And the hives, and the bones, and the pound, and the pig! 'Twas you, Mrs. Jones, for you looked without pity As she sits, "good as gold in a gutter," up there Of your basket: and quite conscientious, I'm sure, Just look at her now, with her head up in air Quite at ease, without knowledge of liberty taking, Though you do look so cross! See! her eyes look as straight As Papa says the Sphinx's, unmoved; nor to aught Save to present sufficiency: all as sereno As a queen Unquestioned in all her domain; though it's small, Quite enough for the nonce. And she's singing her ditty, That calmly-content undersong of "Purr-purra, appears, from the calculations of Mr. Greg and Mr. Baxter, that the aggregate income of the working classes in this country may be taken at about £300,000,000. Mr. Smiles estimates, on pretty sure data, the bacco cannot be less than £60,000,000, of which two-thirds, or £40,000,000 must be deemed to be excessive—that is, extravagant and noxious. But, in order to be indisputably within the mark, let us assume it to be only thirty classes spend ten per cent. of their earnings in needless outlay in these articles alone. Another ten per cent. is lost to them by the unsound condition of the retail system which supplies their weekly consumption. It appears, moreover, that a proportion of their means, certainly not less than five per cent., and probably much nearer ten,is wasted by mere unthrift, that is, by un. skilled or careless marketing, housekeeping, and cooking. Finally, in the case of a large section of them, another voluntary and most unprofitable mulct is levied upon them in the shape of contributions to trades unions and strikes-a tax secretly resented, as we 66 well know, by thousands who yet find themselves practically forced to pay it. The total result, then, is this,—and it would seem impossible to question its accuracy,that, at least as regards the manufacturing and artisan class-the skilled or half-skilled labourers of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Northumberland, Durham, South Wales, and the metropolis, they might easily, beneficially, by the directest means and in conformity to the soundest rules, reduce their expenditure, and so virtually in crease their wages by THIRTY PER CENT.—an increase of six shillings to every pound.". The Quarterly. The Pentecostal Presence. (FOR WHITSUNDAY.) BY THE REV. ROBERT MAGUIRE, M.A., AUTHOR OF LYRA EVANGELICA.' 'Lo, I am with you alway."-St. Matt. xxviii. 20. TO, I am with you always," ye with Yet, "Me ye have not always,' saith my Lord: Thus ever absent, and yet present, He- In Body there, ascended up to Heaven, In Spirit here, as by the Spirit given, The Pentecostal Presence of our God. The body and its members all are oneNot by compulsion of external force, But by the life, the spirit, which alone Of that communion is the living source. The bond of Home, however far we rove, Unseen, but felt, keeps all in unity; The inward spirit of the home-born love Unites us all in one, invisibly. "Me ye have not always."-St. Matt. xxvi. 11. 'Tis not the Presence that the hands can feel, Nor what the eye can realise or see; Or that He always in the world abides; The loving spirit binds all homely ties; Such is the Presence of our loving Lord; Yea, such the Presence in His promise given; There are no contradictions of His Word: "Until He come "-His Body is not here: The Young Folks' Page. IV. A GOOD EXAMPLE. FRENCH schoolmaster, M. Renon, of St. Césaire, has drawn up the following resolutions for his pupils to sign. "1. None of us during this year will either seek to discover birds' nests, or to destroy young birds, in whatever place soever they may be, and under no matter what pretext. "2. None of us will pursue any birds after quitting their nests.” Now, as all people in France, old as well as young, have been thoughtlessly and cruelly in the habit of destroying small birds, this determination to forsake such an evil practice is worthy of all commendation. that until lately they did not know that the birds were of the very greatest service in A It seems destroying the worms and insects that eat up the crops. In England there is still a great want of knowledge on this subject. There are in some districts sparrow-clubs, and prizes are given to those who destroy the greatest number of the birds. Let us hope that all English boys and girls will resolve to be kind and humane to the dear little songsters who make the woods vocal with their sweet notes, and whose innocent little lives are passed in helping the farmer and gardener to preserve the kindly fruits of the earth "so that in due time we may enjoy them."-The Humanity Series. By the Rev. F. O. MORRIS. V. SEED FOUND AFTER MANY DAYS. N interesting case in Dean Champneys' | the church lighted up, he went in. Although "Facts and Fragments " shows the benefit of attending services for the young. A youth of an inquiring mind was present at one of these services. No marked impression was apparently made. The youth grew into a man; studied the works of nature, and was well acquainted with the natural sciences; but, from the things made, he had not been led to Him that made them, and was a stranger to that power which melts, softens, and subdues the spirit. He was unhappy, dissatisfied, and driven about by every wind of error. He heard that an old acquaintance was in the neighbourhood one Sunday. On seeing many years had passed away, he knew the preacher's voice and recognised his face. "In an instant he was a boy again. His mother was before him. His school, his teacher, his happy Sunday, the sermon to the young." The lessons of his childhood rose to his mind with power; he resolved to open the old Book, and to go to God who caused it to be written. The prayers of his mother, stored up and reserved, were heard, and he became a humble and trusting Christian. "The seeming forgotten past can be made the teacher and corrector of the erring present, and the parent of a joyful future." The Bible Mine Searched. NSWERS are not to be sent to the Editor, SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS. BY THE REV. ROWLEY HILL, M.A., VICAR OF SHEFFIELD. 1. What two men declared that they would cling to God: the one though he lost his life, the other his property? 2. What ground had Elijah for praying to God that it might not rain, and for telling the king that it should not rain? 3. Where is the doctrine of justification by faith 4. Is hatred ever cnjoined in Scripture? and in what sense? 5. What prophet was saved from death through the prediction of another prophet? 6. Why did Philip go to Cæsarea when the Spirit withdrew him from the Eunuch? ANSWERS (See April No.). 1. Luke x. 16. 3. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13; 2 Kings xxiv. 4. 5. Jude 1; Heb. ii. 11; Rom. xv. 16. |
