Mission officers were tendered to Masters Geo. Metcalfe, W. Porteus, T. B. Miller, and Edward Smith for the efforts made by them as collectors. J. J. GILLESPIE, Secretary.

JUVENILE MISSIONARY MEETING, LAWLEY BANK.-A meeting on behalf of Missions was held by the young people at Lawley Bank on the 9th April, 1876, when the following amounts were reported as having been collected by the parties named:-H. Morgan, 3s. 7d.; S. Morgan, 3s. 7d.; P. Jones, 2s. 6d. ; R. O. Jones, 2s. 1d.; J. Davis, 2s. 1d.; F. Briscoe, 18. 9d. ; F. E. Jones, 1s. 6d. ; A. M. North, 1s. 7d.; J. J. Adlington, 2s. 1d.; G. Jones, 1s. 3d.; W. Beddow, 1s. 2d.; small sums, 78. 11d.; Mrs. Powes' Box, 13s. 7d.; Miss Barley's Box, 4s. 6d. ; collected at the meeting, 9s. 03d.; total, £2 18s. 2 d. The meeting was well attended, and the time taken up principally by the recitations and dialogues of the children, who acquitted themselves very creditably. The Rev. W. James presided, and gave a short address.

GARDEN STREET SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.-On Sunday, April 9th, we held our anniversary services. In the morning our esteemed superintendent minister, Rev. Thomas Smith, delivered an impressive discourse; in the afternoon Wm. Sutton, Esq., addressed the scholars and friends; and in the evening Mr. Robert Watson, an old scholar of Hood Street School, preached an eloquent sermon. The chapel was crowded at the evening service. The Garden Street choir, under the able leadership of Mr. W. R. Whitelock, rendered two anthems-morning, Wake, Isles of the South;" evening, "Daughter of Zion ”—in a manner which speaks commendably for the energy and perseverance of their leader. A successful tea-meeting on Good Friday closed the anniversary services. Mr. E. W. Oldham presided. Addresses by Messrs. Lee, Watson, Rochester, Reay, Meldrum, and Rogerson, and select music by the choir. The attendance of our friends from a distance was especially gratifying. T. S. ROGERSON, Secretary.

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JUVENILE MISSIONARY SOCIETY, FENTON.-We held our annual meeting on Sunday afternoon, April 23rd. Our esteemed pastor, the Rev. J. James, presided. Addresses were delivered by two teachers, Messrs. J. J. Myatt and J. Stevenson. A number of recitations were given by the collectors, and a large number of the Sunday scholars sang a selection from the "American Sacred Songster" and Messrs. Moody and Sankey's book. There was a good audience and a successful meeting. The collection was a little more than last year. The collectors have done exceedingly well this year, having raised nearly £5 more than last year. The amounts are as follows:-William Smith, £2 0s. 5d.; John Dawson, £2; Mary Ann Tatton, £1 108.; Sarah Clewlon, £1 6s. 9d.; George Gratrix, £1 18.; John Lovatt (box), £1; Mary Lizzie Lovatt (box), 188.; Minnie and Hetta Adams (box), 158. 10d.; Lizzie and John Skellam, 13s.; Emily and Alice Shaw, 10s. 34d.; Mary Ellen Stevenson (box), 10s.; Jno Thos. Bowers (box), 98. 63d.; Mary Jane Bagguley (box), 8s. 6d.; William Tipton, 7s. 24d.; Lucy Plant (box), 6s. 2d.; Amelia Aull (box), 5s. 6d.; Anne Gertrude Shaw (box), 5s.; Geo. Thos. Hawker (box), 5s.; Harriet Alcock (box), 58.; Mary Lizzie Brain (box), 5s.; small sums, 17s. 11}d; public collection, £4 1s. 7d. ; total, £20 18. 94d.

E. BRAIN, Secretary.

THE UPAS TREE.

UR readers, we doubt not, have heard of the wonderful stories that have been told about this tree. It was said

to have such a poisonous influence that nothing could live

within its reach.

"The country round it, to the distance of ten or twelve miles from the tree, is entirely barren. Not a tree, nor a shrub, nor even the least plant or grass is to be seen. Not only no human creature can exist, but no animal of any kind has ever been discovered. There are no fish in the waters, and when any birds fly so near this tree that the effluvia reaches them they drop down dead." With its juice the points of warlike instruments were dipped, but so dangerous was the getting of it that only criminals condemned to die were employed on the errand.

Such were the strange things once told and believed about this tree.

How are we to account for their origin? Well, in olden times all parts of the world were not so accessible as they are now, and adventurous travellers were tempted to impose upon the credulity of those to whom they told the story of their wanderings. It gave them a sort of pleasure to excite their wonder or their terror. What has been said of the upas tree, then, may be regarded as an instance of the extravagances of ancient travellers.

