on my cap and lay down by her, and she soon dropped off." Mr. Hall, who overheard this, said, “Excuse me, madam; do you wish your child to grow up a liar ? “Oh, dear, no sir; I should be shocked at such a thing.” "Then bear with me, while I say you must never act a lie before her. Children are very quick observers, and soon learn that that which assumes to be what it is not, is a lie, whether acted or spoken." This was added with a kindness which precluded offence, yet with a seriousness that could not be forgotten.

Mothers! have you ever done such a thing? If you have not done the same, have you not done something similar, with good intention, perhaps, but with sad effect? Remember that "those children who love their parents, will honor what their parents delight to honor." Little children know much more than most parents suspect; and they are not slow to learn evil. You may expect that your child will copy your example; take care that it be a safe one; be sincere in all your words and actions if you would have your child be so too; let them ever speak the language of your heart,-of simple and eternal truth.

LETTERS FROM PERSIA. No. IV.

D.

Oormiah, (Persia,) Jan., 1835.

To the Sabbath Schools in Amherst and Andover, Mass.

REVERENCE FOR THE KORAN.

My dear Friends,-Most of my last was written, May 21st. The only remaining incident, which I recollect, under that date, is, that one of the Turks sat, a considerable part of the day, on deck, reading the Koran. Many merchants and mechanics, among the Mohammedans, keep their sacred books lying by them, and whenever a leisure moment occurs, they spend it, in studying the contents of that corrupting volume. The reverential regard, which these deluded beings manifest for the mummery of an Impostor, ought to rebuke nominal Christians, for their neglect of the Bible-the word of God, from heaven.

IDEAS OF THE NEW WORLD.

May 22. To-day, my interpreter told the Turks and Armenians, on board, that I came from the new world-the only appellation by which America is known to them. They stared at

me with amazement, and said, that it was a day favored beyond any thing they had ever expected, that they were permitted to behold an inhabitant of the New World. I inquired of them, where the New World was situated, and they pointed upward.

The Captain informs me, that his Persian passengers, on their last passage down, developed a regular theory, on this subject. They told him, that most of their countrymen, who know of the existence of the New World, suppose it to be located in the skies, and that the English discovered it, by the aid of a very large telescope.

The Persians, from their situation, back in the interior, know very little of the sea. Those merchants, who went down on board the Shah, had never before seen vessels, or the sea. They one day, saw the Captain taking the sun, with his sextant, and they supposed him to be looking in the skies, for land. They became quite solicitous, supposing he had lost his way, and held a sober consultation, on the subject. One gravely asked, "Do you suppose he knows any thing where he is?" Another answered, "it is very possible, that we have already passed out of the Black Sea, it is so many days since we have seen land, and we are now going, the Lord only knows where !"

MOHAMMEDAN DEVOTIONS.

At sun-set, Hodjee Ibrahim is very punctilious to say his prayers, on deck. Mohammedans never seek retirement for their devotions; but commence them, when the prescribed hour arrives, just where they happen to be, whether on the road-in the field-in the bazar, or on the deck, on ship-board. They often break off, and attend to salutation, or business, during their prayers. Of necessity, also, they change their place. I have observed our muleteer, on the road, when we were traveling quite fast, dismount, kneel, and commence his prayers—then ride on and overtake us-dismount, again, and resume them,— and repeat the same process, five or six times, meanwhile, giving directions to his servants, as he found it necessary, until the customary routine was completed. Mohammedans accompany their lip-service, with frequent bowings, and kissing the earth, and they are always particular to kneel towards Mecca-the birth-place and tomb of their Prophet.

PETITIONS FOR FAVORABLE WINDS.

*

May 23. To-day, we have had a stiff head-wind, and our progress has been very slow. The Turks became impatientand sent out petitions-extracts from the Koran, &c.,-for a

*They merely touch the ground, or floor with their foreheads. This is called the Soo-djood, or inclination.

They do not properly "kneel," but "sit," (called the koo-ood, or sitting,) with their faces towards Mecca.

fair wind. The old Hodjee* repeated one of his, to my interpreter, before he threw it overboard. The interpreter translated it to me, as follows, viz., “O my God, who makest the ships; who commanded the prophet Noah concerning a ship; do not let the devil send us a good wind, before you; O my God, thou knowest how to change the unfavorable wind for us,—grant us a fair wind ;—and allow us to proceed to the place of our destination."

Signed, BIBOOTLOO, HODJEE IBRAHIM.

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My interpreter, observing his name, Hodjee-connected with the above, inquired if he had been to Mecca; "O yes,” he replied, "and you and your master ought to go to Jerusalem." Pilgrimages to venerated places, are regarded, by the nominal Christians, of these countries, as well as by the Mohammedans, as sure to secure a high seat in heaven, whatever may be the moral character of the pilgrim.

