That evening Ruth took her way to the farm of Boaz. The threshing-floor was a large level space in the field, surrounded by low walls and barns. It was now piled with grain, among which the reapers were busy, some driving oxen, others beating it out with a flail, or tossing it on high that the wind might blow away the chaff, while the grain fell in a heap on the ground. Boaz was there directing, and occasionally assisting his men. At nightfall they all partook of a feast together, master and men. When all were satisfied, they departed, some to their houses in the city, some to rest among the straw under the wide-spreading trees. Boaz had eaten and drank, for his heart was merry while thus feasting with his men, and being weary, he threw himself upon a heap of straw, and spreading his large mantle over him was soon asleep. Ruth, who had been concealed, now approached. She feared not to follow her mother's directions, for she knew the wise Naomi understood the customs of Israel well. Softly she came, and lifting his linen mantle, laid herself down beneath its folds. At midnight, Boaz, in turning himself, awoke and discovered a woman at his feet a woman who evidently had a claim upon him, for she had sought the protection of his mantle. "Woman! who art thou?" he exclaimed, in surprise and dread. 6 I am Ruth, thy handmaid," she answered. 66 Spread therefore thy skirt over me, for thou art the nearest of kin to my husband."

When Boaz became aware it was the lovely and virtuous Ruth who thus sought him as a husband, his heart warmed towards her. His gratitude was great that she had preferred him, almost double her age, to the many young men who admired her.

"Blessed be thou, my daughter," he said, "for thou hast shown more judgment and kindness in thy latter end, than at the beginning, as thou followest not young nen, whether poor or rich, Now my daughter, fear not, I will do all thou requirest me, for I am thy near kinsman, and all the city dost know thou art a virtuous woman. Still Ruth, there is a nearer kinsman than I, whom thou knowest not; tarry this night, and in the morning I will speak with him, and if he

will perform unto thee a kinsman's part, and take thee to wife, it is well; let him do a kinsman's part according to law; but if he will not perform his duty to thee, then will I, as the Lord liveth! Lie down until morning."

Ruth laid quietly at her kinsman's feet until daybreak, when she gently arose to withdraw. Boaz, who was awake, called to her. "Hold out thy veil, and take a measure of barley," he said. "Go not empty to thy mother-in-law."

Ruth was enveloped in a large linen wrapper, used as a veil, one end of which she held out, while her gexerous relative poured into it six measures of barley. Then, receiving his blessing, she hastily returned home.

The hope of obtaining the beautiful and virtuous Ruth for his wife, so animated Boaz, that he took measures to have the business settled immediately. That day he appointed ten of the elders of Bethlehem to meet him at the city gate. It was the hour when he knew the other kinsman of Elimelech would be there. He had saluted the elders, and they had taken their seats when the kinsman appeared. "Ho, Peloni! turn aside and sit down here," cried Boaz. He obeyed the call, supposing some business was to be transacted, and seated himself in front of Boaz beside the elders. Boaz addressed him thus:

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"Naomi, who has lately returned from the land of Moab, intends selling a lot of ground which belonged to her husband, our kinsman Elimelech. Thou art nearest of kin, and I thought thou wouldest like to purchase it, that it go not into a stranger's hand. If thou wilt redeem it, it is well; if not, I, who am next of kin to thee, will redeem it." The kinsman, after thanking Boaz, declared himself willing to take it. Boaz had hoped he would refuse, and thus let the matter be settled. He said— "With this land goes an incumbrance, if I may so call it for with it, thou must take Ruth the Moabitess, as this land was inherited by her husband, Mahlon, since dead; thou must take her to raise up an heir to inherit Mahlon's land, according to our Jewish law." Nay, that I cannot do," said the kinsman, "lest I mar my own inheritance by bringing in a wife and more children to maintain. I give thee

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my right as next of kin, for I cannot redeem it."

