In Proverbs xvi. 21, it says, "The wise in heart shall be called prudent."

Self-help is not a spiritual thing, but a temporal one; but you cannot truly succeed in these things without G.o.d's help and blessing. May we, in the things of daily life, and especially in spiritual things, be led to say, like David, in Psalm cxxi., "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth," remembering that He does not approve selfish living, but says, "To do good and to communicate, forget not."--(_Abridged._)

F. E. H. ANDREWS (Aged 13 years 5 months).

1, _Tavistock Terrace, Upper Holloway, London, N._

[Lilly Rush, W. E. Cray (age not given), A. M. Cray, E. B. West, A.

Pease, and Margaret Creasey have sent fair Essays, especially the first-named, and we hope they will still persevere.]

[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of "From the Loom to a Lawyer's Gown; or, Self-Help that was not all for Self," presented by a friend who reads the GLEANER.

The subject for May will be, "How to be Useful in the World," and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "Notable Workers in Humble Life." All compet.i.tors must give a guarantee that they are under fifteen years of age, and that the Essay is their own composition, or the papers will be pa.s.sed over, as the Editor cannot undertake to write for this necessary information. Papers must be sent direct to the Editor, Mr. T. Hull, 117, High Street, Hastings, by the first of April.]

ONE good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. In the home, she is the "loadstone to all hearts, and loadstar to all eyes." Imitation of her is constant--imitation which Bacon likens to "a globe of precepts."

But example is far more than precept. In its instruction is action.

Interesting Items.

THE ELEPHANT'S STRENGTH.--The ordinary strength of an elephant is calculated as equal to that of 147 men.

A FIGHT AMONG LIONS.--A fearful struggle took place recently between eight lions in a cage at the menagerie at Liverpool Exhibition. One lion, valued at 150, was killed.

THE red-wood forests of California, Oregon, and Washington Territory are, perhaps, the most wonderful of the world. The average yield per acre is 100,000 feet lumber, or 64,000,000 feet to the square mile.

SIR JOHN COODE'S scheme for the protection of the foresh.o.r.e at Hastings, by means of two stone groynes and an extended breastwork at the east end of the town, was completed last August. The total cost has been 30,000.

Sir John remarked that the beach was acc.u.mulating at the rate of 40,000 to 50,000 tons per annum.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF STRANGULATION.--An extraordinary case has occurred at Howick, near Preston. A little boy named Fisher, the son of a farmer, was climbing an apple tree, when he slipped between two branches. His jacket turned up fast round his neck, and as he could not get a b.u.t.ton undone, he was strangled.

A MONSTER DOGFISH.--A gigantic dogfish, weighing ten cwt., has been hauled ash.o.r.e by a fisherman at Mazargues, in the Department of the Bouches-du-Rhone. The animal made a desperate struggle on the bank, and its head had to be battered in with a club before it could be mastered.

A monster of a similar kind, some time ago, ate up a boatman and his boy, whose boat had been capsized in the river.

IT has been calculated that, after Prince von Bismarck's recent great speech, 1,218 telegrams, containing 194,296 words, were despatched to 326 different places on the world's surface. Two hundred and thirty-five telegraph clerks were employed at sixty Hughes' apparatus, 155 Morse's, and seven Estienne's, to carry out the work; and the number of words in the Chancellor's speech is computed at 10,997.

A PECULIAR CASE.--Captain Russell has had under treatment a valuable and favourite cat, belonging to a resident of Spittlegate, Grantham. The poor animal was taken with a choking sensation about three weeks ago, and, as it could not eat, soon grew very thin, and appeared to be going "the way of all flesh." After vain attempts at restoration, p.u.s.s.y was taken to the afore-named veterinary surgeon, who prescribed for her. She was fed with a spoon for some days, and at length a substance was discovered to be forming by the side of the neck. Supposing it to be a boil, he lanced it, and found it to contain a piece of metal, which he at once extracted, in the shape of a sewing-needle with a piece of cotton attached. The cat is now recovered, and but little the worse for the painful operation.--_Grantham Journal._

THE Emperor of China, who is about to be married, is doing the thing handsomely. His wedding gifts to his young bride include a gold seal richly inlaid with jewels, the handle being formed by two gold dragons; ten piebald horses with complete trappings; ten gilt helmets and cuira.s.ses: 1,000 pieces of satin of the first quality, and 200 pieces of cotton material; 200 ounces of gold; 10,000 ounces of silver; one gold tea service, and one silver tea service; twenty horses with complete trappings, and twenty without. The parents of the lady receive also 100 ounces of gold; one gold tea set; 5,000 taels of silver; one silver tea set; 500 pieces of silk; 1,000 pieces of cotton material; six horses, completely harnessed; a helmet and cuira.s.s; a bow and a quiver, with arrows; each parent one Court dress for summer, and one for winter, one every-day dress, and a sable coat. The brothers and servants of the bride also receive rich and costly presents.

