ro 
THE BLUEBIRD. 
BY GEO. \V. BUNGAY. 
No snow-flakes on thy azure wing. 
Sweet and brautlful bird. 
Linking the Winter with the Spring, 
When the Know-drop la blossoming. 
And the orchis Is stirred 
Like a heart 'neatb a lover’s wing. 
Wood flowers wake from their Winter’s sleep,— 
Fair children of the sun,— 
From under their white sheets they peep, 
Then over their pillows they creep 
Down where t ho brooklets run, 
And they swing where the cascades leap. 
No atom grates in thy melody. 
Blue-coated pioneer; 
The young leaves of the Ust’ning tree 
Clap their palms when they hear and see 
The bluebird piping near 
In exquisite ecstasy. 
Swoet song-blossom of softest blue, 
How proudly tbo grand old tree 
Holds up his arms, so stout and true. 
With thy nest trimmed with beads of dew, 
Thy eggs his rosary, 
Touched with tbo tint of heavenly hue. 
©ur teller. 
FEOM YEAR TO YEAR. 
BY MRS. MARY I). BRINE. 
[Concluded from page 34, last number,] 
“A terriule railroad accident! Have you 
hoard of It?" passed from lip to lip, ouo morn¬ 
ing, throe woelts after Georoe Cromwell had 
loft Maude. Tho streets wore filled with anxious 
j>ooplG, hurrying to learn tho latest telegrams 
front tho scene of the disaster. Newsboys called 
it through the streets, and flic sad words, ** Ter¬ 
rible loss of life! Railroad disaster!" floated 
In tho windows and doors, and drove tho color 
from many a face and sent, the blood front many 
a heart, among those who had friends and rela¬ 
tions on route for different destinations. Sitting 
at, her work, .Maude Hastings also heard the 
shrill cry, as one of tho news-venders run by, 
t hinklng more of the pennies his words would 
earn him, than of the sad meaning expressed in 
them. Raising her window’ she tried to call 
him, but he was spoedliy out of sight. Return¬ 
ing to her work, she dismissed flic matter 
presently from hermtnd, as thoughts of the new 
life dawning for her crept Into her heart. 
Now, I must tell of a lirno when, with white 
face and wild eyes, Maude Hastings stood be¬ 
side a bod, in a strange place, whither she 
had boon hastily summoned by telegram, and 
watched tho life of him whoso wife she wmuld 
have boon grow weaker and weaker until at last 
tho delirious cries for “MaudeI Maude!’’ 
ceased forovor, and naught remained for her to 
do but to close t ho eyes from whence the light, 
of romson had some time previously fled, and 
write to a father, far away, the address of whom 
was found In tho dead man’s pocket-book, the 
sad Intelligence of his only son’s painful deat h. 
To her Inquiries, how he was hurt, tho surgeon 
could only reply, “Thero were fifty killed out¬ 
right, Miss, and several wounded. This poor 
fellow"—point ing to the cold form beside which 
Maude stood teorlessly “he was almost 
crushed benoath wheels and broken pieces of 
Iron rails. He was delirious half an hour after 
wo rOKCUOd him. Miss, and uever gained his 
sensoa again. But. before ho lost himself. Miss, 
ho told us to send for you.” The man glanced 
pityingly first at the girl before him, then at the 
client figure upon tho bed. and, with a respect¬ 
ful bow, withdrew’ to Inform his comrades out¬ 
side that “ the lady was like stone Inside there!" 
Well, oro long Maude returned to her desolate 
home and made preparations to leave it. again 
forever. Declining the kind offers from old 
friends and neighbors, who loved the young girl 
most truly, and would, each of them, have taken 
her to tholr own homes, the sorely tried orphan 
went forth to earn her daily bread as a teacher 
of drawing in an “ Institute for Young Ladies," 
whloh, being In another city, removed her from 
old and painful associations. 
