FOR THE CHILDREN.

Waikato Times, Volume 2537, Issue XXXI, 13 October 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN.

A Fortune Made by Kindness. A story is told of a poor soldier ' ving called one day at the shop of .. uairdresser who was busy with his customers, and asked relief stating that he had"* staye.l beyond his leave of absence, and unless ho could ire< a lift on the coach, fatiarue and severe punishment awaited him. The hair-dresser lisleued to his story respectfully and gave him a guinea. " God bless you sir," said the soldier, astouished at the amount, " how can I repay you ? I have nothing hut this"—pulling out a dirty piece of paper from bis pocket; " it'b a receipt for making blacking; it's the best that was ever seen. Many a half-guinea have 1 had for it from the officers, and many bottles I hive sold. May you be able to , get something from it from your kindness' to the poor soldier !" Oddly enough that dirtv piece of piper proved worth half a million of money to the hair-dresser. It was no less than the receipt for the famous Dly and Martin's blacking ; the hair-dtesser being the late wealthy Mr Day, whoso manufactory is one of the notabilities of London.

The Pour Trials. There was once nn old monlt walking through the forest with a little scholar by,. his Aac. The «M mm suddenly stopped iind ptiiute.l to four pUnti close at haud. The fir<t was lirginnintr to peep above the srroiind j the second hud roofed ilself pretty w';il into the earth; the third was a small .-hrii'i; whilst the fourth and last. , was ii fitll-sizdd tree. Then the old monk said to his yonnjr compunion : " I'ull up the first." The youth easily pulled it up with hie fingers. "Now pull the second." The youth oluyed, but not so easily, " Anil the thir.l." Hut tliu lioy lit'l to put forth all hie strength, ami use both arin3, before he succeeded in uprooting it. " An 1 now," siil t'.io master, "try your hand upui the forth." Hut lo! the tru.ik of the tall tree (jjru'peil in the anna of the youth) scarcely shook it* leives; and the little fellow foiiil it impossible to tear its roots from the earth. Then the wise old monk explained to hia sjholnr the meaning of the four trials. " This, ray son, is just what happens with our p;nsi nn. When they are young and woalc, one iniy. by n lirtle watchfulness nver self, anl the help of alittlo selfdenial, easily tear them up; but if we let them cast their roots deep down into our -oiils, then ti'i humm power can uproot them, the uliniyhty hanl of the Creator alone tin pluck thfiin out." " P.ir thh re iMon, my child, watch well over the first in ive.nents of your soul, mid study by acts of virtue to keep yout" p'issions well in chock."