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mamma, let that Carey serve me as he may. I will not make a fuss, if I can help it, unless he is very unreasonable indeed, and when I get well, I will submit to be coddled in an exemplary manner; I only wonder when I shall feel up to anything again! Oh! what a nuisance it is to have this swimming head and aching knees, all by the fault of that Carey !"

Uncle Geoffrey said no more, for he thought a hint often was more useful than a lecture, even if Fred had been in a state for the latter, and besides he was in greater request than ever on this last evening, so much so that it seemed as if no one was going to spare him even to have half an hour's talk with his wife. He did find the time for this at last, however, and his first question was, "What do you think of the little Bee?"

"I think with great hope, much more satisfactorily than I have been able to do for some time past," was the answer.

"Poor child, she has felt it very deeply," said he, "I have been grieved to have so little time to bestow on her."

"I am disposed to think," said Mrs. Geoffrey Langford thoughtfully, "that it was the best thing for her to be thrown on herself. Too much talk has always been the mischief with her, as with many another only child, and it struck me to-day as a very good sign that she said so little. There was something very touching in the complete absence of moralizing to-day."

"None of her sensible sayings," said her father, with a gratified though a grave smile. "It was perfectly open confession, and yet with no self in it. Ever since the accident there has been a staidness and sedateness about her manner which seemed like great improvement, as far as I have seen. And when it was proposed for her to go to Lady Susan, I was much pleased with her, she was so simple, "Very well," she said, "I hope I shall be able to make her comfortable," no begging off, no heroism. And really, Beatrice, don't you think we could make some other arrangement? It is too great a penance for her, poor child, Lady Susan will do very well, and I can have an eye to her; I am much inclined to leave the poor little queen here with you."

No, no, Geoffrey," said his wife, "that would never do : I do not mean on my aunt's account, but on the busy Bee's, I am sure, wish it as we may," and the tears were in her eyes, "this is no time for even the semblance of neglecting a duty for her sake."

"Not so much hers as yours," said Mr. Geoffrey Langford, "you have more on your hands than I like to leave you alone to encounter, and she is a valuable little assistant. Besides you have been without her so long, it is your turn to keep her now."

"No, no, no," she repeated, though not without an effort, "it is best as it is settled for all, and decidedly so for me, for with

her to write to me about you every day, and to look after you, I shall be a hundred times more at ease than if I thought you were working yourself to death with no one to remonstrate.'

So it remained as before decided, and the pain that the decision cost both mother and daughter was only to be inferred by the way in which they kept close together, as if determined not to lose unnecessarily one fragment of each other's company, but they had very few moments alone together, and those were chiefly employed in practical matters, in minute directions as to the little things that conduced to keep Lady Susan in good humour, and above all, the arrangements for papa's comfort. There was thus not much time for Beatrice to spend with Henrietta, nor indeed would much have resulted if there had been more. As she grew more at ease about her brother, Henrietta had gradually resumed her usual manner, and was now as affectionate to Beatrice as ever, but she was quite unconscious of her previous unkindness, and therefore made no attempt to atone for it. Queen Bee had ceased to think of it, and if a reserve had grown up between the two girls, they neither of them perceived it.

Mr. Geoffrey Langford and his daughter set out on their return to London so early the next morning that hardly any of the family were up; but their hurried breakfast in the grey of morning was enlivened by Alex, who came in just in time to exchange some last words with uncle Geoffrey about his school work, and to wish Queen Bee good-bye, with hopes of a merrier meeting next summer.

A FEW WORDS ON ALMS AND OFFERINGS. "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of ALL thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."-Prov. iii. 9, 10.

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, for God loveth a cheerful giver."-2 Cor. ix. 7.

WHEN We come into the House of GOD to offer up our prayers and praises, we ought at the same time (if we would not render Him a mere lip-service) to make offerings of our substance for the maintenance of His worship, and the relief of His poor. The institution of the weekly offertory affords all of us an opportunity of rendering an acceptable worship unto God; let us therefore take heed that we do not neglect this our great privilege.

The offertory is the most scriptural and ancient mode of col

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lecting money for religious purposes. It is also our high privilege, and in strict accordance with our Saviour's injunction. 1. It is scriptural. For S. Paul says to the Corinthians, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by in store, as God hath prospered him." (1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2.)

2. It is ancient. In the Primitive Church the people made such liberal offerings every Sunday, that in many churches they had more than enough for the support of the Clergy, for the expenses of Divine worship, and for the relief of the poor.

3. It is private, and without ostentation. There is none of the parade of a subscription list; no seeking the praise of men, but a literal observance of our Saviour's injunction,-“ Give alms of such things as ye have." "But take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your FATHER Which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee. Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in SECRET; and thy FATHER Which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (S. Matt. vi. 1—4.)

