* THE LABOURERS ARE FEW.»

FOR THE YOUNG.

It was harvest time, and two tell | langhing girls who, with the assistboys from the little town of K ance of a stout woman-servant, having strolled on a half-bobiday | bronght the good things which Mrs. some three or four miles into the Townshend had provided for the country, were watching the busy reapers, had the great satisfaction of reapers in a broad and level corn returning with empty baskets and field.

tea-kettles to the old farmhouse on “I wish we knew the farmer, the other side of the wood. John," said one of them at last, * for The cousins-such was their rethen we might go and help him, lationship—were not the farmer's by binding his sbeaves, and so on. only guests that evening; for, shortly I like to work in the harvest-field, before the tea-kettles made their don't you?

appearance, a tall, thin figure had “Yes, very much,” replied John; passed throngh the gateway opposite " and there are but few people bere in that which opened on the road, and proportion to the size of the field. , Farmer Townshend, with a bright Suppose we introduce ourselves, smile of welcome, had conducted the George, and offer our assistance? new comer to a seat beneath the ash.

George laughed, but made do George and John soon discovered objection; and the pair, passing that the stranger's name was Howthrough a gate which opened from ard: that he was a man of very the high road on a path leading to a superior education, who had travelsimilar gate on the other side of the led much as missionary, and that he corn-field, walked briskly on until was ill—nay, dying. The farmer they reached the spot where Farmer introduced them both, and talked Townshend, complaining loudly of in such a droll way about their use. the difficulty of obtaining hands, fulness, and the wages he would stood wiping his sun-burnt face. have to pay them, that they were:

“Will you allow us to help you a soon as merry and as well-acquainted. little ?” asked George, very modest as if they had known each other for ly. “We have bound sheaves be weeks: and when, in answer to a fore, and would like the fun of it.” . question from George Wilson, Mr.

The farmer smiled, and gave them Howard began to tell them about leave to try; and as, although they his efforts amongst the heathen, did not work very fast, he found the cousins became deeply intethat they were careful to do the thing | rested. in the right way, and not to waste a “ We will come back, if you will moment, he presently invited them allow us,” said George, as they to remain until five o'clock, and take arose to resume their pleasant toil; tea under a tall hedge on the west “ for we both wish to hear the rest ern side of the field. The boys of it, and in an hour or two the work were too much in love with their will be almost done.” occupation to refuse, and in another Mr. Howard smiled assent; and hour they found themselves seated taking a book from his pocket, began by Mr. Townshend on sheaves of to read. The scene which lay before their own binding, beneath the shade | him was a calm and quiet one; and of a solitary ash of remarkable grace as he rested there upon golden corn and beauty. The tea and harvest- which had that morning waved in cako woro delicious; and the two l the summer breeze, his heart was

filled with holy gratitude, and his , then cometh harvest ? behold, I say mind with solemn thoughts. Soon | unto you, Lift up your eyes and he, too, would have to fall beneath look on the fields, for they are white the hand of a reaper: for

already to harvest. And he that "There is a reaper, whose name is Death, | reapeth receiveth wages, and gatherAnd with his sickle keen,

eth fruit unto life eternal; that both He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, he that soweth and he that reapeth And the flowers that grow between.”

may rejoiceth together. And herein The boys worked on, and his is that saying true, One soweth and thoughts wandered from himself to another reapeth. I sent you to reap them. Were they prepared for that that whereon ye bestowed no laharvest of grim death ? He had | bour; other men laboured, and yo learnt from a few words spoken by | are entered into their labours." one of them that they were the sons “I wonder," said Mr. Howard, of parents professing piety, and he “who will enter into my labours ? was not without hope that they had I have planted and watered; who some desire after the right; but as will be privileged to see the increase ? his book fell from his hand, and he | If I could know that God was raisrecalled the time when he, just such ing up labourers to enter into that another boy, first gave himself to portion of his harvest-field which I Christ, he longed to speak to | am bidden to resign, I should indeed them of the good news of salvation, rejoice." and to be a means of blessing to * Well, I should like to go,” said their souls. He was a dying man, George; “only I'm not fit, and I don't called early, very early, to leave a seem to know how to get fit, either. sphere of usefulness which he still Besides, I think it must be only the fondly loved—what if it should travelling that attracts me; for when please God to use him as an instru- | I read Mr. Moffat's 'Africa' the ment in leading one or both of these other day, I was always in a hurry dear boys to give the heart to Jesus, to get to the adventures, and did not and the life to his missionary work? care much whether the Bechuanas His soul glowed at the thought. | and Hottentots were converted or When they came back he would, by not.” God's help, speak to them very “That's just like me,” exclaimed earnestly; would urge them, first of his cousin; "I should like the travelall, to decide for Christ, and then to ling, and that would be all.” remember that the dark places of "And why should that be all ?” the earth were still “ful of the asked Mr. Howard. «Why should habitations of cruelty.”

