THIS is a very important and attractive part of the exercises of a good Sunday-school, if rightly conducted. Good, pure, simple music, such as children love to sing, and words embodying the best Christian sentiments and feelings, should always be chosen. There is such an abundance of music at the present time, of an elevating, excellent character, that there is no excuse for adopting that which is doubtful. Some of the holiest Christian influences are carried weekly into little hearts and numerous families by these sweet songs of the children. It is well worth while for every Sunday-school to obtain a good supply of the best music, such as the children like; and they often love to meet on some afternoon or evening for the purpose of practising their music with their kind-hearted leader. It is the remark of a wise man: "Let me make the ballads of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws." How vastly important, then, it is to the future well-being of our youth that they be well supplied with the choicest words and music to praise God in these little assemblies!

A few words of caution may be appropriate: Sing no more than that which will be truly worship and devotional on the Lord's day. Introduce all new hymns with great care to make the children understand the true sentiment before they sing it. Consequently, not more than one new hymn should be presented to the school on any one Sabbath. Let the practice in them take place on a week-day, or so as not to interrupt the worship of the Sabbath-school. Never should singing be introduced as an entertainment or diversion in the Sabbath-school, or made a hobby. Sacred music has a higher, holier mission. The hymns should be appropriate to the circumstances and occasion, and adapted in conformity to the Bible lesson of the day.

There is a great amount of music and hymns introduced into our schools of a very improper character. The hymns are nothing but a jingle of nonsense, and the music sometimes has very doubtful associations. All this should be avoided most carefully. Several of our Sunday-school music-book makers, it is said, have made a large profit out of the schools on the sale of a single book. We think this is not right. We are opposed to paying thirty-five cents for hymns and music in a book for children, when the music notes are of no use to the children, and the hymns can be sold for one-half of the price. Let the superintendent and music choristers have the books with the notes, of course. Besides, some of our best Sabbath-school superintendents are largely using Watts's and Wesley's and Cowper's hymns from our church hymn-books in their schools with great success, and they even sing church-music. If the hymns are adapted to the lesson, and are carefully explained to the children, so that they get a clear idea of their meaning, they sing them with great spirit and gladness of heart—such hymns as "When all thy mercies, O my God;" "On the cross uplifted high;" "Jesus, and shall it ever be;" "Hail my ever-blessed Jesus;" "My Saviour, my almighty Friend;" "There is a fountain filled with blood;" "Jesus, I my cross have taken," etc., etc. These, and many more like them, are used in preference to Sunday-school hymns, and the children greatly enjoy them. By the aid of stencil plates these hymns as needed, one for each Sabbath, are placed in large plain letters on sheets of white muslin, and suspended so as to be easily read by the whole school. Thus, every head is kept erect, and there is no diversion in looking over the hymn-book, and as a result the order is better, and the singing is better in every way.