15. Basket of Vegetables. Mine are homely products of the earth, and may be deemed of little worth; Has given us these for daily food. "Who giveth food to all flesh."-Psa. cxxxvi. 25. ACCOUNT OF AN AUCTION COMPETITION. We have awarded the prize in the Senior Division to GEORGE A. WADE, (17), 72, York Road, Leeds. In the Intermediate Division, to MARIANNE BAKER, (15), 16, Portland Place, Brighton. In the Junior Division, to WILLIAM CHARLES TAYLER, (13), 16. Honey in a glass dish or the box in which it was made. 8, Denton's Green Lane, St. Helen's. (Place this in basket.) First-fruits have I of the busy bees; I'm sure its sweetness cannot but please; "How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth."-Psa. cxix. 103. 17. Hold up milk in a glass, then place in basket. I bring a glass filled to the brink With pure sweet milk for children's drink. Thank God for milk that makes us grow; Thank Him that words like these we know. "Desire the sincere milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby."-1 Pet. ii. 2. 18. Glass of Water. Water, pure water, sparkling and free, "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord"-Psa. cl. 6. 19. Basket of Pennies. (These may be gummed on moss, or even paper, piled high so as to show.) My basket of pennies don't make much show; But pennies make shillings; and this we know, If given from love to our dear Lord, They shall not fail to have their reward. "Freely ye have received, freely give."-Matt. x. 8. Conclude with some appropriate hymn from the school hymn book, in which all may join. OUR TWENTY-POUND PRIZE GALE COMPETITION. IT T was quite with our eyes open that we offered the prizes of Twenty and Ten pounds for the two best tales. We knew what it would involve; we knew the piles of manuscript that would come in and would have to be patiently gone through; but we did not suppose that the final award would be so difficult to make. After weeding out those that had no chance, there were left a large number of really creditable and excellent tales, from which the final selection had to be made. The friends who assisted are men in whose judgment we have the greatest confidence, and of whose patient, conscientious work we cannot speak in too high praise. Unsuccessful competitors will, we hope, pardon the delay in making the announcement. We are delighted to find that the prize-winners are two of our old boys grown up into manhood, and that some of the best of the other tales were written by those whom we have reckoned among our interested readers for years. THE TWENTY POUND PRIZE has been awarded to WILLIAM J. LACEY, High Street, Chesham, for his tale, "Gideon Hoole's Secret," the opening chapters of which are given in this Part. THE TEN POUND PRIZE has been awarded to T. PRESTON BATTERSBY, R.A., Cromlyn, Rathowen, Westmeath. Competitors who have not forwarded stamps for the return of their tales should do so, if they desire to receive them back. We honourably mention PATTIE E. VARNAM, CHARLES L. BAYFOOT, W. A. DUNCAN, CHARLES A. COOPER, LLEWELLYN BLAND, MARY BILLINGSLEY. ACCOUNT OF A DAY'S FISHING COMPETITION. We have awarded the prize in the Senior Division to WILLIAM A. DUNCAN, (17), 19, Gladstone Street, Newcastle. In the Intermediate Division, to KATE MARY EADY, (16), Westmorelands, West Worthing. In the Junior Division, to WILLIAM C. TAYLER, (13), 8, Denton's Green Lane, St. Helens. We honourably mention ARCHIBALD W. GLASGOW, AMY L. BURLEIGH, JANE F. PECK. ESSAY ON CHEERFULNESS COMPETITION. We have awarded the prize in the Senior Division to PATTIE E. VARNAM, (18), Thornton, Leicestershire. In the Intermediate Division, to KATE MARY EADY, (16), Westmorelands, West Worthing. In the Junior Division, to ADA E. BUCKENHAM, (13), Huntingdon House, Cambridge. We honourably mention AMY E. ALDER, EMILY SLADE, LILLA E. COULES, NORA C. USHER, CATHERINE H. ROWLAND, FRED. R. HARVEY, W. B. REDMAYNE, ALICE H. LANGTON, WILLIAM C. TAYLER. A SERMON IN RHYME. F you have a friend worth loving, That you love him, e'er life's evening If you hear a song that thrills you, Why should one who thrills your heart, If you hear a prayer that moves you Why should not your brother share All enriching as you go; Your life shall never lack a friend. most active certainly most interested-when persons become their object. The uncle in Australia who is coming home, the new minister or doctor who is expected in the town, the new head master or mistress that has been appointed, and is going to commence duty after the holidays, all occupy the waking moments of sundry young people who are to be brought into contact with them, and are pictured forth in their imaginations of how they will look and what kind of people they are. An ideal sketch by one of our contributors. napping," and they are not always as wide awake as they should be, but the after-dinner nap they know nothing of, and the office snooze is a stranger to them. The part of the picture that is nearer reality is the crowd of correspondents and readers that haunt his dreams when he indulges in more than forty, and when his sleep is of a more composed kind than winks suggest. Never mind! In starting this new series of YOUNG ENGLAND, we are so anxious to get closely related to our readers that we shall not complain if they obtrude on our sleeping as well as on our waking hours. We do not care to become an encyclopædia for them, or to tell them anything they may easily find out for themselves. We think it a waste of postage to make such inquiries as are too common in magazines for young people; and we certainly feel it a waste of time to answer them. But, in matters of personal conduct, in difficulties of any kind, as regards the meaning of passages of Scripture that may have occasioned doubt or misgiving, we shall be glad if there is the freest possible intercourse between the editor and his readers. There are constantly questions-little in themselves, but involving important issues that crop up in the home, in the day-school or Sunday-school, or even in hours of recreation and leisure, that we shall gladly do our best to answer if they are sent to us. Where a personal or immediate reply is requested, let a stamped and addressed envelope or post-card be sent; and in all cases the real name and address should be given, as a guarantee, though not for publication. It is not to be wondered at that those who cater for the young continually assume some definite shape or form in the minds of their readers. There is an indefiniteness