The night of death is dark, but the morning of the resurrection will break with inconceivable brightness, and how pleasant will it be to our eyes to behold that light! The days of darkness will be past forever when "the new heavens and the new earth" appear. "There will be no night there ;" and "there will be no need of the sun, neither of the moon, for the glory of God and of the Lamb will be the light thereof."

XX.

THEORY AND PRACTICE.

ONE evening, during the vacation, Frank, a tall school boy, amused his younger brother Harry, by reading an essay which had gained him the first prize at school. The subject was Self Denial.-Frank was a clever lad, and had acquitted himself very well. He represented his subject in so striking a light, that it made a considerable impression on the mind of his young auditor; who, as soon as it was finished, thanked his brother for his good advice, and expressed a determination of endeavouring to profit by it."I am afraid,” said he, “ I have never learned to deny myself as I ought; but I hope, brother Frank, that I shall not forget this lesson of yours; I wish now you would be so kind as to give me some more good hints on the subject."

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Now Frank, not considering this the best possible compliment that could be paid to his composition, felt disappointed that, instead of commenting upon the force of his arguments, or the graces of his style, he should begin gravely to moralize about it and it confirmed him in a favourite opinion of his, that his brother Harry had not a spark of genius, nor ever would have.

Harry repeated his request; but finding his brother

more inclined to discuss the merits, and relate the success of his essay, than to draw a practical improvement from it, he contented himself with his own private resolutions. "To-morrow," said he to himself, "to-morrow morning I will begin.-But why not begin to night?"-The clock had just struck, and Harry recollected that his mother had desired them not to sit up a minute after the clock struck nine. He reminded his brother of this order. "Never mind,” said Frank— "here's a famous fire, and I shall stay and enjoy it.'

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Yes," said Harry, "here's a famous fire, and I should like to stay and enjoy it; but that would not be selfdenial, would it, Frank?"

:

"Nonsense!" said Frank,- "I shall not stir yet, I promise you."" Then good night to you," said Harry. Now, whether or not his brother was correct in his opinion of Harry's want of genius, we shall not stay to inquire indeed it is a question of very little importance, either to us or to him; since it cannot be denied, that his reflections, and his conduct, on this occasion, displayed good sense, good principle, and strength of character; and these are sterling qualities, for which the brightest sparks of genius would be a poor exchange.

Six o'clock was the time at which Harry was expected to rise; but not unfrequently since the cold weather set in, he had indulged an hour longer. When it struck six next morning, he started up, but the air felt so frosty, that he had a strong inclination to lie down again.— "But no!" thought he--" here is a fine opportunity for self-denial;" and up he jumped without farther hesitation.

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"Frank, Frank," said he to his sleeping brotherpast six o'clock, and a fine star-light morning."

"Let me alone," cried Frank, in a cross, drowsy voice. Very well then; a pleasant nap to you," said Harry, and down he ran as gay as a lark.

(

After finishing his Latin exercise, he had time to take a pleasant walk before breakfast this morning; so that he came in fresh and rosy; with a good appetite; and, what was still better, in a good humour.

But, poor Frank, who had just tumbled out of bed when the bell rang for prayer, came down, looking pale, and cross, and cold, and discontented.--Harry, who, if he was no genius, had some sly drollery of his own, was just beginning to rally him on his forlorn appearance, when he recollected his resolution," Frank does not like to be laughed at, especially when he is cross,' thought he; so he suppressed his joke; and it requires some self-denial, even to suppress a joke.

During breakfast, his father promised that if the weather continued fine, Harry should ride out with him before dinner on the grey pony. Harry was much delighted with this proposal, and the thought of it occurred to him very often during the business of the morning. The sun shone cheerily in at the parlour windows, and seemed to promise fair for a fine day. About noon, however, it became rather cloudy, and Harry was somewhat startled to perceive a few large drops upon the flag-stones in the court: he equipped himself, nevertheless, in his great coat at the time appointed, and stood playing with his whip in the hall, waiting to see the horses led out. His mother now passing by, said, "My dear boy, I am afraid there can be no riding this morning; do you see that the stones are quite wet ?"" Dear mother," said Harry, "you surely do not imagine that I am afraid of a few drops of rain!besides, I don't believe it rains at all now." "It seems

to me to be coming up very heavy from the south," said his mother." It will be no more than a shower, at any rate," replied Harry. Just then his father came in : who looked first at the clouds, then at the barometer, then at Harry, and shook his head.

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THEORY AND PRACTICE.

"You intend to go, papa, don't you?" said Harry. "I must go, I have business to do; but I believ Harry, it will be better for you to stay at home th morning," said his father.

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But, sir," repeated Harry, "do you think it possibl now, that this little sprinkling of rain should do me th least harm in the world?-with my great coat, and all -"Yes, Harry," said his father, "I do think that eve this sprinkling of rain may do you harm, as you ha not been quite well: I think, too, it will be more th a sprinkling. But you shall decide, on this occasio for yourself. I know you have some self-command. shall only tell you that your going this morning wou make your mother uneasy; and that we both think improper; now determine."

Harry again looked at the clouds; at the stones; his boots; and last of all, at his kind mother, and th he recollected himself:- "This," thought he, "is t best opportunity for self-denial that I have had to-da and he immediately ran out to tell Roger that he ne not saddle the grey pony."

"I should like another half, I think, mother," sa Frank, that day at dinner, just as he had despatched large hemisphere of mince pie.

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Any more for you, my dear Harry?" said his n ther.

"If you please-no thank you, though," said Har withdrawing his plate," for," thought he, "I have h enough, and more than enough to satisfy my hunge and now is the time for self-denial.

"Brother Harry," said his little sister, after dinn "when will you show me how to do that pretty puzzl you said you would a long time ago."

"I am busy now, child," said Harry,-" don't te me now, there's a good girl."--She said no more, looked disappointed, and still hung upon her brothe

chair." Come, then," said he, suddenly recollecting himself; "bring me your puzzle ;" and laying down his book, he very good naturedly showed his little sister how to place it.

That night, when the two boys were going to bed, Harry called to mind, with some complacency, the several instances in the course of the day in which he had succeeded in exercising self-denial; and he was on the very point of enumerating them to his brother Frank.— "But, no," thought he, "here is another opportunity still of denying myself; I will not say a word about it; besides, to boast of it, would spoil all.”

So Harry laid down quietly; making the following sage reflections: "This has been a pleasant day to me; although I have had one great disappointment in it, and done several things against my will. I find that self-denial is painful for a moment, but very agreeable in the end. If I go on this plan every day, I shall stand a good chance of having a happy life; for life is made up of days and hours, and it will be just as pleasant and as easy:' but here Harry's thoughts began to wander, and soon became quite indistinct. In fact, he was sound asleep before he had half finished his reflections: the remainder must be supplied by the reader.

One of them will, doubtless, be this,—that self-denial is no sinecure virtue; nor one which may be reserved for a few great occasions in life; but that it is wanted every day, and every hour; that is, as often as we are tempted to self-indulgence.