if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the
water."

Jesus said, "Come," and Peter stepped out upon the water and started
toward the Master; but his faith was not strong enough, and as he began
to sink he cried, "Lord, save me!"

Jesus stretched out His hand and held him up. "O thou of little faith,"
He said, "wherefore didst thou doubt?"

When Jesus came into the boat the storm ceased, and soon they reached
the shore. Then the disciples worshiped Him and said, "Of a truth Thou
art the Son of God."

RUTH AND NAOMI.

The story of Ruth and Naomi is one of the sweetest and most touching of
all the Bible stories. It shows the beauty of unselfish devotion and
constant love, and the happiness which they brought, and teaches a
lesson which is very helpful to us all.

A long time ago, in the days of the judges of Israel, there was a famine
in the land of Canaan, and a man named Elimelech, whose home was in
Bethlehem, went with his wife Naomi and his two sons to live in Moab.

After they had been there a while Naomi's husband died, leaving her with
the two sons. Then, by and by, the sons married, and their wives were
very good to Naomi, and loved her. But it was only ten years before both
of the sons died, and Naomi thought it was best for her to go back to
her old home in Canaan; for she had been told that there was plenty in
the land once more, and she wanted to see her own people and the
relatives of her husband who was dead. So Naomi told her
daughters-in-law to return to their own homes, because she could not
expect them to be willing to leave everything for her sake.

"Go, each of you, to your mother's house," she said; "the Lord deal
kindly with you as ye have dealt with the dead and with me." But they
both wept and clung to her, saying, "Surely we will return with thee
into thy land."

Naomi, however, thought they would be unhappy if they left their own
country, and she urged them to stay there and let her go alone; so one
of them kissed her over and over again and promised to do as she bade;
but the other, who was named Ruth, would not leave her.

"Entreat me not to leave thee," she pleaded, "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 I will die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so
to me and more, also, if aught but death part thee and me."

Then Naomi stop