In Siam the lotus lilies grow in great profusion, and one may sail for miles along the rivers through flooded fields covered with the lotus blossoms, which the natives are gathering for market. Then there are the royal lotus gardens of Bangkok. These are several miles from the king’s palace. There is a carriage road leading out from the city, and these gardens are a famous place for picnics. At the grand funeral ceremonies of the Queen of Siam, one of the companies which walked in the procession carried tridents, the triple tips of which were each crowned with the white lotus. Every year thousands of real and artificial lilies are floated on the rivers and sea as offerings of the water spirits. They are launched at night, with little wax tapers burning, and they are loaded with offerings to the gods. Many beautiful fancies cluster about the lotus, and many songs have been written, which you may appreciate the more if you happen upon them, for knowing something about the beautiful fragrant flower “trembling on the crystal tide.” THE YEAR OF OUR LORD. THE following incident which occurred, as will be seen, many years ago, has lately been published, and is from the experience of Mr. Duncan, a well-known missionary to the Indians of British Columbia. He says:— “I was teaching the Indians to write letters, and, as a matter of course, began at the name of the place at which the letter was supposed to be written. About that step there was nothing to call forth any remark from the Indians. Next came the name of the month. That elicited some smiles, but no questions. Then was added the day of the month, which also caused some interest, but no surprise. When, however, I added 1860 for the year, immediately the Indians inquired what did those figures mean, and why was the year so named? For a moment I was stunned at the answer which the question called for. Never before had I realized the startling meaning of those figures in connection with the Gospel, and how severely they witnessed against the Christian Church. [Illustration: BEIRUT.] “The Indians seemed at once to seize with awe the information I offered on the subject, and their looks but too plainly indicated both reproach and astonishment that the message of God should have been withheld from them so long. “I felt both ashamed and humiliated for my race, and wondered how so many generations of Christians since the apostolic age, could have dared, as they have done, to so willfully and fatally neglect, or, at best, but trifle with their Lord’s commission.” “THE EVENING STAR.” IN the large playground of a Christian school in Beirut is an arbor where several girls of the school were accustomed to meet just at sunset for a prayer meeting. They had organized this meeting by themselves, and one day the teacher asked, “What do you call your meeting?”