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THE NEGRO MOTHER.

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summons came for her kind friends to go on board the vessel; and when they reached the beach, there stood poor Judith, waiting to ask her mistress once more to take her little black boy with her to England, but she was still refused, and bidding Judith farewell, they stepped into the vessel, which was soon bounding over the billows.

Mr. and Mrs. Dare had not been long seated in the cabin, when their attention was arrested by hearing a sailor call out, in a very rude manner, "Go back, black face, or I'll hurl the rope at ye!" Anxious to know what occasioned this rough address, they ascended to the deck just as a voice answered, "Me no go back, till missis take piccaninny ;" and, looking over the side of the vessel, they saw Judith, the poor negro mother, swimming with her little boy, calling out to them to take him! Mrs. Dare was greatly moved at the sight, and soon consented that the sailors should "haul up the black lump," as they expressed themselves, presenting the little sable fellow to his kind protector. Judith seemed delighted, and soon swam back to the shore, where she stood till the last bit of the mast of the ship faded from her gaze.

Poor Judith! in her anxiety to have her boy taken care cf, in a land where he could never be a slave, she had not taken into the account what her sacrifice would cost her mother's heart, and what loneliness she would feel when her boy was fairly out of her sight, in all human probability to see him no more till the judgment-day. Fairly overcome by her maternal feelings, she sat down on the beach and wept bitterly. She began now to remember the kind instructions of her mistress, and that she had told her, when she was in trouble, to tell Jesus all about it, and He would comfort her; so she went home, and asked God to take care of her boy, and help her to feel happy about him. She then tried to put things a little in order in her cabin, and prepare her husband's dinner; but the house was so still and melancholy, and everything reminded her

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CARE FOR THE OUTCASTS.

of the little one now far away, that she could not remain alone; so she walked to the sugar plantation, where Sam was working, and told him “ 'poor boy was gone!"

Sam had never expected that his master would consent to take charge of the little sable fellow, and his surprise was so great that the sugar-cane fell from his hands, and he sat down, covered his face, and wept. Judith now began to administer comfort to her husband by talking of the future happiness of their son, and-as is often the case -in trying to cheer another she became more happy herself.

Next month, we hope to follow the English ship on her voyage.

CARE FOR THE OUTCASTS.—No. III.

"Grievous indeed must be the burden that shall outweigh innocence and health."

WE have thought sometimes, as we have passed the haggard and unwomanly form, with bold brow and loud voice, in the streets of our large towns and cities, that it is possible there may yet live, even there, memories of home, of love, of a mother's early care; and we have asked the question, "Has any Christian woman ever tried to awaken these memories in that fallen woman's heart?" Alas, mothers have we not too often turned away with disgust, forgetting that on the slender thread of that quicklywasting life hang everlasting things? And we have sat down amidst the endearments of our own homes, musing on the thought that neither prudence nor feeling will allow us to make the attempt to pull one of these brands from the everlasting burning! Is this right? I grant, the work is very difficult, but may we not find some way of reaching them?

We said, in a former paper, that we found, when the bare mention of a mother's name was made, that a chord was

SUNDAY OCCUPATIONS.

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touched in the hearts of those for whom we plead, which vibrated for a long, long time. Christian mother! British mother! try to get near enough to strike this chord, at least in one heart, that you may follow the example of Him who reproved the proud Pharisee in his own house, while He said to the weeping Magdalene, "Thy sins are forgiven." Let us not forget that a repenting "sinner" is a sight over which there is joy in the presence of the angels of God; and, however disdained by man, there are found, among the ranks of the redeemed, Rahabs, penitent Maries, Magdalenes, and many who were "great sinners," now washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, while the arches of Heaven echo and re-echo the praises of Him who came to seek and to save those who were lost. Keep the subject before you, mothers-we have not finished.

SUNDAY OCCUPATIONS.-No. IV.

MATER.

My dear children, I am going to write to you this month. You have talked with your mother about future events, or things that are going to happen-things painful and pleasing, things happy and unhappy. Now remember, in these things we must all have a part; we must be either very happy, or very miserable for ever. In this world you often see people who seem neither one nor the other, but it will not be so in the next world.

My dear children, there will only be two states in Eternity, so there will only be two sorts of people. Indeed, this is true now; there are in this world none but believers and unbelievers-those who are the children of God, and those who are not. Which of these two sets of people will have a part in the blessed things that are coming to pass, and which in those that will be sorrowful and dreadful?

Now I want you

paper, make a line down the side verses of Scripture about

I know you can answer this question. to take your si late. or a piece of middle, and then write on on

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SUNDAY OCCUPATIONS.

those who love God, and on the other side verses about those who do not love him. I wish very much that I could see some of your papers when you have written them. I will give you two texts to begin with :

[blocks in formation]

Do you know what stubble is? I will tell you. It is the stalks of corn which are left in the field after reaping; you have often seen it and trodden it under your feet, for it was fit for nothing only to be burned. My dear children, could you bear to think, even for a moment, of being like the stubble? No, no. Let us talk about the jewels. What are they? Precious stones; you have often seen them in the shop-windows; and if you had ever looked upon the Queen's crown, you would have seen brighter and more dazzling ones than are found in shops. Do men ever gather jewels together, to cast them into the fire? No, they are kept and placed in crowns of gold.

Little one! whoever you are, now reading this paperDo you wish to love Jesus? Do you desire a new heart? Will you pray to become one of the jewels? It will make no difference whether you are rich or poor, wise or ignorant. In the Redeemer's crown glitters many a jewel, which was once just such as you. Many and many precious gems are yet to be added to that crown. Little child! by-and-by, He will make them up-reckon them-count them-see that none are missing; after that time, not one will be added.

Pray now that you may be numbered among the jewels, and that Jesus may say of you in that day-"He is mine! -she is mine!"

Oxford.

MARY.

A STORY FOR OUR JUVENILE FRIENDS.—No. II.

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WANTED TO KNOW EVERYTHING.

"Он dear, mamma!" Minny exclaimed, as she tasted the second cup of tea, "this is very disagreeable; I cannot help making a face at it. I suppose it is too strong; oh dear, it is so very unpleasant." Mrs. Mild smiled, and poured some water into the little girl's cup. "You remind me, Minny," she said, "of an odd tale I read lately about 'China soup." "What was that, ma? Do tell me—do,

do, ma," said half-a-dozen voices at once.

"A great many years ago," began Mrs. Mild, "a lady, who had a friend in China, received a present from him, consisting of a Chinese silk hat, the crown of which was filled with tea. The family had never seen nor heard of tea before, and the letter mentioned, that if it were boiled in water, it would make what was called 'Chinese soup.' A brass skillet was put on the fire, and a pint basinful of tea, with some water and some sugar, were put on to boil —it was then strained through a cloth, poured into basins, and placed round the supper-table instead of their porridge. The party then crumbled some bread into it, and began to eat. The first mouthful set their faces awry, like Minny's, and some of the family were sadly alarmed, for they imagined it must be poison; so that the doctor was consulted, and the tea and sugar poured away as something worse than useless. After a little time the gentleman returned from China, and brought with him a chest of tea, a China tea-set, and a tea-kettle; and after teaching the ladies of the family the proper way of making tea, they liked it, I believe, as well as we do."

"Oh dear, what a pretty tale," said Minny; "I should like you to tell me a tale about everything, ma." "That would not be a very difficult matter," rejoined Mrs. Mild. "Then do tell us a tale about sugar, too, will you,

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