Boaz willingly agreed to take the land and Ruth. In fulfilment of the law used on all such occasions, he plucked off his kinsman's shoe, in token he took from him the inheritance. Then turning towards the elders, and people who were gathered around, he said with a loud voice -"All ye assembled here, are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all Chilion's, and all Mahlon's of the hand of Naomi; moreover, Ruth, the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, have I taken to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that his name be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his city. Ye are witnesses this day!" The elders, and assembled people answered, "Yea, we are witnesses!"

When all were silent, one of the elders spake in a solemn voice-"The Lord make this woman, that is come into thy house, like Rachel, and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthy in Ephratah, and be faithful in Bethlehem; and let thy house be like the house of Phazer of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman."

Then did the heart of the aged Naomi rejoice! once more she hoped to see her children around her, and the joy of her youth renewed.

Ruth was married to Boaz, and lived a long and happy life with her husband and mother. All that wealth and affection could bestow was lavished upon the aged Naomi. Her ardent wish to behold a child of Ruth, and heir of Mahlon, was gratified, for a son was born to Ruth. The neighbours of Naomi gathered about her to offer their congratulations. "Blessed be the Lord," they said, "who hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, and that his name may be famous in Israel. He shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and nourisher of thy old age; for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, and who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him."

Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became its nurse.

Thus did the virtuous Ruth reap the reward of her heroic sacrifice of home

The beauty of filial piety is brightly portrayed in the character of Ruth. It was no light thing to leave home, and friends, to accompany an old woman to a strange land; and to devote her time, and her young sorrowing days to the task of soothing the declining years of desolate old age. Born to princely rank, according to the Jewish Rabbies, she refused no menial service, not to glean with the poor in the fields, in order to add to the comforts of her sorrowing mother-in-law. With what gentle obedience she obeyed her every command! She undertakes at her bidding the difficult and delicate task of reminding Boaz of his duties towards her as her kinsman. This conduct appears in our age very singular and questionable; but we must remember the customs and laws of the Israelites were very different from our own, and that which seems improper in this day was then most commendable. May we all look upon our female aged relatives with the kindness of the pious and humble Ruth.

THE ADMIRAL AND THE OAK.-The renowned Admiral Collingwood thus speaks of "the brave old oak" in a letter dated, "The Dreadnought,' off Ushant," in 1805: "If the country gentlemen do not make it a point to plant oaks wherever they will grow, the time will not be far distant, when, to keep our navy, we must depend entirely on captures from our enemy. You will be surprised to hear that most of the knees which were used in the 'Hibernia' were taken from the Spanish ships captured on the 14th of February, and what they could not furnish was supplied by iron. I wish every one thought on this subject as I do they would not walk through their farms without a handful of acorns to drop on the hedge sides to let them take their chance."

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surmount has arisen from the difference between the threads used in those days and those produced in our own. Even this, however, we have now surmounted, through the kindness of Messrs. W. Evans and Co of Derby, who have manufactured various kinds of thread and cotton expressly for point Jace, with a degree of care that leaves nothing to be desired on this head. To ourselves belongs the rest: what the fingers of our ancestresses achieved.it is surely not un reasonable to hope that ours may accom plish it only requires that we should be as good plain needlewomen as they were, for the finest and most delicate point, lace is but a modification of sewing, requiring no extraordinary talents but industry and perseverance.p

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The most valuable lace is that in which the pattern, being drawn on paper or any other substance, is outlined entirely in thread. Some lace is outlined in cotton braid. Some in a lace braid, made of linen, and known to our readers under the term Italian braid; some is worked on the linen itself, the threads of which are partially drawn out; but all these have less work, and are consequently less valuable than that in which a simple

thread forms the outlines of the pattern. Authread has been manufactured expressly for this work, termed Evans's Mecklinburgh thread, No.

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To PREPARE AND OUTLINE THE PATTERN-Draw it on coloured paper, which line with two or three thicknesses of alpaca, or merino, tacked under it. Thread a fine needle with No. 100 Mecklenburgh thread, in which make a knot; lay the end of the No. 1 Mecklenburgh over the beginning of one of the inked lines, rat the needle through the alpaca and paper into the line on one side of the thread, and, (letting the fine thread cross the coarse,) bring the needle through the same hole, on to the wrong" side. Take similar stitches throughout the pattern, at the distance of about the eighth of an inch from each other, always making one at the extremity of every point and corner, so that the outlines are made with the utmost exactness. When you wish to join the ends of an outlining thread, lay one over the other.

