first day's recess, with swelling mised her a long coveted watch heart, while the other girls had and chain if she would win, she resuch a jolly game. To be sure, doubled her efforts, if that were Nell Harris did venture to whisper possible. And then she would never to Grace that perhaps the new girl let Sue win-oh no, not for anywould like to play.

thing. “Perhaps she would,” replied Still, after all, Grace could not Grace, in her clearest, coolest tones, help a growing feeling of discomfort “but I cannot say that I would every time she met the glance of like to have her. I am not in the the brown eyes that had lost their habit of associating with drunkards' merry twinkle, or noted how thin daughters, and her mother goes and pale Sue's face was growing. out sewing by the day."

It troubled her, though she tried The little golden head that had hard not to have it, and, strange to been bent suddenly raised itself, say, the more it troubled her, the and pride equal to Grace Dennis's worse she treated Sue. own peeped out of the brown eyes. But it was Harry Archer's going After that none of the girls ven- over to the enemy's side that hurt tured to plead for Sue; in fact, I am her most. afraid they forgot her. To be sure Grace, suffering from a bad cold, they never forgot that she always and feeling out of sorts with everyknew her lessons, and, best of all, body, had treated poor Sue most was never known to refuse to help unmercifully all day. They were any one.

all in the dressing-room, and Grace But Grace grew haughtier and said something that brought the colder every day, for she was find- quick tears to Sue's eyes, though ing very rapidly that the place at she turned away and went out the head of the class, that she had quietly. held so easily before Sue came, “Grace," said Harry, before could be hers now only by hard work. them all, “I always gave you credit And this fact greatly increased for good common sense, but excuse her dislike for Sue. “I'll study me for saying it, I think you are night and day, but she shall never | acting abominably foolish now.” get ahead of me," she said to her- Then he hurried out after Sue, self.

. took her books, and walked down Just then Mr. Rogers offered the the street with her as politely as algebra class a prize. For some possible. After that Sue, had one reason the class had never done friend, at any rate, and one upon very well, and in hope of creating whom Harry Archer, bestowed a little enthusiasm he offered a favour was never quite sent to handsome copy of Shakespeare to Coventry. And Grace sorrowed in the one who should stand highest secret over the loss of one who had at the end of the year, marking been her firm friend and ally ever from daily recitations. It was as- since she could remember... tonishing how algebra became the One morning almost at the end most interesting of all studies, but of the term, when Sue came in she it was not so very long before it was saw Grace at her desk studying quite plain that either Grace Dennis busily, with a vexed, anxious look or Sue Ingraham would be the suc-I on her face. In a few minutes cessful one.

. Nell Harris appeared. ring ! Under any circumstances Grace “What's the matter?" she said, would have exerted herself to the going over to Grace. For utmost, but when her father pro- “Why, uncle Will came for me

to go to ride last night. I looked The look of anxiety deepened at my algebra, and it seemed so every minute, as with flushed face easy and simple that I went. But and throbbing head Grace tried in I found this morning that it was vain to conquer her lesson. Once anything but simple. Papa is Sue was sure she saw tears in the away, so I had no one to explain it bright eyes. As for Sue herselfto me, and I am in a pretty fix." well, she never forgot the struggle

Grace did not intend Sue to hear of that morning. In vain she tried but she did, and an exultant smile to assure herself that for her passed over her face. They stood mother's sake she was justified in just even now, and both knew that keeping still. this would give Sue the advantage. “Sue Ingraham,” she said to

“Ask her to help you,” whispered herself at last in great vexation, Nell, with a glance at Sue.

"you know that's all bosh. You “I think not,” said Grace haugh- only want to be revenged. Your tily; “besides, she wouldn't, if I mother would be a great deal more did."

pleased with you if you behaved “I rather think she wouldn't,” | yourself and did right; and you thought Sue to herself, “she isn't know it too." quite such a goose as that."

