SHORT HISTORY OF SAMUEL. We read in the Bible of a good man, whose name was Elkanah; and he had two wives ; for in those days God gave men leave to have more than one wife. Now, one of these wives had children, and her name was Peninnah ; but the other wife, who was called Hannah, had no children at all. Peninnah used to laugh at Hannah because she had no children, and said many cruel things to her. Poor Hannah used to fret at this unkind treatment; and one day her hus. band asked her why she was so sad? and he tried to comfort her. In those days some people had a long way to go to the Temple of God; for they had no churches and chapels at hand, as we have. Elkanah went up once a year to worship God, and take his offerings to Shiloh, and Hannah went up too. There was an old man who was Priest in this Temple, or Tabernacle; he was called Eli, and had two sons, who were Priests likewise under their Father. When poor Hannah got into the Temple, she felt she was very near to God; and as her heart was sad, she found it a great comfort to be able to tell all her troubles to the Lord; because she knew that he alone could help her. The tears ran down her cheeks whilst she prayed, and her lips moved, but she did not speak up so as to be heard. She was praying for a son ; and promising that if God would grant her one, he should be brought up to serve Him in that very Temple. Now Eli, who sat at the door of the Temple, watched Hannah, and thought she was drunk; and so he began to speak

very harshly to her. Hannah did not reply sharply or angrily; but told the old man she was only telling her sorrows to the Lord. When Eli found she was not drunk, he told her to go in peace; and that God would grant her prayer. Next morning, Hannah and her husband got up, and left Shiloh, and went home to Ramah. Now God heard Hannab. when she prayed, for the Bible says, " the Lord remembered Hannah." Oh! how happy may that child be, who really asks God from his heart, for what he feels he wants; for we know that God does not forget the earnest prayer of his people. Well--God sent Hannah a son, and she called him, Samuel, which meant “ I asked him of the Lord :" and so every time she spoke his name, she might remember the Lord's goodness to her. After little Samuel was born, his Father went up every year, as usual, to sacrifice and worship at Shiloh ; but Hannah did not go up on account of her young baby; and said to her husband, “I will go up when the child is weaned, and leave him in the Temple, as I promised, to serve

the Lord.” It is thought that the little boy was seven years old, when his mother parted with him. When Hannah took her child up to the Lord's house, she said to old Eli, “I am the woman, who stood by thee here praying unto the Lord; for this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition, which I asked of him : therefore also, I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liv. eth he shall be lent to the Lord.” I dare say Samuel and his mother were very sorry to part, but she could not break her word with God, and she thought it a great honour to give her child to Him.

Now Eli's two sons were grown up, and were Priests like their father, but they were very wicked men; and it seemed a pity that little Samuel should live with them and see the naughty things they did ; but God took care that his soul should not be hurt by these bad men. Samuel had a number of little things to do in God's Temple, and Eli told him what to do, and gave him a white dress to wear in the Temple like the grown-up Priests ; and his mother went up once a year to see him, and took him a little coat. Eli's two sons were called Hophni and Phinehas; and when some persons told their Father how cross they were to the people who came up to worship God in his tabernacle, and of other sinful things they did, he spoke to them, but not so sharply as he ought to have done: 80 “ God was angry with him for not keeping his children from wickedness” Samuel lived five years with Eli; and when he was twelve years old, one night he was in bed, and a voice called, “Sa. muel."-So he got up, and asked Eli, if he wanted him ; but Eli said he had not called him, and told him to lie down ;, but if he was called again, to answer, “speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth;” for Eli thought it might be God's voice. By and bye, the voice called again; and Samuel answered as Eli told him ; and then the Lord began to tell Samuel, how he was going to punish Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. When morning came, Samuel feared to tell Eli, what God had said ; but when the old man, asked him, then Samuel “ told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.”