THE CHILDREN'S BOOK-SUELF.

By the EDITOR.

OMETIMES when I sit down to write for the entertainment or instruction of my young friends, I ask myself whether what I am doing will be of any service to them. How many will read with care what I write ? And of those who do, how many will attend to what I say? Has any boy now who read what I said about books last month got his father to put up, in some snug corner of the house, a nice little shelf for his books? Or has any girl done this? I will suppose that both boys and girls have done it, and you are now looking down this page to see what books I shall recommend to you.

Well, I hope you will not be surprised nor disappointed when I advise you to let the first book you put on your newly-acquired shelf be THE BIBLE. Most of you will perhaps say that you have a Bible already. I hope you have. It is one of the first books every child should be able to call his own.

But what sort of a Bible is it that you have.? There was a time, not very long ago, when Bibles were very scarce and very dear. They were generally printed on good paper and in clear type, but they cost a deal of money. Some good men thought this was to be deplored. They loved the Bible, and found it to be a great blessing to them, and so they wished others to be able to get the precious book. This led

them to form a society to print a great many Bibles, and to sell them at such prices that even poor people might afford to buy them. Somehow there is always a drawback even in the doing of good things in this world, and I fear that making Bibles plentiful and cheap is not an exception to this statement. The Bible is not esteemed by some as it ought to be, because it is such a common book, and this feeling of disesteem is increased in some minds by the forbidding appearance of the Bible as a book—the paper, and print, and binding being of any but an attractive character. But there are beautiful Bibles to be had, and at a reasonable price, too. Of late years especially has it been so, as if the conviction had come into the minds of its publishers that so good a book as the Bible is morally ought to be a good book in its material and workmanship.

My advice to my young friends is that they get a nice copy of the Holy Scriptures to put on their book-shelf. But by a nice copy I do not mean one that is very fine, with much gilt and ornamentation on its covers. I mean one that is well printed on good paper, and bound with neat elegance, so that, as far as the getting up of the book is concerned, to see and use it shall be a pleasure.

For this is the purpose for which the Book must be had, not for the filling up or ornamentation of the shelf, but for use.

And how shall a child use the Bible? Some will think this a very simple question, which admits but of one answer, and that readily given-he must read it. Yes, that is true, he must read the Bible, but how to do this requires a little direction. There are parents and teachers who would tell a child to read the Bible right through, from beginning to end. The great Mr. Ruskin tells us that his mother made him do this as soon as he was able to read, she, however, read

ing alternate verses with him. "In this way," he says, "she began

with the first verse of Genesis, and went straight through to the last verse of the Apocalypse; hard names, numbers, Levitical law, and all, and began again at Genesis next day." Mr. Ruskin says he derived great benefit from becoming thus acquainted with the contents of the Bible at so early an age. Still I would not recommend any other mother to imitate his mother's example, for in most instances I fear it would end in making the Bible an object of dislike to the child thus treated.

The Bible is God's Book, holy men wrote it as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, therefore the Bible should ever be approached with reverence and affection. As a rule, it ought not to be put to a lower purpose than that for which it was given. I think it very unwise to make it a school-book in which we first learn to read. And especially would I refrain from making it a task-book, portions of which are to be committed to memory as a punishment for some failure of duty. We should do with God's Book as we do with His name-hallow it. All our associations with it should be of a pleasant and attractive kind.

My dear young friends, I wish to impress on your minds that having such a book as the Bible to read is one of the most precious privileges that could be given to you. You will understand the meaning of this statement the more as you grow older and gain greater intelligence. It is to having this book, and our fathers having had it hundreds of years ago, that we owe all the difference betweeen ourselves and the heathen who are without God and without hope in the world.

Be thankful, then, for your Bible, and read it not as a task, or merely from a sense of duty, but from a desire to know what it teaches, that you may thereby be made wise unto salvation. At first read those parts that are easiest and most interesting to you-its narratives and histories. What can be more charming than a great deal of the history found in the Book of Genesis-the history of the patriarchs, for instance, and especially the history of Joseph ? As you grow in years, and your capacity for knowledge increases, you will find the parts that you cannot now understand to become easy and instructive, though even to the end of your life you will undoubtedly find in it many things hard to be understood. Still, you will be so blessed by your knowledge of the truths it teaches, those truths will inspire you with such hopes, enrich you with such consolations, and fortify you with such principles, that the Bible will

become to you the most precious of all books, and with a very sincere heart you will utter the prayer

PUZZLES FOR CHILDREN.