Modern travellers do not romance so much, as they would soon be found out in their falsehoods. But probably the imagination tinges all the descriptions of freshly-explored countries. Voyages and travels are very interesting and useful reading for young persons, but they are not obliged to believe to the letter everything they read. There may be poisonous trees in the earth, as there are poisonous waters and poisonous animals, but they do not grow for an evil purpose only.

All things are made by God, and He made them both in wisdom and goodness.

We hope our young readers do not overlook "The Footprints of God in Nature," which appears monthly in the JUVENILE. They should be read with care, and then they will be found to yield both interest and instruction.

By TOM BROWN, Author of " A Year at School," &c., &c.

XIII-THE DUNCE WHO BECAME A GREAT SURGEON.

hundred and forty years ago there lived at Long Calderwood, a village near Glasgow, a Scottish laird blessed with a small farm and a large family. The youngest of his ten children, a boy named John, then about eight years of age, was the pet of the family, his father's pride, and his mother's idol. This boy is the subject of our present sketch.

Although, in consequence of living upon his ancestral estate, John's father had a right to be called a "laird," he was by no means a wealthy man. His estate was but a small one, and he was only able to rear his large family in frugal comfort. The daughters learnt and practised house wifely accomplishments, and the sons, after receiving the good plain education for which Scotland is famous, were employed about the farm, or sent to learn a business elsewhere. One of them-William-having shown a taste for book learning, had been sent to Glasgow University to qualify for the ministry.

Such had been the judicious training of all the elder members of the family, but with wee Johnnie a very different and most unwise course was adopted. In regard to this child of their old age the Scotch couple seem to have lost all their shrewd common sense, and to have been guided entirely by their fondly foolish favoritism. The youngster was, of course, quick to see that he could get whatever he wanted by crying for it, and that he could have his own way in almost anything if he only whimpered and pouted sufficiently. It was therefore no fault of his that he grew up a thoroughly spoiled, petted child, or that when he began to attend school he stopped away half his time, and usually neglected his lessons when he was there.

When our dunce was ten years of age his indulgent father died; but the mother had been equally blameable in giving way to her son's whims, and so the petting was continued. About this time he was sent to the Glasgow Grammar School, but, as before, he was allowed to amuse himself at his own sweet will, to learn his lessons or not, to go or stay away, just as he pleased. So, notwithstanding the advantages of a celebrated public school, he grew up a thorough "dunce." Indeed, it is said it was only with great difficulty that his teachers managed to drive into him sufficient learning to enable him to read and write as well as his father's ploughboy could have done.

In accordance with an old Scotch custom with regard to the sons of "lairds," an attempt was made to give our hero some knowledge of Latin. But if English had been almost too much for his inattentive

head to master, it was not to be expected that the still drier study of a dead language would be easily accomplished. After trying every means for a long time to interest him in the study, his teachers at last gave it up as perfectly hopeless. This dose of Latin seems to have been more than Johnnie could stand, for he shortly afterwards expressed a wish to leave school altogether. After a reasonable amount of pleading and pestering he, as usual, carried his point, and left school for ever.

And now what a glorious life he led for the next year or two! He had always done pretty much as he liked, but still he had known such unpleasant things as having to go to school, and having to sit still in the class; for we may be sure while he was there the master would take care he held his book and looked at it, whether he learned anything or not. But now books and school were done with, and from morning to night, so long as he did not interfere with anybody else, he did whatever he liked.

He revelled in all the village sports, went off on birds-nesting exploits, or engaged in fishing expeditions in the neighbouring streams. For, however great a dunce, he had never been an idle, sleepy, inactive boy. He had an abundance of energy and vivacity in his composition. When mere play got wearisome, he exhausted his superabundant strength in "playing at work" about the farm. Sometimes he took a sudden liking for digging in the garden, or, attracted by the pleasure of getting over shoe-tops in mud, he would take a turn with the hedgers and ditchers. He liked the sport, too, of driving the stray cows from the meadow, and doubtless the horses on the farm, had they spoken, could have told many a tale of stolen rides that Master John had had when they were supposed to be quietly grazing in the pasture.

But, enjoyable and healthful as this free-and-easy, out-of-door sort of life doubtless was, it was very evident that it could not always last. Even the mother's partial eye could see that unless this "ne'er-doweel laddie" greatly altered his future would be very unhappy and profitless alike to himself and others. The family estate had passed to the eldest son, and it was impossible to expect him to bear the expense of a useless, careless dunce much longer. The other members of the family were prepared in one way or another to shift for themselves. The sisters were married, and the brothers were engaged in various occupations, having either the present enjoyment or future promise of a moderate competence. And here was our "dunce"-the favourite Johnnie-seventeen years of age, without acquaintance with any trade or regular employment, and with about enough education to fit him for running errands or delivering parcels.

What he thought about the matter we have no means of knowing. There were probably several councils held to consider what could be done with our "dunce." Perhaps he felt keenly the humiliation of being dependent on his brother. At any rate he soon settled the matter for them by choosing a trade and engaging himself to learn it.