THE TABLES TURNED.

AN EVENING SCENE ON THE SAME SUBJECT.

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books; Or surely you'll grow double:

Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks; Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshning lustre mellow

Through all the long green fields has spread,

His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:

Come, hear the woodland Linnet,

How sweet his music! on my life

There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the Throstle sings!

He, too, is no mean preacher :

Come forth into the light of things,

Let Nature be your teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,

Our minds and hearts to bless, –
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood

May teach you more of man,

Of moral evil and of good,

Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;

Our meddling intellect

Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things,

-We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and of Art;

Close up those barren leaves;

Come forth, and bring with you a heart

That watches and receives.

SIMON AND HIS FAMILY.

A SIMPLE STORY FOR CHILDREN.

On the western shore of the beautiful lake of Gennesareth, just on the border of Capernaum, there lived a poor fisherman and his family. His name was Simon. He was a simple-hearted man and loved the truth. Ruth, his wife, was also known and loved for her purity of character. They lived happily together, and enjoyed to the full the blessings of their lot. They had a large family, and they were very poor, and yet they looked upon their lot as a very pleasant one.

They lived in a low hut, with but two apartments. This hut, like most of the poor houses in the East-was composed of mud, reeds, rushes, &c. Their principal food was fish, parched corn, and dates. Their clothing was of the simplest kind, consisting only of a thin linen vest, and a coarse woollen cloak or "tunic." They could not afford even the common sandals, which are simply a pair of soles with a few straps to bind them to the feet. Stockings are never worn in the East.

Besides the common expenses of the family, they had to be very hospitable, and entertain many guests. But they did this very cheerfully. And yet, at the time they lived-in the time of Christ-the demands upon their hospitality were very great. I said they lived near Capernaum. Here it was that our Saviour resided during the principal part of his ministry; and here, therefore, were constantly many strangers. But how, you will ask, could they commode strangers, if they had but two rooms? They slept, as is common in the East, on the tops of their houses, which always have flat roofs; and ate their frugal repasts under the shady palm tree.

The children of this family were not much different from most children. Some were light hearted and thoughtless; others (the older ones) were more serious and wise. But at the present time, alike the old and the young, the grave and the gay, talked

much of the time on one subject, and that was, (as you may suppose,) the appearance of Jesus.

Let me relate a few incidents of this family, that you may have some idea of the prevailing feeling at that time in Capernaum.

As Simon and his wife were reclining on the grass one evening, eating their frugal meal, their oldest child, Rebecca, came running up to them and exclaimed :-"Mine eyes hath been confounded and my understanding hath been shaken."

Every eye was fixed upon her expressive countenance, as she stood, the picture of amazement, and uttered these words.

"Daughter," said Simon, "my beloved daughter, what has greeted thine eyes, and how hath thy mind been disturbed?"

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Rebecca paused for a moment to collect her scattered thoughts, and then said :-"Hearken and I will tell you. As I was walking hither, quietly meditating upon the Great Teacher, I heard a loud murmuring as of many voices. I raised my eyes, and behold, a great multitude of people were gathered together about a house near by. Their eyes were all raised to the terrace.And I looked, and lo! four men were on it, uncovering the roof, while near them, stretched on a bed, was an emaciated man. And I waited and saw the four men lower the bed into the house through the hole they had made. I knew by the crowd the Teacher was there, and the people round about told me that as no one could get in by the door, they proceeded straightway to lower this man down through the roof, to see if peradventure the Teacher might heal him. And I waited, and lo! presently, he that was sick, came forth, with his bed in his arms, crying out with a loud voice :-" Blessed be God and his holy Teacher, for how could he do these wonderful works, if God were not with him." And all the people were amazed and cried out:-" We never saw it in this fashion."

"Truly," exclaimed Simon, as his daughter had finished her narrative, "truly thou may'st be astonished. I will go and see this wonderful man, and know of him whether he be of God or no."

And he went forth in search of the Messiah. When he had gone, Rebecca and her mother began to converse about these won

derful things.

Surely," said Rebecca, "this man must be from God: he must be the long expected Messiah."

No," replied her mother, "no, it cannot be. He will appear in great splendor in the temple of Jerusalem. He will not be cradled in a manger."

"Mother," interrupted John, a little boy about eight years old, mother, did n't father say that the Messiah would be a soldier, and that he would kill the wicked Romans?"

"Yes, my child, we expect him to come to lead our armies, and be our king, and restore us to power, and grandeur, and glory, and he will be hailed by our Scribes, and great men; but as for this man, he is only followed by poor fishermen like your father."

"But," said Rebecca, "how could he heal the sick if God were not with him?”

"He must be a cheat!" said John.

Thus they talked about Jesus, when he first appeared to them. They expected a great king. The children wanted to see a fine soldier. They thought, the children and their parents,—that he would come in robes of purple and gold; that he would have nothing to do with poor fishermen's families; and that he would live in magnificence, and have splendid carriages, and horses, and all kinds of costly things. They thought, too, that he would dwell only with the rich and learned.

He went out to find this
Did he find him?

But what has become of Simon? man who called himself the Saviour. Yes, and when he returned to his home fell on the grass and exclaimed:-“ :-"Have mercy on me, Oh God, for I am in trouble." Rebecca threw herself upon his face and asked him whence came his grief.

When he had recovered himself, he said :-" My hopes are all blasted. My heart is grieved for my people; for we looked for a

Saviour, and lo there cometh a man full of strange things. For as I went out by the house of Levi, I saw the Teacher reclining at his table; and I went in and behold he was at meat with Publicans and sinners."-And here the afflicted Simon wept aloud, while his daughter Rebecca bent over him and wiped the tears from his eyes with her hair.

Simon had been taught, and he had taught his children, to hold no communion with publicans,—and here was a man, pretending to be the Messiah, actually eating and drinking with them.

After a short time, Benjamin (the youngest son) broke the silence and said :-"Father, why is it wrong for me to play with Samuel, the little publican, as you call him?"

Because, my son, the Publicans collect the taxes which the wicked Romans make us pay, and it is wrong to have anything to do with them."

Benjamin could say nothing in reply to his father at first, but presently he timidly asked:-"Is n't Samuel's father a good man? He looks as if he were. He is always kind to his wife and children, and they are all good to his poor old mother.

I

have seen him do many good deeds. And I am sure, father, that Samuel is one of the best boys in the world, though I never played with him because you told me not to play with any Publican's children."

Simon replied that he did n't care how good they seemed. They were Publicans and that was enough!-but he turned to his wife and said:"Ruth, I wonder if the Teacher reasons about the Publicans like our little boy!"

"You know," interrupted Rebecca, "that he told your brother Andrew that if he would enter into the kingdom of Heaven, he must become like a little child. Perhaps, now, he meant that he must become as unprejudiced, as simple-hearted as my little brother. Now, you see, brother only thinks about the goodness of the Publican, and the Publican's son; and if they are good, he don't see why he should n't play with them."

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