4. It is our high privilege and most bounden duty to make freewill offerings unto GOD, as an acknowledgment of His sovereignty over us, and that all we possess is His. GOD forbad the children of Israel to appear before Him empty-handed, saying, "They shall not appear before the LORD empty; EVERY MAN shall give as he is able,” (not meanly and niggardly, but) “according to the blessing of the LORD thy GOD, which He hath given thee." (Deut. xvi. 17.) 'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering; of every man that giveth it willingly, and with his heart, ye shall take My offering. And this is the offering that ye shall take of them, gold, and silver, and brass," &c. (Exodus xxv. 2, 3.)

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Seeing that the offertory is scriptural, ancient, and in compliance with our Saviour's injunction, as well as a high privilege and bounden duty, since GOD forbids us to appear before Him empty, let us seriously inquire—

5. What each one of us ought to give. Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec; Jacob vowed to GOD, "Of all that Thou hast given me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee." (Gen. xxviii. 22.) GOD commanded the children of Israel to give the tithe of all the produce of their land for the support of the Levites. "I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation which they serve." (See Num, xviii. 21, 24; Lev. xxviii. 30; Deut. xiv. 28, 29; 2 Chron.

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xxxi. 5, 6, 12.) Beside this tenth given for the service of GOD, the people were bound to give many free-will offerings, and also to maintain the poor. "Unto the place which the LORD your GOD shall choose to put His Name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither shalt thou come; and bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heaveofferings, and your vows, and your free-will offerings, and the first fruits of your herds and flocks." Again,-"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in the land which the LORD thy GOD giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother; but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth." "Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; because that for this thing the LORD thy GOD shall bless thee in all thy works, and › in all that thou puttest thine hand unto; for the poor shall never cease out of thy land. Therefore I COMMAND thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to the poor, and to thy needy, in thy land." (Deut. xv.)

These, then, were the laws which our God gave to the Israelites, and which were strictly observed by the faithful among them. And do they not condemn and put to shame us Christians, who have been redeemed with the Blood of CHRIST, and renewed by His SPIRIT? We are bound by a law which knows no limit, even that law of Christian love which says, "Freely ye have received, freely give;” but instead of obeying this higher and holier law, we have fallen infinitely short of the lower standard of the Jews. If they gave a tenth of all their possessions, as well as large free-will offerings, can we, as Christians, give less, whilst tens of thousands of our countrymen have neither churches nor schools, and our colonies, and heathen lands are crying out for missionaries to teach them the way of salvation, and our poor are perishing in sin and misery? O let us, then, one and all, consider and amend our ways. Let not those who ought to give pounds any longer rest satisfied with giving shillings or halfcrowns, but give with a free, generous, ungrudging spirit, becoming those who look for an inheritance in heaven. Those who are rich, and those who are in comfortable circumstances, are bound to appear before their Saviour with their hands full of free-will offerings, out of the abundance with which GOD has blessed them. The tradesmen and the poor should offer out of that which they may get by their labour, or can save by economy, as the poor widow did her mite.

We may withhold our offering, keep our money, and surround ourselves with all the comforts of life, but it will be to our own

sorrow and ruin. Life and all its comforts will soon pass away, and we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship, and to hear those awful words,-" Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries which are come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten; your gold and your silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped up treasure together for the last days." "I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not. Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

Oh, unspeakably blessed and happy will they be who have given to CHRIST in His Church and His poor, and who will then receive His heavenly benediction!

GOD IS SEEN IN HIS WORKS.

O GOD, all things are filled with praise of Thee,
The thousand worlds that in Thy heavens shine,
And the deep voices of the night are Thine,
Heralds through space of Thy great Majesty ;-
All that the opened eye of day can see

Through the deep blue above, which is Thy shrine,
And all that covers, speaketh Thee divine-
Green wood, fair field, still lake, and sounding sea.
And man, Thine image, moves amid them all
With a cold heart, and utters not a voice,
Feels not a thought of love-will not rejoice
When all is glad; sad heir-loom of his fall!
O bitter fruit 'mid Eden's sweets to grow,
Knowing all else, Heaven's dear love not to know!

Kenilworth.

F. BANKS.

CHRISTMAS TIDE; OR, DEEDS NOT WORDS.

Ir was as glad, bright, and beautiful a Christmas Day as ever dawned to harmonise with the rejoicing spirit of the Catholic Church. The grey old tower of the Church of Deanwood stood out in clear outline in the frosty air, and the sunshine was pouring through the stained glass of the eastern window upon the happy countenances of many assembled within its walls. On that window was portrayed the representation of that deepest mystery, the

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