Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Hattie’s Dream. ff ITTLE HATTIE had been sick for a long time, and her physician did not know if she would ever be well again. Sometimes Hattie was very patient, and then again she would be fretful and peevish, and for get the blessings and enjoyments that still l| remained to her, in thinking of those she had lost. One night she had been very cross, and her mother went to sleep with a heavy heart, thinking sorrowfully of her little daughter, but the next morning Hattie’s face wore such a calm and ; peaceful expression that her mother said to her: “ Did you not sleep better than usual last S night, Hattie dear ?’ ’ “ Yes, mother, but it was not the sleep that did ' me so much good as a beautiful dream that I had. || If you will listen, I will tell it to you. “ I thought that I saw a number of angels com . ing out of the blue sky ; their white wings rested 1 against the sky like those soft little fleecy clouds T that I love to look at, and their hair was shining and sparkling just as the stars sparkle among the if clouds. But there was one, oh ! so much more I beautiful than all the rest! His face looked as I think yours will look when you go to Heaven, and I felt as if I could never know any more pain if his white wings were only folded round me. I ff thought that I asked one of the angels what was ' the meaning of all that I saw, and he told me If those were the angels that God sent on earth to watch over the sorrowful, the helpless, and the H suffering, and that the most beautiful of them all C was the one who watches over suffering children ; ' : and as he said so, mother, I saw the angels pity jf in g eyes turn upon me, and thought I felt the touch of his healing wings. E. P. M. Shoddy. ) GOOD many of our little readers have, w e expect, seen this word used in connec- W > tion with those who have suddenly grown | r ich and aristocratic, and have doubtless 1 wondered what it meant. We confess dp that we were ourself ignorant of its meaning until we met with an article from an English jmper, a day or two since. It ; seems that “ shoddy ” is old wool made as good I as new. Every manufacturer keeps what is called I a devil, a ravenous beast with a fearful set of iron I teeth, and an insatiable appetite for old coats and I old trousers, or old anything that is made of wool. Toss him an old garment, and he will tear it to pieces in no time. The spun and woven threads | are converted into wool again, and are worked up mto new threads, to be woven once more into a piece of cloth. Cloth so made —with a mixture | °f new wool —looks very well. Indeed, it is diffi | cult to tell which is shoddy cloth and which is not. We all wear shoddy without knowing it. For light wear, shoddy will serve every purpose ; but I it will not stand strain and exertion. You must not venture to practice gymnastics in a pair of shoddy trousers. Here is the weakness of shoddy I the shortness of the staple. You know now, if I you did not know before, why the old clothesman I is so eager and anxious to buy any garment, how- I ever ragged, which is composed entirely of wool. ♦♦♦ Sammy, Sammy, my son, don’t stand I scratching your head—stir your stumps, or j you will make no progress in life.” “Why, father,” replied the hopeful, “I’ve often heard I y° u sa y that the only way to get on in this world was to scratch a-head .” BXJRKE’S WEEKLY. THE BEST OF BOOKS. / HAT is a book ? Can my little readers answer this question ? Is it not like a chest, which con tains the most interost sylAv in S P ar t of the creation of God— &M) the mind of a human being? From Vjwj this mind you may have been 4$ separated by wide oceans or dis tant ages; but here it has come to dwell with you; to give you its best thoughts; to share with you the treasures of know t l e and g o ob tained by days, and nights, and years of laborious study. There w r as a time when books could be had only at great expense and pains. A poor man, per haps, never saw a book. There were no books for the young ; now they visit every household. In books of history you learn about past ages, and of all the nations of the world. The traveler opens to you the distant countries of the east, guides you through the interior of Africa, to the frozen regions of the north pole, and tells you of the manners and customs of every land. Then you have the memoirs of great and good men to serve as examples for your own life. Other books teach you about the stars, and open up to you the secret trea sures hidden in the bosom of the earth. Then there are books of poetry, and story books without number. But the best of all books—the one which is above and before all other books—is the Bible. It tells you of Him who was before the world was made, but who came to the earth and lived and died to save all who believe in His name. The choice of books is next in import ance to a love of reading. As you would shun bad company, so you must avoid bad books. Good books are now so cheap, and so easily obtained, that there are very few who cannot procure them. But the young should regard the Bible as the first and best of books. We fear that there are too many young folks who read the Bible loss than they should. Many story books derive their interest and spirit from the Bible, and are useful and delightful, but they ought to take a ower place, and not engross time which ought to bo given to the Bible. Do not 3e satisfied to drink from earthly streams when you should go to the heavenly fountains. Bead the Bible daily, and seek to give your minds to it. We heard of a young lady once who was for years almost entire ly shut out from religious friends, but she had been w T ell educated, and preserved the habit of daily reading a chapter in the Bible, and she afterwards said she believ ed it w T as this habit alone which kept alive a religious spirit within her. You will find your pleasure in reading the Bible the greater if you read it with these books, or from other sources, only serves to show the truth of the Bible. You must pray for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that you may be made “ wise unto salvation.” By His grace you will be led to know and love the word of God. Ho will lead you into the way of all truth, cause you to feel your need of a Saviour, and bring you to trust in the only Sa viour made known to you in the Bible. The books you should read will depend much on the time you have for reading. If you can read but few books beside your Bible, let one be the history of your own country. Good memoirs, and the lives of old and young persons, will be found well calculated to improve the heart and mind. When you borrow’ a book, put a cover on it before you begin to read it. Use it with clean hands, and never lay it on its face, or where it is likely to be knocked dowm. Never lend a bomnved 4>ook to any one else, without the owner’s per mission. Perform a borrower’s duty strictly, and you will always find liberal lenders. • Explained. “I cannot conceive, my dear, what is the matter w r ith my watch ; I think it must want cleaning,” exclaimed an in dulgent husband to his better half, the other day. “ No, pa,” said his petted little daugh ter, “ I know it don’t want cleaning, be cause baby and I w r aslied it in the basin ever so long this morning.” 45 a mind willing to understand it.— There are books that throw light on the history, customs and way s of life among the Jews; and others that explain the prophecies, and show how they are fulfilled; but all the light that can be got from