graft, and he watched it with great care.

The second year

They were said

it blossomed, but it bore but one pear. to be a very nice kind of pear, and my father was quite anxious to see if they came up to the man's promises. This single pear, then, was an object of some concern to my father. He wanted it to become fully ripe; the high winds, he hoped, would not blow off the pear; and he gave express directions to all the children on no account to touch it. The graft was low, and easily reached by us. It grew finely. I think that graft will meet my expectations,' said my father, many times to my mother. I hope, now, there is some prospect of our having good pears.' Everybody who came to the garden he took to the graft, and everybody said, 'It will prove to be a most excellent pear.'

"It began to look very beautifully; it was full and round; a rich red glow was gradually dyeing its cheeks, and its grain was clear and healthy. Is it not almost ripe? I long for a bite,' I cried, as I followed father one day down the alley to the pear-tree. • Wait patiently, my child; it will not be fully ripe for a week,' said my father.

"I thought I loved pears better than anything else. Often I used to stop and look longingly up to this. 'O how good it looks!' I used to think, smacking my lips; I wish it was all mine. The early apples did not taste as good; the currants were not as relishing, and the damsons I thought nothing of in comparison with this pear. The longer I stopped alone under the pear-tree the greater my longing for it, until I was seized with the idea of getting it. 'O, I wish I had it!' was the selfish thought that gradually got uppermost in my mind.

"One night, after we were in bed, my brothers fell asleep long before I did; I tossed about and could not get to sleep. I crept up and went to the window. It was a warm still summer night: there was no moon; no noise except the hum of numberless insects. My father and mother were gone away. I put my head out of the window and peeped into the garden. I traced the dark outlines

direction of the pear-tree. My mouth was parched;

of the trees. I glanced in the The pear-tree-then the pear! I was thirsty. I thought how good a juicy pear would taste. I was tempted. A few moments found me creeping down the back stairs, with neither shoes, stockings, nor trousers on. The slightest creaking frightened me. I stopped on every stair to listen. Nancy was busy somewhere else, and John had gone to bed. At last I fairly felt my way to the garden door. It was fastened. It seemed to take me ages to unlock it, so fearful was I of making a noise, and the bolt grated. I got it open, went out, and latched it after me. It was good to get out in the cool night air. I ran down the walk. The patting of my feet made no noise on the moist earth. I stopped a moment and looked all round, then turned in the direction of the pear-tree. Presently I was beneath its branches.

6

"Father will think the wind has knocked it off; but there was not a breath of air stirring. Father will think somebody has stolen it-some boys came in the night and robbed the garden-he'll never know. I trembled at the thought of what I was about to do. I leaned against the trunk of the tree and raised my hand to find it, and to snatch it. On tiptoe, with my hand uplifted, and my head turned upward, I beheld a star looking down upon me through the leaves. THOU GOD SEEST ME!' escaped from my lips. The star seemed like the eye of God spying me out under the pear-tree. I was so frightened I did not know what to do. Thou God seest me,' I could not help saying over and over again. God seemed on every side. He was looking me through and through. I was afraid to look, and hid my face. It seemed as if father and mother, and all the boys, and everybody in town, would take me for a thief. It appeared as though all my conduct had been seen as by the light of day. It was some time before I dared to move, so vivid was the impression made upon my mind by the awful truth in these four words, Thou God seest me!' I knew he saw me. I felt that he

saw me.

“I hastened from the pear-tree; nothing on earth would at that moment have tempted me to touch the pear. With very different feelings did I creep back to my bed again. I lay down beside Asa, feeling more like a condemned criminal than anything else. No one in the house had seen me! but, O! it seemed as if everybody knew it, and I should never dare meet my father's face again. It was a great while before I went to sleep. I heard my parents come home, and I involuntarily hid my face under the sheet. But I could not hide myself from a sense of God's presence. His eyes seemed everywhere, diving into the very depths of my heart. It started a train of influences which, God be praised, I never got over. If I was ever tempted to any secret sin, Thou God scest me,' stared me in the face, and I stood back restrained and awed."

