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THE SILVER GLEN.

ROM the esplanade of Stirling Castle,

FROM

looking eastward, one gets as delightful a view as can be had anywhere in Scotland. There before you, are the links of the Forth, carrying the eye to the dim mountain outline, where Arthur's seat guards the ancient capital of Scotland. A little to the left are the green slopes of the Ochils, with red tiled villages nestling peacefully at their feet. The velvety crown of the mountain range at the nearer end is Dumiet. Álmost under its shadow,

but further out into the plain, Abbey Craig lifts its round shoulder, surmounted by the Wallace Monument, which looks beautiful when you see it against the blue sky. That venerable pile a little to the right is Cambus Kenneth. A loop of the Forth was said to be worth an earldom in the North. On one of these loops the great tower still stands. Cambus means "bend.' Cambuslang is the long bend of the Clyde. Cambus-Kenneth is one of the numerous bends of the Forth. The whole of Stirling plain is rich in historical associations. And there could be no better trip for the readers of the 'Dayspring' than to the city of the Rock; and there could be no better exercise in Scottish history than simply to get up the well known events connected with the battle plain of Scotland.

In looking out from Stirling castle, or from the Abbey Craig, we like to note the villages in succession. There, under the shadow of Dumiet, lies that sweetest of the Ochil villages, Blairlogie. Further east is a red tiled hamlet, rejoicing in the quaint name of Menstrie, the birth-place of an early Scottish poet. Beyond the busy thriving town of Alva there rises, in all its freshness and beauty, the Wood hill, crowned from top to bottom with magnificent trees.

My eye always rests on that Wood hill, and every time I see it, I turn in memory and love to the Silver Glen that skirts its western border. There is another glen behind Alva, but it is very rugged. A

lady whom my papa once accompanied along the rocky ledge, called it horrid grand.' I always felt frightened a little there. It was quite different, however, in the Wood hill glen. There was nothing of 'horrid' grandeur in it. The water did not tumble from the precipices in such fearful leaps. The sun was not shut out by such high embankments, and so there was a silvery sparkle about it, which, combining with the silvery gloss of the tall birches, made me think it was well named the Silver Glen.

But, Dodo, is that why it is called the Silver Glen??

'No, my dear little brother Tim,' continued Dodo, 'it got its name for a different reason. There was a silver mine in the glen, from which a great deal of silver was taken. You can still see the place where the pit was. There are two pits, and it is said that the proprietor lost all the money he had made by the first mine in sinking the second.

Thus it is in life; people often make money in one venture to lose it in the next. There is one consolation, that whatever is given to God is never lost. And so nothing remains to-day of the silver of Silver Glen, save the communion cups made of a part of it, that still are in use in the old church.'

6

Why do I love the Silver Glen so well?” Well, Tim, I was born not far from the tinkle of its pleasant stream. Here I used to come on the long summer days, and call it the quiet waters by.' And here, too, papa used to come with us on Saturday afternoons, and we sat under shadow of the rock to the right of the first wooden bridge. While papa was learning his sermon, we gathered wild flowers, and the boys waded or went in search of nests. They were very happy days then. You dont know about them, Tim, for you were not born then. But somehow I drank in the silvery sunshine, the silvery ripple of the water, the silvery sheen upon the fresh green leaves. Some day I will take Tim and show him the very spot. Sometimes we sang

"The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green: He leadeth me

The quiet waters by."

One day papa quoted a stanza from Coleridge, which I have set in my heart to the music of the Silver Glen:

"The noise as of a hidden brook
In the leafy month of June,
That all night to the listening woods
Singeth a quiet tune."

'We usually came home by the "Ghouls." 'Ghouls!' cried Tim, 'I dont want to go that way when you take me there.'

Foolish boy, Tim, it is the nicest way back. It takes you in to the foot of another glen, and gives you a fine view of the country as well. One day in particular we had a splendid pic-nic. Some girls were with us, and we tried who could make the finest bouquet of wild flowers. I forget all about it now, but I mind one of papa's little sermons.'

SERMON OF THE BOUQUET.

I. The Bouquet is beautiful. Every flower here was kissed by the soft wind of spring, watered by the rain from heaven, and nourished by the gentle dew. Blooming on earth, each one reflects some tint of the

heaven that bends over one and all. Let my children seek to be beautiful with the flower beauty,-the beauty that comes from above, the beauty of heaven, the beauty that is like the Saviour.

II. The Bouquet is varied. Were the flowers all of one kind, it would not be so nice. But there are different flowers side by side, and that heightens the effect. So should my children strive to be, not one flower, but many flowers in one. Maggie should not be pleased to be bustling and active like Martha the sister of Lazarus; and Dodo should not be content just to be calm and contemplative like Mary. But Maggie and Dodo should both strive to have something of the Martha-like activity, and the Mary-like thoughtfulness, all in one.

III. The Bouquet is fading away. You put it into water when you go home, but that will not keep it long from fading. Each flower is torn from its root. And

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because torn from its root, it dies. You are beautiful, my little ones, but your beauty is fading. It will vanish one day altogether. `Sin tears us from our root in God, and so we die.

IV. There is a Bouquet that never fades. The Amaranth keeps its freshness for years, and people have dreamed about flowers that would never fade, and so they called them Amaranthine flowers. I only know of one Amaranthine flower. IT IS A SOUL TRUSTING IN JESUS. A soul trusting in Jesus gets its root once more in God. Nothing can tear it from that root. And so it is a flower bringing forth fruit. It is a flower that death cannot nip. It is a flower which, when it has ceased to blossom here, God will take to bloom in the garden of heaven. Let my children be such flowers. Let them give themselves to the Saviour, and He will put them into the bouquet that never fades.

