One of the servants who had been away from the farm some weeks, on returning and going in to see Jonathan, the boy greeted him with the words, "We shall meet on the beautiful shore." About one o'clock on the Sunday morning, he sang the hymn, “ Oh, think of the home over there," right through, and then quoted many passages from our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. On Monday morning about two o'clock he sang his last hymn on earth : "Sweeping through the gates of the New Jerusalem, He died on Tuesday evening, April 4th, 1876, in the twelfth year of his age. So quiet were his last moments they seem to be best described by Newton "One gentle sigh the fetters broke, We scarce could say he's gone, Before his willing spirit took Its mansion near the throne." When in health he was a strong boy and fond of play; honest and truthful, civil and obliging, obedient to parents and teachers, he was loved and respected by all who knew him. His funeral sermon was preached in our chapel at Hunshelf by the Rev. J. Graham on Sunday, June 4th, 1876. J. B. Poetry. DISCONTENTED MARGARET. "MOTHER, I wish that I were rich As Bell and Clara Gray, [them, And had a splendid coach, like To ride in every day. "You must not question, dearest Why God does so and so; [child, The wealth is His: He knows on His bounty to bestow. [whom "Nothing do you deserve from God, And yet you've parents dear, Food, clothing, home, and all you For many, many a year. [need "Be grateful and contented, then, And strive to do what's right. Rather than wish for others' wealth, Your duty keep in sight. "The riches of God's grace and love Humbly implore each day; "Their garden is so large and fine, [end, [dolls Nor sigh for earthly vanities BEN BARLOW'S BUDGET. By TOM BROWN, Author of " A Year at School," &c., &c. have the pick. I will write to tell him what to do. Did you have much skating? Wasn't it provoking? I left my skates at home, and could only slide while the rest were skating; and, there, the very morning father sent the skates we had a thaw, and it has been wet ever since. I say, Tom, you should see some of our fellows skate! I thought Mr. Jones could do it well, but there are a dozen here as good skaterss as he, and one of the masters-a Scotchman of the name of Mac-pherson-can cut him out altogether. Talk about figures of eight and such things! why, he can write with his skates any name you like to set him! Remember me to any of the boys who ask about me.. Il remain, your old schoolfellow, BEN BARLOW.. Letter No. 9. From BEN BARLOW to "BOB." Waterside House, Worcester, Jan. 30th, 187—. DEAR BOB, I have arranged to swop three of the young rabbits for two of Tom Blunt's blue ones. Mind and choose the strongest of the lot, and put them in the driest hutch-that next to the fowl-pen. I hope the pigeons and fowls are all right. Give old Carlo a patt for me. Yours truly, BEN BARLOW. Letter No. 10. From CHARLIE THORNTON to BEN BARLOW. MY DEAR BEN,— High Street, Woodbourne, Feb. 28th, 187-. Many thanks for your two letters, and especially for the last long one. I must beg pardon for not answering them before. Ones reason was that I had nothing very new to tell you, and the other was that I did not like to write a short note in reply to two long letters, so I kept putting it off until I could sit down for a long spell.. I intended writing last Saturday, but, for a wonder, the weather was beautifully fine, and so a few of us went for a stroll into Upleigh Wood. It was jolly! We hadn't been since we fetched the evergreens for Christmas, and to our surprise we found lots of snowdrops in bloom, and even a few violets in warm corners. But I must tell you what a grand time we had on the ice the Saturday after you left. The mill had not been at work for several days; the water was level with the top of the floodgate, and there was thick ice to within three yards of the weir. Tom Blunt, John Williams, and I were on it from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon, excepting the few minutes spent in bolting breakfast and dinner. At three I had to go and help father in the shop, but I left half the boys on then. Mr. Jones was there soon after breakfast skating beautifully and cutting figures and flourishes on the ice. When there were enough of us there, we started a game at "bandy." The master took one side, and I had the other, with two extra players to make up for the master. We got the lead, and for nearly an hour we kept the other side out. It was glorious play, I can tell you! I wish you could have seen some of Mr. Jones's hits! You know the thin blackthorn stick he always plays with; well, directly he struck it, the ball seemed to fly right to the other end of the pond; but I always took care to send Tom Blunt down there, and he stopped the balls with his heavy down hits, and bandied them back safe to me before any of the other side could get hold of them. When I left at three o'clock we had just finished our second innings -the master's side had only won one. I left Tom Blunt in charge of our side, and he won again before dark. You will be glad to know that I have kept second in the class for the last fortnight. Of course Joe Bland still keeps at the top. I wish I were like him-but I don't know-I should like his brains to study with, but I should not like to be as quiet as he is in the playground, though he seems to enjoy himself in his way, and everybody likes him. I think I told you I meant to learn all I could in this half-year. Father thinks of getting me into some situation by the end of that time. He won't be able to keep me at school much longer. How are you getting on in your lessons? Tom Blunt and a lot of our boys send love to you. Father and mother wish to be kindly remembered, and I remain, yours very truly, CHARLIE THORNTON. P.S. Have you paid Ted Instone out for his pranks yet? I should so like to come and help you. Letter No. 11. From Mrs. BARLOW to BEN BARLOW. MY DEAR SON BEN, The Laurels, Woodbourne, March 4th, 187—. I hope you are well and happy and learning all you can. I am glad to hear of you enjoying yourself as you do, but I sometimes wish your letters were not quite so full of sports, and that you said a little about your lessons and how you are getting on. Life is by no means all play, and you are getting old enough now to take a pleasure in study. Mind, I am not lecturing you, but I want my son to learn to be a useful man some day. I sent your clean linen this afternoon by rail, and hope it will arrive safely. But, Ben, I was very much put about, on receiving your last basket of clothes for the wash, to see part of them covered with mud and discoloured as if you had fallen in the water. I hope you have met with no accident, but if you have, you must let me know all about it. Are you hurt at all, or have you taken cold from getting wet? You cannot understand how anxious we all are about you. I trust you are keeping a good character at school. You recollect what your father has often told you-Be brave and truthful, and you will keep clear of quite half the dangers that beset your path. Never forget your prayers, my dear boy, and if you feel tempted to do anything you would be ashamed of, think of what we at home expect of you. Your dear father would rather see you beg your bread in the streets than have you tarnish your good name. And remember that every night in the old home the warmest and most earnest supplications that rise from your mother's lips to her heavenly Father are on behalf of her only son away at school. Your father and Clara and Helen join me in love to you. Bob sends his love too, and wishes me to say the rabbits he got from Master Blunt are beauties-blue ones he calls them. I remain, my dear Ben, your affectionate MOTHER. Letter No. 12. From BEN BARLOW to CHARLIE THORNTON. MY DEAR CHARLIE,— Waterside House, Worcester, I got your letter all right, and was glad to hear you beat the master's side at "bandy." But I expect he allowed you to choose the best players; for he is a tremendous hitter, and if there had been three or four really good players on his side, he would have been more than a match for you. The boys here never heard of the game until I told them, but I showed them how to play, and we had two very fair games. You see I had left my skates at home, and I was glad to get them to play at what I could join in. Of course none of them had got a proper stick besides me, but they got some out of the hedges and off the pollards. Two or three of them had a narrow escape of being locked up for damaging the fences. I am only doing middling at my lessons. I get through them pretty well, except Latin and Algebra. Dr. Tasker says I ought to |