DIALOGUE V.

CONFUSION OF TONGUES.

Mamma. Do you remember, Ellen, the name of that good man who was saved by God when the world was destroyed by the flood?

Ellen. Yes, Mamma; his name was Noah. Mamma. And what was the name of the boat in which he was saved?

Ellen. The ark, Mamma.

But was not Noah

very glad to come out of the ark? I should have been tired of staying in one place so long.

Mamma. Noah was too good a man to be tired of staying in any place where God thought right that he should be, Ellen. But he was very glad indeed to come out of the ark, and to walk on the earth, and to see again once more all the beauties of creation around him. Indeed, he was so rejoiced that he fell down upon his knees to thank the Almighty God for his great deliverance, which should teach us always to thank God for all the blessings we enjoy.

Ellen. Was not Noah always afraid that the

earth was going to be destroyed, Mamma, again? I hope it never will be.

Mamma. He might have been, Ellen; but God was so good as to prevent his fears, by assuring him that it never should be; and told him to consider the rainbow, which is so often seen when the rain falls, as a proof that God would never again send rain enough to destroy the earth. You must never look at this beautiful rainbow, therefore, without remembering how good it was in God to make this promise.

Ellen. Mamma, how many children had Noah? Mamma. He had three sons-Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Ellen. Had Noah's sons any children, Mamma? Mamma. Yes, Ellen, they had all a great many children, and these children again had many more; so that, in the course of time, the earth was again thickly peopled.

Ellen. And were these people better people, Mamma, than those which lived before the flood?

Mamma. Indeed, Ellen, they were not, in general, so good as they ought to have been; and one thing they did which was very far otherwise, because it showed they did not depend upon God's promises. You asked me just now if the people were not always in fear of another flood,

and I told you that Noah was not, because God had promised there should not be another, and had put his bow in the clouds as a sign by which the people in times to come might remember his promise. Those who were good believed this sign; but the wicked refused to believe, and were proud and impious enough to think that they could save themselves from another deluge by building a very large Tower, whose top might reach into the clouds.

Ellen. What a very large tower that would be, Mamma: and did they try to build this tower?

Mamma. They collected together their bricks and mortar, and began to build, but God was so displeased with them that he determined to punish them. And this he did by making them speak a great many different languages, so that they could not understand each other.

Ellen. How different languages, Mamma? Mamma. You remember asking me the other day why you could not understand what your uncle's footman said; and I told you because he spoke a different language from you. Now, if you, and Papa, and I were all to speak in different languages, we should not know what each said, and it would be very uncomfortable then to be living together, and impossible to find out

what each other wanted. Now God made the people who were working on this great tower suddenly speak to each other in different languages, so that it was impossible for them to go on with their work. And finding it very uncomfortable to be living together without understanding what each other said, they divided from each other, and went to live in different parts of the country. And this, Ellen, is the reason why there are so many different languages spoken in the world at this time; for, before this, every body spoke in the same language.

Ellen. What was the name of this great tower, Mamma?

Mamma. It was called Babel, a word which means confusion.

Ellen. But I hope there were some good men left, Mamma,-some who did not help to build the tower?

Mamma. There were some good, Ellen; and I have one very good man indeed to tell you of: but I am afraid of tiring you by telling you too much at a time. Remember well what I have been telling you about the Tower of Babel, and you shall soon hear about a very good man indeed, called Abram.

DIALOGUE VI.

CALLING OF ABRAHAM.

Ellen. You said the other day, Mamma, that you would tell me next about a very good man whose history is in the Bible. Will you tell it

me now?

Mamma. I will so: you remember the dispersion of the people after wickedly attempting to build he Tower of Babel?

Ellen. Yes, Mamma.

Mamma. Why did they disperse? Why did they not still continue to live near each other? Ellen. They could not understand what each other said.

Mamma. Right: so they dispersed, and went to live in a great many other countries, and their descendants form the present inhabitants of the world. After a while, many of the people forgot all the goodness of God, and all his power, and all the mercies they had received from him; and instead of praying to Him, who is the only Being able to grant our prayers, and