if she understands me, I am sure all the rest will."

There is a lesson in this incident which might well make a paragraph in a lecture on preaching. Such a lecture might be illustrated exceelantly well by the example of our "Saviour's preaching, and much ornamented by what is said by Paul about not preaching the Gospel "with wisdom of words"-by Peter of " great swelling words of vanity," and by Jude of those "whose mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

PLANT TREES.

Will you do it? You have often been told to do so. Will you get at it at last. Plant trees. If not more, plant one tree, a fruit, or a shade tree; we care not which, but do plant some kind or other. Where shall you plant it? Can you find no place for one tree! Along the road, before the house, at the spring or well, in some fence corner, beside some old stone quarry, or on some rocky place where you can perhaps find soil enough for one tree. You can easily find the place, if you only find the will to do it.

You will get no good of it anyhow? Ah, pity that you said that. It only makes us think the less of you. Your selfishness has crept out. Suppose those who have gone before you had thought the same, where would you now get apples and peaches to feed that selfish self of yours! If you think you are not worthy of living till the fruit trees you plant bear fruit, plant them for those that come after you, as those who were before you did for you.

You see no use in planting so many trees? So then. We see no use in leaving a space vacant where a tree might grow without interfering with anything else. If there is nothing but birds to eat the cherries, nothing but rabbits to eat the apples, why not let them have that satisfaction, when they can have it at such a trifling cost. But the likelihood is that there will be other demands for the fruit. Ask an apple woman at the railroad station for a good healthy apple, and she will say: "Three cents, sir." Don't that "pay?"

Now go and plant trees. Do not let this spring pass without repairing, as far as you may, your past neglect. And

when you do get at it, plant good trees. Do not mind paying a good price for good fruit. Get the best, for it will reward you best in the end.

Do not forget the grapes, the currants, the raspberries, the blackberries, the gooseberries, and the rest of the berry family. They all yield well, and are well worth the place they occupy. How pleasant to have plenty to use during the season; and what are left the good woman of the house will turn into preserves and jellies to vary the sausagemonotony of midwinter, and aid in giving the children good blood.

Now hear the words of the Guardian and be wise. Give ear to our counsels, and get understanding. Attend to our most reasonable request and plant trees! trees! trees!

SHADE! SHADE! SHADE!

The hot months are coming on again. What shall be done? "Necessity is the mother of invention." If so, the smothering heat of the Summer months ought to bring relief in some shape. Judging from our unenterprising spirit in the direction of securing sanitary improvements, we shall no doubt pant, sweat and sigh through the coming summer months, as we have often done before, without being the wiser for it. Various methods are employed to get comfortably through the hot weather. The favored few will flee to watering places or country resorts, the busier and poorer masses must linger and languish at their hot and enervating tasks. We have frequently been surprised that, with our famous enterprising go-aheaditivenessso little should be said and done for the public health of body, mind and soul. Give a community a healthy atmosphere, rational means of amusement, and you facilitate its moral improvement.

The impression prevails that parks and public baths, are luxuries which only our larger cities can claim. In country towns the people must bathe in a neighboring stream or not at all; they must promenade in their small gardens or on the hot, dusty, noisy streets. They can look out over the country, but have no convenient place to enjoy it. Now why can't we have parks even in onr small country towns? Every town, great or small, that would plant five or ten acres of ground, and plant it with trees, would diffuse joy and gladness

through coming centuries. Every town ought to have a place of healthy, pleasant resort, not only for the wealthy, but for the PEOPLE and children; and this could be afforded by a rural retreat near by at a comparatively small expense. A natural woods sometimes affords the luxury of retreat, fresh air and shade; but the land near villages becomes valuable, and the pleasant woods are cut down. The private citizen, who is the possessor, has perhaps not public spirit enough, even if he could afford it, to let the beautiful woods remain; and very often he is not in circumstances thus, at his own sacrifice to keep up a rural place for the public good. Indeed the public has no right to demand such sacrifice at his hands. No principle of justice demands that one citizen should furnish alone what is a pleasure and profit to all. In time, as we have intimated, the village grove is cut down. The beautiful original forest trees all gone forever. Who is to blame for the loss? Not the man who could not afford to let it remain, but the public who neglected to purchase the ground, and preserve its usual character for the public comfort aud health.

A few hundred dollars would have purchased the ground, which would have been to the village "a thing of beauty, and a joy forever." But the opportunity is gone. What now is to be done? It is never too late to do good. Let a piece of ground be purchased and planted with trees. A few years will bring about the desired result, and parents will have the pleasure of seeing their children play under trees of their own planting.

There is little difficulty in accomplishing what is here suggested. There are in every village and town a few public spirited citizens to be found who can realize it. Enough will be found to favor it, when it is proposed and started, and when there are those who were led in carrying it into effect. Let it be done. Shade! shade shade!-with fresh air, and a place to which to fly from heat and dust-this is what we need. God wishes us to have it. He will grow the trees, let us plant them.

