sympathise together in the feeling that they have indeed lost a friend. But, if Mr. Curtis could speak to us from the peace and rest on which he has entered, he would certainly urge on us not to be content with merely lamenting his loss, and enumerating his excellent and useful qualities; he would tell us that we have the power of doing something to fill up the gap he has left, and that our affectionate esteem for him should be no barren or unfruitful feeling. Those who have hitherto laboured with him should be stimulated now to imitate his self-sacrificing abundance of labours and unwearied efforts; those who have been his pupils must try to manifest the good effects of the instructions they have received; the teachers who can no longer go to him for advice and aid, or solicit a visit from him to improve their schools, must learn to think, act, labour, plan and improve for themselves. We must all endeavour to gain more of the religion which was the root of our friend's excellences of character, earnestness of effort, and frequent success; and with this desire in our breasts, the remembrance of his purity of heart, singleness of purpose, and holiness of life, will help us to aspire to be, like him, one through Christ with God. DEEDS, NOT WORDS. By works was faith made perfect.-JAMES ii. 22. Ir daily acts of duty done, Our faith and love declare, Then will our humble vows be heard, The man who "bridles not his tongue," Of him the pious saint pronounced How can he ever honour God, If he, his brother loveth not, Let faith be shewn in loving deeds, Those who assist the fatherless, They, if unspotted by the world, H. J. W. OLD NURSE'S STORY. (Continued from p. 17.) WHEN Twelfth-day came I went to Mrs. Nelson's, and there I found I had to put my best leg foremost indeed. Poor Miss Sophia was confined to her room by a bad sore throat, but the school children were coming just the same, she could not bear that they should be disappointed; so she sent to beg that, after I had dressed up the Christmas tree, I would stay and entertain them. I had pretty hard work, I can assure you, in hanging toys and tying up flags among the branches of the tree, for there was no one to assist me in my employment, the servants being all very busy that day, as Mrs. Nelson was going to have a dinner party in the evening in honour of her widowed sister-in-law, who was staying in the house. Miss Celia and her brother looked in upon me now and then, and, when it pleased them, did a thing or two to help; but they were spoilt children, I am sorry to say, and full of whims and caprices, so they proved of but little real use. Miss Kate, I learnt, was out with her mama, and I saw nothing of her till she came in, between lights, to hang some needle books of her own making on the tree. "Mama showed me how to paint them," she honestly said, when I called them 'pretty,' and, and," she added, hesitating, I have been asking mama to set me some wristbands to stitch; I used to hate stitching, but I don't mind it so much 66 66 now; cousin Celia says, you say stitching makes your eyes ache, and I thought if I got on with my work, and we stayed here some time longer before we go into the country, I might do your next wristbands for you, to save your eyes, you know, but I haven't spoken to mama about it yet." Dear child, it was such a pretty thought, that I hadn't the heart to say a word against her kind plan, though I knew, of course, it could not be carried out. The day-light had faded, and I had just fastened up the last Union Jack, when Miss Sophia's scholars began to arrive. There were about half a dozen of them or rather more, and neat looking girls they were, with their dark frocks and smoothly brushed hair; they seemed very orderly too, but then, to be sure, they were all on their company behaviour. Company behaviour! you can't think, my dears, how I dislike those words, as if it signified more how we behaved in company, than how we behaved at home! yet people often seem to think it does. Many a time, in the course of my life, I have heard loud voices grow soft, and seen frowns change to smiles, because a visitor was coming into a room, and it wouldn't do to behave badly before a visitor. Ah, my dears, I could say many solemn things about there being not a moment when our very thoughts are not known; but I see you understand me, so I shall only just give you one little bit of advice :-you all wish to be thought well of, be kind and civil then to all; but see first and foremost that your conduct is such that you may be thought well of and beloved by your own parents, brothers, and sisters, who know you best, and see you most frequently. But, to return to the girls. I remember the names of three of them very well, Esther, Jane, and Phoebe; Esther