THE PENNY POST BOX.

She

most thoroughly; having been overlapped, as it were, and curtained in the same consciousness for the last thirty-six years. If she is offended that I do it without her consent, I hope she may get over the offence shortly, as she has a great many others that were worse. has been with me in many weaknesses and some storms, giving strength alike in both; sharp enough to see my faults, faithful enough to expose them, considerate enough to do it wisely; shrinking never from loss or blame or shame to be encountered in any thing right to be done; adding great and high instigations-instigations always to good and never to evil mistaken for good; forecasting always the things bravest and best to be done, and supplying inspirations enough to have made a hero, if they had not lacked the timber. If I have done anything well, she has been the more really in it that she did not know it, and the more willingly also, that having her part in it known has not even occurred to her, compelling me thus to honour not less, but more, the covert glory of the womanly nature, even as I obtained a distincter and more wondering apprehension of the divine meanings and moistenings, and countless unbought ministries it contributes to this otherwise very dry world.

The Penny Post Box.

THE SPREADING RUMOUR.

SAYS Gossip One to Gossip Two:
"While shopping in the town,
Old Mrs. Pry to me remarked-

Smith bought his goods of Brown."

Says Gossip Two to Gossip Three,
Who cast her eyelids down:
"I've heard it said to-day, my friend,
Smith got his goods from Brown."

Says Gossip Three to Gossip Four,

With something of a frown:

"I've heard strange news-what do you think?
Smith took his goods from Brown."

Says Gossip Four to Gossip Five,

Who blazed it round the town:

"I've heard to-day such shocking news-
Smith stole his goods from Brown."

FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry.

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Richer than miser with perishing treasure, Flowed forth the water and the blood
Served with a service no conquest could | To wash from sin, a cleansing flood.

bring;

Happy with fortune that words cannot

measure,

Light-hearted I on the hearthstone can sing,

King, King, crown me the King;

And see fulfilled the word of old,
So long in sacred song foretold
By David, in prophetic strain,
The Lord, the crucified, shall reign.

Thou tree, bedecked with light and pride,

Home is the Kingdom and Love is the King. And with the royal purple dyed!

THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS.

SALVATION'S banners onward go,
The mystery of the cross to show,
Where the Incarnate God on high
Was on a cross condemned to die.

There by the nails His flesh was torn,
On outstretched hands and feet upborne,
That He might our redemption gain-
A victim on the altar slain.

And there from out the wounded side
Of Him, the pierced and crucified,

How honoured art thou, chosen tree,
That thou shouldst carry such as He!
Happy that, on thy branches wide,
A ransom was for man supplied.
Thou balance where the prize was weighed
That was for our salvation paid.

With fragrant spice thy bark is filled,
And sweetest nectar there distilled;
With fruits delicious to the taste,
Thy glorious triumph there is graced.
Hail altar! hail the Victim too!
And glory to His passion due,
Which over death the victory bore,
And by His death did life restore.

The Children's Corner.

LOVE.

Two girls were going to a neighbouring town, each carrying on her head a heavy basket of fruit to sell. One of them was murmuring and fretting all the way, and complaining of the weight of her basket. The other went along smiling and singing, and seeming to be very happy.

At last the first got out of patience with her companion, and said, "How can you go on so merry and joyful? Your basket is as heavy as mine, and I know you are not a bit stronger than I am. I don't understand it."

"O!" said the other, "it's easy enough to understand. I have a certain little plant which I put on the top of my load, and it makes it so light I hardly feel it."

"Indeed! That must be a very precious little plant. I wish I could lighten my load with it. Where does it grow? Tell me.

What do you call it ?"

"It grows wherever you plant it, and give it a chance to take root; and there's no knowing the relief it gives. Its name is 'Love,'—the love of Jesus. Jesus loved me so much, that He died to save my soul. This makes me love Him. Whatever I do, whether it be carrying this basket, or anything else, I think to myself, I am doing this for Jesus, to show that I love Him; and this makes everything easy and pleasant."

