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three years previous to last mid- ing offered, she responded earsummer (with the exception of nestly, and afterwards prayed ten months in which she was at audibly herself for a few seLiverpool) says, "I invariably conds; after which her frail had the impression that she pos- tenement sank under the pressessed the root of the matter, sure of the fatal stroke, and she and feared God above many: died lisping the words, My her general deportment was con- Jesus." Her death was imsistent with her profession. In proved in our Workington charelating her experience she was pel, by the Rev. A. Dodds, of clear, and frequently, with con- Maryport, to a large and symsiderable feeling and power, she pathizing congregation, from would express her confidence in 1 Peter i. 24, 25. May her sorGod, the assurance of her inte- rowing friends, with the reader rest in the Saviour, and hope of and writer, meet her in heaven. future glory, so as to bring a melting and hallowing influence upon us all." She did not possess a strong constitution, but she enjoyed tolerable health, until a few weeks before her short but fatal illness. She then complained of feeling unwell, but was not confined to her room till Friday, October 31st, when, after ten days of extreme suffering, she resigned her spirit into thereby. Religion was not methe hands of her Redeemer. In

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ROBERT CANNAN.

THOMAS, the son of Joseph and Margaret SHIELDS, was born at Newfield, in the Wolsingham Circuit, and died at Spenneymoor, in the Durham Circuit, November 7th, 1862. From his infancy he enjoyed the benefits of Sabbath-school and home re ligious tuition, and profited

chanically drilled into him; but under the genial influence of the Spirit of God, which accompanied the lessons of the Sabbathschool, the services of the sanc tuary, and the instructions received at home, his mind was early impressed with a sense of the great importance of religion. He was convinced of sin and often had earnest longings for a full salvation through the blood of the Lamb, but did not obtain the blessing till the beginning of

this year. Mr. Booth was conducting revival services at Spenneymoor, which were rendered a blessing to many. Among the number who thronged to hear was Thomas; the word found a way to his heart, he became a sincere penitent, was led to the Saviour, and found pardon and peace in Him, and went home that night a happy child, and forthwith joined the society.

The beauties of his generous nature had often flowed forth before, but now they gushed out freely and profusely. With his sweet voice he had often sung the following favourite lines:"Come sing to me of heaven,

When I'm about to die;
Sing songs of joyful ecstasy,
To waft my soul on high."

scholar before; but this time he was both a scholar and a Christian. He knew, he felt, he understood what he had to say. He had great respect for the man under whose labours he was brought to God, and for his class-leader; and they loved him in return.

His earthly pilgrimage was but short. He had been a healthy child from his infancy, and was so up to the Wednesday before his death. On that day he returned from his employment poorly; but he retired to rest, hoping that he would soon recover; but inflammation in the brain shortly blasted every prospect of recovery, and on Friday morning, at two o'clock, he died.

But now he could sing with During his brief illness his mind

sweeter melody :

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My God, the spring of all my joys,
The life of my delights;
The glory of my brightest days,

And comfort of my nights." “Fearless of hell and ghastly death,

I'd break through every foe; The wings of love and arms of faith

was delirious; but that which

was uppermost in his mind when he was well now manifested it self. He sang, and prayed and talked to his companions, with whom he supposed himself surrounded, about God's commandments, to the last, and then passed

Would bear me conqueror away to his rest.

through."

The Sabbath-school was his delight, and its anniversary was generally a high day to him; but the last one was the best and

sweetest. He had stood up as a

Thus lived

and died this youthful Christian, being in his fourteenth year; leaving a large circle of sorrowing friends and companions to lament his loss.

RALPH SHIELDS.

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the Creator's works! But little children who love to read, and who try to understand and recollect what they read, may come to know what is really valuable and pleasing. This world is like a large museum, and if we keep our eyes and ears open, we may learn a good deal in a little time. Let us study both the works and the word of God, and above all, seek to be wise unto salvation

THE FENNEC. THIS pretty little creature is found in the interior of Nubia, and is considered by naturalists as a species of dog; in size it is so small as to be contained with ease within the compass of a pint measure. It was first discovered by the enterprising traveller Bruce, when in search of the sources of the river Nile. Hence its scientific name is Mengalotis Brucii. Very few specimens by faith in our Lord Jesus have yet been brought to Europe, Christ.

