now on his way to Rome as a prisoner. Standing in the midst of the sailors and men, who had now lost all courage, St. Paul said in a loud voice, to be heard above the wind, "Sirs, be of good cheer."

Oh, what brave, splendid words those were! St. Paul was only a prisoner, but he knew that God was with him.

So once again he shouted, "An angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood by me this night saying, 'Fear not, Paul behold, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee'." Then the sailors began once more to work with a will. Long days and nights they worked in the storm, and at last they found they were coming near the shore. They feared they might be dashed on rocks or shoals, so they threw out four anchors and waited for morning.

It was a dreary night; but when morning dawned, St. Paul encouraged all on board to take some food, telling them once more that they would all be saved. When it was light enough, they saw a little creek with a beach. So they took up the anchors, hoisted the sail, and made for the shore.

But, coming to a very rough place, they ran the

THE ROLLING WAVES ROSE HIGHER AND HIGHER.

ship aground. The prow stuck fast on the sand, but the stern was broken by the violence of the waves.

Then one of the officers commanded those who could swim, to throw themselves overboard and to strike out for land. The rest were to go as they could--some on planks and some on broken pieces of the ship.

After a hard struggle with the waves, they all reached the land in safety, two hundred and seventysix people. They were miserably cold and wet, and quite worn out with fatigue. The natives of the island, which proved to be the island of Malta, came to meet them. They built a fire for their comfort and treated them with the greatest kindness.

When St. Paul was throwing some sticks of wood on the fire, a snake roused by the heat ran out and fastened on his hand.

The natives expected to see him fall down suddenly and die; but when they saw that he was unharmed, they thought he must be one of the gods.

St. Paul remained about three months on the island and then went on to Rome. This shipwreck was only one of the great hardships which he endured for Christ's sake.

In his missionary journeys he went through many dangers, in hunger and cold, from robbers and enemies, on the sea and in the desert. He was shipwrecked four times. He was whipped, he was stoned, he was thrown into prison. It was a life of toil and danger, but St. Paul was a hero and a martyr for Christ's sake.

A PROMISE OF SPRING

'N the snowing and the blowing,
In the cruel sleet,

Little flowers begin their growing,
Far beneath our feet,

Softly taps the Spring and cheerly,
'Darlings, are you here?"

66

Till they answer, "We are ready,
Nearly ready, dear."

"Where is Winter, with his snowing?
Tell us, Spring," they say.

Then she answers,

"He is going, going on his way.

Poor old Winter does not love you,
But his time is past,

Soon my birds shall sing above you,
Set you free at last."

SELECTED

γου

ORION

OU know that the fixed stars are divided into groups called constellations. The people in Greece, long ago, used to gaze at these groups, and they fancied they saw in them shapes of different things. So they named them the Great Bear, the Little Bear, the Swan, the Eagle and so on.

These people did not know that there is one true God who made Heaven and earth. They thought that there were a great many gods and goddesses. The sun they called Apollo, and they worshipped him. The moon was Diana, the sister of the sun, and they worshipped her. They tried to explain all the wonderful things around them, and they thought that everything was alive.

The stories which they told and believed, seem to us very strange indeed. They are called myths. Of course they are not true, but many of them are quaint old stories, and they teach us many things.

Now the grandest, largest and brightest constellation was called Orion. The Greeks thought it looked like a giant with belt and sword. Orion,