about him. I once met with a gentleman who had travelled a great deal, and who told me about his visiting a very far away country, called New Zealand. It was not long before he went that the poor people there had first heard of Jesus, and those who believed loved him very much. When my friend landed, he was met by the good Missionary, whom he knew. He soon saw an old man go up to the Missionary, and point to him, and ask some question. His friend said, "This old chief is asking me if you know the glad tidings!"

"Oh, mamma, did the gentleman know?"

"Yes, he did know and love the Lord, but he was very much struck by the question. And we should often ask ourselves, do we know it? has it been glad news to us? If papa were coming in just now, and telling us that a famous doctor had just come to town, who could cure the scarlet fever, should we care much about it?"

"No, I do not think so.

"Why not?"

"We are all well, mamma; we do not need the doctor."

"But if you and Harry were lying in bed with the fever, as little cousins were a while ago, then how should we feel?" "Oh, we would be so glad then, and papa would go for him so fast."

"Well, my dears, this is just what makes any one glad to hear of Jesus; it is when they feel that they need him, that they are sinners, and need him to heal their souls. But I shall say more about that some other time. Now we shall read what more the shepherds heard and saw."

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God. in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."-Luke ii. 13, 14.

"What does a multitude of the heavenly host mean?"

"A great many more angels, mamma.

Yes, heaven is full of those bright

blessed spirits, and a great many came

down that night. Though they were so happy before, it made them happier still to know that a Saviour was born into this world."

Why do they not come now, mamma?"

"I believe they do come still,-God tells us so, but we cannot see them now." Why not, mamma? I would like

it very much!"

But,

"God thinks it best that we should not, Harry, and he knows best what is good for us. We have a much larger Bible, and know a great deal more about Jesus and heavenly things than people did in those days, and we do not need the angels to come and tell us. oh! what a lovely sight that would be for the shepherds, and what delightful music! You know how I like to hear you two sing your hymns together, and you like to hear me when I sing them at the piano, and we all enjoy hearing the psalms and hymns in church. But none of us will ever hear in this world such music as the shepherds heard that

night; for it was one of the songs of heaven."

แ

Mamma," said Ellen, "will the angels have forgotten that song now?" "I do not think they will."

"Then they will teach it to us when we go to heaven ?”

"I hope so, my love, and many more beautiful songs of praise besides. And though we cannot sing praises so well as them now, we must do it as well as

we can.

"Now, Ellen, let us hear what the shepherds did after the angels had left them."

"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning

this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."-Luke ii. 15-20.

"Did they wait long, Harry, before they went to seek Jesus?"

"No, mamma, they went with haste."

Yes, dear; and we should all notice these two little words, for they are a lesson to us. And after we have made haste to go to Jesus ourselves, we should try, like the shepherds, to tell other people about him. Even little children may very soon be able to do this.

"How glad Mary would be to see these good men, and to hear what a wonderful sight they had seen, and what the angels had told them about her holy Child. And notice what she did; she kept these things, and pondered them in her heart."