At lira'. It pained her to note how, as she ap¬ 
proached her pupils, tho sight of her heavy 
mourning and grave face would cause their 
merry voices to take a lower and quieter tone, 
as if a cloud had suddenly shut out the sunlight, 
from their hearts. That tho pupils and even the 
other teachers in tho building were becoming 
attached to her, Mauds could not doubt, as she 
received const ant, evidences of their kind foel- 
irtT. They had been made aware—M aude knew 
not how (for such things always make them¬ 
selves known In some mysterious way; that the 
now young teacher wn* without mother or 
father, and hud recently lost a lover in the 
dreadful railroad accident over which tho papers 
had cried “shameI” Further than this ihey 
knew nothing of her past life, nor did she speak 
of herself to any of her companions. Thus days 
passed, and ere tho Summer holidays were upon 
i hem Maude had gained among the older pupils 
the sincere love and respect of a young girl only 
a year younger than herself. Elsie Manning 
came from Boston and spoke in glowing terms 
of hor happy homo thero; of the mother and 
father who spoiled her; of the merry Summers 
she passed with them, during her vacation, at 
Newport, R. L; and finally as the holidays drew 
near, she begged her friend and teacher to ac¬ 
company her to that glad homo, assuring her of 
a welcome from both father and mother. 
“ boo, Miss Maude ! " she exclaimed, one after¬ 
noon, two or three day’s before school closed for 
the August and September vacation—" sec, here 
Is a letter from papa. Hear what he says:—‘ Bring 
your new friend homo with you, Elsie, pet, 
| and w«j will cheer her up I You apeak-’ Now, 
Miss Maude,” laughed Elsie, "you needn’t 
mind ttil , bit or complimentary strain— I wrote 
it,and papa wants to see you ; but it is all true! " 
And she continued:—“ 1 You speak in such ad¬ 
miring terms of your teacher that, I confess, It 
wouid do rny old eyes good to see the dark eyes 
which are so wonderfully beautiful! and the 
hair which Is such a wealth of gold and brown ! 
Bring her on, dear; &e„ Ac.,'" said tho merry’ 
girl, refolding her letter. “ Nine won't you go?" 
and her arms went round Maud*’ 8 neck, with 
an Impulsive hug which nearly strangled tbo ob¬ 
ject of her affection. “ Now wont you go ? " she 
repeated, bending her head over Maude's 
shoulder. 
"I've got a dear Cousin Ed., and he’s just as 
handsome as a picture; and, oh! so smarl ! 
You ought to hear him converse In French! 
why. Monsieur Lamartine, the little, old, dried- 
apple Frenchmen, you know, who boros me 
every day with his tedious voice and horrified 
expression of, ‘ Ah, morel 1 mademoiselle! you 
one luurderarc of zc beau langru of rnveoun- 
tro! ’ " 
Maude shook her head, with a smile she could 
, not hide, as Elsie mimicked In tone and manner 
tho words of t he French teacher. 
" VI oil, I can't help It, he docs provoke mo so! 
But, as I was saying, Monsieur Lamartine 
would jump for joy could he hear rny Cousin 
Ed. speak ills language! Besides being so smart, 
Ed. real Interesting, lie lost a lady-love a 
perfect age ago, and has never eared for ladies 
since; hut he doesn’t live In Boston; ho only 
conies on once In awhile to stay a few days with 
us. C-ome, please, Miss Maude, ■won’t y r ou go ! 
home with mo Wednesday? " More hugs, more 
kisses, yet Maude remained firm in her refusal 
to leave t he Institute. 
“ But y’ou must go somewhere! " urged Elsie 
A nd Maude answered, gently: 
“ My dear, I am os happy hero as I can he any¬ 
where else. Do not urge me longer. If you love 
me as you say you do. Let mo rest, quietly I 
where 1 am happiest." I 
So I ho vacation came and went; and the other 
teachers, who had gone to their homos, leaving 
Maude and tin; janitor’s wife to spend the 
Summer weeks of freedom from care, in each 
Other's society, began to return one after the 
other, and tho old halls began to ring again with 
childish videos and school-girls’ greetings one 
to tho other. 