BY UNCLE GEORGE.

SCRIPTURAL ENIGMA.

1. You will name, as my first, King David's fourth son;
2. Then one who "good works and almsdeeds " had done;
3. Next, one who was king, and a great city built;

4. Then, a prophet who David reproved for his guilt;
5. Next, one who was named when the glory was gone;
6. Then, he who o'er Jabin a victory won;

7. Now, name the fair garden where Adam was found;
8. Then, a king who was carried to Babylon bound;
9. Then, next name the father of Samuel the seer;
10. The father of Othniel, next, make appear.

Then take the initials, a king you will see;
As he punished others, so punished was he.

36, Falmouth Road, London.
Randolph Street, Sunderland.
3, Montague Street, London.
Stour Hill, Quarry Bank.
Fore Street, St. Ives.

64, Bondgate Street, Alnwick.
67, Roebuck Road, Sheffield.
24, South Terrace, St. Ives.
Fore Street, St. Ives.

44, High Street, Shrewsbury.
75, Lawrence Street, Sunderland.
Stour Hill, Quarry Bank.
High Street, Willington.

29, Melbourne Street, Stalybridge.
7, Peckitt Street, York.

19, Cromford Street, Nottingham.
193, Four Ways, Cradley Heath.
Lees, near Manchester.
Cross Park Street, Batley.
10, Crane Street, Chester.

Our young friends may expect their prizes with the March parcels.

Memoirs.

-0

JONATHAN COULDWELL

WAS the eldest son of our esteemed friends, Geo. and Hannah Couldwell, of Dean Head, Hunshelf. His parents, anxious for his spiritual welfare, sent him when but a child to our Sunday school at Hunshelf. There he was a remarkably quiet and attentive boy. He was also one of the foremost in answering questions put by his teacher or the superintendents of the school.

At school he made rapid progress in learning, and could recite many portions of Scripture. and also many of our Sunday-school hymns, from memory. This dear boy, whose early removal has caused so much sorrow to the loved ones at home, took a deep interest in religious conversation with his mother, and often expressed a desire to be a true Christian.

When he did wrong he would at once confess it, and express regret. Usually his obedience was prompt and loving. These traits of character were a hopeful sign as to the Christian life he so much desired to live. And yet it was not until his short and severe illness that the evidence of a renewed heart was fully seen. For three weeks and two days he suffered very much from heart disease and congestion of the lungs. But though he suffered so much his patience never failed, and his grateful expressious to those who attended him won their admiration and love. At the commencement of his sickness he seeemed to think that he would not get better. The first Sabbath evening he sang that beautiful hymn beginning

"The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathising Jesus,"

right through. About three o'clock on Monday morning he inquired where his father was. On being told that he was watching the sheep, he recited the whole of the 23rd Psalm. He then sang, "Safe in the arms of Jesus."

Soon after he became insensible, and was unable to speak to anyone until the Friday afternoon. His mother and a friend were watching and weeping over him, thinking he was nearly gone, when he opened his eyes and said, "Mother, don't cry; we shall meet again in glory, glory, where all is holy, holy. Then, mother

"Beyond the river's brink I'll lay

The cross that here is given;
And bear the cross of life away,
And love Him more in heaven.""

This hymn, and "Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole," seemed to be particular favourites with him. He spent the whole of Friday night in praying, singing, and reciting various portions of Scripture.

An aged Christian standing by his bedside shed tears of joy to see him in such a heavenly state of mind, and, turning round, said, "Oh, that our latter end may be like his!"

"No

On Saturday morning he called, 'Mother, who are these?" one but myself, love." "Oh, yes; angels are around my bed, and Jesus has sent them to wipe away all tears from my eyes." At the close of the day he sang, "A day's march nearer home."