Sunday Morning Talks with Boys and Girls.

STAND IN YOUR OWN SHOES.

OR as this little picture suggests, sail in your own boat. Don't try to live on the merits of other people.

There was a man who lived in the earliest age of the world whose name was Abraham. He was a grand man, not to say "a grand old man." He was so great that the Jews were proud to call him the father of their race, and in the days of John the Baptist, people who were as unlike Abraham as a mouse is unlike an elephant, people who hadn't a bit of Abraham in them, said, "We have Abraham to our father." "Stop that," said John. Begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our Father" (Luke iii. 8). You cannot live on the merits of your ancestor.

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If a boy were to steal your marbles, or a girl were to run away with your skipping-rope, you would not be satisfied if the culprit said, "I am the descendant of a man renowned for his honesty." You would say, "Be honest yourself."

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So the Bible would say. Before God we must all stand in our own shoes. The fact that you had a good father is no benefit to you unless you are good too. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God;" and in the day of judgment it won't help you that you had a sister who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. You must do the same. No relative you ever had can excuse you from the necessity of giving your own heart to Jesus. For you to expect to be saved because a great-uncle of yours was a missionary, is to be like the geese in the fable. But by the way, you will not understand the fable unless I first tell you

How ROME WAS SAVED.

The Gauls had entered the city, and set fire to it. Only a few of Rome's bravest soldiers were left, and these were shut up in the Capitol-a fortress situated much as Nottingham Castle is, as seen from the railway. The rock was so steep that the Gauls found no means of scaling it, till seeing footmarks in one particular place they concluded that some one must have climbed. They determined to try. So in the dead of night a few of them clambered up one by one, as softly as they could. One of them had nearly reached the top when some geese hearing the noise, began to gabble, cackle, and flap their wings, till they awoke a brave soldier named Marcus Manlius, who was only just in time to hurl back the foremost Gaul over the edge of the rock, on to

STAND IN YOUR OWN SHOES.

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the heads of his comrades below. The rest of the garrison sprang to their feet, and repelled the attack, and so the Capitol was saved by a few noisy geese. Knowing that, you are prepared to hear

A RUSSIAN FABLE.

Some geese, which were being driven rather fast along the road to a neighbouring market, complained in the following way to a traveller about the peasant who was driving them :

"Where can you find geese more unhappy than we are? See how this peasant is hurrying on this way and that, and driving us just as though we were old common geese. Ignorant fellow as he is, he never thinks how he is bound to honour and respect us, for we are the distinguished descendants of those very geese to whom Rome once owed its salvation, so that a festival was established in their honour."

"But for what do you expect to be distinguished yourselves?" asked the traveller.

"Because our ancestors"

"Yes, I know; I have read all about it. What I want to know is, what good have you yourselves done?"

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'Why, our ancestors saved Rome."

'Yes, yes; but what have you done of the kind ?" "We? Nothing."

"Of what good are you then? Do leave your ancestors in peace. They were honoured for their deeds; but you, my friends, are only fit for roasting."

J. FLETCHER.

Thoughts for Thoughtful Girls.

THERE is no purpose in life, no path we mark out for ourselves, nothing to which we desire to be faithful, but meets with some rebuff or scorn sooner or later. Thousands of girls finding their first ideal of life (often alas! their highest) laughed at and mocked fail from its pursuit, and maim and spoil the beauty of their lives to suit the fashion of to-day.

There comes a time for us all to decide between the hill and the plain, and the first steps of the upward journey are always beset with difficulty.

There are people who through all their lives demand and receive attention purely on account of their surroundings, with whom the personal me is completely merged in the less inscrutable mine. It is curious to speculate on the probable aspect of such if they were stripped of their social positions, houses, and adornments; it is not merely that we doubt if we should know them, would they know themselves?

Some of us take a whole lifetime to realize that "the fashion of this world passeth away;" that change is God's decree, we having only to see to it that the changes are for us from glory to glory, instead of into less and less resemblance to Him in whose image we were created.

-From "A Woman's Hand," by Miss Ellis.

BY EMMA LESLIE.

Author of "Glaucia, the Greek Slave," "Before the Dawn," &c.

CHAPTER III.-AT THE CONVENT.

