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The Little Gleaner.

THE EDITOR'S ADDRESS TO HIS YOUNG

FRIENDS.

A HAPPY new year to you, my young friends. I wish you the happiness of health, of education, of home, of friends, of all that is valuable in this world; and, as the warmest and most important wish of my heart, I wish you that happiness that is a foretaste of eternal bliss. This happiness you can never have while treading the path of sin, or while trusting to your own righteousness. This happiness flows to the needy sinner alone, through the cross of Jesus. It is the joy of pardoned sin, of a wounded conscience healed, of peace with God, of a hope full of immortality! Who can tell the worth of such a joy? Dear young friends, you will never have this joy, if you are never led as sensible sinners to flee for pardon to the blood of the Saviour. And, alas! what words can paint your awful portion, if you die ignorant of any experimental acquaintance with repentance for sin and faith in the blood of Jesus? "Outer darkness;" "a bottomless pit;" "a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone" these are awful realities that must be yours, if you live and die graceless and Christless. "He that hath the Son hath life, He that hath not the Son of God hath not life." It is your soul's profit that I seek in conducting this little work. I have had in measure my reward-souls have been blessed through the means of the Gleaner; may the

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been Margraves of Meissen, and Electors of the Empire, and he was lineally descended from the famous Elector who first signed the Reformers' protest at Spires against the diet of Augsburg (1529). The young prince was first educated at his father's castle of Ehrenberg by masters from the College of Coburg. On his mother's death, when he was about eleven years old, he came to England, and became an inmate of Kensington Palace, where the Duchess of Kent, his aunt, was living. He here first saw his future wife, the Princess Victoria, and the two were fellow-students. He remained about fifteen months in England, and returned home on his father's second marriage. At the age of seventeen he entered the university of Bonn as juris studiosus (student of law), and devoted himself most assiduously to the study of law and history, and to the cultivation of music, poetry, and painting, in all three of which accomplishments he was no mean proficient, even at that age. He was very temperate, his only indulgence being athletic exercises and the like. During the three terms or seasons of his academical career, he was singularly beloved for his amiable disposition.

The marriage of the Queen to the Prince took place on the 10th of February, 1840, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Howley) and the Bishop of London (Dr. Bloomfield) officiating, and the Duke of Sussex giving away the bride. According to the records of the time, there never was such a concourse of people in St. James's Park to see the procession, since the visit of the Allied Sovereigns in 1814.

In 1842 the Queen and Prince paid their first visit to Scotland. In 1843-4 occurred their celebrated visits to King Louis l'hilippe, at the Chateau d'Eu,

and to the King of the Belgians; and on their return home they commenced their tour through the country, visiting Cambridge (where the prince was made LL.D.), Tamworth, Lichfield, Chatsworth, &c., &c. It ought to be noted that Prince Albert, on his visit to Sir R. Peel, at Tamworth, devoted a day to Birmingham, paying the most careful attention to the manufactures of all sorts, examining every detail with great intelligence, and leaving behind him a considerable reputation for scientific attainments.

For the last few years his Royal Highness has taken no very prominent part in public affairs. He has, however, been active in promoting the interests of the Royal Patriotic Fund, over which he presided; the Wellington College, which, mainly through him, promises to be one of the noblest schools in England; the Horticultural Society, whose present flourishing condition is due to him; and other excellent societies, are objects which a Prince might most fittingly support.

The speeches which his Royal Highness has delivered at intervals have been marked by conciseness of language, a liberality of tone, a calm impartiality, a terse, well-studied, judicious style, which have always been warmly approved. A collection of these speeches, published in 1857, at the suggestion of Lord Ashburton, by the Society of Arts, eminently deserves perusal. The liberal sentiments and the shrewd common sense of the illustrious speaker are signally displayed in them, and there is not the slightest tinge of bigotry, affectation, or pedantry.

Respecting the removal of the Prince, the following deeply but painfully interesting particulars are collected:

The Prince Consort was taken ill some twelve days since. Symptoms of fever, accompanied by a general

indisposition, made their appearance. For some days the complaint was not considered to be serious, but, from the early part of last week, the medical men in attendance and the persons about Court began to feel anxious. It became evident that, even if the disorder did not take a dangerous turn, a debilitating sickness would at least confine the Prince for some time to the Palace. It need not be said that no statement was made which could unnecessarily alarm Her Majesty or the public. It was not till Wednesday, when the fever had gained head, and the patient was much weakened, that the first bulletin was issued, and even then it was said that the symptoms were not unfavourable. In short, it was considered to be an ordinary though severe case of gastric fever, from which a person of the Prince's age and strength, aided by the skill of the first physicians in the country, might be reasonably expected to recover. The usual routine of the Court was consequently not departed from; and though, as we have said much anxiety prevailed, it was not thought necessary to communicate these apprehensions to the Queen.

We believe, however, that the Prince himself had for some days a melancholy conviction that his end was at hand. The recent death of his relative the King of Portugal, from a similar disorder, is understood to have had an unfortunate influence upon him, and possibly assisted the progress of the malady. It is said that as early as Wednesday morning, the Prince expressed his belief that he should not recover. On Thursday no material change took place in his condition, and on Friday morning the Queen took a drive, having at that time no suspicion of immediate danger. When, however, Her Majesty returned to the Castle, the extremities of the patient were already cold, so sudden had been the fresh access of the dis

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