HOME LESSONS ON THE COMMANDMENTS. 'THOU SHALT NOT KILL.'

MAMMA, surely we never broke killed anybody.'

the sixth commandment. I never

'No, Charley; you never killed anyone, but it is not very long since I heard a little boy speak very angrily to his sister and call her harsh names, because she had accidentally broken one of his toys.'

'It was very bad of Alice to break the pretty cottage Uncle gave me, and I thought she did it on purpose,' Charley replied, colouring deeply.

'It was very unkind of you to think so, and very wrong of you to be so angry. You must have forgotten what Jesus says of those who get angry without a cause. Read His words in Matt. v. 21-26,' and Charley read:

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother

people worshipping the golden calf,' said Charley.

'Nehemiah was very angry with the rulers for oppressing the people,' added Nelly.

'On these occasions these good men were right to be angry, and their being so did good to those whom they reproved; but sometimes anger even when just has led good men into sin. David's anger on one occasion almost led him to shed innocent blood.'

"That was when Abigail went to him with bread and corn and wine,' said Nelly.

'Yes. Abigail's wise conduct at that time, and her good advice, kept David from much sin, and preserved the lives of many. What is required in the sixth commandment, Charley?'

The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life, and the life of others.

'Do you remember how Paul shewed his care of his own life and of the lives of those with him in the ship?'

6 He told them that not one of them would be drowned, and urged them to take food for their health.'

'Obadiah hid the prophets in caves, and fed them with bread and water to save their lives,' said little Alice.

Yes, and you know what Ebed-melech did to save Jeremiah's life.'

"Ebed-melech went to the king and told him that Jeremiah was like to die in the dungeon, and the king allowed him to take him out. And he got old rags and let them down to Jeremiah to put under his armholes, and got him pulled out with cords. And God spared Ebed-melech's life because he had been kind to this prophet.'

These good men used lawful endeavours to preserve the life of others, and God rewarded their efforts and preserved their own lives. But, Nelly, What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?'

The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.

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resource of those who forget that they have God to go to in their trouble. Instead of turning to God and seeking mercy through Jesus, they madly rush into eternity.'

A young man who had resolved to drown himself, when on his way to the spot where he intended to cast himself into the water, saw a crowd assembled. Standing for a moment, his car caught the words, "Do thyself no harm." He listened, heard the gospel preached, renounced his awful purpose, and returned to his lodging to pray. Soon he found rest in Jesus, and the peace of God filled his soul. Then the temptation to commit suicide was gone for ever, and he honoured Jesus with the life so wonderfully preserved. Peace with God is the great preservative from temptation of every kind.'

'It was very strange, mamma, that the preacher should have been repeating the words, Do thyself no harm, when the man was going to drown himself.'

'It was because God in His wonderful providence had determined to save this man, that he guided the preacher to speak these words.'

'You can tell me now some of the things which tend to take away our own or our neighbour's life?'

Drinking is one of them, mamma. I heard papa say that a great many people kill themselves every year with strong drink.'

'Intemperance and vice of every kind tends to shorten life, and is forbidden by this commandment.'

"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.'"

'I will tell you a story of a little girl who understood this commandment well. One night after she had gone to bed, her mother found her crying very bitterly. When asked what was vexing her so, she replied, "O mother, killed Annie in my heart to-day, and I can't sleep till I ask her to forgive me.'

"The two companions who lived near and were very fond of each other had quarreled that day and spoken unkind words, and little Nelly's tender conscience told her that angry feelings were murder in her heart. Her mother wrapped up the child warmly, and her father took her in his arms and carried her to the home of her little companion. There they found Annie sorrowing over her own share in the quarrel, and very glad to kiss her companion and have it all made up. Then little Nelly could sleep in peace.'

'I never knew before, mamma,' said Charley, that we broke the sixth commandment when we quarreled with our companions at play.'

"The sixth commandment, like all the others, is exceeding broad. It requires us to be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us.'

'But, mamma,' added Nelly, if every wrong thought is a sin, I will never be able to keep the commandments.'

'No, my dear, you never can, but Christ Jesus has obeyed them all for you, and is waiting to forgive your sins, and give you grace to follow Him. For sinners Jesus died.'

God's holy child Jesus' as a little baby, and as twelve years old in the temple, but did you ever think of Him as being exactly your own age? that He was once really just as old as you are this very day? He knows what it is to be eight, and nine, and ten years old, or whatever you may be. God's word has only told us this one thing about those years, that He was a holy child.

He

What is holy'? It is everything that is perfectly beautiful and good and lovable, without anything to spoil it. This is just what He was when He was your age. was gentle and brave, and considerate and unselfish, noble and truthful, obedient and loving, kind and forgiving,-everything you can think of that you ever admired or loved in any one else was all found together in Him, and all this not only outside but inside, for He was 'holy.'

Why did He live all these holy childyears on earth instead of staying in heaven till it was time to come and die for you? One reason was, that He might leave you a beautiful example, so that you might wish to be like Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him. But the other was even more gracious and wonderful, it was 'that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.' That is, that all this goodness and holiness might be reckoned to you, because you had not any of your own, and that God might smile on you for His sake, just as if you had been perfectly obedient, and truthful, and unselfish, and good, and give you Jesus Christ's reward, which you never deserved at all, but which He deserved for you.

He took your sins and gives you His righteousness; He took your punishment and gives you His reward; it is just changed over, if you will only accept the exchange!

'I'm glad my blessed Saviour
Was once a child like me,
To show how pure and holy
His little ones might be.
And if I try to follow

His footsteps here below,
He never will forget me,
Because he loves me so.'

(From 'Morning Bells.') FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL