HELPLESSNESS OF INFANCY.

SAFE sleeping on its mother's breast The smiling babe appears;

Now sweetly sinking into rest,

Now wash'd in sudden tears :

Hush, hush, my little baby dear,
There's nobody to hurt you here.

Without the mother's tender care
The little thing must die;
Its infant hands too feeble are
One service to apply,-

And not a little does it know

What kind of world 'tis come into.

The lamb sports gaily on the grass,
When scarcely born a day;
The foal, beside its mother ass,

Trots frolicking away :

And not a creature, tame or wild,

Is half so helpless as a child.

Full many a Summer's sun must glow,

And lighten up the skies,

Before its little limbs can grow

To any thing of size:

And all the while the mother's eye

Must every little want supply,

Then surely when each little limb
Shall grow to healthy size,

And youth and manhood strenghten him
For toil and enterprize-

His mother's kindness is a debt,

He never, never should forget.

THE CHILD'S PRAYER.

BE with me, Lord! where'er I go;
Teach me what thou wouldst have me do;
Suggest whate'er I think or say,

Direct me in thy narrow way.

Prevent me lest I harbour pride,
Lest I in my own strength confide;
Shew me my weakness; let me see
I have all power, my God, from thee.

Enrich me always with thy love;
My kind protector ever prove ;—
Lord, put thy seal upon my breast,
And let thy spirit on me rest,

Assist and teach me how to pray,
Incline my nature to obey;

What thou abhorr'st that bid me flee,

And only love what pleaseth thee.

EARLY PIETY,

SOME little children young in years
Their bless'd Redeemer know,
And when they're naughty, precious tears
For having grieved him flow.

Then tenderness and heavenly love
With peace rest in their mind,
And all their little ways do prove
That God's love makes them kind.

And often when they sit alone

His spirit makes them pray;

The shepherd's voice to them is known, They hear it and obey.

And in the darkness of the night,
Whilst on their beds they lie,

They feel that darkness and the light
Are open to his eye.

And sometimes tears of heav'nly joy
Upon their face are seen :

Sweet, silent tears! without alloy,
That flow where God has been.

And not unheeded do they flow,
The children's contrite sigh

And humble tears, the Lord doth know,-
He hears their plaintive cry,

Father of all! he soothes their woe,
And is for ever nigh.

EARLY TRUST IN GOD.

Now that my journey's just begun,
My course so little trod,
I'll stay before I further run,
And give myself to God.

And lest I should be ever led

Through sinful paths to stray,
I would at once begin to tread
In wisdom's pleasant way.

What sorrows may my steps attend
I cannot now foretell;

But if the Lord should be my friend,
I know that all is well.

If all my earthly friends should die
And leave me mourning here,
Since God regards the orphan's cry,
Oh what have I to fear?

If I am rich, he'll guard my heart,
Temptation to withstand,

And make me willing to impart
The bounties of his hand,

If I am poor he can supply

Who has my table spread

Who feeds the ravens when they cry,
And fills his poor with bread.

THANKSGIVING FOR REST.

My Father, I thank thee for sleep,
For quiet and peaceable rest;
I thank thee for stooping to keep
An infant from being distrest:

O how can a poor little creature repay,
Thy fatherly kindness by night and by day.

My voice would be lisping thy praise,
My heart would repay thee with love;
O teach me to walk in thy ways,

And fit me to see thee above :

For Jesus said, let little children come nigh,—
He will not despise such an infant as I.

As long as thou seest it right

That here upon earth I should stay,
I pray thee to guard me by night,
And help me to serve thee by day;

That when all the days of my life shall have past,
I may worship thee better in heaven at last.