was bolder and taller, and as she declared, much cleverer than any of her companions; as for Jane and Phoebe, I won't describe them, you shall judge of them for yourselves. The tree was not to be exhibited until later in the evening, so we went first into a dark room to see a magic lanthorn, and here, I am sorry to say, all didn't go on smoothly for some time; Master Herbert laughed at his sister, because she was rather 66 awkward at first in managing the slides, and Miss Celia grew angry, and ended by flouncing out of the room in a pet, leaving me to act as show-woman. The magic lanthorn was a very good one, and I should tire you if I were to describe all the droll and pretty things that were thrown upon the wall; castles and ships, great heads with no bodies to them, Punch-and-Judys, and children dancing round the May-pole. How excited the children got! I think I can hear them now,- "Oh! look, Sarah, there's a tiger, ain't you glad you can't hear him roar." "Oh, isn't he just like a tiger though, just like the one governess showed us at the zoological gardens." And look, there is an elephant, a great big elephant; ah! and look, what's coming next, I do so want to see!" In the midst of all the shouting and laughter, and exclamations of beautiful,' a lady came into the room. I could not distinguish her features, there was not light enough for that, but I saw she was in widow's mourning, and I noticed too, that as she passed Miss Kate (who was sitting among the girls), she patted her on the head, so I concluded that she must be Mrs. Fortescue. "Let me take your place," she said to me in the pleasantest, kindest way, "I have a little time to spare before dinner, and I'm sure you must be tired." I didn't like at first that she should trouble herself, but she would have her own way; and while I rested she showed off the magic lanthorn nicely, a deal better than me. I can't remember half of what she said, but I recollect what a clapping of hands there was when she drew the last slide across the lanthorn, and some beautiful figures with flowers in their hands, seemed to float along the wall. "Oh lovely, lovely," cried the girls, recovering their tongues, which before had been tied by the lady's presence, "what pretty ladies, but see, havn't they got wings?" "Those are fairies," said Mrs. Fortescue, "you know what fairies are, don't you ?" "Yes, ma'am," "No ma'am," "Cinderella, I know about Cinderella and her godmother," cried different voices at once. "Oh but these fairies are little tiny creatures," cried Miss Kate," they hide themselves among the roses, and drink dew out of acorn cups, and dance on the grass by moonlight, and-" "And have nothing to do all day, I suppose," said Master Herbert, "what fun that must be!" His aunt smiled, and said she thought it most probable that fairies, like bees, didn't choose to have idle ones among them. 66 any But there ain't really such things as fairies, are there?" said a voice which I think was Phoebe's. 66 Oh no," said Mrs. Fortescue, "though people used in former times to fancy there were; and used to be afraid of them too, thinking they could do mischief." "I shouldn't have been a bit afraid of them," said Esther confidently, "I should have liked to have seen such pretty things among the flowers and grass." "Oh, yes, wouldn't it be nice," cried two or three voices at once. "I'm thinking, my dears," said I, "that you needn't go to look for fairies in order to find pretty things in the flowers and grass." "No indeed," said Mrs. Fortescue, "now I wonder how many of you girls have ever thought grass-common grass such as we see growing everywhere-very beautiful.” 66 There was silence for a minute, then different answers came from the girls. Buttercups are pretty," cried one, "but I don't see how grass is." "Oh I think it must be," said another. 66 "I saw some fields last summer when we had our treat, and I thought them very nice and green." Oh, green's such a nice colour to look at," cried Jane; "mother was making up a scarlet cloak for a lady the other day, and she said the colour made her eyes ache; grass wouldn't be so nice if it were scarlet and Poor Jane was interrupted by a laugh. "Oh Jane," cried her companions, "how silly to talk of scarlet grass, just as if grass ever was scarlet; you know how queer it would look if it was.' "There was nothing silly in what the little girl said,” said Mrs. Fortescue, "it was thoughtful of her, I think; the colour of grass is one of its beauties, and we find every thing around us so wisely ordered for our comfort, that I've no doubt the colour of green was given to the grass because it is pleasantest to the eye, but the closer we look at grass the more we shall find in it to admire. I once knew a little boy and girl who |