The Portland daily press., 1870-08-13

The hour arrived at which lie was to feed the
poor of the convent He fingered not in his
cell to ENJOY the vision, but he left to perform
his humble duty. When he returned he
! found the blessed vision still waiting for him,
and utteling these words adst thou stayed
l must have fed"
Ii book makes you look with less abhor-
renee on any sin, if its dashing hero talks
prolanely, or it the morals of the story are not.
| pure, if it tends to maks you dissatisfied and
| impatient with the lot God has appointed you
| and to distinguish less clearly between right
| and wrong, you had better throw it into the
fire, even il it is bound with velvet, with clasps
| of gold. The fair page of the mind cannot be
washed clean after it has been defiled by such
contact; any more than a sheet of paper which
you have covered with ink stains.
EVERY GOOD ACT" says Mohemmed, sis
| charity" Your smiling in your brothers
lace is charity; an eXhOrtation of your fellow
men to vlrtuous deeds is equal to aims giving
your putting wanderer on the right road is
charity; your removing stones, and thorns,
and other obstl uctions from the road is char
ity. A mans true wealth hereafter; Athe good
he does in this world to his fellow men. When
be dies people will say, What property has he
left behind him? But the angels who exam
inc him in the grave will ask, What deeds
hast thou sen. before thee?"
A GENTLEMAN was one day opening box
of dry goods His little son was standing
: near, and, as his father took the packages
from the box, he laid some of them on the
arm of the boy. A young friend and play
mate of the merchants son was standing by
looking on. AS parcel after parcel was laid
upon the arm of the boy, his friend began to
fear that his load was becoming too heavy
and said
Johnny, don't you think you have got as
much as you can bear?"
Never mind" answered Johnny, in a
sweet, happy tone, "iather knows how much
can carry
Brave, trusting little fellow! He did moi
grow restless or impatient under the burden
There was no danger, he felt, that his father
would lay too heavy load ON him. His ia
Their knew his strength, OF rather the weak
ness OF that little man, and would not over
: task it. More than ali his father loved him
and therefore would not harm him. 1t il
such spirit OF loving trust in Him, that Goo
, desired all his children to possess.
snow LAY Me Down TO SLEEp"-Ther,
=, | is much in the manner in which religious eX
J | erclses are conducted in family. The wor
ship is none the less solemn because familiar
All the surroundings should therefore be in
keeping with the hour when the family come:
into the presence of the great God. Let ia
Their and mother sit side by side, let the chill
dren not be scattered in lounging attitudes
round the room and at distance, but PLACED
near enough TO each other to make group
so that the unity of worship shall appear a.
well as exist.
Parents are not as careful as they ought tt
be OF these outward things in chds educa
ton. The little one is taught to "say hi
prayers"-but how? Perhaps with a noise O
conversation or play about him, he kneels
after be has clambered on his bed, and rattle
over the set OF words while he gazes roun,
!; the room, ready with the "amen" to burst in
to laugh with those that laugh around.
is not at all wonderful that he grows to con
slider the whole affair as very useless and un
S meaning.
Give your children different thoughts. Yo1
are doing what the disciples asked the Lor,
a to do when they said, "Teach us to pray.
You are teaching your child to pray, and t.
: pray Alright is, as Coleridge says, "The great
Il est achievement of the Christians warfare Oh
e EARTH" AT this hour of his childish praye
T. your boy comes in communion with the Mos
High, and you should breathe softly while an
gels listen. They see a deeper meaning il
the act than you can recognize. That inian
petition has in it what may touch your hear
:, if you will think:
"NOw lay me down to seep
|, pray the Lord my soul to keep;
If should die before I wake
L pray the Lord my soul to take.'
: Who can keep his soul but God? What
t possibility is in that little word Spa posi-
biity which darts thrill of anguish throue
your breast! Into what arms could his sou
e nestle if not Christ's, if it should 90 fort
I, from that fair body tonight? Will you moi
b then, hush the room, and have father an
r children stand silently by, as with claspe
e Lands and bowed heads your child kneels re,
e erently at your knee and solemnly lsps tha
5 prayer? Perhaps your face will rest upon b
t head while your full heart joins in the pet
+ tion-Aikmdn's Life at Home.