LONDON:

STEVENS AND CO., PRINTERS, BELL YARD,

TEMPLE BAR.

are glad to crowd round the fire when at home, and to wrap ourselves in the warmest clothing we can find when out of doors. In Australia and New Zealand, at the Cape of Good Hope, and in other places, where many of our young readers may have friends, they are glad to get out into the breeze and to put on the lightest clothing they have. The reason of this is, that England is in the northern, and the places named are in the southern, part of the world; and while the sun rises here late, and sets early, and is low in the sky all day, at the same time of the year, in the southern part of the earth, he rises early, sets late, and is high in the sky as he is in our summer.

But January is cold and snowy in England, and although some boys and girls may wonder why we ever have such weather, it is very useful, and if we did not have it we should find the consequences, in Spring, Summer and Autumn, to be serious. So, when the ground is covered with snow, and the frost pinches our hands and feet, we must recollect that such weather does much good in destroying insects, slugs, and similar things, which are very injurious to vegetation, and in making the ground more suitable for producing the flowers of Summer and the fruits of Autumn.

How beautiful too are frost and snow; if examined through a miscroscope, the crystals of ice which make what we call a flake of snow appear of the most elegant and graceful figures, and so do those which the frost forms on the window-panes and on shallow pools of water. Everything that God has made is beautiful. What a good thing

too it is that He has the direction of the Seasons

instead of man. If we could choose the weather we like, we should soon find out how foolish we are. The man who works out of doors would want the weather to be always fine and warm-the coal

merchant would like it to be always cold-the miller would wish it to rain or to blow, that he might have plenty of water or wind to keep his mill going the sailor would want it never to blow hard-and the timid would wish there never were any thunderstorms; so, that if either of these could have his own way, we should have a sad time of it. Let us then be thankful that we cannot choose the weather we wish for, instead of grumbling when it is not what we like. To be sure, it is not so pleasant to be out of doors in January as in June, and those who are fond of flowers will of course like the latter month best, for in the former there is little to be seen in the hedges or gardens that is pretty :

times.

"Nothing but the holly bright,
Spotted with its berries gay;
Laurestinus red and white,

Or the ivy's crooked spray;
With the haw of sober hue,
Where the ragged whitethorn grew;
And the hip of shining red,

Where the wild rose used to blow,

Peeping out its scarlet head,

From beneath its cap of snow:

These are all that dare to stay
Through the cutting winter's day."

The first day of January is reckoned the first day of the year in this, and in most countriesbut different nations begin the year at different The Chinese begin theirs in March, the Persians in June--the Jews what is generally called their civil year in September, and their religious or ecclesiastical year in March, and so with other nations. It is usual in all, however, to keep newyear's day in some way or other, and presents are generally given to friends on this day. These are called new-year's gifts." The best new-year's gift, however, is one which God can only give-a

new heart. If he has not given this already to any of our readers we hope they will ask him for it at once, and he will hear their prayer for his Son's sake, if it is offered sincerely; and then the usual wish of "a happy new year" will not be an idle one, for whatever may happen while it passes away to that child who has such a heart to love and serve God, he may be sure he will have a friend in heaven who will provide for his wants, direct his steps, and guard him from danger. Yes, of such a child it may be said, in the words of that wellknown hymn for children, of which our picture will remind most of our readers,

"The feeblest lamb amidst the flock
Shall be its shepherd's care:
When folded in the Saviour's arms
We're safe from every snare."

TEA.

THE tea-tree commonly bears leaves from top to bottom, which are indented like our rose-leaves or sweet-briar; and the flower is very much like that of the latter, with six upper and six under leaves. The fruit is of the size of a small pippin, finely flavoured, and tastes somewhat like a clove. The seed is round, blackish, and about the size of a large pea, when dry and shrunk. Being put into the mouth, it yields, at first, a sweet-but being kept longer in it-a bitterish taste; and it yields likewise a quantity of oil which, in some parts, they use as sauce to food. It seldom, if ever, grows to above the size of a rose-bush; or, at most, a filbert-tree.

There are several kinds of tea, some finer, and smoother, and more fragrant than others, according to the soil they grow in.

The tea-tree often grows upon the sides of