HOW VICTORIA TRAINS HER CHILDREN.

A primary regard is paid to moral and religious duties. They rise early, breakfast at eight, and dine at two. Their various occupations are alloted out with almost military exactness.

One hour finds them in the study of the ancient, another of the modern authors, their acquaintanceship with the languages being first founded on a thorough knowledge of their grammatical construc tion, and afterwards familiarized and perfected by conversation.

Next they are trained in those military exercises which give dignity and bearing. Another hour is agreeably filled up with the lighter accomplishments of music and dancing. Again the happy party assemble in the riding school, where they may be seen deeply interested in the various evolutions of

the menage. Thence while drawing and the further exercise of music, and the lighter accomplishments, call off the attention of their sisters-the young princes proceed to busily engage themselves in a carpenter's shop, fitted up expressly for them, at the wish of the royal consort, with a turning lathe and other tools essential to a thorough knowledge of the craft. They thus become not only theoretically, but practically acquainted with the useful arts of life.

A small laboratory is occasionally brought into requisition, at the instance also of their royal father, and the minds of the children are thus led from a contemplation of the curiosities of chemical science and the wonders of nature to an inquiry into their causes. This done,

the young carpenters and students throw down their saws and axes, unbuckle their philosophy, and shoulder their miniature percussion-guns-which they handle with all the dexterity of practiced sportsmen-for a shooting stroll through the Royal Gardens. The evening meal, the preparations for the morning lessons, and brief religious instruction, close the day.

PERSEVERANCE.

He who allows his application to falter, or shirks his work on frivolous pretexts, is on the sure road to ultimate failure. Let any task be undertaken as a thing not possible to be evaded, and it will soon come to be performed with alacrity and cheerfulness. The habit of strenuous, continued labor, will become comparatively easy in time, like every other habit. Thus even men with the commonest brains and most slender powers will accomplish much, if they will but apply themselves wholly and indefatigably to one thing at a time.

Sir Charles Napier, when in India, encountered an army of 35,000 Belooches with 2,000 men, of whom only 400 were Europeans. He charged them in the center up a high bank, and for three hours the battle was undecided. At last they turned and fled.

It is this sort of pluck, tenacity and determined perseverance which wins soldiers' battles, and indeed every battle. It is the one neck nearer that wins the race and shows the blood; the one pull more of the oar that proves the "beefiness of the fellow," as Oxford men say: it is the one march more that wins the campaign; the five minutes' more persistent courage that wins the fight. Though your force be less than another's, you equal and outmaster yonr opponent if you continue it longer and concentrate it more. The reply of the Spartan father, who said to his son, when complaining that his sword was too short, "Add a step to it," is applicable to everything in life.

It is not how much a man may know that is of so much importance as the end and purpose for which he knows it, The object of knowledge should be to mature wisdom and improve character, to render us better, happier and more useful-more benevolent, more energetic, and more efficient in the pursuit of every high purpose in life. We must ourselves be and do, and not rest satisfied merely with reading and meditating over what other men have written and done. Our best light must be made life and our best thought action. The humblest and least literate must train his sense of duty and accustom himself to an orderly and diligent life. Though talents are the gift of nature, the highest virtue may be acquired by men of the humblest abilities through careful self-discipline. At least we ought to be able to say, as Richter did, "I have made as much out of myself as could be made of the stuff, and no man should require more."

FIVE YEARS' MINISTRY IN THE GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH IN RACE ST., BELOW FOURTH, PHILADELPHIA. An Anniversary Sermon, preached Jan. 8, 1860, and an Ecclesiastical Appendix. By J. H. A. Bomberger, D. D., Philadelphia, Lindsay and Blakiston, 1860, pp. 72.

It was a happy thought in the congregation to which Dr. Bomberger ministers, to request the publication of this sermon. In consequence of various tribulations brought upon the good old Race street Church previous to Dr. B.'s entering upon its pastorate, his own ministry during these five years has been one of peculiar labor and responsibility, while the state of the congregation has been one of anxiety-of hope

of fear. The desolations have disappeared, and encouraging prosperity has

characterized the history of the congregation. This sermon looks back serenely over troubles left behind, and recounts gratefully the mercies of the Lord.

It was a happy thought also in Dr. Bomberger to add the Ecclesiastical Appendix. Whilst that sermon is necessarily of more local application, the numerous facts that are here condensed into about 30 pages are of permanent general interest, especially to members of the Reformed Church, and to such as wish to inform themselves in regard to her origin, history, standards, polity, and general spirit. Whilst the sermon, though covering delicate ground, is subdued and breathes the spirit of charity, the Appendix is prepared with care and ability. We hope this neat little volume may receive a wide circulation.