Once more the daily routine of study was 
commenced, and days passed quietly though 
happily by. 
Maude grow, at last, more like her old self - 
cheerful, and sometimes merry. Her heart, 
grown used to its loneliness, had learned to I 
nigh less for lost joys, though still remaining 
faithful to the loved and lost., memories of 
whom caused the team to flow sometimes when 
all the house was quiet in slumber. But she 
could think of the past more calmly after 
these weeks of rest, and though her eyes often 
wore that, far-away look, which she could not 
entirely help, as her mind turned to the fast 
approaching season Of joy and then v ent back 
to the scenes of nearly a year ago, yet her prayer 
for strength was answered, and she became glad 
and almost joyous again. 
It * * V 4 * * 
Wr pass over a short space, and lo! tho Insti¬ 
tute la alive wit h I he songs of merry hearts; and 
the large old halls are crowded with trunks 
strapped and ready for another home visit, 
Books are tossed aside, to He idly in unused 
desks until their owners' bright eyes are com¬ 
pelled once more to pore over the dreaded 
pages. Ono after the other they go out from the 
doors, and the silence Is gradually spreading, 
increasing its reign, until it shall take entire 
possession of the largo building. 
What of Maude Hastings? The following 
note ulll tell of her plans. It is only a tiny 
i I 1 ' 101 , |" any way! Did her heart whisper of 
that which ‘might have been" as she remem¬ 
bered that passionate letter? Then she thought, 
tenderly, reverentially, of that mother whose 
, voice had boon so longsilent: of the friend who 
I would have regarded her with life-long devo- 
tfon, oven though he knew how hopeless It was 
to strive for her best and truest love I ol thesud- 
den ending of that noble life! ol all the wean* 
days which followed.—until at last rest and 
peace came to her heart, Now it was Christmas 
eve again! Soon the New Year would come ; 
for them all. What would it brimr to her, sb© 
wondered. “Ah, me!" she tlgbc*d very softly. 
Ah, me. God grant hat 1 may have walked 
long enough in toe Bhadow, and send mo sun- 
shlno, warm and restful, with this New Year 
coming so soon!" 
“O. by the way!" exclaimed Mr. Manning, 
taking from his bucket a let*. • ; “I wrote Kr>, 
on the sly, t he othei day, proposing his coming 
on for at hrHtmas with us; but he cannot come, 
so lie says, • reading a portion of tho letter 
aloud. “Too bad J Isn’t It Elsie?" 
“Pshaw!" said the latter, pouting. "And I 
had planned Bomething so splendid ! Never 
mind, well do without him ir ho won't come! 
Maude, are you going to bed now. so early? ” as 
the hitter rose and went towards the door. 
My head aches a lit tle,” was Maude's reply; 
and a good night's retd, will make it all right in ' 
the morning, (food night, all!" and she left, 
the room. In her 
, , . T own room alone, poor M aude 
abandoned herself to the grief she could not 
longer restrain, and at last exhaust ed, laid down 
to 81 flop. 
"The truth Is" said Mr. Manning, after 
Maude had left them; “the truth is just, this: 
, >» not got over bis grief for the death of his 
lady-love, and he has got a lit «.r the regular 
blues; that it why ho won’t come.” 
. Pooh! " replied Elsie, indignant at h 
sin * refusal, “he ought to get over sen 
“The Lord Is nigh unto all them that call upon 
Him; yea all such as call upon Him faithfully.”— 
Psalm 145,8. 
O Sovereign Lord, Thy promise keep; 
» Be near Thy people all, 
Who prayerfully, and faithfully 
Do for Thy presence call. 
Be near to those who weep and pray 
O’er dear ones lost In sin ; 
O by Thy blcsnod presence. Lord, 
Help them Thy peace to win. 
Be near to anxious mothers’ hearts. 
