are always with us. Bridget has been here only a few months, and she says she must go away after New-Year; so you do not mean her. And John will leave next Spring; so you can not mean him."

"When you were learning your Sunday school lesson a few weeks since," said Mrs. Payson, "I heard you repeating these words of Christ, 'Ye have the poor with you always; and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.'"

"O, yes, mamma, I did not think of that," said Joshua. "But, there are so many poor people, how can we do them good?"

"We can do our little," said Mrs. Payson, "and if we only make one sad heart glad we have done a good deed, and we shall be better and happier ourselves while we are helping others."

"When Mrs. Blake comes here to see you, mamma," said Rebecca, "she talks about poor people, and how much she does for them. But Mrs. Blake does not seem to be happy; and she says there is no use in helping the poor, for if one begins there is no end."

"Mrs. Blake," said Mrs. Payson, "has not a pleasant way of talking; but I think she enjoys doing good to others in her own cross way. Yet, if we would be happy ourselves in making others happy, we must love to do it. If you should give little Harry Grant a pair of mittens because I told you to do so, while you were fretting because you wished to keep them yourself, you would be neither better nor happier for doing it; and you would not speak gently and kindly to the poor little fellow, and so make his face and your own bright by pleasant words. Mrs. Blake spends much time and money in helping poor people; but she forgets that she should

"I have some toys, mamma," said Rebecca, "that I can give to Mrs. Grant's lame Harry; I am sure they will make his little pale face smile."

"And I should like to give Willie a pair of shoes," said Joshua; "for his are very ragged."

"Shall I give him my sled, mamma?" asked Newton.

Now Newton thought more of his sled than he did of any other plaything. It was painted green and yellow, and had a bright colored strap which he called the reins. The runners were very smooth, and he expected to have a gay time with it all Winter. So, when Newton asked about giving his sled, he knew he was giving what he liked best.

"No, my darling," said Mrs. Payson; "keep your sled. But, we will see what we all can do for Mrs. Grant and her children, by the time Christmas comes. She is a good woman, and we can do much to make her happy while her husband is gone to the war.

"Then there is Mrs. Fisher, who lives near town; can we do something for her?" asked Mrs. Payson.

"Mr. Fisher gets drunk," said Joshua; "and Mrs. Blake says it does no good to try to help them, for he sells things that are given to his wife to buy whisky."

"But shall we leave poor Mrs. Fisher to suffer?" said Mrs. Payson. "Shall we try to do nothing for her and her dear children? They are often cold for want of clothes and a fire. They are often hungry, because Mr. Fisher gets drunk, and is unkind to them.

"With so many good things around us, shall we not try to help the little hungry children who have an unkind father?"

"O, yes, mamma!" said all the children at once.

"May I give something to Martha Kelly," asked Rebecca, "who says she never has any presents?"

"Poor little Martha is not much older than you are, my daughter," said Mrs. Payson; "yet she is obliged to work quite hard; for her mother is sick and her father is poor. But she has a sweet,