et to be allowed to pray
Our sins may be forgiven;
With filial confidence to say,
"Father, who art in heaven"!

With humble hope to bend the knee,
And, free from folly's leaven,
Confess that we have strayed from thee,
Thou righteous Judge in heaven!

And if to make all sin depart
In vain the will has striven,
He who regards the inmost heart
Will send his grace from heaven.

If from the bosom that is dear
By cold unkindness driven,
The heart that knows no refuge here
Shall find a friend in heaven.

Then hail, thou sacred, blessed day,
The best of all the seven,
When hearts unite their vows to pay
Of gratitude to Heaven.

THE GOOD BOY'S HYMN ON GOING TO BED.

How sweet to lay my weary head
Upon my quiet little bed,
And feel assured, that all day long
I have not knowingly done wrong!

How sweet to hear my mother say,
"You have been very good to-day!"
How sweet to see my father's joy
When he can say, "My dear, good boy!"

How sweet it is my thoughts to send
To many a dear-loved distant friend,
And feel, if they my heart could see,
How very happy they would be!

How sweet to think that He whose love
Made all these shining worlds above
My pure and happy heart can see,
And loves a little boy like me.

[Illustration]

GOD IS GOOD.

Thou art good! Each perfumed flower,
Waving fields, the dark green wood,
The insect fluttering for an hour,--
All things proclaim that God is good.

I hear it in each breath of wind;
The hills that have for ages stood,
And clouds with gold and silver lined,
All still repeat that God is good.

Each little rill, that many a year
Has the same verdant path pursued,
And every bird, in accents clear,
Joins in the song that God is good.

The restless sea, with haughty roar,
Calms each wild wave and billow rude,
Retreats submissive from the shore,
And swells the chorus, "God is good."

The countless hosts of twinkling stars,
That sing his praise with light renewed;
The rising sun each day declares,
In rays of glory, God is good.

The moon, that walks in brightness, says,
That God is good! and man, endued
With power to speak his Maker's praise,
Should still repeat that God is good.

EV