The algebra class was to come Then presently the bell rang, directly after recess. Sue watched and the scholars took out their the scholars all out, then she stole Bibles to join in the morning read- quietly over to that desk at the oppoing. Two of them, however, paid site side of the room. Grace's hand but little attention. Grace was shielded her face now, for the tears trying in her mind to solve her were dropping fast. Sue put her vexatious problems, and Sue's heart arm gently round her. was full of glad rejoicing. “How "They are dreadfully hard, aren't proud mother will be, dear little they? At least they seem so. I mother !” she thought.

puzzled away over them last night "But I say unto you, love your till I was nearly wild. My brother enemies, bless those that curse you, helped me. I'll tell you what he do good to those that hate you, and told me, and you'll be perfectly aspray for those that despitefully use tonished to see how quickly they

come right.” Sue started : that was a very un- Then there were just a few words comfortable verse to hear just then! in explanation, and Sue was gone How hard she had been trying all without waiting for thanks. Somethese long weeks to pray for the one body standing in the doorway sudthat had 80 despitefully used her; denly disappeared with a low that had been hard enough, but whistle. this was harder—"do good to them “We-11, if that don't humble my that hate you." Then the books Lady Grace, there's no hopes of were closed, and heads bowed for her.' prayer, but Sue's lips were motion. The eventful day had come, as less. How could she pray, “ For- such days do in course of time. give us our trespasses, even as we Fathers and mothers, big brothers forgive those who trespass against and sisters, had gathered to witness

the triumphs of those dear to She took out her books with the them. In the seat of honour was rest, but she could not study, she Mr. Dennis, a look of pleased could not keep her eyes from the expectancy on his face; in a quiet, figure across the room,

"Tout-of-the-way corner was Mrs.

Ingraham in her widow's garb; on small wonderment of all, wended the desk in sight of all lay an ele- her way to Sue's desk, gant copy of Shakespeare. The “It is yours — not mine," she decisive moment had come. Mr. said to Sue. Rogers rose to present the prize. ' “You all know," she continued,

“It is my privilege and pleasure turning to teacher and scholars, to present to Miss Grace Dennis the “how I have treated her, but she reward offered to the one who overcame evil with good, and should stand, at this time, highest helped me when she knew it was to in the class. The contest has been her own hurt. It is hers not mine." a close one, very close between two, For an instant there was a hush. but Miss Dennis has won.”

Then some one, and it was worth He paused, the book in his hand more to Grace than the prize, said waiting, but Grace stood irresolute, a little huskily, “Three cheers for her face flushing and paling by Grace Dennis !” turns.

Then came three for Sue, and “May I ask by how much I am little Mrs. Ingraham could scarcely winner?”

contain herself, she felt so proud The question came hurriedly. and happy. “By a few marks only, but those “Oh, mother," said Sue that night, few give you fair possession." “suppose I had been mean and not

Again Grace paused; then passing helped her, how miserable I should rapidly to the desk, she took the be to-night; but instead it has been book, and to the surprise and no the happiest day of my life !"

DUTY AND USEFULNESS.

The path of duty is the path of usefulness, and the path of usefulness is the path of duty. But it is sometimes the case that the path of the greatest apparent usefulness is by no means the path in which God would have us walk. He who builds some magnificent structure which towers upward towards the skies, has no difficulty in persuading himself and others that he is in the path of usefulness; but he who toils to prepare foundations, labouring in the midst of mire and darkness and obscurity, may find it much more difficult to convince either himself or others of the utility of his labours; and yet in the eyes of the great God, his work may be a thousand times moro useful, important, and indispensable than that of the man who rears the lofty pinnacles and towers, the admiration of all who behold them.

We are too often dazzled with present success, and satisfied with present comforts; we have not all of us learned to labour and to wait. In an article in the Clergyman's Magazinc, entitled “ Bishop Selwyn in a Country Parish," it is said: “I do not know how it is, I ordain a large number of men every year, but as soon as their two years are expired they are off in search of green fields. Some of them like one kind of service and some another, and most of them take kindly to pretty churches and pretty decorations and pretty music, but few have any stomach for work,”

Doubtless the path of usefulness and the path of comfort seem to such men to lie close together ; but in this view they may be mistaken. Possibly Paul, chained to a Roman soldier or confined within a Roman dungeon, might have longed for a wider field, and sighed for greater opportunities ; but it is a matter of doubt whether he ever had a wider field tban at that very time. He might, it is true, have gone up and down preaching the gospel of Christ, but his words might have died upon the passing air ; but he whose bonds were known through Cæsar's palace, who day by day could preach Christ to the soldier that guarded him, until the Roman legions were permeated with the gospel of salvation; he who could sign himself as “ Paul the aged, even now a prisoner of Christ,” and thus send forth his letters not only to the local Churches whom he addressed, but to the Church universal in all ages and all lands, may have done more for God, and truth, and humanity, and the Church at large, in those very days of loneliness and imprisonment, than in other times when he was preaching in the synagogues and stirring up the people through the region round about.

