ruled, that there was a famine in the land:' and a man, named Elimelech, and Naomi, his wife, went into the country of Moab, hoping to find greater plenty. Whilst there, Elimelech died, and left his wife, with her two sons, alone in a foreign land.

Still Naomi remained there, and when her children were grown up to be men, they married young women of the country. The wife of one was named Orpah, and the other Ruth; after a few years, Naomi's two sons both died, and then she began to think of returning to her own people, for she had heard that the Lord had visited them, and given them bread.

Naomi must have felt very desolate at the idea of going back to her own land alone, not knowing whether she would find any of her early friends alive; on the other hand, there was nothing to induce her to stop where she was, but the graves of those she had loved best.

She would not ask her daughters-in-law to go with her, because she felt she could offer them nothing which could at all make up to them for leaving their people and their religion; for their worship was very different. She knew that, most probably, in a few years, she should die, and then they would be left alone and solitary, in a land of strangers.

We find that Orpah and Ruth both sat out with her; but she entreated them to return, saying, 'Go, return each to

her mother's house; the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me;' then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept. They both loved her, and were loth to part; but Orpah could not make up her mind to leave the home of her youth. We read that 'Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her.' 'Then said Naomi, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after her.'

But the gentle Ruth loved Naomi too well to do this, and her answer must indeed have given comfort to the heart of the desolate wanderer; for she said, 'Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me also, if aught but death part thee and me.'

When Naomi found that Ruth was fixed to go with her, she left off persuading her to return,-and it must have been very pleasant to her to have had such a faithful companion to cheer her on her weary way.

They reached Bethlehem about the beginning of barley harvest, and Ruth went to glean in the fields, where she was seen by the rich man to whom the fields belonged, and who was distantly related to Naomi.

This man's name was Boaz: he asked who she was, and

when his men had told him, he spoke kindly to her, and told her to keep in his fields and to glean after his servants, whom he had desired to treat her kindly; and when she was thirsty, he said, 'Go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn.'

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, 'Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?'

And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wing thou art come to trust.'

Thus, you see, Ruth's dutiful conduct to her mother did not go unrewarded; and here I will take occasion to make one or two remarks, which are called forth by this interesting story.

It is our duty to do what we can to comfort those that are unhappy; and this duty becomes more binding upon us if we see any one in trouble whom we view in the light of a parent: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,' is a

Divine command. If we were to bear this in mind, how gentle, forgiving, and obliging should we become; how careful to promote the good of those around us; we should watch every opportunity of adding to their comfort, and of doing what we could to lessen their sorrow.

You may not, like Ruth, be called upon to show your love for your parents by giving up every thing for their sakes; and surrounded, as you are, with all that you love, and with many blessings, you can have no idea of the extent of the sacrifice which was made by this dutiful daughter.

Though she was of a strange country, and had been taught to worship strange gods, yet she turned to the Leader of Israel, the one true God; and most fully did she follow the command given by Him at mount Sinai, 'Honor thy father and mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.'

This commandment you should never forget, and its effects would soon be seen in your daily conduct; you would remember the many things your parents have done for you. Their care and love provides you with all you want, they teach you to know good from evil, they store your little minds with what may, one day, make you good and useful characters.

If you thought of all for which you were indebted to them, and considered how miserable and helpless you would have