nnecessary pain."

"The proper discipline does no harm," said Raymond; "and the Scripture
tells us that 'no chastening for the present is joyous, but grievous,
but afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to
them that are exercised thereby;' and as we are in the same place
commanded to 'make straight paths for our feet,' so in this instance I
have preferred giving my child present pain in order that he may
escape future and greater trials. Ah! Margaret, he may think I am
harsh in this case, as he cannot fathom my motive; and how often do we
judge hardly of the dealings of our kind heavenly Father when he
thwarts us in some favourite wish, or smiles not on our undertaking.
Be assured that only those who commit their way unto the Lord are
safe; and as I bear my boy daily upon my heart to the throne of grace,
and offer up the prayer of faith in the name of Him who hath promised
to hear, so truly am I assured that all that befalls us will be right,
and that although I may be removed from the earthly guardianship of my
darling child, I know that he will never want for any good thing.
Wife, we must teach him that his lot is to be a lowly one; but we must
also teach him that any station can be ennobled by the upright and
conscientious discharge of the duties belonging to it. But now, let us
have our usual worship, and then we will look in on William, and see
if his trouble is not all forgotten in sleep."

CHAPTER II.

TOILS AND TRIALS.

When William arose the next morning, he met his parents with as
smiling a face as if his father had presented him with a case of
pencils, instead of discouraging his attempts at drawing. Nothing was
said on the subject, and the weeks rolled on quietly and peacefully as
before, until William passed his ninth birthday, and the
Christmas-time drew near. This is a festive time with most; and it
seems right that it should be so, for can man ever be sufficiently
thankful for the great gift of a Saviour, whose birth was heralded by
the songs of angels on that day? All nations observe their peculiar
ceremonies, but perhaps none are more faithfully observant of them
than the Germans in the little community of M----, most of whose
inhabitants at the time of which we write were descendants of the
original Dutch settlers. Many ceremonies and customs, relics of a
ruder age, and now nearly forgotten, were still practised. The
Raymonds, although pious, and more intelligent than