July 1. Commit to memory Daniel ii. 19.

July 8. Commit to memory Daniel ii. 20.

July 15. Commit to memory Daniel ii. 21.

July 22. Commit to memory Daniel ii. 22.

July 29. Commit to memory Daniel ii. 23.

PRIZE ESSAY.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "UNCERTAIN RICHES" AND "THE TRUE RICHES."

In Proverbs xxiii. 5, the wise man says, "Riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven"; and in chapter viii. 18, he says, "Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness."

In these two verses may be seen one difference between the "uncertain riches" and the "true" ones. The first pa.s.sage of Scripture refers to the uncertain or earthly riches, which "make themselves wings" and "fly away." The second riches spoken of are the true ones, which Christ gives to His people, and which are durable, inasmuch as they last for ever and ever. This verse is spoken by Christ under the name of Wisdom.

In Christ's parable about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke xvi. 19-31), both kinds of riches are spoken of. The rich man had the uncertain riches in abundance, and was selfish, and kept them to himself, but the beggar, though dest.i.tute of this world's goods, was one of G.o.d's children, and had the true riches.

A man may be very rich, and be looking forward to a long life in which to enjoy his riches, like the rich man in the parable (see Luke xii.

16), when he may suddenly die, and then what good can his wealth do him?

What Paul says in his first Epistle to Timothy is quite true. He says, "We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Tim. vi. 7); and the Psalmist says, in Psalm xlix.

16-18, "Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul."

But it is not so with those who have the true riches. They can never be disappointed in having to part with them, for, as before mentioned, they are everlasting. Christ said, in His sermon on the mount, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matt. vi. 19, 20). Our riches are, as we know from experience, never really safe from harm and damage, as articles of apparel, however costly they may be, are, if very careful measures are not used, subject to being eaten by moths. Other things are spoiled by rust gathering on them, whilst money is never secure, because thieves may steal it; and even in banks the managers or clerks may be tempted to steal the money entrusted to them, or the bank may fail.

Daniel Herbert says, in one of his hymns--

"Should all the banks in Britain break, The Bank of England smash, Bring in your notes to Zion's bank; You're sure to get your cash."

One of Christ's gifts to His people is spoken of in 1 Peter i. 4. It is "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,"

reserved in heaven for those who are "kept by the power of G.o.d, through faith, unto salvation."

Christ also gives His people "a crown of glory, that fadeth not away"

(see 1 Peter v. 4). This crown is called, in Timothy, "a crown of righteousness"; and, in 1 Corinthians ix. 25, Paul calls it an "incorruptible" one; and James says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him" (James i. 12).

In conclusion, we might compare the two kinds of riches to the Lord's parable about the wise man who built his house upon a rock, and it stood firm, "for it was founded upon a rock," and the foolish one, who built his upon the sand, and his house "fell, and great was the fall of it."

The first instance resembles those who do not set their hopes on the uncertain, but on the true riches; and the second like those who think only of earth, its uncertain pleasures and riches (Matt. vii. 24-27).

E. B. KNOCKER (Aged 14 years).

_South Hill House, Tunbridge Wells._

[Very good Essays have been received from Nellie Nunn, Laura Creasey, Eleanor Saunders, Jane Bell, W. E. Cray, J. Rowbottom, Alice Creasey, Rose Holloway, Annetta Hargreaves, E. R. Harris, &c. Their efforts are very encouraging.]

[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of "The Story of the Spanish Armada."

The subject for September will be, "The Blessings Conferred on England by the Accession to the Throne of William of Orange, and by the Protestant Succession thereby Secured to Us"; and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "The Reformation and its Heroes." 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 August.]

ERRATUM.--Through an oversight, the name of the sender of the Enigma was given last month instead of the sender of the answer. It should have been--Nellie Nunn, aged twelve years.

Interesting Items.

THE number of Bibles printed during last year in England alone amounted to nearly four millions.

A BIRDS' NEST IN A RAILWAY TRUCK.--A water wagtail's nest, containing four eggs, was found at Norbiton Station amongst some coal in a truck which arrived from Derbyshire, a few weeks ago. The old birds had evidently come too, for they were seen flying about the station.

THE death is announced of Mr. Norman Macdonald, of Big Bras Dor, Cape Breton, at the reputed age of 110 years. It is stated that he was a survivor from Waterloo. He was a man of great activity and endurance, and up to about two years ago was able to work on his farm at Cape Breton.

A QUIET REBUKE.--An old minister one Sunday, at the close of the sermon, gave notice to the congregation that in the course of the week he expected to go on a mission to the heathen. One of the deacons, in great agitation, exclaimed, "Why, my dear sir, you have never told us one word of this before! What shall we do?" "Oh, brother," said the parson, "I don't expect to go out of town."

