and drink some hot coffee. It will keep you from wanting to drink anything stronger to-night. You will find it hard to abstain at first, Joseph; but keep up a brave heart, for the sake of your wife and children, and it will soon become easy. When you feel the need of coffee, tell my Mary, and she will always give it you.”

Joe tried to eat and drink, but the food seemed to choke him. He was nervous and excited. After an ineffectual effort to compose himself, he laid his head on the table, and wept like a child.

After a while, Simeon persuaded him to bathe his head in cold water, and he ate and drank with good appetite. When he went away, the kind-hearted host said, "Try to do well, Joseph, and you shall always find a friend in me."

The poor fellow pressed his hand, and replied, "I understand now how it is you kill bad neighbours."

He entered into Mr. Green's service the next day, and remained in it many years, an honest and faithful

man.

How happily does this beautiful narrative illustrate the power of kindness in subduing the most unlovely and unamiable of human passions! It might be styled the triumph of love. Simeon Green, simply provided with the weapon of kindness, disarmed the churlishness and evil passions of his neighbours. It is a fine example of the practical efficacy of Christian principle,

which does not expend itself in mere words, or exhaust itself in a single effort, but by patient continuance in the work of charity and love is sure at last to triumph. The case was, in all reasonable probability, a most unpromising one. The disposition and temper of Reuben Black, though such as is unhappily by no means rare in this world, seemed such as the man of peace could only escape from by getting beyond its reach. But Simeon knew of a power more potent than malignity and revenge, and had learned the lesson of "killing his enemy," as a Christian only may, by acts of kindness. Yet even Christian love may fail. The great pattern of all love, the divine manifestation of the perfection of generous self-sacrifice-the God-man, Christ Jesus, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he was mocked, and scourged, and crowned with thorns, and at length nailed to the tree, suffered in patience, praying for the forgiveness of his murderers; yet he subdued not all his enemies by his love. There was a Judas even among the twelve. There were fainthearted and faithless ones among the disciples, and there were thousands, fed, and healed, and refreshed by his miracles, who shouted, "Away with him! Crucify him!" who felt no sympathy for him at the judgment bar, and no sorrow for him on the cross of Calvary. We must not therefore be discouraged, or think our efforts have been altogether in vain, even if we should lavish kind attentions and generous deeds on

neighbours and companions as ungentle and churlish as Reuben Black, and find that all our self-sacrifice has been in vain. We must not weary in well-doing, since we may rest assured that our forbearance and kindness, if it fail to soften the churl, and kindle a return of gratitude or a sense of shame in his rude breast, will at any rate return into our own bosoms with a sense of virtuous triumph, the sweetness of which contrasts strangely, indeed, with the remorseful victory of revenge.

The Bible tells us that the divine Redeemer came to set us an example, that we should follow in his steps. When we read of his patient sufferings, his miracles of healing, his casting out of evil spirits, his raising the dead, it seems as if it were altogether vain that we should attempt to imitate him. Yet the command is a most simple one,-"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." The conduct of Simeon Green is a most happy illustration of one of the ways in which this spirit of love will manifest itself, and though it may not always have its return in such visible fruits upon the object against whom such missiles of love are directed, yet we may rest assured that patience hath her perfect work, and love will have its triumph and its own sweet reward. Yet it is well calculated to fill the carnal mind with surprise, when the powerful efficacy of such love is

discovered.

Reuben Black is no solitary instance of victory achieved, by such means, over the most morose and stubborn self-will.

Bishop Latimer tells us, in one of his sermons on the Lord's Prayer, of an incident in the life of the wellknown Humphrey Monmouth, the wealthy alderman and sheriff of London, whom George Harvey has represented as one of the most prominent figures introduced by him in the group of citizens represented in his noble picture of "The first reading of the Bible in the crypt of Old St. Paul's: "

"Sheriff Monmouth had a poor neighbour, to whom he had shown many acts of kindness. But the good alderman became a Protestant, and his neighbour thenceforth regarded him as an heretic and an enemy, and would turn aside if he saw him in the street, lest he should speak to him. 'One time it happened,' says Latimer, that the alderman met him in so narrow a street, that he could not shun him but must come near him; yet for all this, this poor man was minded to go forward, and not to speak with him. The rich man perceiving that, caught him by the hand, and asked him, saying, 'Neighbour, what is come into your heart, to take such displeasure with me? What have I done against thee? Tell me, and I will be ready at all times to make you amends.''

"Finally, he spoke so gently, so charitably, and

friendly, that it wrought in the poor man's heart, so that by-and-by he fell down upon his knees, and asked his forgiveness. The rich man forgave him, and took him again into his favour, and they loved each other as well as ever they did before."

Still simpler is the following little incident, illustrative of the same power of love :

"A neighbour sent his servant to John Bruen, Esq. of Bruen, requesting him never to set a foot upon his ground; to whom he sent this reply,-'If it please your master to walk upon my grounds, he shall be very welcome; but if he please to come to my house, he shall be still more welcome.' By thus heaping coals of fire upon his head, he won him over to love and tenderness, and made him his cordial friend."

The story of Simeon Green's mode of dealing with his churlish neighbour, with which we have introduced the illustrations of this chapter, in exhibition of the power of kindness, finds a very striking parallel in the following brief incident of an occurrence in the State of Massachusetts, in the United States. It does not, indeed, display the patient hope and long watching by which Simeon at length overcame his neighbour; but it shows most effectually how, actuated by the same spirit, a "soft answer turneth away wrath:"

"The horse of a worthy and pious farmer in Massa