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PUZZLES FOR CHILDREN.

BY UNCLE GEORGE.

SCRIPTURAL ENIGMA.

A PROPHET who was called to curse,
And yet did Israel bless;
Labin's young daughter, who, we're told,
Much beauty did possess.

The son of Carmi, covetous,
Who took the accursed thing;
The eldest son of Aaron, who
Death to himself did bring.
A river on whose banks were seen
Visions of God most high;
A mountain on whose lofty height
Aaron was called to die.

The initials of these, if rightly combined,
One of the titles of Christ you will find.

LONDON, BRUNSWICK JUVENILE MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-The annual meeting of this society was held on Monday, May 28th, the chair being occupied by Mr. G. A. K. Hobill. The meeting was varied with addresses by Messrs. H. Moreland, J. Orme, and J. Shrubsall; recitations by the the scholars and singing by the choir. Owing to several important meetings being held in the neighbourhood on the same evening, the attendance was rather small, consequently the collection was also small. The financial statement, taking into account the interruption to our efforts caused by the renovation of our sanctuary, proved very satisfactory, and is as follows:-Collection at annual meeting, £1 28.; given by Christmas Carol singers, 4s. 6d. ; collections in missionary boxes for the year-girls, £3 18s. 9d.; boys, £8 2s.; infants, 17s. 2d.; also collections at quarterly meetings, £1 12s. 10d.; proceeds from Christmastree entertainment, £3 3s. 2d.; by New Year's offering cards, £6 18s. 6d.; by Mr. W. G. Denham's lecture, 158.; Mr. J. R. Shrubsall's box, 168. 93d.; Mr. Crockford's box, 78.; Bertram T. Lee's farthings, 3s.; an offering to the Lord, £5; total income, £36 0s. 9d. ;, deduct expenses, £2 7s. 7d.; nett total, £33 18s. 2d.-H. H. H., Secretary.

ZION CHAPEL, SOUTH SHIELDS. - On Sunday afternoon, May 6th, 1877, we held our Juvenile Missionary Meeting. Mr. E. W. Johnson

occupied the chair. After some appropriate and interesting remarks he called on Miss Morris, who recited the opening address. The secretary read the report, which gave proof of a willingness on the part of our juvenile friends to send missionaries to heathen lands. Mr. G. Thompson gave an able address, and was followed by Miss M. A. Sharp, Maggie Welsh, M. Simpson, A. Welsh, Kate Smith, Masters Charles Underhill, J. Horn, Walter Friar, and George Sharp, who went through the following pieces in a very creditable manner, viz. :-"Missionary Death in the Desert,"Old Spadsie," "Freely ye have received, Freely given," Reading the Bible, "Missionary Enterprise,' What I can do." Hymns were sung by the choir, winding up with the collection piece, all of which were enthusiastically encored by the audience. Amount raised -by cards, £2 13s. 11d.; by box, £2 17s. 3 d., collection, £2 18s. 0žd.; total, £8 9s. 3d.-THOMAS PURVIS, Secretary.

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Memoir.

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AGNES BAYLISS,

WILLENHALL.

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"" 66

When a child she

When

SHE was born at Tividale, September 28th, 1857. was brought to our Sunday school, and became a regular and punctual scholar, ready to go to school and wishful to be there in time. her parents removed to Willenhall, after trying several schools, she came to ours at Frogsell Street, glad to find a school belonging to the denomi nation in which she had been brought up. She became a teacher and also a member of the choir, and was always cheerful and earnest in her work. She was not a fine-weather teacher, wet or dry she was found among her scholars.

Her filial piety must be mentioned with commendation. She showed her love to her parents by her acts. For four successive years, and until her sickness rendered her unable to do it, she every morning took her mother a cup at tea at seven o'clock.

As she lived a Christian life she died a Christian death. She testified to her acceptance in Christ, and her safety in Him as her hope of salva tion. She would ask friends to sing for her "Safe in the arms of Jesus," and affirm that she was safe in His arms. I visited her as she lay on a bed of suffering and pain a few days before she died, when, in answer to questions I put to her, she said she was ready, and that Jesus was hers. On the day before her departure she said to her mother, "Mother, don't break your heart over me as I did over my sister. Don't weep; I am going home to be with Jesus." And so she fell asleep in Him.