Who pray, that in Thy fear 
And loving service, Thou wilt lead 
Through life, their children dear. 
Be near to sorrowing hearts, who turn 
To Thee, tho mourner’s friend, 
O help them, Father, to Thy will 
Submissively to bend. 
Be near Thy people, when they pray. 
On earth Thy kingdom come ; 
And lead them safely by Thy love, 
To their eternal home. 
1). c. I). 
or cou¬ 
nt! men- 
Maude Hast- 
poae!" und 
owed Maude 
THE LOVE OF CHRIST. 
— 7 — p.. „ ,, v pat 
tallty 1 I wanted him to meet, 
pus. Well ! can't help It, I sun 
kissing «n good-night., she loo folio 
tu bed. 
Maude sat beside the glowing grate lost in 
reverie. It was the evening before New-Year’s 
day. and while the others or the family were 
busily engaged down In the parlors decorating 
By seven tokens a man may suppose that ho 
hath tho love of Christ. The first is, when all 
coveting of earthly things, and fleshly lusts, is 
.slacked In him. For where coveting Is, thero is 
not the lovo of Christ. Then If a man have not 
coveting it Is a sign that he hath love. Tho 
wdTh'toeffirietteriR^ the **'”'* ,s burnl,1 « do * ir * of *®*von. For when 
already were, hung leaves of fadeless green, she hofolt aught of that savor, the more he 
msied herself with memories; and the small, feeloth tho more he coveteth, and he that hath 
The third token 
That which was 
. akoth of heaven. 
The fourth is, exercise or In noticing whnt is for 
Maude, what n fancy you have for; 
fire-light! Ugh! it would give me 
see all about me st range shadows or 
dark?" she exclaimed. “Why 
shadows and 
__ the blues to 
, . , . si run go shadows creeping bigh¬ 
ts and higher, with only that wretched light 
from the tire to enable me to see whether 1 was 
in an actual room or floating among dismal 
things not of the earth! There, I do believe " 
bending over Maude “no, you’re not, either! 
i i bought you were crying. Dear Maude, please 
promise you will be eh«* rful and glad to-mor¬ 
row t I bo Now Year must Dot be greeted with 
(ears you know. Look at me now, and prom¬ 
ise! And Maude, taking Elsie's bright face 
between her hands, smilingly gave the required 
promise,and then for a few moments gazed long 
iu )|I earnestly Into 1 ho blue eyes watching hor 
"well, what do you see that you want to re¬ 
member.* laughed Elsie, releasing her face 
from its soft, prison bonds. 
" I don’t understand it, dear," replied Maude* 
but your face scorns bo ramiliar to mo, as 
though I have seen It before ; I never have, I 
know, but yet your eyes, tho shape of your fore¬ 
head, is Very like a face I have seen before 
somewhere!" 
“ Well, you have never seen mr, that's cer¬ 
tain, exclaimed Bum;; “but perhaps you have 
met cousin bn. They say ive look alike a little 
"V I j . , , - ,- •> "V JVUW UIIIIC It Jivut 
II bit,and i think ho ought to appreciate <ho com 
p iment don’t you?" They chatted awhih 
pleasantly together, and then'wentdowntc/soo 
too parlor 1 u it* now dro^a of evergreens, 
v * * * * # * 
New Year’s (lav dawned dear and beautiful. 
The sunlight fell lightly on the snow-covered 
earth, as if fraught with golden blessings from 
i ho Giver of all good things. Maude rose earlv, 
and went down stairs. .As .she entered the par¬ 
lors to admire the handsome lettering placed 
there by skilful hands, the words “peace" and 
“good-will" at each end of the room, nee mod 
to give her comfort strange and now. “ Happy 
New. Year!” greeted her from the center of the 
apartment, and she fdt a thrill of happiness 
note, which is flying raplly over the rails in com 
pony with others of like importance, but this Is 
what it says :— 
“-Hall, Dec. 30th, 187- 
Dkar Darling old Papa Isn’t it splendid ? 
