NOTICE. THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE HAS existed now for 100 years. Its first editor was Augustus Toplady, the author of the immortal hymn,

"Rock of Ages, shelter me."

Its readers, desirous of manifesting their appreciation of the labours of the present Editor, D. A. Doudney, who also edits Old Jonathan, have, we are glad to say, to their honour, most liberally and kindly presented him with a testimonial of their esteem, which the following inscription on a neat solid timepiece will explain :

"Tempus edax rerum.

"This clock, with a purse of four hundred pounds, was presented to the Rev. David Alfred Doudney, on the 14th August, 1866, by readers of his works and personal friends, in commemoration of the centenary of the Gospel Magazine and his own labours in connexion therewith, as Editor during a period of twenty-six years.

"The Master saith, My time is at hand.'

"Matt. xxvi. 18."

THE CENTRAL SUN.

WITHIN the last few years an hypothesis has been advanced concerning the possibility of the existence of a central sun. The investigations have been prosecuted more particularly by M. Maedler, an eminent European astronomer. The great extent of the range of influence exercised by the law of gravitation, suggested the high probability that in the assemblage of stars with which our system is connected, there is a centre of gravity around which they revolve.

In order, if possible, to establish this theory by the facts of the universe, Maedler carried out his

observations of the heavenly bodies with great perseverance and ingenuity, and was induced to direct special attention to the constellation Taurus, and particularly to the star Aldebaran, which seemed to have the nearest approximation to the conditions required. Further investigation, however, showed that the position and movement of this star failed in some essential respects to answer the required conditions. He subsequently ascertained that the star Alcyone, in the group of the Pleiades, occupied that desired point.

He discovered fourteen conspicuous stars, besides many that were smaller, around this central one, and when the proper motions of all these were determined, they were found to be in the same direction, and all nearly equal to each other. Within fifteen degrees of this centre there are also sixty stars, moving south, or in accordance with the hypothesis that Alcyone is the centre, forty-nine exhibiting no well-defined motion, and only one which appears to move contrary to the computed direction. Assuming Alcyone to be the grand centre of our astral system, and the direction of the sun's motion as determined by Argelander and Struve, he investigated the consequent movements of all the stars in every quarter of the heavens.

The result of the researches of Maedler led him to the conclusion that Alcyone, the principal star in the group of the Pleiades, occupies the centre of gravity, and that around it the universe of stars composing our astral system all revolve. The distance of this star is estimated to be so immense, that the light proceeding from it would require a period of five hundred and thirty-seven years to traverse the mighty interval which separates it from the sun.

A PASSING INCIDENT.

As a man of generous heart from the country was guiding, a few days since, his load of hay to the market, we saw following him, and gathering the whisps of hay which fell from the load, a poor woman and two lads, the latter of perhaps the ages of seven and nine years. Our attention was specially drawn to them, by observing that the man frequently took pains to throw whole handfuls of hay down the side of the load, in order, as was quite apparent, to convey, in as quiet a manner as possible, sentiments of comfort to the hearts of these suffering poor. As our walk lay in the direction of the market, we determined to witness the conclusion of this exhibition of sympathy and generosity. By and bye the gleaning became so abundant, that the poor woman could refrain from her expressions of gratitude no longer; and, bursting into tears, she beckoned the man to stop, and then, in a manner which indicated both intelligence and a delicate sense of her wretched condition, besought him to permit her a single word of thankfulness for his kindness. "Madam,' said the man, "I, too, have been in the vale of poverty, and seen the time when a lock of hay would have been considered a treasure. A friend, by an act of kindness, of less value in itself than the one I have done to you, saved me from despair, and made me hopeful for better days. Years have passed now, and kind Providence has blessed me with a good farm and a happy home. For years, as I waked each morning, I have seemed to hear a sweet voice whispering, This day remember the poor. As he said this, he raised the fork, and threw in the woman's arms as great a quantity as she and the lads could carry, and then drove onward, with a countenance expressive of the

truth-"It is better to give than to receive." We turned from the scene to read again, and with greater profit than ever, the story of Ruth gleaning in the fields of the generous Boaz, and the kindness of the reapers to the destitute and successful gleaner.

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THE TWO SOLILOQUIES.

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THE IDLE BOY.

OH, dear me! what a terrible trouble it is to me to learn lessons and go to school! Here I have one, two-no, not two, but a whole column and a half of words, with meanings, to get by heart. I wish words had no meanings. Well, I suppose I must begin to learn them: p-r-i-s, pris, o-n, on, prison; a place where people are confined." Why couldn't they say school at once? That's a prison, I am sure. Well, what comes next? P-u-n, pun, i-s-h, ish, punish. I know the meaning of that word without the book, everybody in our house is so fond of using it. "Master Charles," says old cross nurse, "if you will spoil your clothes in this manner, I shall ask your father to punish you.” "Master Charles," cries Betty the housemaid, you deserve punishing, that you do, scratching my chairs, and writing on my tables so." Now, they are not your chairs and tables, Miss Betty. Oh, this ugly lesson-Inever shall get it! P-1-e-a-s, pleas, u-r-e, ure, pleasure; " gratification of mind." Nay, but I am sure pleasure means swinging on gates, eating candy, blowing bubbles, and playing at watchman and thieves with all our scholars. I dare say, if Fred Jones had heard me, he'd say pleasure meant having a new book. Read, read, read-I hate reading! When I am never open a book, and I'll never send

a man, I'll my children

to school, and I'll have a black horse-no, it shall be a grey one, with a long tail, and I'll ride up and down the street all day long. Oh, how I wish I were a man now!

THE IDLE BOY BECOMES A MAN.

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Yes, I am a man; and woe is me for having been such a little fool when I was a boy! I hated my book, and took more pains to forget my Isssons than ever I did to learn them. What a dunce I was, even over my spelling! Always at the bottom of my class, and my book thumbed, and dog's-eared, and cried over-the very emblem of duncehood. "Do, Charles, learn your lessons," said my father, or you will be fit for nothing when a man." Do, dear Charles, give your mind to your books, or I shall be ashamed of owning you for a boy," said my poor mother. But no; I must give my mind to whipping tops, and eating cakes; and a fine scholar they made me! Now, there was Fred Jones; he liked play well enough, but he liked reading better; and he learnt more out of school-hours than I did in them. Fred Jones is now like myself, a man, but a very different kind of man. He has made friends among the wise, the honourable, and the learned; I cannot be admitted to their acquaintance! He can interest a whole company with useful information; I am obliged either to be silent, or talk about the weather or my neighbours. I can make out a bill of parcels, but I blunder over a letter to a friend. I see my error now, but now it is too late. I have no time to read, for I must work for my daily bread; and if I had time I could not turn my reading to profit.

Behold the bitter fruits of idleness in childhood! MISS JEWSBURY.