Year: 1877

IN these plnchlng times, when multi
tudes are on short supply and thousands
of families are being compelled by hard
necessity to step down from their former
positions, the duty of brotherliness is
doubly incumbent. A friend in need is a
friend indeed. Enforced idleness is to an
industrious person q CALLING yoke, but the
last few years have demonstrated that,
however willing one may be to work, the
procurement of that work is not always
possible. What is our duty toward that
large deserving class which we all find
among our relatives and friends? Shall
we withdraw portion of our deposits
from the savings-bank and place it at their
disposal? To the mercenary spirit that is
tough proposition. To the generous
soul that has been baptised of heaven it
is very simple one. The first object of
money, and one of the greatest pleasures
of life, is to turn sunshine and joy into
the homes threatened with despair. Read
er, do you wish to be happy2 Work that
mine. Be assured that it is more blessed
to give than to receive: Huxley ridicul-
ing prayer, and Moody delighting in it,
both agree here. Let us, as we journey
along, make this desert Of ours bloom as
the rose. Where there's will there's a
way. II we have within us the spirit
which springs up like bubbling stream,
we cannot help but do good, refreshing,
irrigating work as we put in our three
score years and ten. We do not often
enough ask ourselves the question wheth-
er we have kindly relatives or devoted
friends who are carrying heavy burdens
and are in tight place.


Life is battle. Brave soldiers stand
by each other in the camp and on the bat
tle-feld, and when disease or the bullet
strikes them they endure nobly. On the
waste OF waters sailors are as true as steel
to each other. The flag of distress stirs
their inmost soul and induces large per-
sonal sacrifices. These are excellent ex-
amples to follow everywhere. Selfish
ness is the ogre which disfgures society.
It has seated itself in the Christian
Church and it is the blemish, the beset-
ting sin in many Christian home. It
is an influence from below, not from
above.


In prosperous times we hoated along
pleasantly with associates in the counting
house and the factory. Orders were is
sued by the Captain Of the craft that
sail should be taken in This one and
that was dismissed from service. Heads
of families were thrown out by hard
necessity. Well, how do we who con-
tinue in the service and under pay act in
this crisis? Do we consider the wife and the
children of our cashiered associated Do
we economise and make sacrifices that
we may in the meantime give our unem-
ployed friend helping hand2 Yes, if
we are the sons of God and were rightly
educated at the freside The sons Of
Belial, no matter what their professions,
have no solicitude on occasions like this.
They are sorry, but their sorrow is from
the teeth outward. Their hands, by i'm
pulse or principle, never find their way
into their pockets, or if they do it is only
that they may clutch the greenbacks more
closely, that they and their family may
live in luxury.


Let every little circle, then. stand by
each other when the storm is on. Let US,
look less upon our own cares, and more
upon the heavy burdens of our neighbors
and acquaintances. If you have this
worlds goods, and see your brother have
need, and shut up your bowels Of compass
sion from him, how dwelleth the love of
God in you!