Doubtless God called John Bunyan to preach the gospel, and no doubt it was a sore and grievous affliction to him to be confined in Bedford gaol and prevented from fulfilling his ministry ; but the widest work that John Bunyan ever did was done when he lay a prisoner in Bedford gaol. He might have travelled and preached and done good, and died and been forgotten; but when once shut up within those gloomy walls, as his busy pen wrought on day after day, he was doing a grander work than he could possibly have done if he had been permitted to go forth and publish the glad tidings which he had so longed to declare. God was wiser than Bunyan and wiser than his persecutors; and in his confinement and seclusion he found really his widest field, his fullest liberty. He lighted there a torch which never could be extinguished; he uttered there a voice which has echoed and re-echoed through all lands. He preached there sermons which shall never die so long as God's people confess themselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth, and seek their glory in the city of their God.

That German woman who fed the little hungry schoolboy who sang for bread at her door, did not know that she was feeding one whose voice was yet to thunder through Europe, to shake the triple crown on the head of the Romish pontiff, and whose toils and labours were to give the Bible to the German nation as a wellspring of perpetual blessing. She only saw a hungry schoolboy asking for bread; God saw a Luther, a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the world.

When that uncultured Primitive Methodist preacher repeated over and over his simple text, “ Look unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth,” and cried in the ears of the sad young man who was sitting there, “ Young man, look to Jesus and be saved !” no one supposed that his field of usefulness was very large ; but that young man, begotten that day to a now life by the glorious gospel of the Son of God, has since done a work hardly paralleled by that of any worker of modern times; and the honour of preaching an eloquent sermon, or the opportunity for enlarged usefulness, might well be exchanged for the privilege of leading to Christ a soul-winner as mighty as Charles H. Spurgeon has, through God, proved himself to be.

The lessons which are taught us by the providences of God and the experiences of His people are, that He has utter and absolute control over all the circumstances, the hindrances, the trials, and the opportunities of His people. He knows just where he can do most good, and most fully honour Him. That which we count a victory, in His eyes is often & defeat; while that which we reckon as a defeat may be & victory over which heaven's banners wave, and heaven's harps ring with triumphant tones. We see a man to-day in the high tide of honour and success. We envy him his prosperity, we grudge him his opportunity; but a brief period passes and we see that same man despised, dishonoured, and disgraced ; his name a hissing and by-word and reproach, which even causes the enemies of God to blaspheme; and we see that that which we honoured, God despised; while that which we depised was honoured, approved, and prospered of the Lord.

Can we not from facts like these learn lessons of patience, obedience, and unfaltering trust? Can we not learn to abide where God appoints, and to do the thing which God directs, without hesitation, without marmuring, without misgiving, assured that He who knows the work and knows the workers, can choose for us our place and appoint for us our service, and glorify His name and advance His cause by means which to us seem most unpromising ?

“EXUSTUS NON CONVICTUS.” OUTSIDE the city gate of Con has been to bring men to repentstance, in the grand duchy of ance and the forgivenness of sins, Baden, Germany, stands a simple according to the truth of the gospel monument with an inscription, of Christ, and the teachings of the “ Joannes Hus, exustus non con- fathers. I gladly this day seal that victus "_" John Huss, burned but truth which I have written and not convicted.” On that spot, on proclaimed with the pledge of my the 6th of July, 1415, stood a man in death." the prime of his life ---- for it was Born in the village of Husinits, on his forty-second birthday-sur- Bohemia, in 1373, educated in a rounded by faggots, and fastened monastery, graduated at a high to a stake by a blackened chain; school, and at the age of sixteen a and there with the torches ready to student in the University of Prague, kindle the fire, he uttered in the where he was graduated in 1993, ears of the gazing multitude which elected dean of the theological desurrounded him this good confes-partment the following year, and sion: “ The chief aim of all my de-afterwards selected as confessor to clarations, teachings, and writings, the queen of Bohemia, and made