the grown people first sit down at His
banquet; and if there is anything over the little ones may come in for a
share.

No, no! If the supply at the Lord's table were limited, He would let the
children come in first and the older ones go without, as a punishment for
not having come in while they themselves were children. If the wind is from
the northeast, and the air is full of frost and snow, and part of the flock
must be left out on the mountains, let it be the old sheep, for they can
stand it better than the lambs. O Shepherd of Israel, crowd them all in
before the coming of the tempest!

Myself.--Dominie Scattergood, what do yow think of this discussion in the
papers on the subject of liturgies?

Scattergood.--I know there has been much talk of late about liturgies in
the churches, and whether or not audiences should take audible part in
religious service. While others are discussing that point, let me say that
all the service of the Church ought to be responsive if not with audible
"Amen," and unanimous "Good Lord, deliver us," then with hearty outburst of
soul.

Let not the prayer of him that conducts public service go up solitary and
alone, but accompanied by the heartfelt ejaculation of all the auditory. We
sit down on a soft cushion, in a pew by architectural skill arranged to fit
the shape of our back, and are tempted to fall into unprofitable reveries.
Let the effort be on the part of every minister to make the prayer and the
Scripture-reading and the giving out of the hymn so emphatic that the
audience cannot help but respond with all the soul.

Let the minister, before going into the pulpit, look over the whole field
and recall what are the styles of bereavement in the congregation--whether
they be widowhood, orphanage or childlessness; what are the kinds of
temporal loss his people may recently have suffered--whether in health, in
reputation or estate; and then get both his shoulders under these troubles,
and in his prayer give one earnest and tremendous lift, and there will be
no dullness, no indifference, no lack of multitudinous response.

The reason that congregations have their heads bobbing about in prayer-time
is because the officiating clergyman is apt to petition in the abstract. He
who calls the troubles of his people by their right names, and tenderly
lays hold of the cancers of the souls before him, will not lack in getting
immediate heartfelt, if not audible, response.

While we have no