And yet his spirit bowed not to despair;

No bitter murmurings to his lips arose ;

Grave, and yet tinged with gladness, was his air,

Like the soft cloud which bids the daylight close; Oh! what sweet thought gave such tranquillity ? "Even so, Father, for it seemeth good to thee."

Oh happy faith! which in the darkest night
Of grief and trial, calmly looks above;
Bright are the stars invisible to sight;

Sweet are the promises of changeless love.
It is a Father's hand which marks the path

His child must tread-this lightens every care; Afflictions gather round his home and hearth,

But the pale mourner feels He sent them there, And hushes each repining thought; and clings

With simple trust and confidence to Him; And not the darkest shade nat sorrow flings The gentle radiance of his faith can dim; When reason questions, his response will be,

"EVEN SO, FATHER, FOR IT SEEMETH GOOD TO THEE."

H. M. W.

THE BALSAM TREE.

I WILL tell you the tale of the spoiler-He
Who tore the bough from the Balsam tree;-
But, as the odorous branch he broke,

Deeply he pierced his breast with the stroke.
The generous tree wept her gums; and he found
That thus he was healed of the smarting wound.

This fable of the eastern tree,

O Christian heart! will come home to thee;
For when thou see'st thy bitter foe
Drinking deep the cup of woe,

Pity and sweetest Charity

Will drop their balm as the eastern tree; And when love sheds its tear-drop there, 'Tis a healing balm for a heart of care.

E. L. A.

ER JORDAN.

nts the cave of Panias, the stream Deen usually regarded as the source claim to that distinction may well ugh very copious, it is by no means the springs which feed that river.. As ime of Josephus, indeed, it appears to ed whether the stream which came from ted there, or was carried thither in some r from the lake of Phiala, which is said by torian to have been situate about fifteen aesarea Philippi. A connection, it was reDeen traced many centuries since between the e lake and those of the cave, by means of some h had been thrown into the former and had it of the cave's mouth, but this proof has been ntly ridiculed; and some reasons adduced for an supposition.

cave is situate on the north east of the village of The spacious vault under which the river iss

hewn in our engraving. Over the source is a per

F