EOFRIC'S new master was no other than the young man whose hawk he had rescued as he was entering Bricstowe. Passing the slave-pen, where the lad and his companions were confined, he recognized the proud boy who had so angrily refused his gift, and immediately stopped and spoke to him.

"Well, my young Berserker, art thou as ready to fight me now as when we last met ?" he asked, with a merry laugh.

"I am always ready to fight any man when he insults me," said Leofric.

"Well, 'tis evident the slave's collar will never bend thy proud neck, though it may break it very soon. "Tis a pity a young blood like him should be lost," he added, turning to his companion, and putting his hand to his pouch, as if to count the number of crowns it contained.

"What! wouldst thou buy the boastful young swashbuckler ?" asked his friend, noticing the action.

Leofric noticed it, too, and pushing his way closer to the stockade that surrounded the pen, he said in an earnest tone, "If thou hast a mother, or sister, who needs a gentle bower-maiden, spend thy crowns on my sister, and, for the love of God, save her from a Saracen slave-market. I can fight my way through the world; but Githa-" and at the mention of his sister and the probable fate that awaited her, a groan of heart-felt anguish burst from the poor boy's lips.

"Come, come away, we can do nothing to help him, and there are hundreds here in the same evil case. I hate to come near these slave-pens;" and the two friends moved away, leaving Leofric alone in his misery.

But they had not gone far before the first suddenly turned back again. "How many crowns does thy master ask for thee and thy sister?" he asked.

Leofric shook his head; "I know not; and my master, as thou callest him, is at the monastery being cured of the blow the saints gave him in their wrath yesterday."

"Come, Gurth, thou surely art not in earnest about buying this boy. Who is to be master between you?" added his friend, who had again joined him.

"Oh, we will both be masters," laughed Gurth, who was as wilful in his way as Leofric himself; and without another word he turned in the direction of the monastery, where at once he saw Father Dunston and soon made known his errand.

The kind-hearted monk was quite ready to enter into his plan of rescuing Githa, and undertook to have her included in the bargain that was to be made for Leofric at a very little additional expense, and likewise to keep her at the convent free of all charges until she should be well enough to travel, and undertake the duties of a bower-maiden.

Truth to tell, Gurth was not nearly so anxious about Githa as he was to possess Leofric as a personal attendant and follower, and but for the old monk removing all difficulties out of the way she might have been left to her fate. For Leofric, it would be a shame, he thought, to reduce such a fine spirit to the usual condition of a slave, for he admired the very qualities that had hitherto proved such a hindrance to Leofric gaining the favour of those with whom he had been associated lately, and intended to make him more of a companion than a slave.

So when the bargain was concluded, and Leofric handed over to him, his first care was to provide him more suitable garments, but without the usual badge of slavery-the iron collar round the neck. He was allowed to go with bare throat, shewing the blue figures that had been punctured there, and of which he was so proud; and it was with no small pleasure that he went to the convent a few days afterwards to see Githa before departing for their new home.

The little girl had been informed of something that had taken place, for she was better now, and could sit up a little while each day, but she was not at all prepared to see her brother look so changed, not only in his garments, but in his whole manner and countenance. She did not notice at first the proud exultation with which he held up his head, and showed as much as possible of his bare throat, for she was so overjoyed to see him smiling once more that she forgot everything else.

"They have told thee all about our new master, my sister," he said, taking Githa's thin white hand in his. "I would go to the end of the earth with Gurth, my master, and-"

"And thou dost call this man master without cursing him," uttered Githa, in astonishment.

"Yes, Githa, I am proud to serve such a master: See, there is no outward badge of slavery—no ring about my neck bearing my master's name upon it; and as he told me yester-morn, if I tried to run away from him I should certainly succeed, for no man would know I was a slave; but, Githa, he hath bound me to him more fast than with rings of iron about my neck, for he hath taken captive my heart, and my feet would forget their work if I tried to forsake him. And he hath bought thee too, my sister, although he will not claim thee at this time. Thou art to be bower-maiden to his sister who hath been long sick, and needeth gentle tendance. Art thou not glad, Githa ?"

"Yes, I am, if thou art; thou knowest I am always pleased with what pleaseth thee;" but, even as she spoke, the little girl heaved a deep sigh. "Nay, nay, thou must not be sad, little one," said her brother.

