EARLY DAYS. NEW THOUGHTS FOR THE they draw soft, sheltering cur NEW YEAR. WONDER if any of you dear readers of Early Days have ever thought that when you were sent into this world, your heavenly Father gave you a number of little servants to wait upon you, to protect you from many dangers, to do exactly what you bid them, to belong entirely to yourself; so that, without your leave, they can do nothing for anyone else; and so dependent are you on their services, the loss of any one of them would make you very sad indeed. are tains before you fall asleep! Again, how ready your Ears are to bring you all sorts of messages, from your dear mother's voice to the tiny mew of the poor little kitten that has got her velvet paw fast in the worsted-skein! How quick to give you notice to escape from the fast-driving carriage, or the angry sting of the wasp; to let you hear every sound, from the pealing organ to the chirp of the cricket on your hearth! And when you are tired at night, how carefully do these active servants shut the doors, that you may slumber quietly! Again, what a busy little servant the Tongue is! Ready to tell your little brothers or sisters all your pleasures or troubles; ready to call out in a minute if any harm is near; to count up all your treasures, to amuse you with funny stories, or charm you with pretty songs; ready, too, if you teach it, to sing soft, low tunes, and by its lullaby to help the eyes and ears to send you to sleep. First, then, you have two of the brightest, pleasantest, little servants in your Eyes. What beautiful things they always showing you, from the sun setting in crimson and gold, to the lady-bird on a roseleaf! And how quick they are to see any coming danger, and to warn you against it, from the flash of lightning to the pebble in your path! And when you are wearied with the beautiful sights around, how kindly VOL. IV. SECOND SERIES.-January, 1864. Then the nimble Hands, how clever they are, from painting let the quick ears carry mes pictures to dressing a doll; bringing your dinner into a hungry mouth, or the clear, cold water to your thirsty lips. How ready to help you out of all danger, or to play with you at any game! The Feet, too, how active they are in your service, from helping you over the stile that lay between you and the surly cow, or racing after the scarlet butterfly that is never caught; taking you long sunshiny walks to get the first primroses, or the late blackberries, and bringing you safely home when tired out ! I have not told you a tenth part of what you owe to this troop of little servants, who wait upon you night and day, who in peace and harmony fulfil their several tasks for you. "If the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; . . . and if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body," what confusion and distress would come upon you! Then if they are so willing to wait on you, they are just as ready if you give them leave to do a thousand little kindnesses for others who may need their help. Let the bright eyes read to the blind, aged, and ignorant; sages for the deaf; let the nimble hands work for the poor and fatherless; let the active feet go to the lonely and sick; and let the tongue speak sweet and gentle words to the sorrowful and mourner. "Little deeds of kindness, Little words of love, Like the one above." In wishing you a very happy New Year, let me affectionately remind you that you and your little servants belong, first and chiefest, to the Lord Jesus Christ; who will, if you ask Him with all your heart, receive you and them into His holy and happy service; who will open your eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law; who will make your ears "quick to hear His voice; " who will "guide your feet into the way of peace;" who will be your shade" upon your right hand;' who will "keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile;" and who, in the last day, when “small and great shall stand before Him," will, in His exceeding love for you, remember that you have been "faithful over a few things," and will bid you and your little servants to enter into O, surely, aunt, it is not true; His joy and service for ever. "Eyes that shall never weep, "A tongue that stammers not "Limbs that shall never tire, "A frame that cannot ache, A. C. T. FANNY'S SORROW. Dear Fanny seized it eagerly: “O, auntie, do be quick and read; Tell me what news there is for me. "Pray is my mother better now, And does she name Miss Emily? And how are all my little friends, And do they send their love to me ?" And so dear Fanny's heart was full; (Garlands of joy such young hearts wreathe :) Alas! her joy too soon was dash'd, One little friend had "ceased to breathe." "The little boy with flaxen hair, Sweet cousin Basil, is he dead? Shall I not see him more?" she said. "No, Basil is an angel now, Happier by far than we are here; His little life is quickly gone; But he will live for ever there. "The little boy has met in heaven Kind friends and little sisters dear; He never can be lonely now, And never shed another tear. "In memory I shall often see His bright blue eyes and curly hair; And when I'm tempted to do wrong, My heart shall humbly breathe a prayer. "Each evil temper I will shun, And all my dangerous self-will; And in my loving Saviour's words I'll bid rebellious thoughts 'Be still.' "Dear little Basil's angel-form Will often be before my eyes: I'll pray to live a blessed life, That I may meet him in the skies." NEW-YEAR'S THOUGHTS FOR SICK CHILDREN. HAPPY New Year to all dear sick children! "How can we be happy ?" we fancy we hear one and another little weary sufferer exclaim. "The sounds of merriment and fun reach our ears, but we cannot join the New Year's party, or even enjoy the pretty gifts that come to our sick room from many loving hearts, who would cheer and give us pleasure. We have aching limbs, weary days, sleepless nights, and bitter medicines as our portion. How then can we hope for a happy New Year?" From our hearts we pity and pray for young sufferers, and we write this little paper to tell them they are not forgotten. Like the poor boy in the picture, we earnestly hope that those whose eyes rest on these pages have a tender mother, a faithful nurse, and a good doctor to send the medicines to cure pain. But all earthly comforts may fail, and sad and sorrowful may many youthful hearts feel, who last New-Year's Day were so gladsome and so gay. We want to give you a few thoughts to raise your spirits, to help you to be patient; and to enable you to rejoice in tribulation, as the Bible tells us we are to do. Does not a loving mother think most and care most for the child that is sick? Remember Him who was once upon earth, and bore our sicknesses and infirmities. A mother may forget, and cease to have compassion; but "I will not forget," are the words of God. Believe that Jesus, your Lord and Saviour, loves you the most when most you need His care. His eye is upon you, His ear is open to listen to your complaints, and His heart beats with tenderness towards His feeble, suffering lambs. You know that He loved and blessed little children, and took them up in His arms; and when you have read that beautiful story, you have, perhaps, remembered those words of the prophet, who wrote so much about Jesus long before He came from heaven to earth :-"He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” The Good Shepherd's kind arms will fold every lamb who wishes to know His voice and follow Him. Think, too, that Jesus is the Great Physician, who does not despise the body, any more than He does the soul. When He met with sick people He healed them all, whether old or young. True it is that He will not now bring back a little daughter from death to life, or raise from the dead another only son of a widowed mother. But we are quite sure that He does heal the sick now; and many a one will say that He has heard their prayers, and given them back their health |