THERE are more beggars in London this year than I ever remember before--female beggars, crossing sweeper beggars, and singing beggars.

And no wonder, if many of them earn as much as one of the fraternity who was before a suburban magistrate recently. This man confessed to earning 5s., 10s., and 15s., and on one occasion as much as 1 1s. 6d. He has earned his living by begging for thirty years, and made a very good living too. He was sent to prison for fourteen days, and when out will doubtless resume his lucrative profession.

A CLERICAL MISER.--The Rev. John Trueman, of Daventry, possessed an income of about four hundred pounds per annum clear; and, by his self-denying management of it, he contrived to ama.s.s fifty thousand pounds. There were few things too mean for him to do in order to save money. He would steal turnips out of the fields as he pa.s.sed along, on the pretence of visiting the farmhouses, and then beg bits of bacon to boil with them from the good wives in the parish. Sometimes he would quarter himself, without any invitation, in a farmhouse, and in the room in which he slept, he has been known to pull the worsted out of the corners of the blankets, and take it away with him, in order to darn his stockings.

IN India we have a few peculiarities because of the great heat. Our houses are, generally speaking, on the open ground, no upstair rooms, and the doors are left wide open. There was an English mother who had the habit, when probably half asleep, of handing out her baby before daybreak to the ayah, to administer to its wants and cares. One morning, this poor mother, all but asleep, felt, as she thought, the cold touch of the ayah (the native nurse), and handed out the baby; but it was a wolf that was there. We are asleep, my friends. That mother lost her reason when the dear little infant was thus destroyed; but in our sleep and in our slumber we lose one child after another by handing them over to Rome--to the wolf that destroys them. Oh, let us awake!--_W. Ayerst, M.A._

STEEL LACE.--A new branch of industry is going to revolutionize the lace trade. A New York dealer in laces is exhibiting a specimen of lace of an extremely delicate pattern, and so light that it can almost be blown away by a breath of air. This lace is made of steel rolled as fine as the point of a cambric needle. It is not woven, but stamped out of a sheet of low grade steel, so that it should not be too brittle. It was turned out of a small Pittsburgh mill, and sent to the dealer to show what could be done in that line. In the course of time other patterns will be made--heavier, perhaps, but certainly more tenacious than this piece. There is said to be no question as to its durability, and its cheapness would make it the most saleable of all laces in the market. It may create a revolution in the lace market, if rust can be guarded against.--_Iron._

SULPHUR FOR SORE THROATS.--The value of sulphur in throat difficulties is but little known among families, though most physicians prescribe it in some form. An ordinary sore throat will be relieved by a gargle of sulphur and water--one tablespoonful to a gla.s.s of water, and use frequently. In every family the flour of sulphur should be always kept ready for use, and at the appearance of irritation or cankered spots, a gargle should be given, or the powder blown through a paper tube directly into the throat. At different times we have seen the throat trouble relieved in a few hours by the simple use of this valuable remedy. A sore throat is no trivial thing, and no time should be lost in the matter. If, after discovering it in a child, it does not improve in a few hours' time after the use of sulphur, a reliable physician should be called in without further delay.

THE Queen Regent of Spain opened the International Exhibition at Barcelona on Sunday, May 20th, in the presence of a distinguished a.s.semblage, including the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Edinburgh, and Prince George of Wales. Perhaps this was done as a set-off against our Protestant commemorations.

Oh, England! England! blush with shame!

Thy princes stoop to foul thy name.

THE present spring has been remarkable for the number of rare birds that have appeared in this country and on the Continent. These include the golden oriole, pied flycatcher, sand-grouse, dotterel, hoopoe, short-toed lark, moustached gra.s.s-warbler, and rose-coloured pastor. In spite of the Wild Birds' Protection Act, many of these visitants are shot immediately upon their arrival. It is only in rare cases that the police interfere, even when the killing of the birds is a matter of notoriety.

HAY FEVER.--Sir Morell Mackenzie has opportunely published a lecture he delivered some time ago at the London Hospital Medical College on hay fever, which he defines to be a peculiar affection of the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes, and air pa.s.sages, giving rise to catarrh and asthma, almost invariably caused by the action of the pollen of gra.s.ses and flowers, and therefore prevalent only where they are in blossom.

With regard to the treatment of this disease, Sir Morell Mackenzie believes the first thing to do is, to remove the patient from a district in which there is much flowering gra.s.s, a sea voyage being probably the most perfect satisfactory step that can be taken. Patients unable to go to sea should reside near the coast, while dwellers in towns should avoid the country, and those who reside in the country should make a temporary stay in the centre of a large town.