act or feel badly, when we are not quite sure that they do. And we should never think ill of others, because we should not like them to speak ill of us. You see that the Golden Rule teaches us all this." “Yes, papa," said Bella; “but I cannot do as the Golden Rule teaches." “And why cannot you, my dear little girl? Do you know the reason ?”. “No, papa.” But Bella said these words slowly; and as she spoke the colour came in her face, for there was something within that told her it was her own fault when she did not obey that sweet and easy law. Her papa said, “ The reason is because you have a sinful heart, Bella, that does not love to obey the law of God. Ought not this to make you very sorry ?” “ Yes, papa; I am sorry.” “And I want you to feel sorry, very sorry indeed, not only that you have been unkind to your brother or sister, or that you have grieved papa or mamma, but that you should sin against God, who is so good to you, and gives laws that would make you happy. You must own your sin to God, and beg to be forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died to save sinners. I will repeat to you the prayer of one who was very sorry for his sin ; and you, like him, may say, 'Against Thee have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. I own my sin. Have mercy upon me, O God. Wash me from my sins, and blot them out of thy book.' If your heart thus pray, it will rejoice you to learn that God is good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him: and “the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.' “But you want something besides pardon. You want this naughty heart to be changed, and filled with love to God and his service. · Well, here is a prayer for that, too, and a promise to answer it, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in me.' • A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you : and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit within you.' 'I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."" The good parents prayed for their dear little girl, and for all their children, that they might share these great blessings, and be helped by the Holy Spirit to love the Lord God with all their hearts, and their neighbour as themselves, and to do to others as they would wish to be done unto. Bella was observed to be more thoughtful and kind in her words and actions. For one thing, without saying anything, she took away Emma's broken top, and put her own whole one in the place; and in all things she took more pains to do what she thought would give pleasure to others, and to avoid what was likely to grieve. Though she did not so often talk about the Golden Rule, her parents hoped that she felt more sincere desire to govern herself by it. . Young reader, when you think of this Golden Rule, and think how apt you are to break it, you may well say of it as Bella's mother taught her to say, “ How short and sweet ! how good and plain ! Easy to learn and to retain ! OUTSIDE AND INSIDE. dates in lily repeatin various pattern figures in ONE evening in October, Agnes and Julia Wilson were sitting in the cheerful parlour of their comfortable home. Julia had shut her books for some time, and employed herself in drawing on her slate little figures in bonnets and dresses of various patterns. Agnes was steadily repeating in a halfówhisper the dates in her lesson on ancient history, whilst their mamma was busily and silently using her needle at a small work-table near the fire. Julia's patience at length would hold out no longer, and after trying various plans to divert her sister's attention from her book, without success, she exclaimed, “When will you have learned that tiresome lesson, Agnes ? I am sure you must know every figure and event upon the page by this time.” |