not you desire to speak to the heaThey came. He spoke to them of then of the Saviour; to bid them the harvests of other lands; of the look to Him and be saved ? » strange customs observed by the John hesitated before he answered, people amongst whom he had been “I suppose because I have not permitted to labour, at the time of looked to Him myself.” the ingathering of their grain; of "Just so. But why have you not much that he had read of the reaping looked to Him? Why are you still season in olden days, the story of unsaved ? Is it not because you are Samson and the standing corn of the refusing to think ; because you will Philistines, and of Ruth in the fields not hear God's voice inviting you to of Boaz. Then he began to picture repentance ?" a holier scene, and told them of Jesus The boys were silent; and Mr. Christ at Jacob's well; of his ad- | Howard began to repeat the invitadress to his disciples there: “Say yetions of the Gospel :-" Come now hot, there are yet four months and 1 and let us reason together, saith the

ni

“THE LABOURERS ARE FEW.”

FOR THE YOUNG. It was harvest time, and two tall | laughing girls who, with the assistboys from the little town of K ance of a stout woman-servant, having strolled on a half-holiday brought the good things which Mrs. some three or four miles into the | Townshend had provided for the country, were watching the busy reapers, had the great satisfaction of reapers in a broad and level corn returning with empty baskets and field.

tea-kettles to the old farmhouse on “I wish we knew the farmer, the other side of the wood. John," said one of them at last, " for The cousins-such was their rethen we might go and help him lationship—were not the farmer's by binding his sheaves, and so on. | only guests that evening; for, shortly I like to work in the harvest-field, before the tea-kettles made their don't you ?”

appearance, a tall, thin figure had “Yes, very much,” replied John; passed through the gateway opposite " and there are but few people here in that which opened on the road, and proportion to the size of the field. Farmer Townshend, with a bright Suppose we introduce ourselves, smile of welcome, had conducted the George, and offer our assistance ?” new comer to a seat beneath the ash.

George laughed, but made no George and John soon discovered objection; and the pair, passing that the stranger's name was Howthrough a gate which opened from ard: that he was a man of very the high road on a path leading to a superior education, who had travelsimilar gate on the other side of the led much as missionary, and that he corn-field, walked briskly on until was ill—nay, dying. The farmer they reached the spot where Farmer | introduced them both, and talked Townshend, complaining loudly of in such a droll way about their usethe difficulty of obtaining hands, fulness, and the wages he would stood wiping his sun-burnt face. have to pay them, that they were

“Will you allow us to help you a soon as merry and as well-acquainted little ?” asked George, very modest as if they had known each other for ly. “We have bound sheaves be- weeks: and when, in answer to a fore, and would like the fun of it.” question from George Wilson, Mr.

The farmer smiled, and gave them Howard began to tell them about leave to try; and as, although they his efforts amongst the heathen, did not work very fast, he found the cousins became deeply intethat they were careful to do the thing rested. in the right way, and not to waste a “We will come back, if you will moment, he presently invited them allow us,” said George, as they to remain until five o'clock, and take arose to resume their pleasant toil; tea under a tall hedge on the west “ for we both wish to hear the rest ern side of the field. The boys of it, and in an hour or two the work were too much in love with their will be almost done." occupation to refuse, and in another Mr. Howard smiled assent; and hour they found themselves seated taking a book from his pocket, began by Mr. Townshend on sheaves of to read. The scene which lay before their own binding, beneath the shade him was a calm and quiet one; and of a solitary ash of remarkable grace as he rested there upon golden corn and beauty. The tea and harvest which had that morning waved in cake were delicious; and the two | the summer breeze, his heart was filled with holy gratitude, and his , then cometh harvest ? behold, I say mind with solemn thoughts. Soon unto you, Lift up your eyes and he, too, would have to fall beneath look on the fields, for they are white the hand of a reaper: for

already to harvest. And he that “There is a reaper, whose name is Death, reapeth receiveth wages, and gatherAnd with his sickle keen,

eth fruit unto life eternal; that both He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,

he that soweth and he that reapeth And the flowers that grow between.”

may rejoiceth together. And herein The boys worked on, and his is that saying true, One soweth and thoughts wandered from himself to another reapeth. I sent you to reap them. Were they prepared for that that whereon ye bestowed no laharvest of grim death ? He had bour; other men laboured, and ye learnt from a few words spoken by are entered into their labours.". one of them that they were the sons