about an editor that invests him with some amount of respect; and for this reason we suspect some editors are so loath to remove the cloak of anonymousness that covers them, lest acquaintance with them should reduce them to the rank of very ordinary individuals, or, in other words, lest familiarity should breed contempt. But those whose privilege it is to cater for the young have no wish to hedge themselves about with any mystery; for it is their desire to get as close to the hearts, as well as to the minds, of their readers as possible. They are intrusted with so much confidence, they are asked such important questions, that it is but natural their readers should try and imagine what sort of person it is that speaks to them from time to time, and should endeavour to realize to their minds their unseen friend. It is a singular fact that the popular idea of an editor is that he is middle-aged, or even further on in life, and that, moreover, he is corpulent. A friend who sends us the accompanying sketch evidently has this idea; and, as it is so common an experience, we have had the drawing engraved. The artist's fancy is somewhat minute, for he has supposed that we indulge in forty winks, and that, when so engaged, we cover our heads with a silk pocket-handkerchief, because it is presumed that we are bald, and that we want the flies to find some other recreation-ground than the top of our head. Well, we are too pleased that anybody should think of us at all to find fault that our friend is not very near the mark in his picturings. As to age-well, never mind going into particulars. We do not forget our birthdays, but we feel that contact with young people is the best remedy against feeling old. As for the forty winks, they are all a delusion; editors do not get them. They are sometimes " caught OUR SCRIPTURE PRIZE COMPETITIONS DURING the sixteen years in which our PRIZE COM PETITIONS have been before our readers, we have proposed almost every subject that could be well offered for competition. We take some credit, as we derive not a little pleasure from the thought, that KIND WORDS was quite a pioneer in this useful work; and we are only pleased to see that more recent candidates for the favour of young people are following so closely in our wake. As we have said, we have pretty nearly exhausted the various subjects suitable, and for the present we propose to confine our competitions to those of a more Biblical cha racter. During the week young people who are at school have their lessons, which we fear are getting to occupy more and more of their leisure time, whilst those engaged in business have not much opportunity or inclination for sedentary occupation after hours. But on Sundays there may be found time for some pleasant employment of a kind proper for the day. The early morning, or the latter portion of the day-always supposing that those of our readers who are Sunday scholars, have carefully studied their lessons for their classes, which should always claim the fullest consideration-may afford opportunity for a pleasant and a profitable SEARCHING OF THE SCRIPTURES. We, therefore, beg to offer a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE We offer a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF ONE GUINEA, to Competitors under Twenty, and a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF-A-GUINEA, to those under Fifteen, for THE BEST ACCOUNT OF AN OLD TESTAMENT Papers not to contain more than one hundred lines. We offer a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF ONE GUINEA to Competitors under Twenty, and a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF-A-GUINEA, for the best SERMONETTE ON THE GOLDEN TEXT FOR "God loveth a cheerful giver."-2 Cor. ix. 7. Conditions applicable to all the above Competitions: 1. Papers must have name, age, and address of competitor on the top of the first page; SCRIPTURE PUZZles. I.-SCRIPTURAL GEOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE. 1. A, on the river O in A M, was the place where the name of Christian was first given to the followers of Christ. 2. B, in the land of P in the province of J, was the place where J set up a golden calf. 3. S, a town in P in the province of J, between the mountains E and G, is spoken of in connection with J. 4. G, in the land of P in the province of J, was the headquarters of the Israelites during the conquest. 5. From D, in the province of G in the land of P, to B in the province of J in the land of P, was the scriptural length of the land of Israel. 6. J, in the land of P in the province of J, was the landing place of the cedars for the building of the temple. 7. A, in the province of J in the land of P, was one of the cities taken by Joshua at the beginning of the conquest. 8. B and C, in the land of P in the province of G, were both upbraided for their wickedness. C. FARROW. II.-SCRIPTURAL CONICAL PUZZLE. 1. A consonant. 2. One of the sons of Noah, 3. A handmaid of Sarai. 4. What was Boaz to Naomi. 5. A woman mentioned in St. John. 7. Three of Christ's disciples. 8. Two cities belonging to the tribe of Issachar. Centrals give the name of a woman mentioned in St. John. III.-DOUBLE ACROSTIC. 2. The maiden's laughing eye is dimmed in death; When, lo! One enters, gives these short words breath, 5. More wrote of this, the perfect land; but where, 6. Symbol of might, uplifted on the strand, To scourge each soul that from right paths hath strayed. 2. Must be guaranteed as original by parent, guardian, 7. And this the Almighty Father glad obeys, minister, or teacher; 3. Must be sent to the Editor of YOUNG ENGLAND, 56, Old Bailey, by the 25th October. All pages must be fastened together; but separate competitions must be kept separate. OUR PRIZE CERTIFICATES. Instead of the Medals of Honour, which we formerly offered, we shall reward those who send in papers which deserve special distinction, but which do not gain prizes with PRIZE CERTIFICATES, which will be a record of Honourable Mention, and will prove, we hope, a stimulus to renewed ffort. Suns and all systems bending to His will; 8. Now, lest with all these lights thou fail to read .F. M. E. NOTE.-We shall award a Handsome Prize to the one who first sends the solution to this double acrostic, subject to the following conditions: Competitors must be under twenty; and must send a similar guarantee of originality, with name, age and address as is required in the other competitions. We shall publish a list of all who solve this acrostic. |