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CHAPTER VIIL

SPELLING NAMES.

OBIN made our last game; could I make one, Aunt Myra?" said Nelly, a little timidly, the next Sunday.

"Yes, dear; if you have thought of something, tell us," said her aunt.

"Well, I was thinking how very interesting it would be if we were all to spell out our names in texts. I mean, take each letter and find a text beginning with that letter."

I think that is a very sweet thought, Nelly," said Aunt Myra; "here are papers and pencils for all; let us begin at once."

Nelly was the first to read her paper, which we will give as a specimen

HELEN FORTESCUE.

Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the

waters.

E very good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above.

Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.

E ven a child is known by his doings.

No man can serve two masters.

Fear God, and keep His commandments.

Oh! give thanks unto the Lord.

R ejoice evermore.

The Lord reigneth.

E ven so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight.

Sing unto the Lord a new song.

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden.

U nto us a child is born.

E noch walked with God.

CHAPTER IX.

ANIMALS.

WISH we might have my Noah's Ark this Sunday," said little Bertram.

"Oh, Aunt Myra, let us have it, and find all the animals mentioned in the Bible!" exclaimed Amy.

"Then I can set up the animals as you find them," said Bertram, putting his ark down on the table before him.

"A dove," said Evelyn; "one went out of the ark." “A dove was one of the birds offered in sacrifice," said Arthur.

"The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove," said Amy.

"Let us take the animals, to-day, and the birds next Sunday," said Nelly, "I think that would be a better kind of order. I choose a very small one— the ant; one of the four things Solomon says are exceeding wise.”

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise,"" quoted Arthur.

"Here is a lion," said Bertram, "I can tell about him, Daniel was cast into a den of lions." "Is not Jesus compared to a lion?" asked Muriel.

'Yes, dear, look in Rev. v., and see if you can find the verse," said Aunt Myra.

"And one

Muriel looked, and soon read out, of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book."

"Why is He called the lion of Juda, aunt?" asked Nelly.

"First, I think, in reference to Jacob's last blessing to his sons, where we read, 'Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up.' Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us that each of the four sets of three tribes who travelled together, had their own special ensign, and that of Judah, with the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, who journeyed with him, was a lion. And as Judah was the royal tribe, from whom the long line of kings came, and the tribe from which Christ was born, that may be the reason why the lion has always been called the king of beasts.

Now, can any of you tell me what the royal arms of England are?"

“I can, auntie," said Arthur, "they are three golden lions passant, guardant."

"Right," said Aunt Myra; "but if you look into books on heraldry, they will tell you the ancient arms of England were two lions, and, when Richard Cœur de Lion went on his crusade to the Holy Land, he added Judah's lion to his shield, to express that the tribe of Judah was under the protection of England; so that we actually have, in our Queen's arms, the lion of Judah."

"That is very interesting," said Arthur. “Will the Jews ever have a standard with their own lion again?"

Yes, we read in prophecy, the Jews are to be a free people once more, and to return to their own land; then, no doubt, they will set up their banner, with Judah's lion, once again to wave over the walls of Jerusalem. But now, can any one tell us of any other lion in Scripture?"

"Samson killed a lion; and when he came past the carcase next time, he found a swarm of bees and honey in it," said Amy.

"David killed a lion that had taken a lamb out of his fold," said Evelyn.

"Satan is compared to a lion: 'Be sober, be