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favour, and lost no time to urge his request for the supply of the medicine on any terms, to save a dying mother. And so earnestly did he plead for medicine and offer his services as payment, that even old Lombard felt he spoke the truth. He made up the prescription, said he would come round and look at the patient, and that he would take the boy into his service. With warm gratitude the boy thanked him, and hastened to the bedside of his mother; while old Lombard returned to his scrap of fire, and thought over his bargain. "I must have a boy to help me," so he said. "I can hire this boy for a tenth of what I must give to another; I can feed him sparely, work him hard; umph! I might have done worse." So with this reflection he put out his candle, and went to bed in the dark.

By the bedside of his mother the boy watched all through the night; and as the grey dawn appeared, saw-and his heart leaped at the sight-his mother open her eyes, and heard her speak to him. She was better; the medicine had done its work. How grieved, and yet how grateful was she when she heard of her boy's bargain! She was sorry that he would have so hard a master, pleased that he had accepted the service for her sake; and when she was well again, and he was to begin his duties in old Lombard's shop, she threw her arms about his neck, and assured him that God would prosper a son who so honoured and loved his mother.

And was it so? O, yes; the work was very hard, the food was bad and scanty: a kind man would not lodge a dog as that boy was lodged; but he prospered. He was a studious, clever boy, and in that chemist's shop he learned enough to make him wish for wider information. He was so civil and obliging, that Lombard's customers increased, so industrious and painstaking, that even old Lombard was satisfied; and all the while he was cheering his dear mother's heart by telling her what he meant to do when he was a man. God prospered him. He was blessed with a good mother, and he remembered the words of Solomon: "My son.... forsake not the law of thy mother when thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee."

Years passed, and the boy became a man, and found that "a good name was rather to be chosen than great riches." While everybody despised the rich miser, they esteemed the poor young doctor; who, in course of time, became one of the most celebrated men in Europe. He was ap

pointed Inspector-General of Health, was loaded with honours, and received a patent of nobility. The poor boy was none other than Parmentier, the chemist.

FILIAL AFFECTION.

GUSTAVUS III., King of Sweden, passing one morning, on horseback, through a village in the neighbourhood of his capital, observed a young peasant girl, of interesting appearance, drawing water at a fountain by the wayside. He went up to her, and asked her for a draught. Without delay she lifted her pitcher, and with artless simplicity put it to the lips of the monarch. Having satisfied his thirst, and courteously thanked his benefactress, he said,—“ My girl, if you would accompany me to Stockholm, I would endeavour to fix you in a more agreeable situation.”

"Ah, sir," replied the girl, "I cannot accept your proposal. I am not anxious to rise above the state of life in which the providence of God has placed me; but even if I were, I could not for an instant hesitate."

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"And why?" rejoined the king, somewhat surprised. "Because," answered the girl, colouring, "my mother poor and sickly, and has no one to assist or comfort her under her many afflictions. And no earthly bribe could induce me to leave her, or to neglect to discharge the duties affection requires from me."

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"Where is your mother? asked the monarch.

"In that little cabin ;" replied the girl, pointing to a wretched hovel beside her.

The king, whose feelings were interested in favour of his companion, went in, and beheld, stretched on a bedstead, whose only covering was straw, the mother of the child. Moved at the sight, the monarch said, "I am sorry my poor woman, to find you in so destitute and afflicted a condition."

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Alas, sir!" answered the mother, “I should be indeed to be pitied, had I not that kind and attentive girl, who labours to support me, and omits nothing that she thinks can afford merelief. May a gracious God remember it to her good!" she added, wiping away a tear.

Gustavus felt it to be indeed a great pleasure to relieve the sufferer, and putting a purse into the hand of the young villager, he could only say, "Continue to take care of your mother. I shall soon enable you to do so more effectually. Good bye, my amiable girl, you may depend on the promise of your king."

On his return to Stockholm, the king settled a pension for life on the mother, with the reversion to her daughter at her death. Thus the dutiful daughter was rewarded. Sent by W. NORRIS.

