St. Kilda, Scotland







   THE NATIVE OF ST. KILDA.



A POOR inhabitant of the northern isles of Scotland left, for the first time, the rugged shore of St. Kilda, where, in the dark cabin of his father, he had been nurtured, as the arctic pine, amid the crevices of the rock. When the boat approached the coast of Mull, he gazed with wonder, as on an unbounded hemisphere. A passenger mocked the simple hearted man with tales of the magnificence which reigned there. 

He also ridiculed the poverty of St. Kilda. The son of the rock listened in silence. If he felt the caustic, he forbore to retaliate. At length the officious narrator said, "Heard ye ever of God in that bleak island of St. Kilda?"

"From whence came you?" inquired the taciturn and grave Highlander.

"Oh, from a beauteous land, where the fields give us wheat before we ask for it, where rich fruits make the air fragrant, and honey fills every flower."

"Came ye from so fair a land? Man might forget God there; in my own St. Kilda he never can. Building his home on a rock, suspended over a precipice, chilled by the wintry wind, tossed on the wild ocean, he never can forget his God. No; he hangs every moment on his arm." 



Mrs. Sigourney.



FEAR nothing when you are in the way of duty.


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QUITE recently, I visited a German widow, living at a delightful country-seat with a little son of eight, and daughter of five. As we sat down to the well-spread table the little boy, folding his hands and closing his eyes, thanked our Father in Heaven for the food before us, and asked him to bless it. Then the little girl, in childish voice, repeated, "Lord Jesus, be present with us. Come, and this table bless, and do us good."

The little ones were taught by their godly mother to think of Him whom they were addressing. 


Family Friend.




HINTS TO YOUNG CHRISTIANS.



DON'T be afraid to "show your colors."!

 Shrink from no declaration, from no duty, Christ desires of you. The timid, vacillating course is the hardest and most banen. 

The brave, outspoken, faithful life is the happiest and most effective.

There are many things you do not understand as yet. But let no doubts or uncertainties prevent you from acting on what you do know. There are some spiritual facts clear enough, plenty of Christian duties plain enough to you; act immediately on these. Do faithfully all you know you ought to do, and the larger knowledge will follow in due time.

Use earnestly every means that will enlarge and strengthen your Christian life. 

Study the Bible. Pray without ceasing. Don't neglect the prayer meeting or the Sabbath school. Keep your heart warm by doing good.

Make your life beautiful in the sight of men, and show them the sweetness and power of Christianity. Be conscientious in little things. Let the Master's spirit shine through every hour of your life. In school, in shop or field, in society, the young Christian ought to be the most faithful, the most courteous, the most generous and kindly, the noblest of any person there.  

Follow Christ. Seek to reproduce his traits in your life. Do always as yon believe he would do if he were in your place; so you will have a growing, joyful, successful Christian career. 



Morning Star.