THE FIRESIDE. you to understand this. You see, she was a poor woman. It makes me think how my dear old mother used to work late into the night before the old fireplace. And there is no doubt in my mind, girls, but this woman knit those mitts herself to sell at the store the next day for something to eat; but she cast the pair of new mitts-all that she had -into the treasury; from love to her dear Lord." The letter of the sacred text rightly understood always conforms to the spirit of the Scripture; but, of all perversions of the text, that which makes the letter conform to the evident spirit of Bible teachings is least reprehensible. This is certainly a great deal better than twisting the letter into seeming antagonism with the spirit, and then carping at or worrying over the discrepancy. A WIFE WHO DOES NOT SPEAK WELSH.—A Welsh clergyman applied to his diocesan for a living. The bishop promised him one; but as he was taking leave he expressed a hope that his lordship would not send him into the interior of the principality, as his wife could not speak Welsh. "Your wife, sir?" said the bishop, "what has your wife to do with it? She doesn't preach, does she ?" "No, my lord," said the parson, "but she lectures." The Fireside. WHAT MAKES BOW-LEGS.-Bow-legs and knock-knees are among the commonest deformities of humanity, and wise mothers assert that the crookedness, in either case, arises from the afflicted one having been put upon his or her feet too early in babyhood. But a Manchester physician, Dr. Crompton, who has watched for the true cause, thinks differently. He attributes the first mentioned distortion to a habit some youngsters delight in, of rubbing the sole of one foot against that of the other; some will go to sleep with the soles together. They appear to enjoy the contact only when the feet are naked; they don't attempt to make it when they are socked or slippered. So the remedy is obvious; keep the baby's soles covered. Knock-knees, the Doctor ascribes to a different childish habit, that of sleeping on the side, with one knee tucked under the hollow behind the other, -as he has found that where one leg has been bowed inward more than the other, the patient has slept on one side, and the uppermost member has been the most deformed. Here the preventive is to pad the inside of the knees, so as to keep them apart, and let the limbs grow freely their own way. All of which is commended to mothers who desire the physical uprightness of their progeny. TURPENTINE FOR WOUNDS.-For all ordinary burns, spirits of turpentine will be found to give great relief from pain. Turpentine is also an excellent application in cases of punctured wounds. It relieves the pain at once, promotes rapid healing, and tends to prevent sad consequences. TO REMOVE WARTS.-Dip a stick the size of a knitting needle into muriatic acid and touch the top of the wart, night and morning, with what adheres to the stick, will effect a painless cure. Buy a small quantity in a glass-stoppered bottle, keep out of the way of children, off your clothes and skin, and you are safe in using it. To restore the colour of black kid boots take a small quantity of black ink, mix it with the white of an egg, and apply with a soft sponge. NOTES AND QUERIES-FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. Notes and Queries. G. W. T.-Your question is, if we understand it, this: "Whether it is the angels who, because of what they see in men repenting, rejoice over them; or whether their joy is a reflected joy?" We are disposed to think it is the latter. Read the passage again which speaks of this in Luke xv. 10. It is "in the presence of the angels of God." The angels have no subordinate omniscience. They rejoice because of the joy they behold in Christ. Any other explanation is hardly warranted by the words of our Lord. F. S.-Not suitable. Ask your wife. W. B.-We shall be happy to help you if you will explain your meaning a little more fully. G. W.-Yes. The book you speak of is the best of its kind. NANCY.-By all means: only do not let it be too lengthy. We prefer short questions. JANE. Not without further thought. Do nothing rashly. That was the Town Clerk's advice of Ephesus, and the point. was very sensible and very much to "PLAIN TOM."-Write again. Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry. Facts. Germany has no fences. Maine has 131,000 miles of fences. Sweet potatoes are 10 per cent. sugar. New Hampshire contains 5,939,200 acres. American stoves are sold in Japan, Chili, and Germany. The vineyards of southern Germany have been damaged severely by frost. One fifth of the area of Switzerland is in pasture. It is sad but true that we can silence our consciences easier than our desires. A man's first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his heart; the next to escape the censure of the world. To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it. Talents are best nurtured in solitude; character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world. Philosophy is the right exercise of reason in the pursuit and attainment France imports large quantities of of a happy life. rennet from Switzerland. Hints. There is no better every day virtue than cheerfulness. Truth itself, severed from the love of the truth, may be an idol. Life to him who wishes not to have lived in vain is thought and action. The greatest misfortune of all is not to be able to bear misfortune. Those men are worthy to be remembered who have left the world better than they found it. Gems. The youth who does not look up will look down; and a spirit that does not soar is destined to grovel.-Disraeli. The surest sign of age is loneliness. While one finds company in himself and his pursuits, he cannot grow old, whatever his years may be.-Alcott. Affection can withstand a very severe storm of rigour, a long polar frost of downright indifference. Love will subsist on wonderfully little hope, but not altogether without it.-Walter Scott. FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. There are two modes of establishing our reputation-to be praised by honest men, and to be abused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the former, because it will invariably be accompanied by the latter.