to cheer and put to shame some other "listless soul." I arose wiser, if not better, for the lesson my homely feathered friend had taught me, and at once set down those texts which the song had brought to my mind; and, dear reader, if you will learn and practise them, you will not need any song to remind you that the goodness of God endureth continually; nor that that goodness shall follow you, with mercy, all the days of your life; forgiving your sins, supplying your needs, and putting a new song in your mouth.

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The Largest Bill of all the year.

Ew Year's presents, you see, Mr. Johnson!" said Mr. Henry, pointing to a number of papers which were spread before him on the table, and which, it was evident, were occupying his somewhat anxious attention.

Mr. Henry, we may explain, was a clerk, holding a good position in the office of a large public company, and Mr. Johnson was his minister. It was the evening of New Year's Day; and Mr. Johnson had called, partly that he might wish Mr. Henry and his family a happy new year, but partly also on a little business. Mrs. Henry and the children were in the drawing-room, and Mr. H. had left them for a short time, and was sitting in a little room which he called his study. The postman had just left a number of letters, in which were some of the papers to which Mr. Henry had pointed.

It required only half a glance to see what they were. The headings of most of them, and the lines ruled for pounds, shillings and pence, and the columns of figures, made it quite plain that they were bills.

"Presents, I suppose," said Mr. Johnson, "such as we all get at this time of the year; and I am afraid they are not always quite as welcome as some other presents one

gets. For my part, I don't like them, and I take care to have very few of them."

"Indeed!" said Mr. Henry; "and pray how do you manage that ?”

"By a very simple method indeed," replied Mr. Johnson; "by paying cash for everything I can. There are a few things I cannot pay for in that way, and I am obliged to wait for the yearly or the half-yearly accounts; but I know pretty well what they are, and what they will amount to, so that they cause me no surprise."

"A good plan," said Mr. Henry, " for I must confess that accounts come in now and then which do surprise one. Many of the things had been completely forgotten, and the total amount is often rather startling. We must take your plan this year, and for the future."

"I am quite sure," said Mr. Johnson, "that you will find it more satisfactory than the credit system, and certainly a great deal more economical."

"Well," resumed Mr., Henry," although there are some things which had been forgotten, and some of our bills are rather larger than I expected, I can still pay all I owe."

"So far good," said Mr. Johnson; "but are you sure you have all your bills before you? Since some have come in which have surprised you, don't you think there may possibly be some others which you have overlooked, and which you may find more surprising still ?"

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"I don't know," replied Mr. Henry, looking a little uncomfortable; I hope not. But even though there should, I don't think we should be quite bankrupt. I feel pretty sure we could make all square."

"And yet, will you excuse me if I say, Mr. Henry," asked Mr. Johnson, " that there is one Creditor whom you have forgotten? and His bill is the largest of all the year." Mr. Henry did not at first see Mr. Johnson's meaning, or who it was he had in view. "Indeed!" he said; "no; I think not. There may be a few small accounts to come in, but nothing so large as you speak of. I could not possibly

have forgotten anything of that kind. light suddenly dawned upon him, "I How dull I was not to see it at once!

Oh!" he said, as the see what you mean. You mean God ?"

Mr. Henry was a kind, upright man, a good servant, and greatly respected by his employers. He attended the house of God, too, with tolerable regularity. Still, Mr. Johnson was afraid-and Mr. Henry's subsequent confession confirmed his fear-that he yet lacked the "one thing needful."

"Yes," replied Mr. Johnson, "I do. Now, will you allow me to ask you if you have ever seriously thought how much you owe to Him ?"

"I hope," said Mr. Henry, "I have not been altogether forgetful of that; and nobody could attend your ministry without being often reminded of it. Still, perhaps I have hardly thought about it as I should have done."

"Well now, Mr. Henry," said Mr. Johnson, "let us have a little quiet talk together about this. It is a matter of which we all need to be reminded, and of which we are all apt to be sadly forgetful. You told me, I remember, some time since, that it had not been without many a hard struggle that you raised yourself to your present position."

