the youth to summon all his ener- Now he is borne backward into the gies. In another moment he ex- fiercer part of the current. All pects to grasp the side of the life- hope has fled. Swiftly and more boat, and be saved. He casts off swiftly he is dragged on towards the lashings by which he is held to the brink of that terrific precipice. the raft. The spectators restrain His fellow-men standing around their breath with the intensity of sicken at the sight. Still he strugtheir anxiety. Will the boat reach gles-still full of life and energy him, or be dashed to pieces in those he reaches the very edge; and fiercely agitated waters ? She then, as if to gain one more look at floats! she floats! She touches the the world he is about to leave, he raft itself. Ebert sees her; the springs almost out of the watercourage for which he has been so his arms raised franctically above conspicuous throughout the ter- his head. Then, uttering one last rible day revives within him. A fearful shriek, heard even above shout of joy is heard; all think the ceaseless roar of the cataract, that he is in safety. He springs he falls backward, and the next up, and leaps towards the boat. instant is hidden for ever from What means that cry of horror human sight, amid those madly which escapes from the crowd? foaming waters rushing downwards Alas! he has missed his aim. The boat sheers away from him, and he falls headlong into the current. Still he is not lost; he rises to the surface; he strikes out boldly; his foot touches a rock; he springs with the last efforts of despair towards the shore, making three or unto the uttermost all that come four almost superhuman leaps. As unto God by him, seeing he ever many more and he will be safe; liveth to make intercession for but alas! the water deepens-again them." Reader, has he saved you? he swims-he swims strongly after all his hard exertions. Life is sweet; and Ebert has life, and youth, and strength. He seems even to make way against that headlong tide. It is but for a moment. The waters are too mighty for him; his strength begins to fail; his strokes grow feebler; slowly he recedes from the shore, his straining eyeballs fixed on those who would save him, but cannot. with terrific force into an everseething cauldron below. Slowly and sadly the spectators separate. A fellow-mortal has gone from among them.-Monthly Messenger. "Jesus Christ is able to save WRITE CLOSER. As in a letter, if the paper is small and we have much to write, we write closer; so let us learn to economize and improve the remaining moments of life-" Work while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work."-W. Jay. PRAYER FOR THE JEWS. COME, thou glorious day of promise, With united voice they cry. Lord, how long wilt thou be angry? Shall thy wrath for ever burn? Rise! redeem thine ancient people, Their transgressions from them turn; King of Israel! Come, and set thy people free. O that soon thou wouldst to Jacob Thine enlivening Spirit send; Of their unbelief and misery, Make, O Lord! a speedy end. Lord, Messiah ! Prince of Peace, o'er Israel reign. A TEXT ROLL. A TEXT ROLL consists of a number of pages of texts of Scripture in large type, fit for hanging on the wall. A Drury Lane Biblewoman, describing her work in that part of London, says "I was requested to visit a poor dying man in Drury Lane, two months back. When I went to his bedside, I said, 'Do you remember me? Was it not your wife I came to see just as she was dying?' 666 'Yes, it was, marm.' “I said, 'I must say to you as I said to her: Do you know anything of your Saviour?' "In great distress, he said, 'I am such a sinner; I have been such a sinner.' He "I said, 'My dear man, it is no use your dwelling on the past; the more you look in at your heart, the blacker you will find it. Look to Jesus on the cross; his righteousness and dying blood can save you, and will, if you trust him.' said, 'I will.' I fortunately had one of the late Dr. Marsh's Daily Teachings' with me. I opened it at the third day: Forgiveness of sins. Jesus said, "The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.' "Poor man, he read it so slowly and distinctly; the tears ran from his eyes. I said, 'I think this will be a comfort to you.' "It will, indeed!'" "I went into the next room for a hammer and nail. A shoemaker kindly gave me one. I put it up by his side. I read part of the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John, and left. The next time I went, the roll was turned to the page of Faith; his face looked peaceful and calm; he held my hand tight for a long time. I said, 'Tell me which verse you find comfort from.' He said, 'The bottom one-"Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." "I said then, 'I trust you have now that faith.' "Yes, I have. A kind mis sionary came yesterday to see me, and he explained it to me.' He also said that his son-in-law read the text to him continually. "The last evening he was alive, one of his friends took the roll off the nail to read it by the candle; he was quite disturbed, and pointed for it to be put back. He said to the shoemaker's wife, 'You take care of it.' She has it. It was the last word he spoke; he died a few minutes after-I trust saved." TO-DAY. No going back; the past is an abyss; no stopping, for the present perisheth; But ever hasting on, precarious on the foothold of to-day; Our cares are all to-day; our joys are all to-day; And, in one little word, our life, what is it, but-to-day? TO-MORROW. To-morrow is that lamp upon the march, which a traveller never reacheth: To-morrow, the rainbow's cup, coveted prize of ignorance; Now! is the constant syllable tick-To-morrow, the shifting anchorage, ing from the clock of time, Now! is the watchword of the wise. Now! is on the banner of the prudent. Cherish thy to-day and prize it well, or ever it be gulphed into the past; Husband it, for who can promise it shall have a morrow. Behold, thou art-it is enough; that present care be thine: Leave thou the past to thy Re deemer, entrust the future to thy Friend; But for to-day, child