Only think! no more horrid lessons until after 
the new yoorl But guess! Miss Maude (the 
darling!) has at last consented to go homo with 
me 1 She didn’t yield readily; hut t he Principal 
Mr. G RA v ks -and one or two others aim mg l lie 
teachers, insisted upon her having the change, 
because, tho’ she is cheerful and happy, yet she 
lias a constant pain In her Bide, and we think 
she draws too steadily. Anyway, 1 coaxed with 
all my might, and so we’re coming in two days. 
Meet us at the depot, and kiss everybody, for 
“ ELSIE,” 
It was Christmas eve, and Mr. Manning’s 
family were sitting round the choorful fire 
guessing merrily at the gifts which Bants Claus 
would probably bring each one during the night. 
“ Now, M aude," cried Elsie, shaking her linger 
slyly at the youDg visitor, who sat silently among 
them, partly in shadow, partly in firelight. She 
Imd been thinking of many things, and though 
the tears were ready to flow, yet. she had suc¬ 
ceeded In keeping them back until one had 
slowly, despite lier efforts, its appearanr 
upon tlie Jong dro ping lashes, and the dancing 
firelight, had dlscovc :d the so ret and turned ll 
Into a diamond, v Inch Elsie, whoso eyes war 
constantly seeking frit 'id’s face, was quick 
to • • '.’c. At. and gesture, Maude 
lan, l > quickly dashed the of¬ 
fend! .„* - ! not * *’C amon” 
the tun 1 could dreary, 
how vr heart, as she 
sat sile glow, which l'nrcod 
her to recall • her cs. Where was Evkr- 
ard Grey, she thought: and hor heart had no 
answer to give her. Never, since the despairing 
note he had sent her so long ago, had she heard 
-' IS 
purer, deeper than she had felt for a long time 
It entered her heart- and she was at peace! 
Then as she stood there, happy, joyous, no much 
so. that her face shone with new beauty, tho 
family came Into the room and the congratula¬ 
tions of tho day passed gleefully botween them 
As the long, happy day passed pleasantly to 
Its close, and Elsie exhibited triumphantly to 
her father, as he returned from a round of calls, 
her long list of callers, Maude wont up f.,> her 
own room, to be quiet for a little while. The 
qu JMl... .. .. 
by which had that morning crept into her 
icnrt was still there, and she wanted to pray in 
the silence of her quiet room, and give thanks 
for the peace, the strange peace, which he had 
sent, her upon this first day of the New Year. 
Whilst there alone, she heal’d a commotion in 
the hall below, and Elsie’s Voice rang out in a 
happy laugh. Concluding t hat visitors had en¬ 
tered, and being too greatly agitated to go 
down, she remained awhile longer in her 
chair beside the fire until, from the silence, she 
supposed, the callers had left. Then sin; de¬ 
scended the stairs and entered the apartment, 
which appeared to bo deserted, save bv the fig¬ 
ure of a man who stood silently before the 
glowing grate, with bowed head. “Only a 
friend of fins tit’s," she thought, “and he will 
not notice me as I pass through the room." 
Suiting the action to the w’ords, she crossed 
with light, step, and had nearly reached t he in¬ 
ner room, asmtdl boudoir, when the man turned 
and their eyes met. 
Elsif. entering presently, began “Mamma! — 
why, ED.] Maude) What does it mean? oh I 
what does it mean?" And Kvluaiuj Gray, 
raising his face from the brown head upon 
which it was bowed when she enlered, answer¬ 
ed. "Only this, Elsie, 1 have found my darling!" 
Then when he tried to raise the drooping head 
iv • rested against his heart, he cal led quickly, 
" -lsll she hai* fainted I come! “ 
Consciousness was long in returning; hut 
Maude opened her eyes at last, mid murmured, 
while her arms drew Eve hard's hoad down to 
her face, *' Dear, God has given me indeed a 
nappy New Year. I thank Him for it!" And 
Kverard, while the tears, which ware do dis¬ 
grace to his manhood, rolled down ids cheeks, 
answered soliiy, 
“Peace on earth, good-will towards men!" 
