THE ORPHAN'S FRIEND.



"WHAT do you do without a mother to tell your troubles to?" said a child who had a mother, to one whose mother was dead.

"Mother told me whom to go to before she died," answered the little orphan. "I go to the Lord Jesus. He was mother's Friend, and he is mine."

The other replied, "Jesus Christ is up in the sky; he is far away, and has a great many things to attend to in Heaven. It is not likely he can stop to mind you."

"I do not know about that," said the orphan. "All I know is, he says he will, and that is enough for me."

The orphan was right. God's ear is open to the youngest of us.



ANGELS.

OF the angels, Paul says, " Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"

Angels for our companions? Yes, God gives us members of the heavenly family to protect us from dangers seen and unseen. It is said, " He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

The following beautiful words of the poet express the peace of one who had learned the presence of the holy beings: 


"I wandered through a forest lone, 

I met a fair young child,

'My little one, art not afraid? 

The wood is drear and wild.'

She shook her sunny, waving curls, 

And looked and at me smiled.

"'Nay, but I am not all alone,' 

Still reverent answered she.

'An angel walketh by my side, 

Though him I cannot see;

And he would tell of it in Heaven 

If ought should injure me.'

"I turned me from that trusting child 

Who put my doubts to shame,

And to my heart these ancient words 

Of Holy Scripture came;

'The angel of the Lord encamps 

Round those who fear his name.'"


Let me entreat you, dear young friends, to never go where these holy angels will not accompany you, for there would be positive danger. With them alone are you safe.



CHAS. L. B




PERSONAL INFLUENCE.




UP in the higher Alps the snow is sometimes piled so high, and is so evenly balanced, that the crack of a whip or the shout of a voice may give sufficient vibration to the air to bring down the whole mass upon the travelers below. So in our moral world there are souls just hovering over the abyss of ruin; a word or even a look from us may cause them to plunge down into the depths from which there is no return; or a helping hand stretched out to them in a moment of peril may lead them back to the safe, pure paths of virtue and peace.

Knowing that we have such power, shall we not humbly pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil?" 



S. S. Times.