"Asleep in Jesus! Blessed sleep

From which none eyer wake to weep;
A calm and undisturbed repose

Unbroken by the last of foes.

"Asleep in Jesus! Oh, for me
May such a blissful refuge be!
Securely shall my ashes lie

Waiting the summons from on high."

W. HOPWOOD.

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HEREVER, throughout the earth, there is such a thing as a formal harvest, there also appears an inclination to mark it with a festive celebration. The wonder, the gratitude, the piety felt towards the Great Author of Nature when it is brought before us that, once more, as it has ever been, the ripening of a few varieties of grass has furnished food for earth's teeming millions, insure that there should everywhere be some sort of feast of ingathering. In England this festival passes generally under the endeared name of Harvest Home.

In the old simple days of England, the grain last cut was brought home in its waggon, called the hock-cart, surmounted by a figure formed of a sheaf with gay dressings-a presumable representation of the goddess Ceres, while a pipe and tabor went merrily sounding in front, and the reapers tripped around in a hand-in-hand ring, singing appropriate songs, or simply by shouts and cries giving vent to the excitement of the day.

Harvest home, harvest home,

We have ploughed, we have sowed,
We have reaped, we have mowed,
We have brought home every load,
Hip, hip, hip, harvest home!

So they sang or shouted.

In Lincolnshire and other districts handbells were carried by those riding on the last load, and the following rhymes were sung:

The boughs do shake, and the bella do ring,

So merrily comes our harvest in,,

Our harvest in, our harvest in,
So merrily comes our harvest in !!

Hurrah!

Troops of village children who had contributed in various ways to the great labour joined the throng, solaced with plum-cake in requital of their little services.

In some provinces it was a favourite practical joke to lay an ambuscade at some place where a high bank or tree gave opportunity and drench the hock-cart with water. Great was the merriment when this was cleverly done, the riders laughing,, while they shook themselves, as merrily as the rest. Under all the rustic jocosities of the occasion there seemed a basis of pagan custom; but it was such

as not to exclude a Christian sympathy. Indeed, the harvest home of Old England was obviously a piece of natural religion, an ebullition of jocund gratitude to the Divine Source of all earthly blessings.

In some parts these harvest-home festivities are continued to the present, though not without some changes in their mode of celebration. There has been a tendency of late to substitute in their place a harvest festival for the whole parish, to which all the farmers contribute and which their labourers may freely attend. This festival is usually commenced with a special service in the church, followed by a dinner in a tent, and continued with rural sports, and sometimes including a tea-drinking for women. This is an excellent institution in addition to the old harvest feast; but that should also be preserved, for as a bond of union between the farmer and his work-people it is of inestimable value.

We have abridged the above from Robert Chambers's "Book of Days," where may be found a full account of harvest festivities. In the following lines these festivities are well described and appropriately moralised upon :-

The rustic song proclaims the work is done,

Each honest labourer's features wear a smile,
For Ceres has bestowed her annual boon-

A plenteous harvest crowns their "useful toil."
And, lo! the last load" leaves the stubble-field's,
And slowly moves along the upland lea;
In checkered groups the glowing landscape yields
A scene of jollity and social glee.

'Tis eve, and from the east, so lovely blue,

With broader disc behold pale Cynthia come!

And oft I turn her full round orb to view,

And muse upon the final "Harvest Home,"
When those who people this wide world shall be
All gathered to their final destiny.

It is now customary to have harvest thanksgiving services in town as well as country villages, and in some instances the church or chapel is appropriately decorated on the occasion with fruits and flowers. These services are very proper, and should be encouraged. They lead us to trace our blessings to their sources, remind us that while we plant and sow it is God which giveth the increase, and give us a special opportunity of attending to the exhortation :-"Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and His wonderful works to the children of men."

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