he would have taken it he could not. He lost it by delay. So when many can come to Christ they will not, and put it off until it is too late. He that sleeps in harvest shall starve in winter. The present time is every one's harvest-time for his soul. You must watch and pray. You must go in faith to Jesus Christ. You must hate all sin. You must love what God loves. And you must do all this now, in this life, or you must be undone for ever.

5. We have now just entered on a new year. Let us begin 1851 by at once going in faith to the Saviour. Should we then live through its months, it will be one of the happiest years of our life. Or, if our heavenly Father should send sickness and death, we shall then go to a happier and better world. Seek Jesus as your Saviour. Follow Him as your Guide. Look to Him as your Example. Trust in Him as your Friend. Rejoice in Him, with whom you hope to dwell for ever.

A GOOD NAME.

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches," Prov. xxii. 1.

PRIZE more than either gold or gem-
Yes, more than regal diadem,

Since it, in worth, surpasses them-
Your own good name.

For, if 'twere lost, in vain you'd try,
E'en with a monarch's treasury,
The fair possession back to buy,

A spotless name.

If it

LITTLE Fanny is generally a good girl. happens that she has done anything wrong she does not try to hide her fault, but is sorry and begs that her mamma will forgive her. She has a brother a year older than herself, and she very much loves him. Sometimes they say their lessons together to their mamma in the library, who is always glad to find that they attend to her advice.

But I will tell you what Fanny did one day. She was in the parlour, and there were some nice ripe grapes upon the table which had just been sent to her mamma. Fanny liked grapes, and she very much wished to take one; and as there were so many she thought it would not be missed. She asked her brother if he would take one; but he said, No, and went out to play with his hoop. I dare say you have sometimes felt such a naughty wish as Fanny did, when you have seen nice things that did not belong to you. What ought a little child to do when this naughty wish comes into the heart? First, you should remember that God sees you, and is displeased when you do wrong; then you should turn away your eyes and try to think of something else; or, if that is of no use, you should go quite out of the room. But Fanny got upon the chair and leaned over the table to look at the grapes; she gently touched one of the largest, and at last she broke it off and ate it as quickly as she could. So, just for one grape, little Fanny became a thief.

Soon after she had eaten it she began to think how wicked she had been. When she heard her mamma come in she felt afraid to look at her, and she thought of a lesson she had read that morning, which said, "Thou shalt not steal." Then she was very sorry, and told her mamma what she had done; and when her mamma saw that she was sorry, she forgave her, and taught her to pray that .God also would forgive her, for the sake of Jesus, his dear Son.

Now some little girls would not have told

about the grape, thinking their mammas would not have known that they had taken it; but Fanny could not feel happy without telling all the truth, because she wished to be a good child. I hope you will think of this, and remember it is always better to own a fault than to hide one. No child or grown person ever felt happy while trying to hide a fault by deceit or falsehood.

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

PART I.

Ir has been for many years the custom in France for presents to be given to children on the first of January, with much ceremony. The queen of Louis XVI. once showed her kind feelings to the poorer part of her subjects by asking her two elder children, one very hard winter, to give up for the relief of some distressed families the money which their usual presents of toys would have cost. It may be supposed that New Year's day is looked for with pleasure by all classes of children in Paris, where the scenes now to be described possibly took place many years ago.

"What a happy time new year's day always is," said little Maria to her sister. How 1 wish it would make haste and come. We shall soon have some nice playthings. I often think of them when I lie awake at night."

Louisa. Do you remember, that, on the first of last January, all our uncles and aunts gave us toys and sweetmeats? We had so many, that we scarcely knew where to put them all.

Maria. Yes; and, in the evening, the parlour was lighted up, and there was a long table covered with presents. Mamma called us down and gave them to us, speaking in the kindest way. She was as happy as we were. And yet our playthings could do her no good.

L. How pleasant it must be to have something to give away. We are children, and have not much of our own; but there are others poorer than we are. We both of us have some money. I have two shillings.

M. And I have one shilling. What shall we do with our money?

L. We must get up early to-morrow, and finish our lessons in good time. Then, perhaps, mamma will let us go out with her in the afternoon, and we can buy some things that will be pretty and useful, and keep them until new year's day, and then we can give them to the porter for his children.

M. And I should like to get something for the washerwoman's little girls.

L. We can do both. How pleased they will be. But do you think we may spend our money in this way?

M. To be sure; it is our own, and we may do as we like with it.

I. But it was given to us by our friends, so that we can scarcely call it our own. Perhaps they had rather we should keep it for some other purpose.

M. Very true; but what can we do?

L. I am thinking. You know how to knit, and I can do other fancy-work. You might knit a warm comforter for papa, and I will work mamma a collar. I think they would