The gentleman finished; his story interested me greatly. I think it will interest many children. I hope it will do more than interest them; I hope it may do them much good. "Thou God seest me." Those four little words are from the Bible. Hagar uttered them. She fled in anger from her mistress, Sarah, and went into the wilderness. An angel met her by the fountain of waters. The angel bade her return to her mistress, and told her some things in her life, which Hagar thought nobody knew but herself. "Thou God seest me," she exclaimed. Then she knew it was the angel of God, for nobody but he could look into the most secret things. Children, learn these four small words. Impress them upon your heart. Think of them when you lie down, when you get up, and when you go by the way, when alone or when with your companions, both at home and abroad, remember, "Thou God seest me."-American Messenger.

PULL IT UP BY THE ROOT.

"FATHER, here is a dock," said Thomas, as he was at work with his father in the garden; "shall I cut it off close to the root?"

"No," replied his father, "that will not do; I have cut it up myself many times, but it grows again stronger than ever. Pull it up by the root, for nothing else will kill it."

Thomas pulled again and again at the dock, but the root was very deep in the ground, and he could not stir it from its place; so he asked his father to come and help him and his father went and soon pulled it up.

"This dock root, Thomas," said his father, "which is an evil and fast-growing weed in a garden, puts me in mind of the evil things that grow so fast in the hearts of children. A bad passion, even when found out, is hard to be removed; it is of no use to trifle with it; there is no way to overcome and destroy it but to pull it up by the root. You have often seen in our garden, Thomas, that when the weeds are allowed to grow they spoil all the plants and flowers that grow near them. So it is with evil passions in the heart of a child. If a little boy is illtempered, we must not expect to find him in good humour, cheerfulness, thankfulness, and desire to make others happy. And a little girl who is idle, we need not expect to be industrious, neat, or cheerful. As weeds injure the flowers, so bad passions will injure good qualities. If a child is undutiful to his parents, and despises the commandments of God, we might as well look for a rose or tulip in a bed of nettles, as hope to find in his heart those graces or good desires that we love to see growing there. Now this is quite a sufficient reason why all bad passions should be pulled up by the root. Every bad habit, every evil passion, which troubles you, you should try with all your heart and mind to overcome; you should, if possible, tear it up. But as you will find your own strength but weakness, go straightway to that Almighty Friend who alone is able to strengthen and assist you. He can take from your hearts the love of sin; and this is the only way of destroying it, as we have destroyed the dock by pulling it up by the root."-Christian Treasury.

THE PALACE OF ANGELS.

In the number of this Magazine for last January, was given an engraving of a most wonderful building, and of gigantic dimensions. The inhabitants of nearly every nation have heard something of its erection. Millions of persons from all parts of the world will go to behold it, and its wonderful sights within; the dazzling jewels of earth; the skilfully wrought articles; the costly costumes of the East; the rich and rare of the West; the curious mechanism of our own country; and of other lands; beautiful specimens of natural productions, and some of the most astonishing wonders of art, will be seen there.

When the sun in his glory shall shine forth upon this magnificent building, who will be able to look upon it without being dazzled at the sight; the glittering appearance of this Palace of Glass will truly excite in the mind of its beholders, wonder and astonishment; and when the ear shall listen to the music sounding so soft and sweet within, and the eye looks upon the curious inhabitants from other shores and other climes, the scene will be like a marvellous fiction. Money will procure admission for all, but the people will not remain long there, they will pass in and out, and will have to return to their own homes and country, and the building itself will not stand for ever, but will be taken down, and in a short time all will be as though it had never been. Many of our young friends from our country towns and villages would like to have an opportunity of seeing it; many preparations have been made, and many more will be made for going to see it; proper arrangements must be made, and rules and regulations must be attended to, before you can get within its doors.

Let me now tell you of a Palace more noble in its structure than the Glass Palace in London; it is so large that no human mind can describe its dimensions; it is so beautiful within and without, that no human pen can describe its beauties; its pathway is paved with gold; its walls are built of purest jasper; the sun for ever shines