May 24. We had a strong head wind, and our progress was very slow. The Turks and Armenians were watching for the fair wind, bespoken the day before.

May 25-Was the holy Sabbath. In the morning, was a dead calm. About ten o'clock, A. M., a light breeze sprang up from north-west-the first with which we were favored, after leaving the Straits. At eleven o'clock, we had religious services in the cabin. The sailors had washed and changed their clothes, and all appeared very cleanly; and what was yet more gratifying, they listened, with serious attention, to the Gospel. It is my earnest prayer, that you and they may all be washed in Christ's blood, and clothed with His righteousness, and thus be prepared to sit, at last, among the saints in light.

Sincerely yours,

JUSTIN PERkins.

A SAILOR CONVERTED BY A CHILD-A FACT.

Some two years ago, a very profane and profligate sailor, who belonged to a vessel then lying at the port of New-York, sallied out one day from his ship into the streets, on a cruise of folly and wickedness. He very soon met a pious little girl, whose feelings he tried to wound by using the most vile and infamous language. But he was unexpectedly met by a most severe rebuke. The little girl looked him earnestly in the face-warned him of the danger of contemning the love and mercy of God-and with a solemn tone, bid him remember that he must meet her

*Hodjee, is a sacred appellation, given to those, only, who have performed a pilgrimage to Mecca, or to some other sacred place.

shortly at the bar of God. This reproof, so unexpected and unlooked for from such a source, completely unmanned him. To use his own language," it was like a broadside, raking him fore and aft, and sweeping by the board every sail and spar prepared for a wicked cruise." He could proceed no farther, but abashed and confounded, he returned to his ship. With every exertion he could not banish from his mind the reproof of this little girl. Her severe look haunted his terrified imagination ; and her solemn declaration, "you must meet me at the bar of God," rung in his ear like a death knell. The more he reflected upon it, the worse he felt. Sometimes he was stung almost to madness, and was half disposed to seek her out and take her life, and then his conscience would cry out upon him in strains of the most awful terror. This conflict was too severe to continue long. In a few days his hard heart brake within him, and he submitted cordially to the Savior. He is now a strict and consistent follower of the Lamb.-Sailor's Mag.

LETTER TO SABBATH SCHOOL CHILDREN.

My dear Children,-You have often heard about the heathen. Do you know who they are, and where they live? Perhaps some of you, when you have heard of China, the Sandwich Islands, Patagonia and Greenland, have known enough of geography to think that these places are east, west, north and south of you; and when you have seen the sun rise so beautifully above the eastern horizon, you may have thought of China, as being in that direction, and perhaps, have pointed it out to a little brother or sister, now the inhabitants of China and the other places mentioned, and many more, are heathen. They are called heathen, because they worship images of wood and stone, and many other things, and do not worship the true God, and do not know that Christ has died that they may be happy and go to heaven. There are 500, or 600,000,000, who have no Bibles, no Sabbaths, no prayer meetings, no Sabbath schools. Among these, are a great many little children, who have no pious parents to tell them about Christ, about heaven, and what they must do to be happy forever. Do not your little hearts begin to feel for them, and do you ask your beloved mother, or your teacher, as they tell you about them, how long they shall be without a Bible, without a minister, a teacher, and all those privileges, which

make you so happy. They will remain so, my dear children, till we, who have these blessings, feel more for them, and are more willing to do good; till Christians give their money and their prayers, as they have never done before; till little children read and think more about them, and pray more for them, and are willing to take that money they spend for confectionary and useless toys, to purchase Bibles, prepare teachers and ministers, who are willing to leave their homes, and go and tell the heathen of Christ and heaven. That money you spent a little while since for confectionary, would have given to some little heathen boy or girl a Bible. Now, the confectionary made you happy but a few moments, but the Bible would have made them happy through this life, and with God's blessing, would have prepared them for happiness in that unseen, eternal world to which they are going, and where you will soon meet them.

My dear children, can you not feel so much for the heathen, that you will deny yourselves these things, that you may be able to give them the word of God? Can you not labor for them a little every day? You will not need to go to them to do this. Boys may cultivate the ground, and then give the price of the fruits of it to the Bible Society. Girls may improve their leisure hours in some useful employment, the avails of which may be given to the Education Society; and in this way, they can prepare men to go and preach to the heathen.

EXAMPLES.

A little girl, a short time since, by early rising, and a diligent use of all her time, in little less than three months, earned eleven dollars to give to the wretched heathen. A circle of little girls, almost constantly occupied by school duties, spent a part of their relaxation hours in sewing and knitting for the heathen.

I hope you are deciding to do something for them; if so, urge your companions to do the same. Perhaps you can form yourselves into a society for the accomplishment of some object. Twelve dollars a year will support a scholar at the Mission School in Ceylon, and you can call the scholar what name you please. Ten dollars will make your minister a member of the Massa