FEEDING THE CHICKENS.

WELL: and there is something very pleasant in such an employment. Is it not pleasant to see the pretty little creatures run about picking up the crumbs and seeds which Jane and William are come to scatter amongst them for their morning meal? And see how quietly the old Father bird stands by whilst the little ones are picking up the first crumbs. The mother bird too, is not picking for herself, but shewing her little brood how to help themselves.

There are some animals which seem to have but little affection for their young, leaving them to find their own food as soon as they are born. Not so our domestic fowls. I always admire their attention to their little brood-the old hen in particular, who never seems tired of scratting for her chickens, and then gathers them all under her warm wings to shelter them from cold and danger.

Aye, and as it is among animals, so it often is among parents and their children. There are some

parents so unnatural that they do not seem to care what becomes of their own children. They provide for them but very badly while they are infants, and when they grow up to be boys and girls they neglect their education, and leave them to do as they please, never teaching them how to behave themselves, or how to work for their own living. Such children are almost sure to grow up to be idle, and careless, and miserable. But a good father and mother will provide for their own children good food, and good clothing, and good beds to sleep on. And they will take care that they are taught to read and write. And more than this, they will teach them good behaviour, and show them how to work for their own living, as the old hen teaches the young chickens how to pick up the crumbs.

Another thing, when the old bird sees any danger near, she calls her chickens, and they all come running to her, and creep under her wings for safety. They are obedient. Children should be like chickens -they should be obedient. Fathers and mothers

often see danger when children do not, and it would be well if the little folks who read this would learn a lesson from the fowls to be obedient to their own parents.

TEDDY'S FIRST MISSIONARY PENNY.

ABOUT a year ago, a christian gentleman was travelling through Ireland, and visiting many of its Sunday-schools. When he returned to England, he related several anecdotes about the Irish Sunday scholars, one of which I think our young readers will like to hear.

In a school in the south of Ireland, the superintendent, one Sunday afternoon, told the children about Missionary Societies—what they were, and what good they had done. He also told them that they should all try and help to send Missionaries, for children could do a great deal when they all tried together.

TEDDY'S FIRST MISSIONARY PENNY.

While he was saying all this, there was a little boy in the school whom his teacher observed listening very earnestly. He was a very poor little boy, and his clothes were all ragged, but he had a kind and feeling heart, and his teacher loved him. Presently the tears rose in his eyes, and came drop by drop down his face; then his teacher bent down and whispered in his ear:-" 'Teddy, if you cannot help the Missionaries with your money, you can pray for them." But Teddy was not content with only praying, he wanted to do something. And Sunday after Sunday, when the other boys were giving their halfpence for the Missionary Society, he would linger about, feeling sometimes glad, because so many of them could give money, and sometimes sorry, because he had none himself to give. But this was not to last long. One day, Teddy came to his teacher in great glee, and exclaimed, "Oh, sir, I have some money to send a Missionary! See, all that." And he put a penny into his hand. Then looking up earnestly into his teacher's face, he said, "You will send one, sir, wont you?" His teacher explained to him that it would take a great many pence and shillings to send a Missionary. Teddy looked very very sad when he heard that. So his teacher thought for a moment, and then said, "I'll tell you what we'll do, we will send a tract and a letter." Teddy's face grew bright again, and he said, "Oh yes, send a tract! that will teach the poor black children about God." "Yes, it will," said his teacher, "but what shall we put in the letter? What shall we say to them ?"

Teddy looked down for a moment, and then up again, and said, hesitatingly, "Oh, tell them-tell them "There is beyond the sky,

A heaven of joy and love;

And holy children when they die
Go to that world above."

Now was not this a pretty thought of Teddy's?

And should not English children be willing to help when they hear how anxious a poor ragged Irish lad is to send the good tidings of salvation to the perishing heathen?

THE MODEL PENNY.

HERE is a picture of what is called a "Model Penny." It is so called because it is not one of the Queen's coins, but only a model.

The old copper penny pieces are very large and heavy, and therefore very inconvenient to carry about. It has been thought that a much smaller coin might be made of the same value, and this is a specimen. It is about the size of a shilling, and made of copper, the same as the present penny pieces, only the white part in the middle, where the Queen's head is and the 1, is silver.

Some might think it would be paid for a shilling in the dark, but this need not be. Very little light would shew the colour of the red copper with the white silver in the middle. Beside, if it were quite dark, any person by holding it between his finger and thumb would feel the rim of dots raised round the silver in the middle of the coin. We do not know whether they will come into use or not, but we thought a picture of one would please our young friends.

NOBLE REVENGE-HAPPY DEATH OF HANNAH.

NOBLE REVENGE.

WHEN I was a small boy, there was a black boy in the neighbourhood, by the name of "Jim Dick." Myself and a number of my play-fellows were one evening collected together at our usual sports, when we began to torment the poor coloured boy, by calling him "blackamoor," "nigger," and other degrading epithets: the poor fellow appeared excessively grieved at our conduct, and soon left us. We soon after made an appointment to go a skating in the neighbourhood; and on the day of appointment I had the misfortune to break my skates, and could not go, without borrowing a pair of Jim Dick. I went to him and asked him for them. "O yes, John, you may have them, and welcome," was his answer. When I went to return them, I found Jim sitting by the fire in the kitchen, reading the Bible. I told him I had returned his skates, and was under great obligations to him for his kindness. He looked at me as he took the skates, and, with tears in his eyes, said to me, "John, don't never call me blackamoor again," and immediately left the room. These words pierced my heart, and I burst into tears, and from that time resolved not to abuse a poor black in future. SOUTHEY.

HAPPY DEATH OF HANNAH.

BY HER FATHER.

"The flower fadeth."

VARIOUS and instructive are the means employed by the Holy Ghost, in the sacred scriptures, to impress the mind of man with the importance, brevity, and uncertainty of human existence. He points us to the fading flower; the withering grass; the quickly told tale; the passing shadow; the transient meteor; and the dissolving vapour.