was small, but nicely whitewashed: and the few chairs and tables were bright with constant rubbing. By the fireplace was a shelf of books, and on a table against the wall a large Bible and Prayer-book, with a handsome tea-chest, and a work-box,-gifts of the family in whose service she had lived. The old tabby cat sat by the fire, looking sleek and comfortable, and a canary-bird was singing cheerfully in its cage by the door.

Mrs. Payne was a pattern of neatness: she sometimes thought within herself that she was over-anxious about not having a speck of dust on her furniture or her floor. She certainly always begged people to brush their feet on the straw mat before they came in, and had some fears about Olive. "But I won't daunt the poor thing at first," she thought to herself; and when Olive was in the room, and looked with dismay at the dusty marks of her feet on the floor, she said, "Never mind;" and began talking about the weather, and the sandy path; so that Olive was soon at her ease, and, sitting down with her work as Mrs. Payne did, felt quite at home with her, and could listen to what she told her of Mr. and Mrs. Morton, and their wish that she should gain such a knowledge of the Catechism as might help to fit her for being confirmed this year.

Olive seemed rather alarmed. She had heard something of the rite of confirmation, but she thought herself not good enough. "She knew," she said, "it did people some good to go to the bishop to be confirmed, just as the bishop did some good to the new church when it was consecrated; but she did not understand it all—she had not learning enough."

This she hardly knew how to put into words; but Mrs. Payne guessed her meaning, and helped her to make it out.

"Well," she said, smiling, "happily much learning is not needed to make us fit for this, or I am sure I should not be able to teach you about it. When we have read a little together, and you have repeated

your Catechism, we can talk it over; and when I am at a loss, I can ask Mr. Morton. We never need be really perplexed, when we have our appointed minister to go to."

Olive. I suppose he is a very fine man, and knows a wonderful deal. I should like to hear him teach in the school. I should like to begin all over again with the little children.

Mrs. Payne. A great deal is learnt from listening to the teaching given to little children. I always listen to it when I can: it brings things to my mind again. You had many things explained to you, Olive, when you were able to go to school. I daresay you have not forgotten them all?

O. I used to hear about baptism, but I cannot remember it all. I know it is to do one good; but I don't know how. I always thought learning was a fine thing. If I could but have it regularly, as Farmer Lee's girls now have, then, I daresay, I should understand about being baptised, and in time it would do me good. I might get to be like you, ma'am, and like those good people who take the I daresay they are very happy. I am sure I am not. [Here Olive's voice faltered, and she began to cry.]

sacrament.

Mrs. P. My poor girl, you have many trials, I know; but I hope they will prove blessings to you, through God's mercy, and the friends He will give you. We should think what blessings you have, before we talk of your troubles. There is one you certainly have; but I think you do not know much about it.

O. O, tell me! I am afraid I am very wicked; for I know we ought all to be thankful to God. But sometimes I think, and think, and cannot find out what blessings I have. Every thing seems to go against me.

Mrs. P. My dear, I think you may be like a person I have heard of. She was very poor, and that through her own fault; for she neglected her

duties (not that I mean to say, Olive, that you are like her in that); and she lost all her friends. But one lady, who had been kind to her, did not give her up; and promised one day to send her a Bible. She sent it neatly done up in brown paper; and this careless woman, not being eager to use it, let it lie unopened on her shelf. Long afterwards, a visitor had the curiosity to open it, and found inside of the parcel a sovereign, which the lady had sent with it. Now, the thing in which you are like this woman is, that you have a treasure, as she had the sovereign; but you do not know of it, or make use

of it.

O. How is that, ma'am?

Mrs. P. Only say the beginning of your Catechism, and we shall see.

Olive repeated it very exactly.]

Mrs. P. Now what I want you to notice, my dear, is, that you have just said you are already "made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.”

O. Inheritor,-that means

Mrs. P. It means-to have the expectation, or promise, of it, as some people have of a large fortune, or a fine house. as Squire Danvers' son will inherit Old Court after his father's death. Well, is not this a treasure worth far more than money ? And you never knew that you had it! So you have not used it to make yourself thankful for having such privileges and blessings. You have not prayed to God to keep that Holy Spirit in you which was given you at that time. You have not trusted in the strength of that Spirit to help you to be contented, and cheerful, and hopeful.

-we must

O. But is it wicked not to be hopeful? Mrs. P. Faith, hope, and charity, pray and strive for them all. You must try particularly to hope; for you seem naturally low-spirited, and given to despond. Poor thing, I know you have not so much to cheer you as many have. But you

have that treasure we have been speaking of, Olive. Don't forget that. The same treasure that the best people have, Mr. and Mrs. Morton, and all good and holy people, -the very same was given you when you were baptised. But, now I have a book lent me by Mr. Morton; and as you can read-but perhaps you will understand it better, if I read it to you.

After she had read, Mrs. Payne made Olive repeat the Catechism through, correcting her when she said the words wrong. She advised her to look it carefully over in her Prayer-book. She then talked to her of the school, and what the children did there, and of several things which might help to make Olive better acquainted with her. And, not wishing to give her too much teaching at once, she parted from her kindly, begging her to think of what she had said against her next visit. Olive promised to do so, and went slowly and thoughtfully along the sandy path to Brokenford.

[To be continued.]

Who shall ascend the mount of God?
Who fearless rise on high,
And stand in the most holy place,
Beneath th' all-seeing Eye?

The pure of hand, the stainless heart,
Which no ill dreams defile,

The soul not lifted up in lies,
The tongue unsworn in guile.

He, in the blessing of the Lord
Shall ask and have his part;
The God of all salvation pour
True goodness on his heart.

The Black Bear.

BESIDES the white bears that you have heard about, there are several other kinds, one of which is quite black. Here is a curious story for you to read about a black bear; but first you must know a little about the country where it happened; perhaps some day you may hear more about that country. Perhaps you may have heard the name of it already-America. There are English people living there, and you may have heard speak of them: those English who have been born there, whose parents lived there before them, and their parents too, are now called Americans. But, besides the English people settled in America, there are other people who lived there before the English came-wild and savage people, most of them still heathen, who live in the woods, and are very fierce. And besides these savage people belonging to the country, who are commonly called Indians, there are Africans or Negroes, who have been brought from another country called Africa, and are slaves to the English Americans. They speak English; but not very well. Did you ever see one of these people called Negroes? They sometimes come to England. They have black skins instead of white; and they have hair like wool.

And now you shall hear this curious story.

Once upon a time an American gentleman had an old African servant [a negro], who had lived in his family many years. He was named Cæsar. He used often to listen, on the long winter evenings, to the stories that the other servants told, as they sat round the kitchen-fire, about the wars of the English people with the Indians; and he heard these stories with great fear and wonder. Near his master's house he had seen buildings made of wood, on different parts of a hill, where the English used formerly to defend themselves against the Indians, but which were now used for store-houses to hold cyder, and corn, and grain. In these wooden buildings there were long, slanting holes through the thick walls, meant for the people within the building to shoot from. And there was an old musket (or gun) laid up, which was used in former times for shooting the Indians when they came against the English. From all these things which Cæsar, the