Anonymous

“ Jesus of Nazareth.
Rebecca. He has come, it is said, to set up a new kingdom.
Salome. Rather to enlarge the kingdom already flourishing in heaven.
Rebecca. Call it what you may, he is slow in gathering his armies.
Salome. He needs no army for his conquests, but an army of loving hearts and pure spirits.
Rebecca. Then the nation's hope is again blasted, and we are to remain yet longer subjects of a foreign king.
Salome. Not so. This is the true Messiah: he who joins his kingdom shall be free indeed.
Rebecca. But what freedom can there be greater than from Roman bondage? ”

“ But Luca we love as we should a gentle, timid little girl. Sometimes, when we open the door, there she stands patiently waiting, and looks up at us with her bright eye so pleasantly, that we must stop, if ever so busy, and feed her. Occasionally we hear a gentle sound on the door-step, which we all know; then some one is sure to exclaim, "There's Luca," and run to get her something nice to eat. The little chickens, with Mater their mother, all come rushing, tapping, perching, chirping at the door, and tease and tap-tap and "yip-p yip-p" until we quite weary of them. ”

“ Surely, Eudora, mine is the greater deliverance; for what is truth without goodness? You were delivered from error; I from sin. Oh! since I have been from place to place with the Son of God, and listened to his gracious words, I have forgotten to be angry; and, I trust, my growing love for his Father and mine will cleanse me from all sin!
Mary. I, too, have felt his power, and am seeking to join his kingdom. I first took him for a second David, who should glorify his people; then, when no army gathered around him, for a prophet sent to reform the nation. ”

“ Is Jupiter the thunderer confined to an image? or is Juno or any other deity? Have we not many images of all the gods in many places, and are they not in them all? Do not our armies go forth to war, and is not Jupiter with them and Mars also? These images are but reminders of the gods, as my father's statue is of him.
Rebecca. 'Tis true these many images and temples may not hold your gods more than our synagogues hold Jehovah; but as great an error is yours. You worship what has no existence; your gods are creatures of fancy. Your gods, too, are of various character, and not always agreed. ”

“ During the silent watches of the night, the widow may be seen, like "Norma of the Fitful Head," trimming her little lamp with oil, being fearful that some misguided and frail bark may perish through her neglect; and for this she receives no manner of remuneration—it is pure, unmingled philanthropy. The poor woman's kindness does not rest even there; for she is unhappy till the benumbed and shivering mariner comes ashore to share her little board, and recruit himself at her cheerful and glowing fire, and she can seldom be prevailed upon to take any reward. ”

“ This goodly world is not the patch-work of many and different gods, but of one designing mind,—one executing power; and that one, Jehovah.
Eudora. Your sister, in many hours of precious intercourse, has almost persuaded me to believe in but one God; but why, if there be but one, may not that one be our Jupiter, known as the father of gods and men, as well as your Jehovah? ”

“ The cloud that has so long hung over us in blackness is beginning to break. We have experienced more of gladness this day than has been ours since the last report that the Messiah had come was proved false.
Leah. Yes, we have heard strange things since the morning service; joyful news have we for you.
Martha. Another false prophet, no doubt, claiming to be Israel's deliverer, and proving a thousand times her foe.
Salome. Let us not cheat ourselves with any more fanatical dreams.
Miriam. No dream this; no fanatic's voice; no prophet's word, but a message direct from Heaven. ”

“ I may not ask the cause of your grief; for my own soul replies it is the common grief,—our nation's bondage.
Martha. Yes, we are slaves; that only thought haunts me; the chosen people of Jehovah in subjection to the idolatrous Roman.
Salome. Where now is the might of David? where the glory of Solomon? Surely Miriam's song may be turned upon ourselves; for the enemy "hath triumphed gloriously," and we are laid in the dust.
Mary. Let us not, however, despond too much. Jehovah will not always chide. The Roman sway shall have an end. ”

“ One day we thought we would name the eleven chickens, as Mater could not name them herself; and, since then, we know them each and all, and just how they behave. Annie and Mary are two sober-looking little creatures, in quakerish feathers of drab and grey. Nat is a white crower, with beautiful soft feathers, and a long graceful black tail. Louise has a shaded dress of grey and white, and is almost as modest and gentle as Luca. ”