"Yes, sir,” replied Mr. Henry; "I don't care who knows it. I began life-my working life, I mean-as errand-boy in the service of our Company, when I was only twelve years old. My father was in poor health, and unable to work, and all of us who could earn anything were obliged to do So. I determined to make my way if I could; but I had only a poor education. One of the clerks, however, was kind enough to help me in the evenings, and he spoke a good word for me to the manager; and when I was fourteen I was taken on as junior clerk. I well recollect how proud I was when I took my seat at my desk. Some of the other clerks looked rather scornfully on me; but I made my way, step by step, till now; and I hope I have prospects of something better still."

There was a slight air of pride in the way Mr. Henry said this, such as we often see in what are called "self-made

men," when they speak of their struggles and successes. Mr. Johnson made no remark on that, however, but replied

"It is always pleasant to hear of vigorous endeavour like yours; especially when, as in your case, it has been crowned with success. You have reason to be very thankful to the kind friend you have mentioned, and to others who helped you in your early struggles; but may I ask if it has ever occurred to you to think how much you owe in this very matter to God? He gave you the energy which enabled you to cope with your early difficulties; it was in His Providence you were led to the place where you began your work; the friends who helped you were His gift; and without His blessing you would still have been struggling and poor."

Theoretically, Mr. Henry would have admitted all this at any time, as he frankly admitted it now; but who does not know that it is one thing to admit a truth as a theory, and quite another to hold it as a conviction and a principle? Really, Mr. Henry ascribed all his success to himself. Mr. Johnson thought he saw this, but he made no remark.

"I think," he resumed, "you have had good health during the past year, Mr. Henry ?"

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"Never better," replied Mr. Henry. "I may have had a slight cold once or twice, but I never ailed anything that kept me from business or confined me a single day to the house. I had a good constitution to begin with; and then I am a temperate man, and know how to take care of myself." "A great mercy that," said Mr. Johnson. Only those who have passed through sickness and suffering know the value of good health. But I think I could name some who had originally just as good a constitution as yours, and who were just as temperate, and in every respect just as prudent, who have been greatly afflicted during the past year, and brought very nigh to death. There's your friend Edwards, for instance."

"Ah, poor fellow !" said Mr. Henry, "I never thought he would pull through. He is sadly shattered."

"And yet," said Mr. Johnson, "although you have enjoyed good health yourself, you have had some anxiety about your family."

The fact was, that Mr. Henry's eldest daughter Mary, a sweet girl of seventeen, had been so extremely ill that for some little time her recovery had been despaired of. Mr. Johnson had been a frequent visitor during her illness, and he had reason to think that it had exerted a very salutary influence on her mind. He had prayed with the family very earnestly for her recovery; and he believed that if ever her father had really prayed it was then. Through God's great goodness she had been restored, and now she was as healthy and blooming as ever.

"Ah, yes," said Mr. Henry. "Poor Mary! I thought we should have lost her; and I do not know what we should have done if we had."

"Everything, I know," said Mr. Johnson, "was done that could be done to promote her recovery. It was in your power, through God's goodness, to procure the best advice; and nothing was wanting in the way of gentle, careful nursing. Still, all would have been in vain without God's blessing. It was really He who gave her back to you. It was a great mercy, and don't you think you owe Him much for that?"

Mr. Henry made no reply, but his eyes filled with tears. He remembered, though Mr. Johnson did not know it, how in that very room in which they were sitting he had poured out his earnest cry to God that He would spare his child; and how he had vowed, if God would only do so, that he would serve Him as he had not served Him hitherto.

"Then," said Mr. Johnson, "whilst Mary was restored, all the rest were spared. The disease was infectious, but you took all precautions, and it spread no farther. Mrs. Henry was greatly harassed by her long watching, and I know you were afraid about her, but she is quite recruited, and in good health. Is it not a great mercy that through the whole year your circle has been unbroken, and that your