"But-but thou art going away from me, and what shall I do without thee ?"

"Leofric, too, looked troubled as he tried to soothe his little sister, but at length he said, "Thou dost not know the duties of a bower-maiden, Githa; thinkest thou the nuns would teach thee ?"

"I know not whether they can teach me that, but I am learning “Our Father," and "The Creed." But this information did not seem to please Leofric; I would thou hadst left clerkly learning alone; thou knowest that none of our race ever had aught to do with the church."

"Nay, but the church rescued me when I was dying," said Githa, "and the good sisters here would be sorely grieved if I refused to learn what they are pleased to teach me."

"But thou sayest they cannot teach thee aught but the knowledge pertaining to the church or the convent, and what will that profit thee?"

Githa shook her head; "I have not thought of the profit, my brother, but how I might pleasure the good sisters who have been so kind to me. Think, Leofric, I should have died but for their care and attendance."

"Yes, they have been kind, I trow; but look you, Githa. thou art a slave, and thy master and mistress would fain have thee skilled in the duties of a bower-maiden and not learned in clerkly arts; for they, as we, are not over fond of the church, my master saith."

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"And what pray you are the duties of a bower-maiden? tell thee?"

Did thy master

'Now, Githa, is it likely that those whose business it is to learn the use of the cross-bow, and the training of hawks and falcons, should know aught about the dyeing and mixing of herbs, or when the floors should be strewn with fresh rushes?" said Leofric, loftily.

'Well, I will ask the nuns if they can tell me aught about the herbs or rushes," said Githa; "but I must learn what they will fain teach me besides," she added.

"Oh, thou canst learn all they please; but it were better for thee to forget it as soon as thou leavest the convent, for clerkly learning is of no use in the world, as thou knowest."

Then dost thou think God hath nought to do with the world?" asked Githa, simply.

"What can He have to do with it?" asked Leofric. "If there is a God, as the monks say, then He is wiser than the saints, more powerful than Thor, or Odin, and kinder than any holy sister in this convent. Now think you, if there was such an One He would suffer men to make slaves of their fellows, or let them imbrute themselves with drunkenness as all our countrymen seem to do?" "The Normans and men of Flanders are not thus swinish," said Githa. "No, and it were well if Englishmen could learn something of Norman abstinence and Flemish handicraft."

"Leofric, I know something of this," said Githa, "and it may be that my knowledge of the Flemish embroidery will please my mistress better than if I were learned in the use of herbs."

"But thou hadst better learn the uses of these too, and leave all conventlearning alone, for that is only fit for nuns, not bower-maidens."

Leofric could not stay very long with his sister, for they were to depart early the next morning on their journey, and there was some furbishing of arms and cleaning of horses to be looked after first.

Poor Githa was very brave, and resolutely kept back her tears as long as her brother was with her; but as soon as she was left alone she broke down utterly. "Oh, Leofric, Leofric," she sobbed, come back to me. I cannot live without thee."

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"Hush, hush, little one," said one of the nuns; "thou must not grieve so sorely; thou wilt see thy brother again soon. The church hath saved thee from the bitter pangs that many suffer who never see friends or kindred after their parting in the slave-market."

"I know, I know," sobbed Githa passionately; "but oh, why is not the God you talk about as kind as the church?"

The nun started at the bold, strange question. "God is kind," she said at length; "the church doth but try to shew the love of God to the world that lieth in wickedness."

"But why doth the world lie in wickedness? why are there any slaves if God is kind, and yet more powerful than the old Norse gods?" said Githa; for this question of her brother's had troubled her.

But the sister could only shake her head in shocked surprise. "I know that God is love," she said, "and that is enough for me."

"Yes, because thou art in a convent away from the tumult and violence of the world, but-but what is there for people who live in the world?"

The gentle-hearted nun could only shake her head. "The world is an evil place, full of violence and cruelty, and 'tis best to fly from it to the shelter the church hath provided," she said.

'But all cannot fly from it; some must abide outside the convent howsoever cruel the world may be; what hath the church for these?" asked Githa.

But before the nun could answer Father Dunstan stepped forward. He had entered the room unnoticed, and heard the girl's last troubled question.