FROM DOVER TO CALAIS IN TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.--A novel ship has recently been invented by Mr. Thomas. .h.i.tt, of Brandon, Suffolk. She is somewhat of a semi-twin type, one-third wider than the ordinary sailing ship, but not so wide as a paddle-steamer. Between the supposed divided halves, which ascend to about eighteen inches above the water-line, is a wheel-race, extending from bow to stern. In the centre of this wheel-race a pit is formed, into which the lower part of the periphery of the wheel descends. The wheel, when rotating, drives the water through the race, and out at the stern, with great velocity. The maximum result of experiments indicates that a ship of 500 tons, with a wheel of 50 feet diameter, making 50 revolutions per minute, will attain a speed of 56 knots an hour, after allowing one-fourth for slip and other contingencies. Although the wheel is described as making 50 revolutions per minute, it may reach 100, more or less. This excess of power may be utilized for the production and storage of electricity, to be used either for illuminating purposes, or for propelling the ship when becalmed.

A FAITHFUL MASTIFF.--John Templeton is a blacksmith, who owns a fine specimen of the English mastiff. Recently Mr. Templeton was working at his forge, putting a new steel in the point of a pick. The steel was slightly burned in the heating, and, instead of welding, flew into half-a-dozen pieces. One piece struck the blacksmith above the right eye with such force as to fasten itself in firmly. He staggered and fell backwards. How long he was unconscious he does not know, but when he revived, the dog lay in the middle of the shop, crying almost like a human being, and rubbing his jaws in the dust of the floor. The piece of steel which had struck Mr. Templeton lay a short distance from the dog.

The faithful animal had seized the hot steel with his teeth, and drew it from the frontal bone of Mr. Templeton's head. The dog's mouth was badly burned.--_Albany Journal._

THE DISCOVERIES AT POMPEII.--A Naples correspondent says--"The waxed tablets found, together with silver vases, &c., at Pompeii, all belong to one woman, Decidia Margaris, and are contracts precisely similar to those found twelve years ago belonging to one Lucio Cecilio Giocondo; but unlike those, which were enclosed in a strong iron box, and had undergone a process of carbonization which preserved their legibility for eighteen centuries, the present ones were only folded, together with the vases, in a thick cloth, which the rain-water had penetrated, reducing the wood to pulp, and wearing away the wax on which the characters are impressed, so that only some fragments preserved the writing; and a few days after the discovery these too were lost, the wax separating from the wooden tablets and breaking up into minute particles. There remains now only one tablet, which has been naturally preserved by being impregnated with oxide of copper. It is the contract for the sale of young slaves to Decidia Margaris."--_Daily News._

A GENUINE FAST OF TWENTY DAYS.--An extraordinary case of prolonged fasting is reported in connection with the severe weather. On December 22nd, 1887, a peasant woman from Opergrabern, near Vienna, went to receive some money that was owing to her at a small village a few miles distant. The amount was not paid, and the woman had only four kreutzers in her pocket, with which she bought two rolls of bread. On the way home she was caught in a heavy snow-storm, and took shelter in a small hut in a vineyard. The storm continuing, she decided to spend the night where she was, and divested herself of some of her upper garments to wrap up her feet. The next morning, when she awoke, she could not rise, being partially paralyzed by the cold. Her cries for help were unheard, and it was only on the 11th of January she was found by a woodcutter's wife, having been twenty days without food. She was in a precarious condition, but there is some hope of her recovery.