“ If the door stands open, they fly up the steps, walk in, look round the room, and pick up any thing they can find, until we send them away. The moment their tin pan appears, they are all in a flying huddle, tumble over each other, fly to the pan, to our shoulders, or anywhere, to get the first mouthful. Old Mater is ravenous and impolite as the rest, except that she always waits for her children to get a few mouthfuls first; but not another hen or chicken must come near them. Luca, patient gentle Luca, often stands and waits modestly behind ”

“ It is a pleasure to record an act of kindness; painful that we have not frequent opportunities. Yet such an act made our heart glad, filled it with a new love for our kind, only a day or two since. A school-girl, about ten years of age, was passing, with a smaller school-girl in her arms, whom she carried with much difficulty; for the weather was sultry. Other children were in company, with books in their hands. ”

“ He was near one of the large sluices, and he now carefully examines it, and soon discovers a hole in the wood, through which the water was flowing. With the instant perception which every child in Holland would have, the boy saw that the water must soon enlarge the hole through which it was now only dropping, and that utter and general ruin would be the consequence of the inundation of the country that must follow. To see, to throw away the flowers, to climb from stone to stone till he reached the hole, and to put his finger into it, was the work of a moment ”

“ The other was dressed in white feathers, some of them tipped with glossy black and brown, but many of them pure white. She was named Luca. They were shut together for a few days, until they began to feel at home; then they were set free to scratch in the barn-yard, and get acquainted with the neighbors' fowls, when we began to see how different they were in character as well as dress. Donna holds her head very high, and pays no attention to any other hens; runs away from us, when we invite her to dinner, no matter how nice it is; and never will get acquainted, all we can do. ”

“ Yes: every act is noticed by him; every heart is his desire; and herein he differs from all imaginary gods. Jupiter sits apart, and simply rules the nations. Jehovah loves the children he has created, and is careful about their least concerns. He desires their love in return. Your gods demand conduct and sacrifices injurious and degrading. Jehovah's every word is for his people's prosperity. ”

“ Some flocks of russet, black and brown hens, crowers, and chickens, who live close by, are a great annoyance to Mater, and to all of us. They come shooting into the yard like little steam-engines, and snatch all they can of the dinner to which they were not invited ”

“ When water is wanted, the sluicer raises the sluices more or less, as required, as a cook turns the cock of a fountain, and closes them again carefully at night; otherwise the water would flow into the canals, then overflow them, and inundate the whole country; so that even the little children in Holland are fully aware of the importance of a punctual discharge of the sluicer's duties. The boy was about eight years old, when, one day, he asked permission to take some cakes to a poor blind man, who lived at the other side of the dyke. ”

“ On this occasion a platform was built up in front of the pulpit: most of the centre pews were filled with happy-looking boys and girls, and the rest of the room, even to the aisles, quite crowded with grown-up men and women. After the singing of two hymns by the children, and a prayer, a gentleman made a short address, telling how much better was the religion of the Jews than the religion of the Heathen. ”

“ They resemble each other, not only in their subjects, but in their beauty also. I hardly know which is the most interesting.
THE SISTER'S GRAVE.
At Smyrna, the burial-ground of the Americans, like that of the Moslems, is removed a short distance from the town, is sprinkled with green trees, and is a favorite resort not only with the bereaved, but with those whose feelings are not thus darkly overcast. I met there one morning a little girl with a half-playful countenance, busy blue eye, and sunny locks, bearing in one hand a small cup of china, and in the other a wreath of fresh flowers. ”

“ Here are two anecdotes: one for boys, the other for girls. When you read the first, remember that all good deeds are not published, and cherish always the belief that many kind acts are done which are never put in print to be read by everybody. ”

“ He put them all together in the basket again, and brought it into the kitchen, where they got thoroughly warm and dry; after which, they were taken out to the barn, where they lived a few days very comfortably. Then one of them disappeared, we never knew where; and another lamed herself in some way, and, notwithstanding all our care, she died. But the rest grew up, a healthy and obedient little family, always ready to eat, and so quick to run with their tiny feet, when any one appeared at the door, that it was very funny to see them.
Another day, Miss L—— brought home two large chickens ”

“ I hope it soothed her troubled heart, and dried her blue eyes; and you now shall have, instead, the story which those soft feathers were sent to tell.
One evening last summer, Miss L—— came home from one of her rides, with a large basket closely covered; and what do you think it contained? Why, a great anxious mother-hen, all tawny-colored and white, with thirteen downy little chickens, who were frightened enough, and wondering where in the wide world they were. We made a house for them in the green meadow, of a barrel turned upside down ”