The largest sock that I can find And though I come but once a year, He leaves a bright and happy land, To guard our lives at his command, "And now you may each give me a kiss, and then when you've all, together repeated that nice Christmas wish, that I told you last year Tiny Tim used to say, you can run and play with your toys." So they kissed us all round, and then they stood up and shouted "God bless us all, everyone." Wasn't that a Merry Christmas? SEEPE-N. IN A RUINED ABBEY. I stood within the crumbling walls, I walked along the pillared aisle, The groined roof o'er me bending, Once more the gorgeous altar rose, The long procession passed me by, They marched along the pillared aisle, God's love and praises vaunting. It died away; with straining ears The spell is gone; the charm is o'er; The grass and weeds are growing, So transient is each earthly thing Ah well! perpetual change is good A lifeless creed, with shameless priests Oh, better far these crumbling walls, The picturesque displaying! J. A. L. THE BIBLE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THE Bible is now in our Board Schools. As the result of a compromise (the circumstances of which we are not going to discuss) portions of Holy Scripture, discreetly selected, will now be read daily to thousands of boys and girls in our schools, many of whom might otherwise seldom or never hear the valuable lessons of the Book of Books. We are glad of this compromise. In the interests of peace, and for the sake of the real benefits we believe may be derived from it, we are glad that the so-called religious difficulty in Birmingham is to be solved by the simple reading of Bible lessons. While we say this we by no means endorse the extravagant utterances of those who have declared that the education of our children has hitherto been on a Godless system; and we can sympathise with those, who, believing in the religious instruction of the young, consider, some that it should be given in all our day schools, as well as by parents and the church, and others that it belongs to the home and to the church alone. There are, however, great and apparently insuperable difficulties in the way of a peaceful and satisfactory solution of either of these two schemes. Prejudice is strong, churches are weak, and homes are neglected; and so it is not easy to relegate the duty to those who, nevertheless, should be chiefly concerned with it and creeds are many, and consciences are tender, and therefore public schools cannot be used to supply the needs of those who are meanwhile in danger of losing what all allow they ought to possess― a knowledge of their duty to God and man, and of the vast interests that belong to their future state. So we are glad that a compromise has been made, whereby some of the prevailing ignorance may be met, some light thrown into the existing darkness, and some attempt made to supply the elementary portion at least of a full and complete religous instruction-by daily lessons from the recognised foundation of all Christian teaching. And we are anxious it should rest here, and that a fair and hopeful trial should be made by all concerned; that those who believe the day school is not the place for the Bible and religious teaching, should be willing to acknowledge the prejudices of thousands of earnest, anxious ratepayers; and that those who desire and believe in the necessity of systematic religious instruction, should also recognise the difficulties in their path, and be willing to own to, and be content with, the good results of simple reading from the Holy Bible. The former, then, need not lament the presence of the sacred book in the schools. It will still be to them the wondrous exponent of God's voice to man, the written revelation of His will, and the record of the solemn mysteries of their faith; which the teacher and the pupil should unfold and study with reverent awe, and prayerful desire for spiritual insight; and which the Pastor in his church, the teacher in the Sunday School, and the pious parent in the family, must still use as the fountain of all their impressive lessons; whilst one and all must constantly endeavour to profit, in private reading, from its sacred teachings, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But it is also a record of singular historic interest, of grand moral lessons, of marvellous prophecy, and of a perfect model life, the knowledge of which ought to be possessed by all; and the simple reading of which must teach and impress. It contains, also, all needful commands, under highest authority, as to obedience, truth, honesty, love, peace, sobriety, &c., the mere utterance of which should suffice for the youthful mind; giving them for the present all needed safeguards, and fitting them to receive elsewhere, and as they grow older, more advanced and more precise religious instruction. It seems to us that all this can be done without offence or injury to any; and that society is not to-day prepared to give up so useful a means to important ends. But the latter must be content with this compromise, and try to recognise a real value in what they have gained; and allow that it is all they can expect to have in public schools, lest they disturb the peaceful position, and even, possibly, drive their old opponents back to their late practise of total exclusion. We are not attempting to go into details in these cursory remarks, but we will venture to name two reasons why, in our opinion, religious instruction cannot be given in Board Schools. And, first, any set of lessons that ought to satisfy the earnest religious instructor, would of necessity be so dogmatic and sectarian, and include so much controverted doctrine, that agreement would be impossible. If otherwise, the teaching would be colourless and unreal, and could scarcely be expected to impress. Then, secondly, it would be needful to engage as teachers those who could subscribe to the doctrines taught, and who were earnest in this particular work, and "apt to teach." And so a barrier would be placed in the path of hundreds of able teachers, who might be eminently qualified for the special duties of their scholastic profession, but not so manifestly suitable for the added position of religious instructors. These are not fancied difficulties, the fierce controversy of the past six years proves their existence; and cases arose during the previous three years' rule in support of our argument. From all this strife and bitterness thousands are crying for relief; thousands stand in need of the holy lessons that may now be read to them; and thousands of willing workers are still prepared to superadd, at proper times and places, more precise and definite instruction, according to their varied beliefs. We plead, therefore, for a fair trial of the Bible in our schools; and call on the churches to give still more earnest heed to their own solemn duties in their own spheres. PAX. THE MOURNERS. I. I heard but late, by the graveyard gate, In a plaintive undertone, And it asked of the clouds above: "Where are the wing'd ones flown? Where are the fledgling songsters that mine arms These boughs with foliant beauty and cool charms, When the hot sun opprest, And earth was gaily drest? Reply! Ye couriers of the sky, That like scared phantoms fly From the face of the haggard moon- See their forsaken nest Wherein my dead leaves rot: It is my lonely lot To be of all forgot Forgot! The cold stars pierce me through; No sun shines to renew, |