And to live as lowly,

As Thyself with men ;

So to rise in glory,

When Thou com'st again.

Carol, carol.

COXE.

THE

LITTLE LUTE PLAYER:

A German Story in an English Dress.

CHAPTER X.

DURING this conversation, a young shepherd-girl approached, searching very intently for something in the thicket. "Where can my little lamb be?" she began. I hope it is not quite lost! I never ventured so far into the mountains before. But I want to find my lamb, and then I hope I shall get safe out again." On catching sight of Matilda and Agnes, she appeared alarmed and surprised. "Merciful Heaven, what strange people can these be? Surely they cannot really live here! Doubtless, they speak a foreign tongue-I had bes get me back again!"

"Stay awhile, my good girl," said Matilda, "we are very poor and very unhappy."

"Poor and unhappy," said the good-hearted girl, “oh, tell me what I can do to serve you?"

"You can indeed serve my mother, if you will," said little Agnes, quickly. "Since yesterday morning she has eaten nothing but these berries."

"How glad and thankful I am then, that I have not eaten my breakfast yet!" said the young shepherdess. Hereupon she opened her satchel, and took from it a large slice of

bread and a little stone bottle. "Here," she said, “take some of this, do, and refresh yourself. The bread is very good, and this in the bottle here, is sweet fresh milk. I have also some fruit, which will do nicely for the little one here." Agnes and her mother received the unexpected repast with eager gratitude, and were soon much refreshed.

"Thank you, a thousand times thank you,” said Matilda, "you are a good girl; you have been to me as a ministering angel, sent down to me in the time of my greatest need. Your gift has saved my life. I must soon have died of hunger and exhaustion but for your timely aid."

"But how, in the name of all that is wonderful ?” replied the child," came you to live in this most desolate and barren spot? so far from any human habitation? And how can you live in this wretched hut? We think ours a very poor little cottage, but it is not so miserable and desolate as this! Do not attempt to stay any longer in this wilderness. Come with me. I will lead you to a place where there are a great many good, kind, people, who would not let you starve!" "My dear child, I am too poor and weak. I have been for some time confined to my bed, and have not now strength enough to undertake and journey.”

"Oh, that is a bad case," rejoined the girl. "I would willingly bring you something to eat every day, although we have not much for ourselves but we live too far off."

“Do not make yourself unhappy about me my good girl. God has helped me, and will help me yet again. My thanks are doubly due to you, the instrument of His goodness. Your lovely song refreshed and cheered me even more than the milk and bread. Your words seemed to come to me from Heaven."

"Oh, I know some pretty songs, too," began little Agnes, who, child-like, was very pleased at an opportunity of telling her exploits and acquirements.

"Let me hear you, said the girl, I cannot have a greater treat than to hear a pretty song."

Agnes took the lute, and gave a specimen of her powers. "Oh, that is beautiful," said the astonished shepherdess, I never heard anything so lovely! That is much grander music than Peter the fifer, treats us to." Matilda and Agnes smiled at this naive exhibition of gratified feeling, and the little girl, in compliance with the renewed solicitations of her new friend, treated her to the following childish ditty:

THE CHERRY TREE.

IN Blandina's garden-ground,

A cherry tree was planted,

And when some fruit thereon she found,

The child was quite enchanted;

In that one cherry rosy-bright
Was a whole treasure of delight.

One day with sweetly beaming smile,
She plucks the rosy treasure,
"Dear mother, I have something here,
I'm sure will give you pleasure."
Thro' tears of joy the mother smiled

Upon her grateful, loving child!

Years, months, and seasons fleeted by,

Blandina had forgot

Her little offering of love

The mother fond had not.

She shewed her child a thriving tree,

As full of cherries as could be.

"This tree is yours, my child," she said
With loving look and tone,

"You gave me the first-fruits you had,
For you I sowed the stone.

See in the fruit which hangs above,

How God rewardeth filial love!"

The young shepherdess was charmed. She clapped her hands and jumped for joy. "Oh that is capital!" exclaimed she. "Come with me, and I will show you how you can provide nobly for your mother; even if people have no compassion for your necessities, they cannot help admiring your music. They will joyfully give you anything that we mountaineers possess,-bread, milk, butter, eggs, flax, and wool. Oh, come! you had much better come with me."

"Young girl," said Matilda after a pause, "your words rouse within me thoughts that I take as from God. As in compliance with His will, I will send you forth, my little Agnes, under this good girl's protection. Go, my darling, you shall sing before the cottage-doors, and keep yourself and your helpless mother from starving."

"Yes, dear mamma," said Agnes, "so I will. To be your comfort and support, I would willingly go all over the world, even though my way lay over the roughest rocks and the sharpest stones!"

And so it was decided, that Agnes should leave the Valley of Gloom, with her young protectress, and try her fortune in the neighbouring villages, as a singer and Lute-player.

(The Continuation will be published in a separate form.)

M. A. J.

LITURGICAL LESSONS.-No. XVI.

THE CREEDS.

THE Creed follows the Canticles; it is very appropriately so placed, coming after the Lessons, and before the Prayers. St. Paul declares that "faith cometh by hearing, (Rom. x. 17 v.), therefore, having heard GOD's Holy Word, we profess our belief in it; and again, he says, "How can they call on Him of whom they have not heard?" Before we pray for pardon, we must believe in the forgiveness of sins.

We find three Creeds in different parts of the Liturgy: the Apostles', Athanasian, and the Nicene; the last two being explanations of the first.-(See Article VIII.)

I. In Holy Scripture, frequent allusion is made to the existence of a formulary similar to the Creed. St. Paul mentions it as "that form of doctrine, (Rom. vi. 17; " this rule" Gal. vi. 16.) ; "that which is committed to thy trust," (1 Tim. vi. 20, that is, to St. Timothy as Bishop of Ephesus), "that form of sound words which thou hast heard of me," (2. Tim. i. 13); and St. Jude calls it, (v. 3,) "the faith once delivered to the Saints."

By the primitive Christians it was called "Symbolum," a token or symbol, a secret mark by which the true soldiers of JESUS CHRIST were known from others, as in military affairs, the soldiers of an army distinguished each other, and friends from foes, by some sign or word. Vide Judges xii. 6. Thus the Apostles' Creed was carefully concealed from the Pagans, and only revealed to the initiated. The name Creed is derived from the Latin, "Credo," I believe, and it is termed the Apostles', not that it clearly proved that they composed it, but as containing the doctrines taught by them.