But

them more agreeable and ufeful companions. "Since friends grow not thick on everybough, nor every friend unrotten at the core," (as Dr. Young fays) they should be well acquainted with the honour and integrity of their acquaintance before they form a friendly intimacy, and place a confidence in them.

A BEQUEST IN A LADY'S WILL.

I hereby give to my dear Mifs G. my beautiful cheft of drawers, to contain her wearing apparel, but hope fhe will not forget, when the makes ufe of it, that mental graces and virtues are a lady's most ornamental drefs; and that that drefs has this peculiar excellency, it will laft for ever, and will improve by wearing.

The Supreme Being has every thing in himself; we proceed from him, and our knowledge and affections must return to him for employment fuited to them; and those who most resemble him, ought, next to him, to be the objects of our love, and the beings we should try to affociate with: but, be affured, our chief com. fort will arife from the mind's reviewing its own operations, and the whispers of confcience, that life has not flipped away unimproved.

AN ADDRESS TO THE READERS ON

THE VALUE OF TIME.

I wish to imprefs on the minds of my readers, both young and old, for I hope there are but few parents, or thofe to whom the care of youth is intrufted, but who perufe thofe works they fubmit to the hands of young perfons: I wish to fet before them, in the strongest point of view, the importance of Time, and the ill confequences arifing from the neglect of that invaluable article, which it is out of the power of money to purchafe the return of, and which lamentations in vain attempt to bring back.

Among the number of those readers advanced in life, there may be many who know, by fatal experience, the importance of time, and the danger attending the neglect of it. Would the younger part who want this experience, which is generally purchased at too dear a rate, but suffer reason to be their guide, they would no longer trifle away their hours in fenfelfs giddy vanities; but liften and obey the voice that calls them to their duty, that warns them how fleeting time is, which paffeth away like a fhadow; and, with the perfuafive force of truth, it would admonish them to im

prove the prefent moment; to neglect no opportunity that presents itself to make them better, wifer, and confequently, more happy.

I met with a quotation from an old author, whofe name was not mentioned, on this subject; the beauty and truth of the paffage ftruck me fo much, as to induce me to lay it before my readers.

• Hours have wings, and fly up to the author of time, and carry news of our usage. All our prayers cannot entreat one of them either to return or flacken its space. The mispense of every minute is a new record against us in heaven. Sure, if we thought thus, we would dismiss them with better report, and not fuffer them either to go away empty, or laden with dange rous intelligence. How happy is it that every hour fhould convey up, uot only the meffage, but the fruits of good, and stay with the Ancient of Days to speak for us before his glorious throne.'

This most folemn and serious exhortation must awaken, within the breasts of the most unconcerned, reflections of a ferious nature: it fhews us in the beautiful fimplicity of ancient language, the value of every hour, nay, minute; that we are accountable to the Almighty for the use or abuse of every moment of our lives. Let us then endeavour to pass the time present in fuch a manner, that we may look back on it with fatisfaction, when it becomes the past, and at the end of each day be able to fay, behold a day paf, but not loft; then we may look forward with hope to that great day, when at the dread Tribunal, we are to deliver up an

account of all things committed to our care, when we may fay, O Lord, of the hours thou haft granted unto me, have 1 loft none.'

To thee, O youth, is my exhortation chiefly addreffed; thine is the feafon when the plant of truth moft flourishes, which, if cultivated by a parent's or guardian's foftering hand, produces fruit an hundred fold. In the cheerful morn of life, when innocence attends thy footsteps, when the cheerful temper, the open countenance, the unembarraffed air, announce the fincerity of a heart uncorrupted by the world, open to the voice of counfel, and moulded into form like yielding wax: then is the time when friendly counfel fhould be poured in.

Let me then, my young friends, prevail upon you to make diligent ufe of the prefent moment, and the reward to you, both here and hereafter, will be manifold.

Truft to the pilot, who, from his knowledge of the rocks and quickfands of life, will conduct you into the port and harbour of contentment and happiness with fafety.

OBSERVATIONS ON READING

By Mifs WOLLSTONECRAFT and other Writers.

It is an old, but a very true obfervation, that the human mind must ever be employed. A relish for eading, or any of the fine arts, fhould be cultivated

very early in life; and thofe who reflect can tell, of what importance it is for the mind to have fome refource in itself, and not to be entirely dependant on the fenfes for employment and amufement. If it unfortunately is fo, it must fubmit to meannefs, and often to vice, in order to gratify them. The wifeft and best are too much under their influence; and the endeavouring to conquer them, when reason and virtue will not give their sanction, conftitutes great part of the warfare of life. What fupport, then, have they, who are are all fenfes, and who are full of schemes, which terminate in temporal objects ?

Reading is the most rational employment, if people feek food for the understanding, and do not merely repeat words and fentiments which they do not underftand or feel. Judicious books, and only fuch, enlarge the mind and improve the heart.

Those productions which give a wrong account of the human paffions, and the various accidents of life, ought never to be read. Such accounts are one great cause of the affectation of young women. Senfibility is def cribed and praised, and the effects of it represented in a way fo different from nature, that those who imitate it must make themselves very ridiculous. A falfe taste is acquired, and fenfible books appear dull and infipid after those fuperficial performances, which obtain their full end if they can keep the mind in a continual ferment. Gallantry is made the only interefting fubject with the novelift; reading, therefore, will often cooperate to make his fair admirers infignificant.