-Colton. Every man stamps his value on himself. The price we challenge for ourselves is given us. There does not live on earth a man, be his station what it may, that I despise myself compared with him. Man is made great or little by his own will.-Schiller. Hope is the last thing that dies in man, and though it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use to us, that while we are travelling through life it conducts us in an easier and more pleasant way to our journey's end.-Rouchefoucald. Poetic Selections. NO MORE SEA. Naught of decay and change, nor voice of weeping Ruffle the fragrant air. Of that fair land within whose pearly portal The golden light falls soft on fount and tree: Vexed by no tempest, stretch those shores immortal, -Argosy. Where there is no more sea. DAWN. O SWEET, new dawn, awaking The silver stars are losing Their brightness, one by one; To greet the day-spring, fair. Hark! from the elms cool shadows Cometh a burst of song, Triumphant, jubilant, tender, Now soft, now clear and strong. Some bird-heart, glad and thankful Its praise for blessings shown. But the dawn comes on apace; Cometh the dawn's sweet light; And glad hearts, in their gladness, Forget the weary night. IN THE MORNING. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."-Psalm xxx. 5. OUR sorrow will be done, In the morning. Our darkness will be gone, Our toil and pain will be All our dim doubts will die, In the morning. THE HORRORS OF WAR. THE horrors of war have never been shown in more vivid colours than during the last two months. One of the pictures of those horrors was drawn by the English doctors who went into Plevna before it surrendered. The sights they saw on their road to Plevna were horrible, but they were as nothing to the sights which greeted them when they visited the hospitals. Here, in the wretched places which answered for hospitals, living and dead were found lying side by side, sane and insane, small-pox patients and those who were just recovering from fever. Even when an attempt was made to remove the dead, they were taken into the yard, spread out in ghastly rows, and through these rows the convalescent took their exercise. Filth, stench, bad food, few doctors, bad water-such were a few of the things which the doctors noted in the hospital itself. The A darker picture still is drawn by those who report the forgetfulness, certainly worthy of grave censure, of the Russians during their three days' rejoicing after entering Plevna. Not a soul visited the hospitals; and for the whole of these three days the sick and wounded were without water and without food. most horrible sights were seen when, at last, the hospitals were thought of: men, stark and dead, who had crawled in their misery and thirst to the door, and had perished as they crawled; others contorted in death through neglected wounds; others who screamed for water, and who fell back in pale death on tasting a few drops. Another black picture is that shown by the bodies of the Russians which were found, unburied and mutilated, near the trenches of Plevna, where they fell during some of the bloody assaults upon them. But the darkest story still remains: the thousands of old people, of little toddling children, delicate mothers with babes at their breasts, driven forth from their homes, and wandering, without shelter, without food, and shivering in the cold. If anything could add to the horror of all this it is the desolate homes in Russia and Turkey from whence fathers and sons have gone who will never more return. O, horrid war! the curse of men and of nations! "Scatter Thou the men who delight in war!" let this be our daily prayer. THE QUEEN AND THE PEDDLER. THE QUEEN AND THE PEDDLER. A GREAT drunkard in the Highlands of Inverness-shire was led to attend a lecture on temperance. He was induced to become a member of a temperance society. For months the craving of his appetite for strong drink was excessive; but, true to his resolution, he set his face like a flint against every temptation. The marsh of his heart being thus drained of one poison, he next received the seed of the Word into its soil. It was hid there until quickened by the Sun of Righteousness, and nourished by the rains and dews of the Spirit, when it brought forth fruit in Christian life and character. Having no settled occupation, he yet could not be idle, and having by the help of a few friends managed to stock a little box with trinkets and other cheap ware, he set out as a peddler. In the course of his peregrinations, he found himself at Balmoral, and thinking that if he could get the patronage of the Queen, it would help him greatly, he resolved to make the attempt. There was something in his look and manner which at once commended him to the favour of some of the household officials, who had it in their power to put him under the notice of the Earl of Carlisle, then attending the court as a minister of state. The noble earl, with his usual frankness and goodness of heart, sympathised with Donald and promised to recommend his case to the Queen. When her Majesty came to know it, Donald was commanded to appear in the royal presence, and met with a most gracious reception. Not only did the Queen purchase of his wares, but gave him permission to wear the royal arms as the Queen's Peddler, and sent Donald away with a lighter heart and a heavier purse than he had when he entered the royal chamber. On leaving her Majesty, the Earl of Carlisle took Donald to his room, and there presented him with a glass of wine with which to drink the Queen's health. Looking at it, he felt at first a kind of trembling; but then, lifting his heart in prayer for Divine aid, he said, "Your lordship will excuse me; I cannot drink the Queen's health in wine, but I will drink it in water." The noble earl asked his reasons. "My lord," said Donald, “I was a drunkard. I became an abstainer, and I trust by God's grace I have become a Christian; but I know that if I were to taste intoxicating drink, it would at once revive an appetite which is not dead but dying, and I should most likely go the whole length of the drunkard again. God has only promised to support |