"Then remember who it is that asks God to spare my Nonie longer, that she may try to be better next year; and pray to Him to-day, that the coming year may be full of obedient actions, and gentle words, and real prayers to Him. Many good people make their birthdays times of examination and repentance. My little girl has done so now, as well as she is able. And now, as a happy birthday thought, try and remember all day, when you can, how the Lord of the vineyard is waiting for you to be good, and ready to help your attempts to grow better."

Honora closed her book, and her joyous day of mirth and play was all the happier for that morning's teaching; and when, quite tired, she laid her little head upon her pillow, a pretty dream of sunny vines and fruitful fig-trees came to make sleep happier even than her waking life.

READING FIFTEENTH.

These gracious lines shed Gospel light
On Mammon's gloomiest cells.-Keble.

THE next morning Honora on waking took her book of French phrases, and learned the portion her mamma had marked quite perfectly; thinking she would not be "all leaves," as she called it, but would try to do something to show she wished to please her mamma. And she was fully repaid for her effort by her mother's kiss and thanks for having shortened the time of lesson learning. And then the picture parables were laid upon the table, and Honora examined the one which followed the barren fig-tree.

"Mamma, what a cunning face the man has who stands talking to the men by the gate of the great shop."

"It is an Eastern bazaar, love; the man is the steward of a great merchant apparently, or of some rich landholder; these men with rolls in their hands are debtors. Read the parable in the 16th chapter of St. Luke, 1st verse:—

"Jesus said unto his disciples, There was a

certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted

his goods.

"And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee?

"Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

"Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

"I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

"So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

"And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

"Then said he to another, And how much owest thou; and he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely;

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for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

"And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

"What a very wicked steward," said Honora, "to teach people to write down stories! what was it for, mamma ?"

"He induced the debtors of his lord to deceive and cheat, because then he thought they would be afraid lest he should tell of their wickedness, and would therefore be obliged to take him into their houses and keep him when he was no longer steward."

"But how could the rich man praise him for it? How could it be wise to cheat and tell stories ?"

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"Look at the parable, and you will see it is only wise in their generation;' that is, wise for this world. The steward wanted to be kept, and to have a home. The way he took to obtain it was a successful one. He gained that which he wished by a cunning and carefully carried out plan. It was the wisdom of this world. The rich man, when he found it out, acknowledged that it was a wise plan for this world. And our

Saviour teaches us by this parable, that we may learn something even from the wicked. What shall we do, Nonie, when our stewardship here is ended, and we go to another world, if we have no home prepared for us there? This unjust steward was wiser than we should be, if we neglected to prepare for that certain change. And, indeed, wicked people, and even people who are merely selfish, take much more pains very often to satisfy all their own wishes, and prepare pleasures for themselves, than God's children-the children of light-do to prepare a home for themselves in the beautiful and glorious world beyond the grave. Therefore, drawing a divine honey out of this weed of an ill example, our Lord adds, 'Make to yourselves friends of the mammon,' that is riches of unrighteousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations.'

The meaning is, use your riches in helping the poor; in sending the good news of Jesus Christ's coming to the heathen; and 'when you fail,' that is, die, these good works will go before you, and as Cornelius's prayers and alms did, will come up for a memorial before God,' and the angels who rejoiced at them will come and welcome you to the holy rest and bowers of Paradise."