I. FORBIDDEN FRUIT II. CAIN'S OFFERING III. NOAH'S OLIVE LEAF IV. ABRAHAM'S TENT V. HAGAR'S BOTTLE VI. JACOB'S PILLOW VII. THE COAT OF MANY COLOURS VIII. THE ARK OF BULRUSHES IX. PHARAOH'S CHARIOT X. THE TABLES OF STONE XI. THE HIGH PRIEST'S MITRE XII. THE HIGH PRIEST'S MITRE,—_Continued_ XIII. BALAAM'S STAFF XIV. RAHAB'S SCARLET CORD XV. GIDEON'S EPHOD XVI. THE JAWBONE OF AN ASS XVII. RUTH'S BARLEY-EARS XVIII. JOB'S SACKCLOTH XIX. DAGON'S STUMP XX. SAUL'S SPEAR XXI. JONATHAN'S BOW XXII. DAVID'S HARP XXIII. ABSALOM'S HAIR XXIV. SEED CORN FROM BARZILLAI'S GIFT XXV. TEMPLE LILY WORK XXVI. THE WIDOW'S CRUSE XXVII. ELIJAH'S LETTER XXVIII. JONAH'S GOURD XXIX. THE FETTERS OF MANASSEH XXX. THE DEED OF PURCHASE XXXI. JEHOIAKIM'S KNIFE XXXII. THE RAGS OF EBEDMELECH XXXIII. THE GOLDEN SCEPTRE XXXIV. A VESSEL OF THE TEMPLE XXXV. THE TRUMPET OF NEHEMIAH XXXVI. WRITING TABLE OF ZACHARIAS XXXVII. THE MANGER XXXVIII. THE APOSTLES' NET XXXIX. THE BED OF THE PARALYTIC XL. THE CROSS XLI. THE STONE AT THE SEPULCHRE THE QUEEN AND THE TWELVE NAMES [Illustration] [Illustration] HOUSE BEAUTIFUL I. Forbidden Fruit. CAN this object, so small, so beautiful, be yet through its effects more deadly than any weapon of war ever forged for man's destruction, more deadly than the poison-flask, the dagger, or the thunderbolt! It lies before us fresh and fair as when, nearly six thousand years ago, it hung amongst the green foliage of Paradise, more beautiful than any fragrant peach on which the last ripening sunbeam glows in a now fallen world. On the fruit of Eden, which could so lightly yield to Eve's touch, and be marked by the soft pressure of her fingers, we see not the trail of the serpent; it is goodly to look upon, and what mortal dare say that had he been in the place of our first parents, the fair but fatal fruit would have hung untasted on the bough? In looking on it, how awful a lesson we learn of the poisonous nature of what we dare to call "little sins!" Who amongst us, beholding Eve in her beauty plucking the fruit which tempted her eye, would not have been ready to have echoed the first lie ever breathed on our planet, "thou shalt not surely die." Bright, guileless, and, until now, sinless being; God will not severely judge thee, He has threatened, but He will not perform.