of man, tend thou charily the minutes, The harvest of thy yesterday, the seed-corn of thy morrow. Last night died its day; and the deeds thereof were judged. A man's life is a tower, with a staircase of many steps, That, as he toileth upward, crumble successively behind him; dangerous trust of mariners; To-morrow, the wrecker's beacon, wily snare of the destroyer. Reconcile convictions with delay, and To-morrow is a fatal lic; Frighten resolutions with action, To-morrow is a wholesome truth; I must, for I fear To-morrow; this is the Cassava's food; Why should I? let me trust Tomorrow,-this is the Cassava's poison. Wouldst thou be safe amid the present, its dangers and temptations, Wouldst thou be hopeful of the future, vague though it be and endless? Haste thee, repent, believe, obcy! thou standest in the courage of a legion. Commend the Past to God, and all its irrevocable harm; Come to him, continually come, casting all the Present at his feet, Commit the Future to his will, the us. viewless, fatal future! Zealously go forward with integrity, and God will bless thy faith; For that, feeble as thou art, there is with thee a mighty Conqueror, Thy Friend, the same for ever, yesterday, to-day, and to-morrow. TUPPER. INDIA-TRIALS OF CON VERTS. joined us in devotional exercises, and from time to time kept saying how determined he was not to leave Then came to him a number of people, consisting of his mother, brother, and other relatives and friends. On being drawn away to speak to them, he was immediately surrounded and taken possession of in such a manner that he could only be spoken to by us with difficulty. "At this point a scene occurred that our friends at home who have never seen the like can have little conception of. The mother seized hold of her son by a scarf that hung loosely from his neck, and by it she We have often had to record-held him by her left hand with unsays the Free Church Record-the relaxed iron grasp fully more than difficulties converts from Hinduism two hours. With the right hand have to encounter; difficulties she emphasized every action and which ought to excite the sympathies, and call forth the prayers, of all true believers in their behalf. The following letter from the Rev. Mr. Angus, at Puna, contains a vivid account of some of the trials now alluded to: "About three weeks ago a strong man, between thirty and thirty-five years of age, came to us declaring that he was resolved to give up idolatry and become a Christian. This was between three and four o'clock in the afternoon. To prove his sincerity, he asked to eat and drink in our company what was given him from our hands. utterance, now crying, now striking her head, now declaiming, and this in so rapid and eloquent a manner as to excite sympathy in every beholder. "Here was a subject worthy of any painter. In the centre of the group is the mother holding her son in the manner spoken of. Low in stature and weakly by nature, she nevertheless exhibits an immensity of strength, through the influence of the passions at work within her. Beside her, her son, firm in his convictions, but moved with grief, and though a strong Till and stalwart man, yet as a very child in the hands of his mother. Immediately around his person are his friends threatening and plead about seven o'clock in the evening he conversed with several missionary friends, read passages pointed out to him from the Scriptures, ing by turns, and refusing to allow a Christian native so much as to you are sure to be a Christian. It come near, storming with rage at is a spell they throw over you. every attempt made to speak to They are sorcerers, jugglers. Leave him. On the outside are the mis-us, and your brother will murder sionaries, who, in great anxiety, are you. No one of your family will waiting the issue of the struggle, eat with you, or speak with you.. and moving about are unconcerned You will be an outcast, hated by spectators, wondering what is the the gods, and despised by men.' meaning of it all. The native Christians, too, might be observed watching two companies who have gone off in different directions. They are fearful lest they should have gone for friends that they may carry him off by force, and so they come to us pleading that we should send to the Foujdar for help. Here and there are small groups of other natives making comments on the whole affair. "I asked a Christian native what the mother was saying in her grief. He answered, she is saying, 'How will I be able to hold up my face among my people. I can only kill myself. You shall no longer be to me a son, for we will mourn over you as worse than dead. Oh, how much more would I rather have you ten times dead than be a Christian!' "To the reply of her son, 'There is but one God;' she answered, 'There can be no greater sin than to change your religion. Can you not worship the gods of your fathers? How much better would you be than they? Come with us and leave these Christians, and we will give you whatever you want. You cannot read their shastres, but you think of being a Christian. You cannot hear them speak, but "After a while a patrol of police came, and how it happened I cannot exactly tell, but we found ourselves all trudging to the Foujdar's. On our arrival I was summoned before him. We ascended a staircase to the roof of the house, and there, with nothing but the moon for a light, we had the case disposed of. All we pleaded for was. liberty of person. The Foujdar then asked the man, 'Will you go with your mother or the missionary?' He replied, 'With my mother.' We were grieved at this, but we believe his reason for this resolution was, that he thought that by going back he should persuade his friends to let him off peaceably. We have heard of him several times since, and I am told that he continues firm. That he may have strength to forsake father and mother, brother and sister, for the sake of Christ, is our earnest prayer." MISSIONARY HYMN. Go, ye messengers of God; Like the beams of morning fly! Take the wonder-working rod; Lift the Saviour's Cross on high. |