YOUTHFUL HEROINES.--The Royal Humane Society have awarded their highest honour--a silver medal--to a young lady named f.a.n.n.y Rowe, only fifteen years of age, daughter of the Rev. J. G. Rowe, vicar of Topcroft, Bungay, for saving the life of a lad named Franchs, at Neuchatel, under circ.u.mstances of great gallantry. The lad was playing by the jetty with his brother, when he fell into deep water. His brother jumped in to save him, but, not being able to swim, was soon in difficulties. A number of men ran about crying out "Who can swim?" but no one attempted a rescue until Miss Rowe came up, kicked off her shoes, but otherwise fully dressed, without a moment's hesitation rushed into the water, swam to the place, dived, and caught the younger brother, but could not keep hold of him, his hair being so short. She dived again and caught him, this time by the ear, and brought him to the jetty, where he was lifted out, and then she returned and saved the elder brother. The bronze medal was also unanimously bestowed upon Miss M. Strachy, aged seventeen, daughter of Her Majesty's Consul at Dresden, for saving Miss Taylor at Sandy Island, Heligoland.

ZION CHAPEL, FOLKESTONE.--The New Year's Meeting of the Sunday School took place on January 16th. After doing justice to the tea, the children and friends met in the chapel, where Mr. Weeks, of Tenterden, opened the meeting with the reading of the fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah and prayer. Some of the children repeated the Epistle of James, having learned various portions of it. Mr. Brown, of Tadworth, spoke on the beginnings of true religion, using the alphabet--A for attention to various good things, and not to wickedness; B for the Bible; C for conviction, which he described as a sure and certain knowledge of our sinful state, not fancies floating in the mind, and he ill.u.s.trated it by a condemned convict's knowledge of his own sad case. Mr. Weeks then sought to encourage the children in the ways of obedience to parents and storing Scripture in the memory, of which latter no enemy could rob them. He also spoke to the teachers and friends, giving a word of encouragement. Mr. Smith spoke of the need of Jesus Christ being formed in the heart as the only hope for lost sinners, after which the yearly prizes were handed to their respective owners, also the gifts of clothing by an old friend of the children. A few words of prayer closed a happy meeting.

E. M.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "ARE YOU SURE THAT NOTHING IS LEFT UNDONE?" (_See page 74._)]

AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF A BARRISTER.

I was engaged in my study one morning, when a client of mine, a Mr.

B----, was introduced. He was in a state of great excitement, having heard that the Lord Chancellor was to p.r.o.nounce judgment on his case that day.

"Are you sure," he inquired, "that nothing is left undone? If judgment is given against me, I am a ruined man. All my hopes are centred in its results. On the issue hang the prospects of my darling wife and children. Oh, tell me, can anything further be done to, if possible, ensure success?"

I endeavoured to calm him by saying that we were fully prepared, and that counsel's opinion was in his favour. This a.s.surance having appeased him a little, he left me, appointing to meet again in an hour at the court. The Chancellor had just taken his seat as I entered, and was proceeding to give judgment in my client's case.

Casting my eyes around, I observed poor Mr. B---- seated on a bench, immediately opposite his lordship. He did not recognize me, for his entire attention was riveted on the oracle from whence was to proceed the eagerly wished for, but dreaded decision. To look upon that man was painful indeed; and although many years of professional experience had familiarized me to such scenes, yet I could not behold him without emotion, and trembled to think of the awful effect an adverse decision would have on a mind so sensitive as his, and wrought to the highest degree of painful suspense. My fears were but too soon realized. After an elaborate and carefully considered review of the case, a final decree was awarded against my client. Never shall I forget the agony of despair depicted on his countenance at that moment as, rushing from the court, he hissed into my ear the fearful words, "Oh, I am undone!"

It was a damp November day on which the circ.u.mstance above narrated occurred. Wending my way homewards through Chancery Lane, the words of my unfortunate client recurred to me. "Will _my_ case be called on to-day?" thought I; "and is nothing left undone to ensure me a favourable decree at the hands of that eternal Judge before whom I must stand, sooner or later?"

Dear reader, you and I have both a case of vital importance, the judgment of which will be eternal happiness or eternal misery. If we have no Friend at court, no skilful Advocate to plead, anything of our own--any pleadings based upon our own works or performances--will most a.s.suredly fail. A form without the power will not stand the test of that tremendous, awful day. All false coverings will then be stripped off.

Naked, ruined, and undone for ever must we be unless found clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the G.o.d-Man. The lines of one of our poets have aptly described the case--

"A debtor to Jehovah's law, My soul by nature stood, And Justice was about to draw His sword to shed my blood.

"'Stand forth! Stand forth!' he sternly cried, 'And pay me what you owe!'

"'Tis done,' said Jesus, 'for I died; Loose him, and let him go!'"