THE FIRESIDE. standing at the other; and then supposing we were to ask which creature occupied the middle place, having as many degrees of size below it as above, and as many above it as below, that place would be found to be occupied by the common house fly. What a stupendous optical instrument must that be which, assisted with a few brass tubes and some disks of glass, shall discern a creature as much smaller than a fly as a fly is smaller than an elephant! EVIDENCE OF THE SENSES. A SCEPTIC said to a Christian, "How do you know you have a soul? Did you ever see it?" "No," was the reply. "Did you ever hear it ?" said the other. "Did you ever smell it ?" "Did you ever taste it?" "Did you ever feel it?" "No." "No." "Yes, always and unmistakeably." "Well, now," said the sceptic, "the four most accurate of your five senses stand arrayed against one-which shall we believe?" The Christian answered, "Did you ever see a pain ?" "No," said the sceptic hesitatingly. "Did you ever hear a pain?" "Did you ever taste a pain ?" "Did you ever feel a pain ?" 66 "No." "No." Certainly," was the reply. "And still, my friend, it is palpable that you have no more evidence of pain than I of my soul; for consciousness of life underlies all other consciousness." The Fireside. THE FAITHFUL WIFE. MRS. ANDREWS had given her heart to Jesus, and now she yearned for for the salvation of her husband. She longed for a family altar; but who, she asked, would offer upon it the morning and evening incense? Could she take upon herself this duty? Could she pray before her unbelieving husband? To her it seemed duty, and she felt that God would give her strength. She spoke to her husband on the subject, and met with no opposition. He could not pray, he said, but if she was willing to take that part, he would read a chapter in the Bible. Morning came, and the wife placed on a little table a copy of the Word of God. She called her two little ones, and placed seats for for them by her side. Then the husband was called in, and, as he had promised, read a chapter in the Bible; then the little circle knelt, and the wife poured out her heart in earnest supplication for herself and for her household. earnestness. THE PENNY POST BOX. The husband was deeply moved by her Through the day, as he was occupied with business, he saw again before him that kneeling figure, heard that earnest voice pleading for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon husband and children. Going one morning into his stable before breakfast, he thought again of his praying wife, and knew that even then she was preparing for morning worship. He knew that he ought to be the priest in his own household. He began to wish that he could pray, and at length, throwing himself upon the hay, he began to cry mightily unto God. While he was thus wrestling with God, he was summoned to the house. The Bible was upon the stand, and wife and children were waiting his coming. He read a portion of the sacred word, then all knelt, and just as the wife was about to open her lips in prayer, she was astonished at hearing her husband's voice. "God be merciful to me, a sinner," was his cry. Then and there he gave his heart to Jesus, and became a faithful follower of the Master. By a faithful performance of duty his wife had led him to the Saviour. The Penny Post Box. ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN? THIS question every one should propose to himself, not in a formal way, but with searching power. No amount of Christian work, no zeal in practical benevolence, no fidelity and interest in denominational efforts are a substitute for personal religion-that living, experimental knowledge of God and obedience to Him, which forms the very corner-stone of piety. Christ, in His teachings, laid special stress on the importance and necessity of religion as a personal thing, and His religion insists with equal emphasis on being good and doing good. It is an inward state of the heart as well as correct conduct. It includes morality and piety. In answering then the question "Am I a Christian?" you must seek to know whether you have in your heart the Spirit of Christ, and aim to regulate your thoughts and be guided in your feelings by Him. If you are not in accord with Him, and have the spirit of consecration to God, then you have need to turn and begin anew the life of the Christian. In whatever condition, then, this hour may find you, the question is pertinent: "Am I a Christian ?" In the sacred silence of conscience, and in the presence of God, let each put to himself the searching inquiry. Whatever else I say, think, or do, let me strive to live so as to be able to say, "I am a Christian." FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. Facts, Hints, It is a good thing to obey the law of Light is of three distinct colours: red, God. It is a better thing to love it. yellow, blue. The red conveys the heat. The blue conveys chemical action. The three colours united make a colourless mixture. Light travels about one hundred and ninety-two thousand miles in a second. It could go round the earth in the eighteenth part of a second. Light comes from the moon to the earth in a second and a quarter; from the sun in eight minutes; from Jupiter in fifty-two minutes; and from Uranus in two hours. Light travels from a fixed star of the first magnitude to us in twelve years; from a star of the sixth magnitude in ninety-six years; and from a star of the twelfth magnitude in four thousand years! Hints. Think