THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. The Children's Corner. THE FARMER'S LAD.-Some years | ago, on a winter night, when the snow was falling heavily, a poor woman, with five children, reached a village in Essex just as a farmer's lad was closing a barn. She requested him to ask his master's permission that they might pass the night in the barn. The lad did so; and the master, who was a humane man, ordered him to take a bundle of straw, and make them a comfortable bed. The poor woman felt grateful; and wishing to shew her thankfulness, asked the lad if he liked to hear a song. Hoping it might prove of a licentious description, he replied "Yes." Upon which she and her children sang one of Dr. Watts's Hymns. The lad felt interested. She asked if he had ever prayed to God, and thanked him for the mercies which he enjoyed; and said that she was going to pray with her children, and he might stay if he pleased. The lad stopped while she offered a grateful prayer for the mercies which she enjoyed, and entreated the divine blessing for him. He then retired, but could not sleep, what he had heard remaining on his mind. After passing a thoughtful night, he resolved on going again to the barn to converse with the woman. She was gone, but from that day he became an altered character, and some time afterwards applied for admission to a congregation, of which he is now a member.-This striking anecdote was related by the Rev. John Clayton, jun., at an anniversary of the Religious Tract Society. A FATHER TO HIS DYING CHILD. HAPPY Spirit, leave this clay, Happy Spirit, when we rise, J. P. SHIPWRECK OF A STEAMER ON THE SNAGS. DR. MACLAY in giving an account of this accident, says :"The Bell Zane left Zanesville (Ohio) for New Orleans. At one o'clock in the morning, we ran on a snag about five miles below the mouth of White river, and fifteen above the mouth of the Arkansas river. Nearly all the passengers were asleep at the time she struck the snag, which went completely through her bottom; after careening first on one side and then on the otherthe boilers rolled off, which righted her for a moment, and the vessel then went completely over on her side and filled with water. I was asleep at the time she struck, but was aroused by the shock and the tremendous noise produced by the rolling of empty barrels from the hurricane deck into the river. I instantly sprang from my berth, when at that moment the vessel gave a heavy lurch, and the water rushing in, filled the state-room up to my breast. With great difficulty I struggled across the cabin floor, and aided by the handle of the door between the ladies' cabin and ours, I reached the state-room on the opposite side of the boat; and as both doors were providentially open, I passed through them to the outside, where many of the passengers had collected. The boat was then on her beam ends. The night was intensely cold, and those who escaped immediate death were clustered together on the wreck, destitute of clothing, bare-headed and bare-footed. The scene was truly an awful one, which it is impossible adequately to describe. The hurricane deck, which had separated from the cabin, floated ashore-upon this the captain and four others had sought refuge, and three out of the number were frozen to death. The hull of the boat also become detached from the cabin, and turned bottom up. Fifteen persons, however, succeeded in climbing upon it, and were finally rescued. Other of the passengers clung to the side of the cabin and were taken off by a small boat. Another portion of them, including myself, floated on a part of the wreck about ten miles down the river Napoleon, at the mouth of the Arkansas. In order to protect ourselves from the severity of the weather, we obtained from the berths, which formed a part of the wreck, a few quilts and mattrasses, and whatever else we could find for that purpose. I gave a mattrass, which I had procured for myself, to Mr. Chapman who had the child of Captain Tims in his arms, and placed it over him and the child. I obtained another, but a planter from Kentucky, SHIPWRECK OF A STEAMER ON THE SNAGS. whose name was Burns, and who was suffering excessively from the cold, needing it more than I did, and he being in danger of freezing to death, I gave it to him. We remained full four hours on the wreck, and as you may readily imagine, suffered terribly from our exposed situation. Providentially, some of the crew succeeded in finding a boat, with which they came to our relief. The ladies and small children, Mr. Burns (who died from exposure almost immediately after he reached the shore), and myself were among the first who were landed. Col. Rives, a relative of Mr. Rives of Washington, was on board of the steamer, and was the first person who reached the shore. He possesses great energy of character, and was exceedingly kind and attentive to the passengers, as well as to myself; he travelled along the shore through the woods a number of miles, and obtained a boat, and came to the wreck to render us additional aid. After we had landed, we walked to the house of Mr. Cook, an overseer of Mr. Hibbard of Napoleon, by whom we were received, and treated with the utmost kindness, and every attention paid to us which our pressing necessities required. Judge Sutton and other humane citizens came from Napoleon to the place where we were, and tendered us every assistance in their power; they have our lasting gratitude for the kindness they evinced towards us in our distressed and trying condition. The captain states that there were 125 passengers on board the boat; that sixtyfive were lost, and four frozen to death. I attribute my powers of endurance (sufficiently put to the test on that terrible night), to my constitution and temperate habits. I lost my gold watch, (which I bought thirty years since) my trunk, valise, and carpet bag. My trunk I afterwards recovered with some of my clothing, but all the rest of my effects are irrecoverably lost. I sat on the wreck for four hours,' barefooted, without hat, or vest, or coat, during one of the most bitterly cold nights of the season. During the four hours I was on the wreck, I spent most of the time in mental prayer. I felt resigned to the will of God, and my mind was composed. I would with gratitude raise another Ebenezer, and say, 'Hitherto hath the Lord helped me'-'What shall I render unto God for all his mercies to me?' I am at the house of Cornelius Paulding, Esq., who has always exhibited great kindness towards me, and in the present instance, his christian sympathy and friendship have exceeded, if possible, his kindness on former occasions." RETURNING HOME. RETURNING HOME. 66 "HOME is a sweet word," said a young woman I once met on a journey: she was going to her friends in a bad state of health, and seemed to think she should not recover. "Sick or well, living or dying, home is a sweet word.” True," answered I, "home is a sweet word. It is sweet to live surrounded by those we love; and it is sweet to receive the last offices of affection from their hands. When we are in a distant place, surrounded by strangers, it is sweet to think of home too; think we shall one day be there. And must it not be sweet to the pilgrims and strangers on earth to think of their heavenly home? or that happy place where pain and disappointment never enter; where the inhabitants shall not say I am sick;' where there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and where God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. We can know little of that home till we get there. We can know no more of it than is revealed in God's Word. From it we learn that it is a holy as well as a happy home; that there shall in nowise enter into it any thing that defileth;' that those who dwell there have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' Do you remember those descriptions in the Bible?" She answered, "Our clergy don't allow us to read the Bible." "I am sorry to hear it; sorry indeed that when God has desired you to 'search the Scriptures,' man should desire you not to search them. You said you thought you should not get well; do you think you are prepared to die?" "No, but I hope to have time to prepare myself." "And how do you intend to prepare yourself?" "I do not know, but my clergy will tell me, and I will do what they desire." "You are, then, willing to follow the directions of man; are you equally willing to follow the directions of God?" 66 My priest will tell me the will of God." 66 Suppose some kind friend had left you in his will, on certain conditions, a rich inheritance, a happy home, would you not wish to see the will; to read it, or at least to hear it read; or would you be content with merely the account another person might give you of a matter in which you were so much interested?" "Surely, surely, I should wish to see the will, to read it myself to know the very words of it." "Let me tell you, then, that the will in which a heavenly Father promises his children a home of eternal happiness, is the Bible; and yet you leave it neglected and unread, with RETURNING HOME. out a wish to know from it how the inheritance is to be obtained. We are now about to part. I feel interested for you, and it would be a great relief to my mind to think that you would read your Bible; that you would seek there to know the will of God, to be reconciled to him through his Son, guided by his Spirit, and received at last into his glory; so that though we meet no more on earth, we may meet in that home where parting is no more." "I do promise you," said she, turning pale and looking agitated, "I do promise to read the Bible, if I am not again prevented." We had now reached the place of separation; and as I took my lonely way homeward, her simple and natural remark, "Home is a sweet word," again occurred to my mind, and I could not help inquiring whether I could look forward to my heavenly home with the same joy and satisfaction as my fellow-traveller did to an earthly one. There is, thought I, a resemblance in what we look for in the different homes. She expects to meet a tender parent, kind friends, comforts in her affliction, peace and rest after sorrow and servitude. And is there not in that home which is prepared for the children of God a tender parent, who pitieth those that fear him, even as a father pitieth his children; yea, whose love exceeds even that of a mother to her infant child, for though she may forget, saith the Lord, "yet will I not forget thee." Do kind friends await her in her earthly home, and have not the children of God in their heavenly home, a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." She also expects to meet with comforts: have not we a Comforter, he who pours balm into the wounded mind, and cheers the sorrowing one, reveals unto the mourning penitent the all-sufficient Saviour, sheds abroad in his heart the love of God, and seals his pardon. Surely those who have been comforted by him here must remember that sweet name to all eternity, while they rejoice in his revealed presence. Does not the prospect of rest after labour, and peace after troubles, cheer the mind? And must nct those who "are in heaviness through manifold temptations," those who are mourning for the sinfulness of their heart and the imperfection of their lives, rejoice in the prospect of the rest which remaineth for the people of God; where they shall be free from sin as well as from sorrow; where they shall no more offend their heavenly Benefactor, no longer grieve his Holy Spirit, but spend a blissful eternity in praise and adoration? There is a resemblance between what my fellow-traveller 66 |