“I wonder,” said Mr. Howard, of parents professing piety, and he “who will enter into my labours ? was not without hope that they had | I have planted and watered; who some desire after the right; but as will be privileged to see the increase ? his book fell from his hand, and he | If I could know that God was raisrecalled the time when he, just such ing up labourers to enter into that another boy, first gave himself to portion of his harvest-field which I Christ, he longed to speak to am bidden to resign, I should indeed them of the good news of salvation,

rejoice.” and to be a means of blessing to « Well, I should like to go,” said their souls. He was a dying man, George; "only I'm not fit, and I don't called early, very early, to leave a seem to know how to get fit, either. sphere of usefulness which he still Besides, I think it must be only the fondly loved-what if it should travelling that attracts me; for when please God to use him as an instru- | I read Mr. Moffat's ‘Africa' the ment in leading one or both of these other day, I was always in a hurry dear boys to give the heart to Jesus, to get to the adventures, and did not and the life to his missionary work ? | care much whether the Bechuanas His soul glowed at the thought. I and Hottentots were converted or When they came back he would, by not.” God's help, speak to them very “That's just like me," exclaimed earnestly; would urge them, first of his cousin; "I should like the travelall, to decide for Christ, and then to ling, and that would be all.” remember that the dark places of | •And why should that be all ?” the earth were still “ful of the asked Mr. Howard. « Why should habitations of cruelty.”

not you desire to speak to the heaThey came. He spoke to them of then of the Saviour; to bid them the harvests of other lands; of the look to Him and be saved ?!” strange customs observed by the John hesitated before he answered, people amongst whom he had been “I suppose because I have not permitted to labour, at the time of looked to Him myself.” the ingathering of their grain; of “Just so. But why have you not much that he had read of the reaping | looked to Him? Why are you still season in olden days, the story of unsaved ? Is it not because you are Samson and the standing corn of the refusing to think ; because you will Philistines, and of Ruth in the fields not hear God's voice inviting you to of Boaz. Then he began to picture repentance ?" a holier scene, and told them of Jesus The boys were silent; and Mr. Christ at Jacob's well; of his ad Howard began to repeat the invitadress to his disciples there: “Say ye tions of the Gospel :-"Come now dot, there are yet four months and 1 and let us reason together, saith the

Lord : though your sins be as scar- 1 world, and openly acknowledged that let, they shall be white as snow: they were his; and they are now though they be red like crimson, looking forward to a time when, they shall be as wool," and so on. either at home or abroad, they shall They listened, gazing wistfully into devote themselves to the great work the purple west, to whose light clouds of the ministry. the setting sun gave hues of no com Years have passed. Farmer Townmon splendour, and felt, perhaps for shend's field by the highway has the first time in their lives, that God been a clover-field, a turnip-field, in uttering those words, meant what and what not, since the day of He said, and that it would be their which I have written. Far away, own fault if they never entered on a distant hill-top, sleep the heaven.

remains of the young missionary; The seed was sown; the sower and the good farmer, standing amidst went his way, soon, as a shock of his corn, points often to the distant corn fully ripe, to be taken to the spire, and says, “He was here, last heavenly garner; and then God, who time.” But no one would recall the alone can give the increase, caused happy soul froin heaven, not even the bright sunshine and the gentle the boys to whom so much good was rain of his holy influence to fall, so done in that harvest-time, years ago, that the seed sprang up and brought for, “ Blessed are the dead which die forth fruit. The two boys gave their in the Lord; for they rest from their hearts to Jesus Christ, and resolved labours, and their works do follow to devote their young lives to his

them." service; they came out from the

OUR MISSIONS :- ESCAPE OF THE REV. W. LITTLEWOOD,

FROM SHIPWRECK,

VOYAGING among the numerous promote the spiritual welfare of the islands of the Bahamas, and over the freedmen who inhabit the islands. banks of corals and which divide them, We will now recount in his own is often very dangerous. Not only words another of his marvellous are there hidden rocks on which the escapes, which took place on his revoyagers' bark may suddenly strike, turn from his recent yisit to England, but frequently gusts of wind .rush whither he had come to recruit his suddenly across the ocean which shattered health. He says :--imperil safety, and if the sails are “We had an eventful voyage from not lowered, almost in the twinkling | America, and since then we have of an eye, the vessel may founder at heard and seen more of the effects of sea.

the hurricane in which we were very Our missionary, Mr. Littlewood, nearly lost on Silver Cay Bank, to has often had to encounter this great the east of Turk's Islands. It is peril. On several occasions he has trying to one's faith, when he has been in momentary expectation of time to look forward and reflect on death; but his Lord has graciously such a danger in all its appallingness. preseryed him. His duties lead him | Mrs. Sargent and Miss Smith, of at all seasons across these dangerous | Inagua, were fellow passengers. On seas, and for nearly twenty years he Monday, the 29th of July, we exhas heroically faced these perils to ! pected to make Turk's Islands, and