little of yourself, and you will not feel injured when` others think little of you. If you let trouble sit upon your soul, like a hen upon her nest, you may expect the hatching of a larger brood. When Samson found honey, he gave some to his father and mother to eat. Do not let others say you are selfish and care only for yourself. Be always at leisure to do good. To feel nobly, we must be noble; and we become noble by resolutely banishing every unworthy thought and feeling. True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary and nothing but what is necessary. Indolence is the hereditary sin of human nature. Christ's great end was to save men from their sins; but He delighted also to save them from their sorrows. Faith first, feeling after; "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." The charitable man gives trifles which he could not keep to receive treasures which he cannot lose. Scandal is a bit of false money, and he who passes it is frequently as bad as he who originally uttered it. To grow in likeness to God is not to cease to be men. Poetic Selections. GOD AND THE SOUL. How far from here to heaven? Will all thy journey end. Though Christ a thousand times Will never save thy soul, Hold there! where runnest thou? Know heaven is in thee! Seek'st thou for God elsewhere, His face thou'lt never see. THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. Ah, would thy heart but be A manger for the birth! God would once more become A child upon this earth. I don't believe in death, If hour by hour I die, 'Tis hour by hour to gain A better life thereby. Go out-God will go in; Die thou and let Him live. Be not, and He will be; Wait, and He'll all things give. O shame! A silk-worm works NOTHING LOST. NOTHING is lost. The drop of dew In summer's thunder-shower; That fronts the sun at fall of day; So with our deeds, for good or ill, They have their power, scarce understood; Then let us use our better will To make them rife with good; Like circles on a lake they go, Ring within ring and never stay, The Children's Corner. HONESTY THE BEST POLICY. A QUAKER passing through a market, stopped at a stall and inquired the price of some fruit. "I have none, I fear, sir," said the honest countryman, "that will suit you; my fruit is not first-rate this morning." "Thank thee, friend, for thy honesty; I will go to the next stand.” "Hast thou good fruit to-day?" said he to the second dealer. Yes, sir; here are some of the finest of my garden. They are small, but rich of their kind." The man was untruthful. "Then thou canst recommend them ?" Certainly, sir," replied the dealer. Very well, I will take some." He carried them home, and they proved not only unsound but miserably tasteless. The next morning the Quaker went again to the same place. The man who had sold him the fruit claimed him as his customer, and asked him if he would buy some more. "Nay, friend, thou hast deceived me once, and now, although thou may'st speak the truth, still I cannot trust thee. Thy neighbour chose to deal uprightly with me, and from henceforth I shall be his patron. Thou would'st do well to remember this, that a lie is a base thing in the beginning and a very unprofitable one in the end." HALF A MILE BELOW GROUND. THRILLING ADVENTURE OF A PARTY IN THE GREAT CANON OF THE COLORADO. JAMES WHITE, Henry Strole, and Captain Baker, of the late confederate army, left Colorado City, May 27, 1867, on foot, with two pack mules to carry provisions, tools and blankets, for the purpose of prospecting in the San Juan valley for gold. After several weeks' travel they struck the San Juan river, but not finding sufficient promises in the sands, went westward, and at length reached Grand river, the banks of which were masses of perpendicular rock two thousand feet high. Both men and animals suffered for water, and it was a day before they could reach the stream which dashed and foamed in the canon. The next morning, August 24, they ascended, and were suddenly assailed by gun-shots from a band of Indians. Baker fell at the first fire, saying, "Boys, save yourselves." But his comrades fought until he was dead, and then they retreated down into the canon. The consultation which ensued resulted in the decision to go down the river, since to go back was almost sure death from the Indians. So they abandoned the mules, and travelled down the stream for five miles. On each side rose the cold sand-stone wall two thousand feet high, and they waited for dark, when only for a single hour in the day did the sun shine into the chasm. They found drift-wood and made a raft of sticks of cottonwood, lashing them together with mule ropes, and then fastening on their provisions, floated off in the almost Tartarean darkness of that wonderful gulf. Through the long night they clung to the frail raft, as it dashed against rocks or whirled in eddies. At last daylight came, and with it a smoother current. They then made a landing, ate some of their provisions, and strengthened the raft with cedar sticks. Then they embarked, and toward afternoon came to the junction where Green and Grand rivers unite to form the Colerado. At the junction the river was about seven hundred and fifty feet in width, and the walls on either side were nearly a mile high! Above was only to be seen a narrow strip of sky, while the cedars that stood upon the edges of the canon seemed no larger than weeds; detached pinnacles rose yet higher as monuments to memorize the mutiny of mighty waters. Down they floated in |