A. L. O. E.

“ Rob Barker turned away from the house with the look of a beaten hound. He knew that the reproaches of the woman were not undeserved, that he had not been faithful to his trust. Deprived, when a child, of his parents' care, brought up in the midst of poverty and vice, growing even as the weeds grow, uncared for and unnoticed, save as something worse than useless, he seemed as if born to be trampled upon ”

“ And when a soul is washed from its guilt, it is not left to be idle and useless. When God gives to a sinner a new heart, it is that His Holy Word may be deeply stamped on that heart. Then those who have been cleansed, forgiven, and raised, bear to others the blessed message which they themselves have received. 'Come, hear what the Lord has done for my soul. Come, taste and see that the Lord is gracious;' such are the Bible words printed, as it were, on the heart of every pardoned sinner, who, having been forgiven much, feels that he loveth much. ”

“ Agnes scarcely knew whether to look vexed or amused. "I was a stupid little girl to fancy that they would move," said she; "mine is a very pretty watch, but it is only good to be looked at," and she laid it down on the table with an air of disappointment.
"Ah, my child," said Lydia White, gently drawing her little daughter towards her; "is not the watch without springs like that of which we were yesterday speaking, good conduct without a good motive? The most precious part of a real watch is that part which is unseen ”

“ There have been some neglected ones in the world, as little cared for, as little regarded as the rag which lay on the miry road. But who shall dare to say that even the soul most stained by sin, most sunk in evil, is good for nothing? ”

“ Her last care was to place a wire-guard before the fire. Having often to leave her little girl alone in the room, Mary dreaded her falling into danger, and had, by self-denial, scraped up a sufficient number of pence, to buy an old wire fire-guard.
"Now remain quiet there, my jewel! Don't get into mischief," said Mary. "Look at the pretty prints on the wall; mother won't be long afore she comes back with something nice for her darling!" So saying the widow kissed the child, took up her basket, and went to the door.
"Good-bye, mother!" cried Emmy. ”

“ If the motive of love to God be like the mainspring to a Christian, the cause of all his good actions, his outward conduct is like the hands whose steady movements show that the mainspring is within. If they are constantly right, we believe that the hidden wheels are right, we know that the watch has been wisely made, carefully regulated, daily wound up. ”

“ We are called so to live that the world may say, 'There must be power in religion, for none are so honest, so true, so kind as those who are servants of God.'"
"I don't quite understand," said Agnes.
"Look again, dear child, at my watch, it may help to make the subject clearer. You know that the watch is a good one, you know that the mainspring is right."
Agnes nodded her head.
"How is it that you know?" asked her mother.
"The hands always point to the right place," replied Agnes; "they go just the same as the church clock."
"But suppose that we pull off the hands," said the widow. ”

“ And to mention but one thing more, that precious portion of time, the Lord's Day, which God has reserved in His wisdom to be an especial blessing to the soul, the time which he commands us to hallow—do not many rob him of it lot their own purposes; their business, their trade, their amusement? If ingratitude be hateful towards man—oh, what must it be towards God!"
"Aunt, you are hard upon me," said Eddy. ”

“ May be there's truth in that word; for if I really believed what Aylmer told me, that God cares for me as I care for my Emmy, I should do even just as he bids me, and keep this day holy. But it's hard to be hindered getting my bread honestly on one day out of seven; I don't see the harm in a poor widow woman selling a little on Sundays."
And yet Mary's mind was not easy; she had learned enough of God's word to know that by selling her oranges and nuts upon the day which the Lord has set apart for Himself, she was not only sinning herself, but leading others into sin. ”

“ Two persons may give exactly the same sum to help a poor creature in great distress. One gives her shilling for the look of the thing, because she wishes the world to think her generous; the other gives it for the love of God, and so that He accept her offering, cares not if her gift be known by not one being on earth. You must see that the motive of the second is piety, the motive of the first is pride. ”

“ When little children thronged round her basket, eager to buy her fruit, Mary could not forget—she wished that she could—the solemn warning of the Lord: "Whoso shall offend (cause to sin) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." ”

“ So when the Christian quietly goes on his circle of duties, ever seeking, by the help of God's grace, to do the will of his Lord,—he shows to the world a living example of the power and truth of religion; he does good not for the look of the thing, but because the love of Christ constraineth him to act as conscience directs. ”

“ It is a blessing to the one who departs, echoed back to the one who remains. God be with you, Mary Cowell; may you feel His presence in the street—in the shop—by your board—by your bed—in your heart! You'll have many a temptation to struggle against—God be with you in the hour of temptation! You'll have many a trial to bear ”

“ Her voice was a little faint, for the lady was weary with her work, though never weary of her work, but her smile was kindly and bright as she began her short address.
"I have promised to give you a story, my dear young friends," she began, "and as I am speaking in a Ragged School, and to those who are called Ragged Scholars, you will not be shocked or surprised if I choose for my subject—a Rag." ”

“ White, who was clearing away the tea things.
"Mother," replied Agnes slowly, "I was thinking over what Rebecca Burton said about Mrs. Miles, and your Bible which looks so old. You and she didn't seem to feel alike. Is it not right, dear mother, to care for the look of the thing?"
"It is right to care something for appearances, but a great deal more for realities," quietly observed Mrs. White.
"I do not understand you at all," said Agnes; "is it not a good thing, mother, to give to the poor, to go to church; and to honour the Holy Bible?" ”

“ They were near neighbours, for they dwelt opposite to each other; and Rebecca, who earned her living by going out washing and charing, and had but a lonely time of it during the long winter evenings, was often invited by kind Widow White to share a meal with her and her little daughter Agnes. Not that Rebecca was one whose society gave much pleasure to her friend: she was a bustling, gossiping woman, very full of her neighbours' concerns. Where there is little thinking, there is apt to be much talking; it has been well said that only empty bottles are never corked up. ”

“ I really cared for the fellow, and that makes his conduct the harder to bear. To cut me dead in the streets! Did you ever know any being so ungrateful?"
"I know a youth," replied Mrs. Burns, "who has, I think, shown himself to be quite as ungrateful as Arthur."
"I can hardly believe it," said Eddy.
"You shall hear and judge for yourself. A youth—I need not give you his name—had incurred a very heavy debt, which no efforts of his own would ever enable him to pay. ”

“ Such souls may be raised from the dust, such souls have been raised from the dust. While God spares life we may yet have hope. I have just read of the case of James Stirling, a faithful servant, an earnest worker for God. That man for twenty years was a drunkard, a grief to his wife, a disgrace to his family, an evil example to those around him. If he, by the power of God's Word, was raised from such a depth of sin, who now need despair? What if our sins be many before God, 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin.' The soiled may be made pure and clean. ”

“ All the young eyes were fixed on the teacher, the gentle loving lady, who daily left her comfortable house to trudge, sometimes through rain, and snow, and sleet, to spend her time, her strength, and her health, in leading ragged children to the Saviour. ”

“ Burns, with a glance of meaning; "is not my photograph like?"
"What on earth do you mean?" exclaimed the astonished Eddy, opening his eyes wide, and fixing them on his aunt.
"Is not the likeness that of every soul that forgets and neglects the greatest of Benefactors—the best and kindest of Friends? Oh, Eddy what hath God done for us, can we number up a thousandth part of the benefits received from His love? Think of the heavy debt of sin, that sin which, unpardoned, is death! ”

“ Mary took a pride in her Emmy; she never suffered her to run about the streets dirty and barefoot like many of the children of her neighbours. Emmy's face was washed, and her yellow curls were smoothed out every morning, and proudly did the fond mother look at her little darling. The greatest sorrow which poverty brought to Mary Cowell, was that it hindered her from giving every comfort and pleasure to her child.
"Mother," said Emmy on the following day, as she watched the widow preparing to go out, putting on her rusty black bonnet and thin patched shawl; "mother, you won't take the basket ”

“ If as much gain, and respect, and praise could be had by breaking God's laws as by keeping them, those who now do good deeds to be seen of men, would do evil ones in their stead."
Perhaps little Agnes was growing sleepy, for Mrs. White could not help perceiving that the child did not follow her argument. The mother did not try to explain herself further; she waited for some opportunity of making her little daughter understand more clearly the truth which was so plain to herself. ”

“ I hears the bells a-ringing."
"I must go," said Mary with a sigh.
"But didn't the good man tell us it was bad to go out a-sellin' on the Sunday?" asked the child, with a grave look of inquiry in her innocent eyes.
"Poor folk must eat," said the widow sadly; "God will not be hard upon us if want drives us to do what we never should do if we'd only enough to live on."
"May Emmy go wid you, mother?" ”

“ Little Agnes, with her large black attentive eyes, sat perched on a high chair beside her mother, listening to every word that was spoken, and not a little amused by Rebecca's idle gossip. While slice after slice of buttered toast and tea-cake were despatched, cup after cup of good black tea poured from the shining tea-pot, the guest talked as eagerly and as fast, as if talking were "the business of life."
"Well, Mrs. White," said Rebecca, helping herself for the third time from the well-filled plate, "I think that you've always had a bit of a fancy for that Mrs. ”

“ Never can we too earnestly study, too carefully follow the Saviour's command which refers to the outward behaviour of those who have the hidden motive of love,—'Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' (Matt. v. 14, 16.) "
NEW STORIES
BY
A. L. O. E.
No. 2—GOOD-BYE.
NEW YORK: GENERAL PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL SUNDAY SCHOOL. UNION AND CHURCH BOOK SOCIETY. 762 BROADWAY. 1865.
No. 2. GOOD-BYE.
GOOD-BYE.
"GOOD-BYE to you, Mr. ”