also. "I had gone," he used to say, "to a preaching in the black glen; while we were in the full enjoyment of the meeting, and our souls were being fed with the word of our God from the mouth of His servant, the alarm was given that the troopers were coming down upon us. The meeting broke up at once, and we separated, each one taking the way that seemed to him safest and best. I was bent upon getting back to this cave, indeed, I knew of no other hiding-place within my reach.

At first I thought that all the soldiers had gone off in different directions after the other people, but as I crossed the ridge above Longstone-moss, I heard a shout behind, and, looking back, I saw a party in full career after me, who evidently had me in full sight. I took the road straight over the bog, knowing that ground that would bear me as I ran lightly over it, would give way under the horses of the heavily armed soldiers. It turned out in some measure as I had expected. All through the moss I kept my own with them, they gained nothing on me; but on the other hand, I gained nothing on them, and I knew that when the moss was once passed, the ground would allow them to get on more quickly than I could; so I looked about for some hole or corner into which I might creep, and, by the Lord's good hand upon me, hide myself from the face of mine enemies.

"As I sought and prayed the Lord to hide me under the shadow of His wings, I came upon a deep mossy furrow running across the bog. I lay down in the rushes, and the bents closed over me, hiding me from view. And once again, as often before, I was made to know the joy there is in feeling that we are in our Father's hands, that He is with us, and careth for us. But even while

rejoicing in the safety I had found, I heard a sound that struck upon my heart like a death knell. It was the baying of dogs, hot and keen on the scent of their prey, and I knew that from them there was no escape; no hole, however dark, no furrow, however deep, could hide me from them. That sense of smell which God had given them was sure and unerring, and these men were now using it to hunt God's children to the death. 'O Lord,' I cried, 'I am still in Thy hands, even yet canst Thou save me, if it so please Thee; but if it be Thy will that they should take my life, do Thou keep my soul fast resting on Thee, and let me meet death without fear, and without sin.' Oh, my brethren, you know as well as I can tell you how sweet it is thus to cast oneself upon the Lord in the hour of danger; how near He then seems to us; how camly and peacefully the soul lies still in His everlasting arms! I heard the bark of the dogs come nearer and nearer. I raised my head a little, and looked through the rushes, and could see them not very many yards off, their heads down, their noses scenting out my very footsteps, and they coming straight and sure to their prey. Again, I cried to the Lord, 'Into Thy hands I commend my spirit'; and I was preparing to rise that I might save myself at least from being torn by the dogs, when suddenly there was a whirr among the long grass at my head, and close past my face, like a flash of lightning, dashed a fox, frightened from his lair by the near approach of the dogs. With a loud yelp, the hounds turned from my track to rush after him, and the soldiers, too, in the eagerness of this unexpected chase, forgot the poor Covenanter whom they had been hunting. Fox, dogs, horses, and men dashed over the moor in wild excitement, and I was left to give praise

and thanks to the Lord, who had again spread over me the shadow of His wings, and had again delivered me in safety from the hands of my enemies.

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When they were fairly out of sight, I rose to go home. I passed round about the hill, walked up the burn to throw the hounds off my scent, and reached this sweet resting-place in safety, to find my dear wife waiting for me in sore anxiety and fear, and ready to join with me in wondering praises to the Lord, who had watched over His unworthy servant, and kept him as even as the apple of His eye.'

ووو

John Paterson and his wife lived through all the years of persecution, and when liberty of conscience was once again allowed to God's children in this land, they returned to their farm, and lived many years in peace and happiness, and in favour with God and man.

THE USE OF LITTLE BIRDS.

IF God's plans in nature were left alone, the birds would kill so many insects that the insects could not kill too many plants. A certain insect was found to lay 2,000 eggs a year, but a single tomtit was found to eat 200,000 eggs a year.

A swallow devours every day about 440 insects, eggs and all. A sparrow's nest in the city of Paris was found to contain 700 pairs of the upper wings of cockchafers, though there was plenty of other kinds of food within reach; so that we may plainly see that birds are meant to keep down too great a number of insects, and that men and boys are foolish as well as cruel who needlessly destroy the little birds.

EDWY EDEN; OR, TRY, LOVE. It was an autumn Saturday afternoon, and, as usual, a half-holiday for the boys of Dr. Keith's school. The sun poured its heat on the crooked, crowded streets of a busy Irish town, and the broad river glided gladly and gracefully seaward, bearing a noble freight of life and property. A small group of boys, from the age of eight to sixteen, lingered on the steps of the school-house they had just left, in deep consultation.

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Come, come, we'll lose the best part of our half-holiday in talking how we shall spend it, said Frank Belmont, a tall lad, who was looked up to as a leader. "The doctor has taken the boarders for a sail and a bath, half an hour ago; the mighty eleven are at the cricket-ground already; and here we are standing idle under this hot sun. I will decide the matter for you. Let us walk to the old ruins at Rathcooney. There is a Danish fort, a castle, a church, and an old buring-ground, besides lots of what the geography calls natural curiosities.' Now as many as are of a similar opinion," continued Frank, assuming an air of mock gravity, "will say ‘Ay,' those who differ will say 'No.""

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'Ay, ay,” shouted half a dozen voices at once, while the little party moved off in the direction of the country road that led to the ruins.

"Are you going to venture on so long a walk, Edwy ?" said Frank to a little boy, whose childish dress and manner seemed more suitable to the nursery than to a public school. "I would like to go, if the big ones allow me; mother gave me leave to go anywhere with you, Belmont, and she made this parcel of sandwiches for us. But I thought that you would take care of me goin

home." "Take care of you, my little man! what are you afraid of?" asked Frank, in surprise. Edwy hung down his head without answering. 'I'll tell you. That troublesome Parker has been playing all sorts of tricks on him ever since Edwy got above him in the class," said Walter Smith, in explanation; 'he waylays him on the road, and sets a big dog to bark at him when he walks home alone. The cowardly fellow, I wish he would try it while I am by!"

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"But worse than that happened yesterday," said Edwy, looking this way and that, to be sure the dreaded Parker was not near: "just as I came to that lonely turn of theroad near the mill, he met me with his dog, and told me to stand and deliver." "Deliver what?" asked Frank; "surely he did not want to rob you?" "Only of my stampbook. I had rather he had taken all the money I have in the world. Oh, how I was tempted to say I had left it at home, my beautiful stampbook, with two hundred different kinds! but I could not tell a lie, you know, and perhaps if I had he would have searched me." "But did he get it, Edwy ?" 'Yes, I gave it to him-I was so frightened; and if he had kept it safe I would not have been half so sorry; but oh, Frank, he flung it into the mill-pond! I never, never shall have another like it. I hate Parker; I'll always hate him; and when I'm big enough, I'll pay him off, so I will!" cried the little boy, in a passion. 'Well said!" shouted three or four of his schoolfellows; but Frank Belmont did not join in the applause. A serious, almost sad, expression passed over his bright face. "This is a shocking state of things, boys; what ought we to do? Shall we tell Dr. Keith, or go at once to Parker's father?" "Oh, I beseech you never to tell any