THE PENNY POST BOX.

First, there is money: she should well understand how much she can afford to spend on food, and how to lay it out to the best advantage, on what is really profitable and nourishing, what is worth the money asked for it, and what may be so portioned out as to secure something comfortable every day. Without a steady plan in these matters, prudently adjusted, and steadily adhered to, a family may be one day living in luxury, and another day half starved. The way habitually to have enough of everything is never to have too much of anything. The want and misery of many families arise, more from want of discretion in managing their resources, than from the real scantiness of their income. Where this is the case, if their income were doubled, they would still be poor and uncomfortable.

Next, there is time: a working man's wife has many things to attend to. She had need to rise early, move about briskly, and make the best of every minute, or her affairs will be all behind-hand and in confusion. Among other things, her family will rarely sit down to a comfortable well-dressed meal. A good manager is known by her forecast. She thinks of what she has to do; she knows when a thing ought to be begun in order to its being finished at the proper time, and she takes care to do it accordingly. In the business of cooking, a minute's timely preparation may save an hour of bustle and discomfort. Even in the difference of having to draw a pail of water, when the pot is wanted to be put on the fire, or having it stand ready for use, may consist the difference between having the family meal ready in proper time, or too late and ill-cooked. To think of things at the proper time; to have a time for everything, and everything to its time, are habits worth many pounds in a year to a family manager, and contribute much to family comfort, whether the house and iucome be large or small.-E. Copley.

The Penny Post Box.

THE POWER OF PRAYER.

JACOB prays-the angel is conquered; Esau's revenge is changed to fraternal love.

Joseph prays he is delivered from the prison of Egypt.
Moses prays-Amalek is discomfited; Israel triumphs.
Joshua prays-the sun stands still; victory is gained.
David prays-Ahithophel goes out and hangs himself.
Asa prays-Israel gains a glorious victory.

Jehoshaphat prays-God turns away his anger and smiles.

Elijah prays-the little cloud appears; the rain descends upon the earth.

Elisha prays-the waters of the Jordan are divided; a child is restored to life.

FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

Isaiah prays-one hundred eighty and four thousand Assyrians are dead.

Hezekiah prays-the sun-dial is turned back, his life is prolonged.
Mordecai prays-Haman is hanged; Israel is free.

Nehemiah prays-the king's heart is softened in a moment.
Ezra prays-the walls of Jerusalem begin to rise.

The Church prays-the Holy Ghost is poured out.

The Church prays again-Peter is delivered by an angel.

Paul and Silas pray-the prison shakes; the doors open; every man's bonds are loosed.

Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry.

Facts.

DURING one month this year (Sep.) the colony of Victoria shipped eighty thousand ounces of gold for England. Last year more than two hundred persons were killed in the streets of London by being run over! This is at the rate of four a week! It is, therefore, perfectly true that it is safer to travel on any railway in England than to walk in the streets of London. Beggars are a costly race. Twentyfive thousand beggars live in England, and have wheedled out of the pockets of benevolent people in one year one million three hundred and seventyfive thousand pounds, or about one third of all the poor-rates of the country.

Hints.

Thorns whiten, yet do nothing.
Trees eat but once.

Good horses make short miles.
Every mile is two in winter.
It is better to have wings than horns.
Fair language grates not the tongue.
A little given seasonably excuses a
great gift.

He goes not out of his way that goes to a good inn.

He that brings good news knocks hard.

He that marries for wealth sells his liberty.

Gems.

When suspicion begins to touch you, the end is near.

A man's worth should be reckoned by what he is, not by what he has.

Christians are like vases, they must pass through the fire ere they can shine.

We are not to seek pain; but when it is sent to us we are not to fret and grumble at it, but to go cheerfully on with it, as though we did not feel it.

Men often hunger and thirst for God when they don't know what ails them.

There is no enduring happiness apart from God.

Heaven will be inherited by every man who has heaven in his soul.

Let the day have a blessed baptism by giving your first waking thoughts into the bosom of God.

There is no lot so hard but there is some goodness to be thanked for. Poetic Selections.

BE JUST, AND FEAR NOT.
SPEAK thou the truth. Let others fence
And trim their words for pay;
In pleasant sunshine or pretence
Let others bask their day.
Guard thou the fact, though clouds of night
Down on thy watchtower stoop;
Though thou should'st see thine heart's
delight

Borne from thee by their swoop.

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Face thou the wind. Though safer seem
In shelter to abide;

We were not made to sit and dream;
The safe must first be tried.

Where God hath set his thorns about,
Cry not, "The way is plain;"
His path within for those without
Is paved with toil and pain.

One fragment of His blessed Word
Into thy spirit burned,

Is better than the whole, half heard,
And by thine interests turned.

Show thou thy light. If conscience gleam,
Set not the bushel down;

The smallest spark may send its beam
O'er hamlet, tower, and town.

Woe, woe, to him on safety bent,
Who creeps from age to youth,
Failing to grasp his life's intent,
Because he fears the truth!

Be true to every inmost thought,
And as thy thought, thy speech;
What thou hast not by suffering bought,
Presume thou not to teach.

Hold on, hold on-thou hast the rock;
The foes are on the sand;
The first world-tempest's ruthless shock
Scatters their shifting strand;

While each wild gust the mist shall clear,
We now see darkly through,

And justified at last appear
The true, in Him that's true.

The Children's Corner.

THE SOFT ANSWER.

Dean of Canterbury.

A STOUT boy who worked in a grocer's shop was one day carrying a big basket filled with oranges and parcels of tea, coffee, sugar, and other good things, along a narrow lane to a house on the edge of the village. As he walked slowly along with his load, a merry little fellow came running in the opposite direction whistling like a lark on a sunny morning. He was a little careless, for he tilted plump against the grocer lad's basket, and knocked it off his arm. Away rolled the bright oranges, and out went the parcels on the dusty path, very much to the chagrin of the errand boy. With hot face, flashing eyes, and closed fists, he squared himself for a fight.

But the little fellow did not wish to fight, for he felt innocent of any intention to do harm to the other. So with a pleasant smile he said: "I'm very sorry. I was careless. I didn't mean to upset your basket. Come, let me help pick up the things."

These were soft words. The spirit of kindness was in them, and it melted the anger from the other boy's heart in a moment. He dropped his arms, and went to picking up his scattered goods. When every; thing was replaced, the boys wished each other good morning, and went their way cheerful and happy.

Now suppose the careless boy had used hard instead of soft words. What then? There would have been a fight, of course. Black eyes, bleeding noses, trampled parcels, squeezed oranges, and fiery passions would have been the evil fruits. Soft words prevented all this, you see. Are not soft words delightful and blessed things? Yes, they are precious pearls. Remember this, and keep lots of them in your mouth ready to drop out when needed. The wise king said, "A soft answer turneth away wrath."

144

WINKS AND SON, PRINTERS, LEICESTER.