Outlines made in thread possess the advantage of being made in separate sections, if necessary, instead of running them in continuous lines as is always done with French braid.

We shall now give our readers some new stitches; and, at some future time, shall probably add many more.

THE STITCHES. - No. 1 foundation stitch. This stitch is the one in which all those parts of the lace are worked, which are perfectly solid, and have no fancy stitches in them. Take a bar of thread parallel with that of the foundation, and over them work Brussel lace stitches, doing them as closely together as possible. For the second row, take a thread parallel with the first, and work a similar row: taking a stitch between every two stitches of the former. The bars of thread should be about the sixteenth of an inch apart, if very fine work be required and more distant, if the pattern be on a large scale. Each time that you come to the outline thread, twist the needle twice round it, before taking the next bar across.

No. 2. OPEN DIAMONDS. 1st Row. +8 close Brussels stitches; miss the space of one stitch, repeat throughout the length.

2nd Row. + Miss the first two of the eight stitches; do five close button-hole, miss the last two; do two close Brussels on the loop formed in the last row by missing a stitch; repeat.

3rd Row. Do two close Brussels in every loop formed in last row, and also over the centre of the five close-that is, after the second and the third.

4th Row. 5 close Brussels (crossing over the five of 2nd row), and two in the loop over the two of that row.

5th Row. This is like the first: there are eight close Brussels stitches done, 4 of which come over the five of last row, and two on the loop on each side, then miss the space of the two stitches of last row. For this stitch repeat the last four rows as often as may be required.

No. 3. CLOSE DIAMONDS.

1st Row. Brussels lace, worked quite closely.

2nd Row.+ 8 close Brussels, miss 2, + repeat.

3rd Row. + Miss the two first of eight, do five close Brussels, which will be finished just before the two last of eight; miss them, do 2 close Brussels on the loop of last row, repeat.

4th Row.+ 8 close Brussels, 4 of which come over the five, and two on the

loop at each end of it, miss the two worked over the loop, + repeat.

These four rows join one line of diamonds. In filling up any space, always let the diamonds of one pattern fall just between those of the last. This might be done (if the width of the space were not increased).

No. 4. BARCELONA LACE.

1st Row. Work a row of Sorrento edging, the long loop of which shall be long enough to hold four close Brussels stitches, and the other half that length.

2nd Row. 4 close Brussels on each long stitch, missing the short one altogether.

3rd Row. Take a stitch on to the bar of third between the first four and the second, work a tight button-hole stitch on it; do another in the same; repeat on every bar of thread.

For this lace, repeat the second and third rows alternately.

No. 5. FAN LACE.

1st Row. 6 close Brussels, miss the space of six-Repeat.

2nd Row. 6 close stitches on every side of last row.

3rd Row. 6 close Brussels on every loop of thread, missing all the stitches of last row.

4th Row. 6 over the six, and six more on the loop.

5th Row.+6 close stitches on those worked on the loop, miss the next six + repeat.

For all future patterns, repeat the third, fourth, and fifth rows only. They may be worked backwards and forwards. No. 6. SPOTTED LACE.

1st Row. + 2 close Brussels, leave the space of two, + repeat.

2nd and following Rows. 2 close Brussels in every loop, missing the stitches of the last row.

No. 7. ANTWERP LACE. The first and second rows are the same as for ope diamonds (No. 2).

3rd Row. + 1 close on the centre of five close, 5 close over the two close and the loops on each side of them. + repeat. 4th Row. 5 close over two close, ? close over five. + repeat. Repeat these four rows as often as necessary.

No. 8. SEVILLE LACE.

1st Row.+ 9 close Brussels, miss the space of two, + repeat.