“ Maude, I will ; ver let you ro! never! never! 
for tcfrii you or,, cometh peace *> me ! ” 
" And this is what T have been planning torso 
l"ng!" laughed Elsie. “O! Ed., Kverard I 
i oil glad!" 
spiritual good, as when a man, leaving all othor 
things, hath good-will and devotion to prayer, 
and flndcth sweetness therein. The fifth Is, 
when things which arc hard In themselves 
through love seem light to bo done. The sixth 
Is, hardiness of soul to suffer all anguishes and 
troubles that befell. All the otbor tokens suf- 
11 veth not without this ; for he that is righteous 
hateth nothing but sin; ho lovoth God alono, 
and for God; ho hath no Joy but In God; ho 
feareth not but to offend God. And all Ids hope 
Is to come to God. The seventh Is, Joyfulnesa 
ef soul when he is jn tribulation, and that he 
lovo God and thank Him in till diseases that ho 
suffers. It Is the greatest token that he hath 
the lovo of God when no woe, tribulation, or 
persecution can bring him down from UiIb love. 
Many love God, as it scoraoth to them, while 
they arc In ease, but in adversity, or In sickness, 
they grudge against God; thinking that they 
do not deserve so to be punished for any tres¬ 
pass they have done. And ofttlmes some say 
that God docth them wrong. All such are 
feigned lovers, and have not the true lovo of 
God. For tho Holy Ghost saith, “ He that is a 
true friend loveth at all times ."—Wiekliff. 
- ---»»» - 
PARAGRAPHS FROM SERMONS, 
With the exception of sin, nothing happens 
in this world out of the will of God. 
God never leaves the soul till he has rendered 
it. supple and pliable by twisting it all manner 
of ways. 
The great point Is never to act In opposition 
to the inward light, and to bo willing to go as 
far as God would have us. 
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything 
beautiful. Beauty is God’s handwriting—a way- 
side sacrament; welcome It In overy fair face, 
every’fair sky, every fair flower, and thank him 
for it—the fountain of loveliness ; and drink it 
in, simply and earnestly, with your eyes; It is a 
charming draught, a cup of blessing. 
Three principal goods come from meek suf¬ 
fering of sickness. It. cleansoth the soul from 
sin before done; it keepeth from those into 
which it was likely to fall; it increaseth 
reward in bjiss, and ovcr-glldeth the crown; and 
the longer it cnduretli the brighter waxeth the 
crown and the sou I cleaner. And In trust hereof 
Bt. Paul said that ho wouid Joy gladly In Ills 
sickness that the virtue of Christ dwell in him. 
Why art thou so dull, 0 my soul, why so stu¬ 
pid within mo os not to stir, not to bo affected 
at tho sounding of such tidings as those, that It 
la possible for a sinner to have peace with God ? 
Cain, why art thou so unquiet In thy conscience? 
11 thou do well, shalt thou not bo accepted ? but 
if thou do not, “there is a sin offering lies at tlie 
door," and thou mayest have an atonement. 
Wretch that thou art, if thy heart relent uot at 
such ridings as these! 
Faith i; alight which shines only upon du¬ 
ties, and not upon results or events. Jt tells us 
what is now to be done, but It docs not tell us 
what is to follow; arid accordingly it guides us 
but a slnglo stop at a time. A nd when wo tako 
that step under the guidance of faith, we ad¬ 
vance directly Into a land of shadows and dark¬ 
ness. Like the patriarch Ahraham. we go, not 
knowing whither we go, but only that God is 
with I!— a way of living which may well bo 
styled Lie;- -.ijd and glorious, however mysterious 
it may be to human vision. Indoed, ir. Is the 
only life worth possessing, the only true life. 
IJ I 
dr& 
* Wa * 
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