril of allowing Aunt Lizzie to think they were all become crazed, they scampered off she knew not whither; but, standing up, she spied the cause of the excitement in the appearance, at some distance, of Mr. and Mrs. Roughwood..

But, alas! that even in such a paradise as that old wood seemed there should lurk a cause of trouble. As poor little Henry went rushing on, trying to keep up with the others as they scrambled over some broken ground to reach their parents, his foot tripped over a stone which lay hidden in the grass, and he fell into a very nest of nettles, and his poor little face and hands were covered with their unkindly stings. He was a brave little fellow, and quietly kept back

the tears as Aunt Lizzie hurried forward to comfort him, while Bessie called out, "Let us look for a dock-leaf."

"You need not look very far," said Augustus, "for they are often growing close beside nettles; and here they are," he exclaimed, as he gathered some of the healing leaves, and under their influence all the trouble was soon forgotten, and they were again seated by the little stream in their favourite nook, listening to that delicious harmony made up of the blending of so many summer voices-the murmuring water and gentle breeze, the hum of bees, the chirp of grasshoppers, and the subdued notes of birds; even Augustus and Henry, generally accounted fond of talking, seemed disposed to be silent for a little while. Bessie was nestling in her favourite resting-place close to her father, when she broke the stillness by saying,

"Papa, is it not curious that we should always find the dock growing close beside nettles, just as if it was planted on purpose to be ready to cure? but of course I know it's not planted."

"I don't think, my Bessie, it is such a very strange thing that in our Father's world we should find comfort not far from sorrow; the remedy not far from sickness; the dock near the nettle. Do you know that some of the sermon I have just been writing is on that very subject? I don't mean, of course, on the nettle and the dock, but on the tender love of God, who in His Holy Word has set forth our danger and the way of escape; our guilt and His salvation close beside each other; so that if a poor sinner reads, for example, 'All we like sheep have gone astray,' and thinks to himself, 'All? Then I am a straying sheep, and straying sheep can never find their way back to the fold; then I am a lost sheep'-he need not despair nor look far for comfort: a few lines bring him to that precious, precious word, 'The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' All'-again the very same word as in the first part. And so we could find countless instances of the same-the nettle and the dock growing side by side."