spiritual welfare. I said to him, 'I have
taken care of you these nineteen years, for the Lord.' He said, 'Yes,
these nineteen years,' but did not proceed. He asked one of his friends
to pray, which he did. After this he ceased to speak, and sank,
continuing to breathe hard, without a struggle, until the precious
spirit took its everlasting flight a little before eight o'clock,
January 19."

I have thus given, from the notes furnished by the bereaved and
mourning, but grateful and comforted mother, a sketch of the closing
hours and dying scene of this youth, which, in connection with the
similar scene in the younger brother, beautifully and strongly
illustrates the precious trust committed to mothers, the importance and
value of maternal influence, and the encouragement to its faithful and
wisely-directed exercise.

T. D. W.

* * * * *

Original.

THE WASTED GIFT; OR, "JUST A MINUTE."

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy
might."--ECCLESIASTES 9:10.

(Continued from page 128.)

That evening a little schoolmate came to visit her; they played several
amusing games, and Emily staid up much past her usual hour. The next
morning when her mother called her, she felt very sleepy, and unwilling
to rise, so instead of jumping up at once, she turned her head on the
pillow thinking "I will get up in a minute." But in less than that
minute she was fast asleep again, and did not awake until aroused by
Mary the nurse, whose voice sounded close in her ear, exclaiming,

"Why, Miss Emily, are you in bed yet! Here have I been looking all
through the house and garden for you. Jump up quick, breakfast is just
over."

You may be sure Emily did not wait a second bidding, but hurrying on her
clothes, hastened down stairs without even thinking about saying her
prayers, which no little child should ever forget to do, because it is
the kind and merciful God who keeps us safely through the night, and our
first thoughts when we awaken should be gratitude to him for protecting
us, and we should pray to Him to keep us all day out of sin and danger,
and teach us how to improve the time which He has intrusted to our care.

Emily thought of none of these things, but ran down to the
breakfast-room, feeling rather ashamed of being so late. Her papa had
finished his breakfast, and gone out, and when her mother looked up to
the clock as she entered, she saw that it wanted t