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BURNING PAPER TO IDOLS.-POETRY.

BURNING PAPER TO IDOLS.

THE Chinese think that every year all their gods are obliged to make a journey to Heaven, to appear before Shang-te, the supreme ruler of the gods. To this end they print the images of their gods and goddesses, and the likenesses of horses, and palankins, and bearers, on paper, covering the whole with gold. They then set the paper on fire, and ignorantly

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believe their idols mount up into heaven. They wait three days for their return, and provide waggons drawn by dragons (at least the figure of dragons), to welcome them back; and then, with a great deal of ceremony, crowds of people accompany them to their temples. This is, of course, all mere fancy and folly, but it is their religion.

LITTLE HELPS IN DOING GOOD.

"I SEE in the world," said John Newton, two heaps of human happiness and misery; now, if I can take but the smallest bit from one heap, and add it to the other, I carry a point. If, as I go home, a child

I SAW a little streamlet flow
Along a peaceful vale;

A thread of silver, soft and slow
It wandered down the dale.
Just to do good it seemed to move,
Directed by the hand of love!

The valley smiled in living green;
A tree which near it gave

From noon-tide heat a friendly screen,
Drank of its limpid wave.

The swallow brushed it with her wing,
And followed its meandering.

has dropped a half-penny, and if by giving it another I can wipe away its tears, I feel I have done something, I should be glad to do greater things, but I will not neglect this."

Poetry.

THE STREAMLET.

But not alone to plant and bird
That little stream was known;
Its gentle murmur far was heard-
A friend's familiar tone."

It glided by the cottar's door,
It bless'd the labours of the poor.

And would that I could thus be found,
While trav'lling life's brief way,

A humble friend to all around,

Where'er my footsteps stray;

Like that pure stream, with tranquil breast, —
Like it, still blessing, and still blest.

Price 6d. per doz, or 3s. 6d. per 100; 20 copies sent free by post for 10d., paid in advance. Published by GALL & INGLIS, 6 George Street, Edinburgh. HOULSTON & WRIGHT, London.

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SENDING HORSES TO TRAVELLERS.

being altogether exhausted; in this case we aid them by sending horses to them."

"That is a most admirable custom," replied the Frenchman; "but you must consider that poor travellers, such as we, are not able to help you in this good work. We could not spare our horse and little mule: they require rest, in order that they may carry us into Thibet.”

At this the Lama clapped his hands, and burst into a loud laugh. "What are you laughing at?" said the traveller; "what I have said is the simple truth."

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throw up into the air; the wind carries them away, and by the power of Buddha they are changed into real horses, which offer themselves to travellers, all saddled and bridled, ready to be mounted.

The Frenchman refused to have anything to do with this foolish business.

The Lama and his companions were away before daybreak next morning. They took with them a tent, a kettle, and some food. All morning the wind blew a perfect hurricane, and towards noon a heavy snow-storm came on. The poor Lamas returned in the evening, quite worn out with cold and fatigue. The wind had carried away their tent and their kettle, and if they had not thrown themselves flat on the ground, it would have whirled them away too.

"However," said the Lama, when narrating their misfortunes, "though we have lost our tent and kettle, it must be admitted that the weather was very favourable for conveying horses to the travellers. When we saw from the clouds that it was going to snow, we threw them all up into the air at once, and the wind whisked them off to the four quarters of the

Here," cried the Lama, "here are the horses we send to the travellers. To-morrow, we shall ascend a high mountain, and there we shall spend the day, saying prayers and sending off horses." "How do you send them to the world. If we had waited any longer travellers?" the snow would have wetted them, and they would have stuck on the sides of the mountain."

"Oh, easily enough. After a prayer, we take a packet of horses, which we

WESTERN POLYNESIA.

WESTERN POLYNESIA.

CHAP. VII.--NEW CALEDONIA.

(Continued from page 62.)

THIS is one of the largest islands in Western Polynesia, being more than three hundred miles long, and about eighty wide. The Gospel was first taken to this savage island in the year 1841, by two native teachers, who were soon cheered by seeing many of the people becoming very attentive to their instruction.

One of them writes: "We have joy; for the Word of God is growing in this land of New Caledonia. Many of the people have learnt to read, and are attentive to worship every Sabbath-day. A few days ago, a heathen came to me to enquire about casting away his idols. I told him, an idol is nothing at all; that Jehovah is the true God; that He made the heavens, the earth, and all things; that He had pitied us in our sins and death, and had sent His Son Jesus to be our Saviour."

Soon after this, this man brought his idols to the teachers and asked them to burn them before all the people. But one of the crowd rushed forward, snatched up the idols, and bore them away in triumph, having saved them from such a public disgrace.

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of his people came to the house of one of the teachers, named Taunga. He said, "Taunga, I have brought you my gods; they have deceived me, false gods, burn them!”

Taunga answered: "No, I do not burn the gods. They are yours, and you must do as you please with them." Upon which, the man himself took them up and threw them into the fire, watching them till they were consumed.

Taunga says: "This man's name is Kai; he received into his house the first teacher who landed in 1841. His son is a good young man, and is diligent in making known the Word of God whenever he meets his fellowcountrymen. He has not yet learned to read, but he remembers what he hears on the Sabbath-day, and this he makes known to others."

Christian children, there is a noble example for you! Do not say again that you can do nothing for Jesus; remember this young man; you know more of the way of life than he did; you have received more,—are you giving as freely?

But soon sad troubles broke out in New Caledonia. The heathen At another time, a chief and some chiefs and priests surrounded the

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mission settlement, and threatened to kill the teachers and those who favoured them. The people of the place gave themselves up to prayer, and one of them was overheard to use the following language when he was alone:

"O God, my new God, Jehovah ! I call to Thee, I and my people now look to Thee. With Thee is power; with Thee is love. We look to Thee to save us. Besides Thee, there is no true God. Oh, save us!"

Some of the Christian party were killed by the heathen, but the rest continued firm and stedfast.

the last day, and be judged for what they have done in this life.

"By this we know that you are deceivers,” replied the heathen; “and we are going to kill you. You are liars." Upon this four men rushed forward; one of them seized Noa's right arm, and raised his hand to strike the fatal blow; another stood behind Taunga, holding his weapon over his head. Both were ready, and only waiting for the nod of their chief to strike. But the signal was not given, the chief said, "Not yet ;" and the teachers' lives were spared! "Now we know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel," said the good men, and de

But the persecution was not over; it soon increased with tenfold violence, and when the mission ship next visited the island, it was to them an ark of shelter from their cruel enemies.

There was a terrible chief named Mathuku, who lived on the neigh-livered us." bouring Isle of Pines; and who had resolved to put the teachers to death. He had sent many messages to the chiefs of the district where the teachers lived, commanding them to be killed immediately; but as his orders were disregarded, he sent a last message, saying, “If you do not kill the Samoan and Rarotongan men, I will come and kill them and you too! "

Mathuku was as good as his word; he came with a large band of warriors, all armed with spears and clubs. Nine or ten of these savages came to the teachers' house, and questioned them about the resurrection. Taunga told them that all men will live again at

Not

See the use of the "children's missionary ship”—your ship. only does she take missionaries and teachers to distant islands, but by visiting them in turns, many precious lives have been saved; the teachers have been taken away in her when it would be unsafe for them to remain. The worst of it is that the ship can visit them so seldom. You have seen that it is sometimes two years between the visits. This makes the heathen fancy that they are un

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