TWO DYING BOYS.

I was requested, says Dr. M'Leod, of Glasgow, by a brother minister to visit a dying child. He told me some remarkable things of this boy, eleven years of age, who, during three years' sickness had manifested the most patient submission to the will of God. I went to visit him. He had suffered excruciating pain, not having known one day's rest for years. I gazed with wonder at the boy. After drawing near to him, and speaking some words of sympathy, he looked at me with his beautiful blue eyes,he could not move, it was the night before he died, and breathed into my ear these few words, "I am strong in Him." The words were few and feebly uttered; they were the words of a feeble child in a poor home, where the only ornament was that of a meek, and quiet, and affectionate mother; and these words seemed to make the world more beautiful than it ever was before; they brought home to my heart a great and blessed truth, "strong in Him!

It is now almost five years since the sufferings of this dear boy ended, since he entered that painless world where the inhabitant shall no more say, "I am sick," but where all are "strong in Him." Many times in the interval has a vision of that death-bed scene passed before us; many times has it brought to painful consciousness the weakness of our faith in contrast with the strength of that patient little sufferer; but many times has it made us "strong in Him whose strength was thus made perfect in weakness, and who enabled that dying child to breathe forth, though but in whispers, those last strong words of faith and hope.

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The scene changes from an obscure chamber in Glasgow to the still more secluded wigwam in the far west of North America. Again the minister of Jesus is present to cheer a dying boy as he looks down into the dark valley, and timidly he reaches forth his hand to grasp the staff of the Good Shepherd. The little Testament, which his kind teacher had taught him both to read and to love, lies by his side. With an earnestness which cannot be denied, but with a reach of purpose which his teacher cannot fathom, the meek child of the forest makes this last request, "When you lay me down in my coffin, I want you

to put my little Testament at the side of my head, and bury it with me." When asked why he desired this; he replied, "In the resurrection, when so many shall appear before the Saviour, I am afraid He will not notice me. I will take my little Testament in my hand, and hold it up, and when He sees that, I am sure he will receive me."

MY SURETY.

* Look upon the face of thine anointed."-Psalm lxxxiv. 9.

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Who, before thy glorious throne,
On his breast bears my poor name
And my load of sin and shame,~
Look on him-my Surety.

Look on thine anointed Son;

Only in his name I come;

Only for his sake I dare

Breathe to thee my suppliant prayer

While I to his garment cling,

While I hide beneath his wing,
Look on him-my Surety.

I have often broke thy laws,
Oft proved traitor to thy cause
He that broken law hath kept,
He o'er my transgressions wept;
He, upon the cross for me,
Bore the dread death-penalty.
Look on him-my Surety.

Now he pleadeth thee before,
And I kneel, Lord, to adore,
For the pardon thou hast given,

For the death-chains he has riven

Even when I sue for grace,

Look thou on his pitying face;

Look on him-my Surety.

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ELIZABETH GREATOREX, the withdrew, and became connected

subject of this brief sketch, who was born at Kirk-Ireton, in the Wirksworth Circuit, in the county of Derby, May 20th, 1839. In her infancy she was deprived of maternal care, her mother only surviving her birth twenty-seven days; but this loss seems to have been almost made up by the special attachment of her father to his infant daughter: for to her every attention was paid by him as far as his temporal circumstances would permit. She was placed out to nurse, where she remained till her father married again.

Our departed sister, in her early years, attended the Sabbath School in connexion with the Established Church, from which, cf her own choice, she

with our Sabbath School, in which she ultimately became a useful teacher. Eleven or twelve years ago she became a missionary collector, and at the first public meeting in which she appeared in this capacity, she had on her little card one shilling and eightpence. The Rev. John Stephenson, who then travelled on this station, when praying for the blessing of God to rest upon the missionary labourers and collectors, asked God to bless the little girl with her twentypence. This made an impression on her mind that never wore off; and on she went, and the missionary income at our place, though small, owed much to her devoted labours.

Being of a studious turn of

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