66

AN ASSASSIN IN A CATHEDRAL.

'I BELIEVE in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost."

"You lie !"

A shot, a cry, a general commotion.

On Sunday, August 8th, in the presence of a numerous congregation, this sacriligious scene was enacted in the cathedral church at Berlin. Rev. H. Heinrici was standing before the altar reciting the Belief, when a young man, rising from a front seat and interrupting the clergyman, gave him the lie, and at once discharged a pistol at his breast. The next moment he was in the hands of the sexton, and quietly suffered himself to be led away to the vestry. A portion of the congregation seated at a distance, having only heard the report and seen the curling smoke, without any definite notion of what was going on, immediately began moving toward the door, and created considerable tumult; but those near the altar retained their seats.

In preserving their composure they but imitated the noble example of the clergyman whose life had just been placed in such jeopardy. Rev. H. Heinrici was unhurt; nor had the moral firmness of the man whose body the ball had missed been shaken. No sooner had the trying interlude, the details of which seem to have been observed with terrible distinctness by those near, come to an end, than the intended victim calmly resumed reading the Creed, and with redoubled fervour proclaimed that belief the utterance of which had imperilled his life. After this the service was continued in accordance with the prescribed ritual. Rev. H. Heinrici left the altar, when Rev. Dr. Kogel ascended the pulpit and preached a sermon, in which he introduced a passage expressive of his thanks to God for the miraculous escape of his clerical brother. Quiet had been speedily restored, and the greater portion of the congregation, agitated as they were by the most powerful emotions, left the church only after the final benediction.

In the meantime the criminal had been conducted by a policeman to the nearest station and examined by a superior officer. To all the questions put to him he replied with the utmost frankness and composure. He said:

66

My name is Biland. I am nineteen years of age, a Protestant, and the son of a blacksmith in the village of Lank, county of Lower Barnim, a few miles from Berlin. My parents sent me to

my

AN ASSASSIN IN A CATHEDRAL.

a grammar school, wishing me to become a candidate for the ministry in the established church; but my eyes were soon opened to the falsehood of the creed I was expected some day to teach, and dislike was increased to disgust when I perceived that many of those professing to believe it were liars at heart. I refused to pursue a career which had become so hateful to me, and resisted all attempts to force me to persevere. Eventually I saw myself left by them to my own devices, and began to study art—the dramatic art, I mean. I wished to become an actor, and to preach to the public in my own way; but the religious mendacity rampant around me gave me no rest. Some I saw uttering deliberate untruths, while others, knowing them to be such, listened with contemptuous indifference. Gradually I taught myself that some striking deed was indispensable to rouse the public mind from its apathy and chase away the mists of superstition. I, therefore, determined to seize the first favourable opportunity that offered for shooting a clergyman while in the act of uttering his accursed perjuries. I have done it. I have myself cast the ball and done my best to render the shot fatal. I am sound in body and mind, and scorn the suggestion that I have acted under the disturbing influence of temporary insanity. I perfectly knew what I was about, and am convinced there are many able to comprehend the disinterestedness of my purpose, though they may perhaps not approve the method chosen to compass it. My design was to shoot Heinrici, and I was prepared to pay the penalty of the deed."

Such in substance was the statement of the reckless, misguided young man. Inquiries seem fully to confirm his words. His having missed at a distance of three paces at first gave rise to the surmise that he had fired with blank cartridge; but it is only too true that there was a ball in the barrel. The course of the ball has been exactly traced. Passing within an inch of the clergyman's head, it penetrated the open balustrade of the gallery in which the Dom choir-celebrated for its vocal performances-was stationed, and grazed the cheek of one of the choristers, a boy of twelve. The little fellow, although his cheek instantly began to swell, did not leave the church, but sang his allotted part to the end. The event throws a light upon the sad state of religion in Prussia. I am afraid the prisoner was right in supposing that many will appreciate his motive, though they will abhor the deed. It has been often stated, as a serious fact, that three-fourths of all educated men in Germany are estranged from the dogmatic teaching