The baby sits crowing in the father's arms, and the mother is walking by his side, attending to the joyous group who take the path before them to the wood, now vocal with the song of birds and the cooing of the woodpigeon; or over the stile and through the green meadow, while high overhead the lark is thrilling their hearts with melody, gathering wild flowers and prattling as they go along. The children ask a thousand questions concerning the natural objects around, to which the father replies, in the spirit of one who "looks through nature up to nature's God," and tells them that every thing bright, beautiful, and good, is the gift of God to man, and that they should feel truly grateful that they are permitted to enjoy the beauties and blessings of creation and providence. But see, baby has dropped asleep, and the mother proposes to return home, where he is put to bed, and the kettle is set to boil. Meanwhile, the children are busy conning over their school tasks and repeating them to the father, who improves the occasion by making a simple and lucid commentary on the scripture verses, Psalms, and Catechism, which make the principal lessons of tomorrow. He tells them they must be loving and obedient to their mother; kind and just to their playmates; attend school punctually, and improve in their learning; and above all to remember the word, and let it sink deep into their hearts "Thou God seest me!" The books are now laid aside, and as a reward for good conduct they are permitted to take tea with the parents; and while

"The cup that cheers, but not inebriates,

Waits on each, they welcome peaceful evening in. '

After tea the fire is made up, the hearth is swept, and the happy circle close around it. The family Bible lies open upon the father's knee, and through the casement the mellow lustre of the evening sun falls upon his thoughtful brow and calm countenance, while he breaks the hushed silence of the room with an invocation of Divine assistance and blessing in the duty of family worship. Shortly after it is concluded the children are sent to bed, with the mother's whispered injunction in their ears, "Be sure to mind your prayers."

Surely there is good ground for hope that he who has been thus trained to "remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy," and has "known from a child the holy Scriptures, which are able to make wise unto salvation," will, under the influence of his early impressions of purity and goodness, be preserved, while attending school, from much of that contamination which always exists where many children congregate, a great number of whom, alas! have never known the benefits of early home training.

It has been often alleged, in excuse for the ignorance consequent on the very deficient education obtained in general by the children of the working-classes, that they are so soon taken away from school, the parents being under the necessity of putting them to some employment, in order to lighten their own burdens, and assist in maintaining themselves. But these very

circumstances lay the parents under a double obligation to procure for them the means of further improvement. And where is the mother who, having the will, has not the way also supposing she can read herself-of

spending an hour every evening, when work is over, with her boys and girls in reading to them and hearing them read, and bringing home the moral of what they read to their hearts and understandings? while the father, who can write, and knows something of the rules of arithmetic, can take order for the proper use and improvement of the copy-book and slate-pencil. But if you cannot, or will not-which amounts to much the same thing-there is no want of evening classes everywhere, and you can be furnished with "all appliances and means to boot" in the shape of cheap teaching, cheap books, cheap everything which can be required for clearing the path of knowledge of its attendant difficulties.

But I think I hear many parents exclaiming, "Who is sufficient for these things? We have neither time nor opportunity for teaching our children." Yet I dare say you had time for courtship when you kept company with your husband before marriage; and still the mother has time to visit her neighbours, or spend some hours in gossiping with them in her own house; and the father can get time to talk politics and smoke his pipe, or feed his birds or his rabbits; and so "the first is made last, and the last first," and the poor children are the sufferers, being wholly neglected.

"God helps those who help themselves."

and may God help and bless those parents who have a proper sense of the solemn responsibilities with which they are chargeable in becoming parents and heads of families! For it is not alone to God, to their children,

and themselves that they owe a conscientious discharge of the parental duties; they are also responsible to the public for the many grevious burdens and intolerable nuisances entailed upon it in consequence of the disability of some parents and the neglect and criminality of others.

ADDRESS TO WORKING-WOMEN.

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WORKING-WOMEN, a sister addresses you, one of your class the daughter, wife, and mother of working-men; one who has been afflicted in many of your afflictions, and in whose experience there has been but few calls to "rejoice with them that rejoice," but "to weep with those that weep ;" one who, while rearing a fast increasing family, has often found it necessary to rise early and sit late, and "eat the bread of carefulness;" and although never in want of the necessaries of life, yet often without any of its luxuries, and having her mental and corporeal powers sufficiently taxed while endeavouring to discharge the sacred duties which every mother owes to her children, however humble her station or scanty her means. Working-women, I have here identified myself with you as a sister; as such, I hope you will not be offended if in addressing you I should use "great plainness of speech;" for indeed the signs of the times bear upon them the broad evidences of the very low standard of our mental status.

The spirit of progress is now abroad, and loudly and imperiously calls upon us to institute and practise a vigorous discipline of our minds, and to employ every available resource for strengthening our defences and repairing the breaches through which, by our puerile ignorance, cruel neglect, and a careless indifference in