not go on till they had saluted their king. The bearers protested that they must go on; that the lad might die before he could be seen by a physician: they had not a moment to lose; and, even if the case were less urgent than it was, they could not stay for sport. Still the children would not give way; come they must, and do homage to their king. So they came, and set down the bier before Jesus, complaining to him of the rudeness of the children.

Jesus, seeing the little pale face, asked who the lad was, and what had happened to him. He had been bitten by a serpent, they said, and poisoned. "Was it far from here?" asked the boy-king. No; but a few rods away," they replied. "Let us go to the place; and bring the sick boy too." There was nothing to be said: so the bearers led the way back to the spot they came from, followed by the young king and his courtiers. Soon they came to a cave. Jesus walked boldly in, and shortly reappeared with what do you think, in his hand? A long snake, which he grasped firmly by the neck. Approaching. the sick boy, who lay quite still, with closed eyes, and frame already stiffening, he put the snake's head to the wound, and bade him suck out the poison he had instilled. The reptile did so: the child slowly opened his eyes; the color came to his cheeks; he moved; he rose up; he looked gratefully into the face of his deliverer. The serpent lay dead at the foot of the bier.

EVILS QUICKLY KILLED IN THE SEED.

IN

N the hoary times of old, a host of men quitted their dwelling-places, and wandered down to the land through which the River Nile flows. They rejoiced at the sight of the magnificent river, and built huts on its banks. Soon after, the terrible monster called the crocodile came from the floods, destroying both man and beast in its horrid jaws. Then the people cried with a loud voice to their god Osiris to free them from the And Osiris answered by the mouth of the wise priests, saying, "Is it not enough that the deity gave you strength and reason? He who implores for help, without using his own power, will call in vain.”

monster.

Then they seized swords and staves, and besieged the monster in his marshy abode. They erected walls and dikes; and, in a few days, they completed works, which, before, they dreamed not of their power to do. So they became conscious of that hidden power, by which, in later times, the mighty pyramids and obelisks were erected; and they invented many tools, and became acquainted with arts which they did not know before.

For, by the combat against hostile powers, the dormant abilities of man are roused.

However, the people were in want of proper weapons fully to vanquish the scaly monster of the flood. They were only able to repel its attacks for a short time, and were content therewith.

By degrees, the zeal to defend themselves grew faint. The monsters increased and multiplied, and their fury became more and more terrible. Then the foolish and

degenerating people resolved to worship the crocodile as a god. Voluntarily, they offered sacrifices: the monster became more powerful than ever; but the people were sunk in cowardice and stupor.

The bow which is forever on the stretch will break at last, and the revenge will reach the tyrant. Osiris had compassion on the miserable people, and encouraged them to new exertions by the mouth of the wise priest. Then the banks of the river echoed with the shouts of the warriors, and the waters became red with the blood of the slain. The strength of the combatants began to fail: then the priest and the distressed people called to Osiris for help, and the deity listened in mercy to their cry.

A little animal, the ichneumon, appeared on the banks of the Nile.

"Behold," exclaimed the priest, "Osiris sends help! “How ! dost thou mock us?" cried the people. Then the priest answered, and said, "Wait for the issue, and confide in the supreme power. By the hand of the deity, great things may be brought to pass by trifling means."

The number of the terrible monsters decreased visibly. The people beheld with admiration how the little animal was searching diligently for the eggs and the young of the crocodile. Thus it destroyed, in a short time, the lives of hundreds of those formidable tyrants of the Nile, and released the land of its plague, a thing that so many heads and hands had not been able to accomplish.

"See!" said the wise priest: "if you wish to extinguish an evil, attack its germs and roots. Then a trifle may do what, afterwards, the united efforts of many will be unable to bring to pass."

A

THE BEST USE FOR A GIFT.

COUNTRYMAN brought from town five of the finest peaches that were to be had. His children had never seen such before: therefore they were highly delighted to see the beautiful fruit, with its red cheeks and delicate bloom. The father divided them among his four boys, and gave one to their mother. In the evening, when the children were going into the little bedroom, he asked them, “Well, how did you like the nice peaches?"

"Very much indeed, dear father," said the eldest boy. "It is a delicious fruit, of so luscious and delicate a flavor! I have taken care of the stone, and mean to grow a tree."

"Well done!" answered the father. "It is the duty of a countryman to be economical, and to think of the future."

"I ate mine up directly," exclaimed the youngest, "and threw the stone away; and mother gave me half of hers. Oh, how sweet it was! how it melts in one's mouth!"

"Well," said the father, "you have not done very wisely, but, at all events, like a child. You have still time enough in life to become prudent."

Then the second son began, "I picked up the stone which my little brother threw away, and opened it. There was a kernel inside as sweet as an almond; but I sold my own peach, and received so much money for it, that I may buy a dozen when I go to town."

The father shook his head, and said, "That is cleverly

done, but not like a child. Heaven preserve thee from becoming a trader!”

"And you, Edmund ?" asked the father.

Edmund answered frankly, "I took my peach to the son of our neighbor, sick George, who has the fever. He would not take it: so I put it down on his bed, and went away."

"Well," said the father, "who has made the best use of his peach?" Then all the boys exclaimed, "Brother Edmund!" Edmund was silent, and his mother embraced him with tears in her eyes.

THE INVISIBLE KING.

Na distant country in the East, there lived a little

superstition. It came to pass

that they quarrelled about the succession, and agreed, at last, to choose a stranger to govern them.

They met a man of the house of Israel, of the name of Abiaḥ, and chose him for their king. It was about the time that Shalmaneser had destroyed the house of Israel, and scattered the Israelites throughout the world.

Abiah, who was a pious man, was greatly grieved that he should reign over an idolatrous nation; and, when they refused to leave their idols, he was very wroth. But the Spirit of the Lord spake to him, "Thinkest thou I cannot destroy their idols? And yet I suffer the sun to shine upon them. Go, and do thou likewise."