an intense look.  I said, ‘My son, God will take care.’  He replied, ‘I know he will.’  He shook hands with two of his youthful companions, and sent a message to the brother of one of them, expressive of his solicitude for his spiritual welfare.  I said to him, ’I have taken care of you these nineteen years, for the Lord.’  He said, ’Yes, these nineteen years,’ but did not proceed.  He asked one of his friends to pray, which he did.  After this he ceased to speak, and sank, continuing to breathe hard, without a struggle, until the precious spirit took its everlasting flight a little before eight o’clock, January 19.”

I have thus given, from the notes furnished by the bereaved and mourning, but grateful and comforted mother, a sketch of the closing hours and dying scene of this youth, which, in connection with the similar scene in the younger brother, beautifully and strongly illustrates the precious trust committed to mothers, the importance and value of maternal influence, and the encouragement to its faithful and wisely-directed exercise.

T. D. W.

* * * * *

Original.

THE WASTED GIFT; OR, “JUST A MINUTE.”

     “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy
     might.”—­ECCLESIASTES 9:10.

     (Continued from page 128.)

That evening a little schoolmate came to visit her; they played several amusing games, and Emily staid up much past her usual hour.  The next morning when her mother called her, she felt very sleepy, and unwilling to rise, so instead of jumping up at once, she turned her head on the pillow thinking “I will get up in a minute.”  But in less than that minute she was fast asleep again, and did not awake until aroused by Mary the nurse, whose voice sounded close in her ear, exclaiming,

“Why, Miss Emily, are you in bed yet!  Here have I been looking all through the house and garden for you.  Jump up quick, breakfast is just over.”

You may be sure Emily did not wait a second bidding, but hurrying on her clothes, hastened down stairs without even thinking about saying her prayers, which no little child should ever forget to do, because it is the kind and merciful God who keeps us safely through the night, and our first thoughts when we awaken should be gratitude to him for protecting us, and we should pray to Him to keep us all day out of sin and danger, and teach us how to improve the time which He has intrusted to our care.

Emily thought of none of these things, but ran down to the breakfast-room, feeling rather ashamed of being so late.  Her papa had finished his breakfast, and gone out, and when her mother looked up to the clock as she entered, she saw that it wanted twenty minutes to nine.

“How very late it is!” thought the little girl, as she hurried off to school, “mamma always calls me at seven.  I did not think I had slept so long.”