nters; but you cannot straighten it.

Suppose, that you and I should go to one of the highest summits of
the Rocky Mountains. In a certain place there, we should find two
little fountains springing up near each other. With the end of a
finger we might trace the course in which either of those little
springs should flow. We could lead one down the eastern side of the
mountains, and the other down the western side. It would be very easy
to control them then. But suppose now we travel down the side of the
mountain till we reach the plain, at its base. Now see, yonder is a
great river, rolling on its mighty flood of waters. That is what the
little spring has grown to. It is too late to control it now. The
time for controlling it was up yonder near the spring.

It is easy to control the spring; it is very hard to control the
river. Jesus wished to control the spring when he directed us to
bring the children to him. And in this he showed his wisdom.

It is wise to take an interest in children, and bring them early to
Jesus--_because they have great influence in the world_.

Who can tell the influence that children are exerting in the world?
We have an illustration of this in the words that were once spoken by
Themistocles, the celebrated Grecian governor and general. He had a
little boy, of whom his mother was very fond and over whom the child
had very great influence. His father pointed to him, one day, and
said to a friend, "Look at that child; he has more power than all
Greece. For the city of Athens rules Greece; I rule Athens; that
child's mother rules me, and he rules his mother."

I feel sure our Saviour must have felt very much as some one has
done, who writes in this way about

THE GOOD THAT CHILDREN DO.

"A dreary place would be this earth
Were there no little people in it;
The song of life would lose its mirth
Were there no children to begin it;

"No little forms, like buds to grow,
And make the admiring heart surrender;
No little hands, on breast and brow,
To keep the thrilling love-chords tender.

"No babe within our arms to leap,
No little feet towards slumber tending;
No little knee in prayer to bend,
Our loving lips the sweet words lending.

"Life's song indeed would lose its charm,
Were there no babies to begin it;
A doleful place this world would be,
Were there no little people in it."

And if children have so great an influence in the world i