an illustration of what I mean.

"Life in the Midst of Danger." There was an alarm of fire one day,
near one of our large public schools. The children in the school were
greatly frightened. They screamed, and left their places, and began
to rush to the windows and stairs. The stairway leading to the door
was soon choked up; and although the fire never reached the
school-house, many of the children had their limbs broken and were
bruised and wounded in other ways.

But there was one little girl who remained quietly in her seat
during all this excitement. When the alarm was over, and the wounded
children had been taken home, and order was restored in the school,
the teacher asked this little girl why she sat still in her seat, and
did not rush towards the door, as the other girls had done.

"My father is a fireman," she said, "and he has always told me that
if ever there was a cry of fire when I was in school, I must remain
quiet in my seat, for that was the safest way. I was dreadfully
frightened; but I knew that what father had told me was best; and so
I sat still, while the others were running to the door." This little
girl _heard_ her father. She minded him. She did what he told her to
do, and she found safety in doing so. And if we "_hear him_" of whom
the voice from the Mount of Transfiguration speaks to us--we shall
find safety from many a danger.

We ought to learn this lesson of duty, and "hear him," because there
is _success_ in it.

In old times, when the racers were running in the public games, if a
man wished to be successful in the race, it was necessary for him to
fix his eye on the prize, at the end of the race-course, and keep it
fixed there till he reached the end. No one could have any success in
racing who did not do this.

Here is an incident about some boys at play that illustrates the
point now before us.

"How to Walk Straight." A light snow had fallen in a certain village,
and some of the village boys met to make the best use they could of
the new fallen snow. It was too dry for snowballing, and was not deep
enough for coasting; so they thought they would improve the occasion
by playing at making tracks in the snow.

There was a large meadow near by, with a grand old oak tree standing
in the centre of it. The boys gathered round the tree, and stood, on
opposite sides, each one with his back against the tree. At a given
signal they were to start, and walk to the fence opposite to each of