ELEPHANT BRIGADE.

THERE is this one great difference between animals and men; that when they want to defend themselves, the former use only such defences as nature has given them, as their claws or their teeth; whereas men use other kinds of help, such as guns, swords, &c. We also get animals to help us when we fight. For instance, the war horse carries the cavalry soldier; and I think this is the only creature that we use in war in this country. But in our other countries they make use of other animals. The late Sir Charles Napier, when in India, formed a regiment called the camel corps, in which men rode camels instead of horses. And for a very great

number of years, in eastern countries, they have used elephants for this purpose; and they still do so.

It must be a very magnificent thing to see a regiment of elephants. When well trained they are very brave and very obedient, and in a battle carry all before them. But it is a difficult thing to train them. You can fancy how difficult it must be to make a wild elephant, accustomed to roam at large in the great forest, stand quietly side by side with others in rank, and not move when cannon are fired directly before it. But the people in India are very clever at this kind of work. You see in the picture a row of elephants being made to stand fire; and also two horses. The horses seem more frightened than the elephants.

The elephant is governed by one man who sits on its neck. It is very fond of its driver and will do anything for him, and will obey no one else.

I once heard a very curious story of an elephant, which I will tell you. He was a very large and sagacious creature, and a great favourite with his master. On one occasion his master had to go away, a long distance off, and he was absent for many weeks. During this time he was left in charge of another man, who did not care about him; and though he had left him a sufficient quantity of food for the animal, only gave him half of it at each meal, and kept the rest for himself. This went on until

the master returned. He soon went to see is his favourite, whom he found thin and de poorly, but delighted to see him once more. He ordered the servant to bring him his food as usual; and he brought now the proper bo quantity. But the elephant would not eat de it all. He divided it into two equal parts, h ate one, and put the other to one side. This to made the master suspect that all was not F right. He made inquiries, and found that F his poor elephant had been cheated of his t proper allowance of food by his deceitful t servant. He had him punished very severely.

THE PROSPEROUS BOY.

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A kind gentleman, who was accustomed to
superintend a Sunday-school in a large
town, was once standing at the school door,
talking with a friend. Presently there ran
scampering by a little ragged boy, without
shoes or stockings. Stop! my little fel-
low," cried he. The boy did stop, and
stood and stared at him, as much as to say,
"Well, and what do you want? My
boy," said the gentleman, kindly, "what are
you after?"
"After?" said the boy; "I
"Can you

66

am after my play, to be zure
read?" Not 1, zur." "Where do you
"No where." "Where do you

live?"

come from, my boy?"

land, to be zure."

"From Paddy's

"Where

"How long have you

been from Ireland?" "I don-no."

t

"All

is your father?" "All dead, zur." dead! why, who then takes care of you?" Nobody cares about me."

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The gentleman was interested in the poor boy's touching case. He felt he ought to do something for him. So he took him in, had him dressed and washed, and sent him to school. Here he advanced wonderfully. He was industrious, attentive, and obedient. First he learnt to read, then to write, and then he mastered arithmetic. In a short time he behaved so well, that he was apprenticed as a warehouse-boy to a tradesman. In a few years he advanced to be salesman, and then rose to the highest place in his employer's establishment. At last his employer took him into partnership; and when he retired from business, he left the once poor little penniless, houseless boy, to be master of a large and wealthy business.

And when he had risen to this height he did not forget what he had once been, but was still humble and diligent. Nor did he forget what had been, under God, the means of his rise; but he founded a large Sundayschool in his town, where nearly a thousand scholars attended every Sunday, and over this he became superintendent, just as the gentleman who first took him by the hand.

Oh! we wish we could persuade every little boy who has his own living to make for himself, to begin early to be diligent, and industrious, and obedient, in order to lay a good foundation for what may happen

when they grow older. There is no such little boy, but if he only at once gave up his future life to God, and sought His blessing, and then set to work as hard as he could, but would become an eminent man in some

way or other. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." "Be not slothful in business." "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Dartry.

A CHILD'S EVENING HYMN.
THE daylight fades:

The evening shades

Are gath'ring round my head:
Father above,

I praise that love
Which smooths and guards my bed.

While thou art near,

I need not fear

The gloom of midnight hour:
Blest Jesus, still
From every ill
Defend me with thy power.

Pardon my sin,

And enter in,

And sanctify my heart:
Spirit divine,

O! make me thine,

And ne'er from me depart.