THE BARREN APPLE-TREE. 
 
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"cut it down 
 
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THE BARREN APPLE-TREE 
 
 WO men came with their axes 
 to cut down a tree in our gar- 
 den. They looked around, but 
 saw none to spare. " That is 
 it/' said the owner, pointing to a noble 
 apple-tree. " You don't mean to have 
 that cut down," cried one of the men ; 
 w why, it is the handsomest tree in the 
 ground. I'd sooner thought of that," 
 turning to an ugly-looking dwarf-pear. 
 
 "I set more value on that dwarf pear- 
 tree than anything in my garden," said 
 the owner ; "it yields the finest fruit As 
 for the apple-tree, it bears nothing but 
 leaves. I have waited and hoped some- 
 thing from it year after year, and can wait 
 
4 THE BARREN APPLB-TREB. 
 
 no longer; Without fruit it is worse than 
 useless, for it takes the sun from the straw- 
 berry-bed, the light from my kitchen win- 
 dow, and it takes the room of something 
 more profitable ; so cut it down." 
 
 With that the men took their axes and 
 began hewing the trunk. Did the poor 
 tree know its fate ? How proud and secure 
 it looked that morning, with its strong 
 limbs stretched out on every side, and 
 every leaf sparkling with dew-drops ; and 
 it made me think of the garden of our 
 Lord, and how the great Master comes to 
 find fruit there. Looks are not enough 
 for him. The proud and the strong find 
 no favour in his sight on account of their 
 strength. Beautiful as we may appear 
 to others' eyes, if that is all, it is, alas ! 
 " nothing but "leaves." 
 
 He says, " Herein is my Father glorified, 
 that ye bear much fruit ;" and what does 
 that mean, but that a life of usefulness is 
 the only life that will satisfy the Master ? 
 You may be crooked and deformed ; you 
 may be poor and lowly ; yon may be de~ 
 
THE BARREN APPLE-TREE. 5 
 
 spised by the world ; all this matters not 
 to him, if, like him, you live not to your- 
 self alone, but in such a way as will bless 
 those around you. This is bearing fruit. 
 
 Can a little child do that ? Oh yes, for 
 a penitent tear is fruit he loves. The 
 bended knee and heart-felt prayer, a will- 
 ing mind, a tender conscience, and little 
 kindnesses — all these are dear to him. 
 Truth and love and fidelity blossoming in 
 each hourly duty are precious in his eyes. 
 And youth is no hindrance to these. You 
 may grow up and be rich, or powerful, or 
 learned; but keep always in mind that 
 nothing deserves the name of success, 
 nothing is a success in life, but bearing in 
 your life the good fruits of true love and 
 obedience to your Heavenly Father. 
 
 Mark what else our Lord says : " Every 
 tree that bringeth forth not good fruit is 
 hewn down and cast into the fire." There 
 is no spot in all his kingdom for useless- 
 ness. 
 
8 children's song of freedom. 
 
 CHILDREN'S SONG OF FREEDOM. 
 
 To Him i the bounteous giver, 
 
 What songs of praise should rise, 
 From home, and hearth, from churcb, and 
 school, 
 
 Beneath our British skies; 
 That none in all our toiling towns, 
 
 On all our moorlands wild, 
 May sell the father from his home, 
 
 Or the mother from her child ! 
 
 There may be want among us, 
 
 There may be crowds untaught, 
 But no man for his colour, 
 
 In our land is sold or bought,— 
 Then let us strive, and let us pray, 
 
 That, whether black or white, 
 All men throughout the world may share 
 
 The good old rule of right! 
 
 (3-od bless our own brave country ! 
 
 With all her fields and towns, 
 Her sailors on the utmost seas, 
 
 Her shepherds on the downs ; 
 
THE KIND SISTER. 
 
 God bless her lands where'er they lie ! 
 
 And let it ever be, 
 That when a slave sets foot thereon, 
 
 That moment he is free ! 
 
 THE KIND SISTER. 
 
 Passing one day along the street, my 
 attention was attracted by two little girls, 
 bright and gay as butterflies, who came 
 bounding down the steps of a house on 
 my way. Lightly and merrily they danced 
 and tripped along the street, leaving their 
 maid at a respectable distance behind, 
 evidently bent on some errand of import- 
 ance to them. 
 
 At length they stopped, and entered a 
 confectioner's shop. Their errand was 
 evident now — they had got a few pence to 
 spend. In a few minutes they came out 
 again. The elder was holding a large 
 piece of barley sugar in her hand, whieh 
 she broke in two. One piece was much 
 larger than the other, and she held out 
 
8 
 
 THE KIND SISTER. 
 
 the largest piece to her little sister, say- 
 
 tag,— 
 
 u Here, Amy, I will give you the largest 
 
 piece because you are the youngest." 
 
 Dear little girl ! what a disinterested 
 
 spirit was shown in these simple words, 
 
 May this spirit continue with her through 
 
 life — to deny herself, to think of others 
 
 first, to yield to the younger and weaker 
 
 —not to battle for her own rights, but 
 
 generously to prefer others to herself. 
 
 Children, is this your spirit ? 
 
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