HINTS FOR LITTLE FOLK.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-
Look at Exod. vii. 20, 22, & 24.
Aristotle says, "From nothing

and but little is known of its habits or mode of life. What a wonderful variety there is in the animal kingdom! And how little even learned men know of the almost infinite diversity of nothing can be made;" and as

Moses and Aaron converted all Lev. xix. 26-31; xx. 27; the waters of Egypt into blood, Deut. xviii. 10-12; 2 Kings ix. 22; 2 Chron. xxxiii. 6; Isa. xxix. 4; Jer. xxvii. 9, 10; Micah v. 12;

what waters were they which the magicians converted? As Dr. Clarke says, verse the 24th will answer the question. "Again, though a general commission was given to Moses, not only to turn the waters of the river (Nile) into blood, but also those of their streams, rivers, ponds, and pools; yet it seems pretty clear from verse 20 that he did not proceed thus far, at least in the first instance; for it is there stated that only the waters of the river were turned into blood. Afterwards the plague doubtless became general.”

Don Isaac Abarbanel is of opinion that Moses and Aaron (jointly) smote the Nile and other rivers, but might have omitted some small stream or brook, on which the magicians performed the same miracle.

R. Moses Alschech holds the magicians did nothing, but by their enchantments deceive the sight, so that the water already converted to blood, they made appear to be pure water, which they afterwards restored to blood, and thus appeared to perform the same miracle,-which invention is termed "visual deception;" and all who believe in witchcraft, &c., are void of prudence and sense, for reason dictates that wizards can do nothing. See Exod. xxii. 18;

Acts viii. 9—11; xix. 13-20; and Dr. Clarke on Exod. vii. 20-23.

The same writer has some remarks on ch. viii. 3 and 16. "The river Nile, which was an object of their adoration, was here one of the instruments of their punishment. In various parts of the East, instead of what we call ovens, they dig a hole in the ground, in which they insert a kind of earthen pot, which having sufficiently heated, they stick their cakes to the inside, and when baked remove them and supply their places with others. To find such places full of frogs when they came to heat them in order to bake their bread, must have been both disgusting and distressing in the extreme."

"The

Exod. ix. 6; ix. 19-25. Some ask if all the cattle of Egypt died, what were those which had boils, &c.? fact is, nothing is more common among writers, both sacred and profane, than the use of the word all, not in an absolute (complete), but in a comparative sense, as meaning many, some of all sorts, &c."—Carpenter.

But others are of opinion that only the cattle in the fields died, and not those in the houses.

"Behold the hand of the Lord | superintendents, who enlivened is upon thy cattle which is in the audience with occasional the field." Read the whole sallies of wit and humour. The chapter. On the word all, read report was well read by Brother Exod. x. 15; xii. 33; 2 Kings Green, the secretary. To such xix. 35. a report I have seldom listened. It told us that nearly 200 children were taught in the school, of whom twenty-five were members of the church; and that out of thirty teachers, twenty-five were converted to God, and seeking, as the great end of their Sabbath labours, the conversion of the scholars. After this, Brother Joseph Fawcett, in a neat, clear, and well-expressed speech, urged a continuance in well-doing; then Brother Bentley, a young man of promise, in a calm, temperate, and affectionate style, inculcated the law of kindness in the management of Sunday schools, and told us that he knew a lad who had been driven from a school through harsh treatment, and who, to avoid being sent back by his parents, ran away, took to a sea-faring life, and, while making his first voyage, met with a watery grave.

Some reconcile the passages in this way, that all that died were the cattle of Egypt, or belonging to the Egyptians, and not belonging to the Israelites. In either way the doubt is solved. Verse 15.-Dr. Clarke says, "In the Hebrew the verbs are in the past tense, and not in the future, &c., for neither Pharaoh nor his people was smitten by a pestilence. It is true the firstborn were slain by a destroying angel, and Pharaoh himself was drowned in the Red Sea; but these judgments do not appear to be referred to in this place. 'For if now I had stretched out (set forth) my hand, and had smitten thee and thy people with the pestilence, thou shouldst have been cut off from the earth; but I have caused thee to subsist.""

ALPHA.

A GOOD MEETING. THE readers of the Juvenile Magazine will, I doubt not, feel interested with a short account of an annual school festival we have had lately in connection with our Bank Top Sunday School, Halifax Station. The public meeting was presided over by Mr. W. Hart, one of the

The next speaker was Brother Dewhirst, an elderly man who, five years ago, became a Christian, and entered the Sabbath School as a teacher, "during which time," he said, "the letter a has never been put opposite my name in the Roll-book."

After him, a middle-aged man named Hartley was called to

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