warm, that she left a shadow or chill on nothing. In leading me, little by little, to comprehend all, she made me, at the same time, to love all. What I received from her was not a lesson;

it was the very act of living, of thinking, and of feeling, which I performed before her eyes,-along with her, like her, and through her.' In another place he says: 'My mother did not aspire to make me a child far advanced for my age. She did not arouse within me that emulation which is only the jealousy or the pride of children. She did not compare me to any other child. She neither exalted nor humiliated me by any dangerous comparison. What she wished was to make me a happy child, with a healthy mind and a loving soul; a creature of God, and not a puppet of men.'

THE KING AND THE ANT.

The following anecdote of an Oriental sovereign is given by Malcolm in his History of Persia

'There was no feature more remarkable in the character of Timour, than his extraordinary perseverance. He used to relate to his friends an anecdote of his early life. 'I once,' said he, 'was forced to take shelter from my enemies in a ruined building, where I sat alone many hours. Desiring to divert my mind from my hopeless condition, I fixed my observation, on an ant that was carrying a grain of corn larger than itself up a high wall. I numbered the efforts it made to accomplish this object. The grain fell sixty-nine times to the ground, but the insect persevered, and the seventieth time it reached the top of the wall. This sight gave me courage at the moment, and I shall never forget the lesson it conveyed!'

THE THREE FISHES.

Fanny Fern says 'I have read a story of three little trout, which, discontented and unhappy, desired to have a wish that should be granted. The first wished for wings, that it might fly; the next for a great deal of knowledge, and to understand all about hooks and nets, that it might keep out of danger; the third, a poor, ignorant fish, and not knowing what was best, wished that God would take care of him, and choose for him, and give him just what he saw best. So God gave wings to the first; and, delighted with the exercise of his new powers, he flew far, far away, to a desert, where he died from thirst. To the second he gave knowledge, and so he was all the time in terror, he was afraid to go into deep water, lest the great fishes should swallow him, and he was afraid to go into shallow water, lest it should dry up and leave him. He dared not eat anything, lest a hook might be concealed in it, and so he

pined away and died. But God loved the third little trout (who trusted in him), and took care of him, and kept him from all dangers, so that he was always happy.'

THE LION AND THE SLAVE.

A poor slave who had run away from his master having been taken, was brought back and sentenced to death. The sentence was that he should be torn to pieces by a lion. He was therefore brought into a wide court, and the savage lion was let loose upon him. Many thousand people were present to see the cruel death. The lion rushed at the poor man with

angry eye and open mouth, and just when he was about to tear him to pieces, he all at once stood still, wagged his tail, jumped round the poor slave full of joy, and licked his hands with grief delight. The people were astonished at it, and waited some time, expecting the lion was only playing with the man, like a cat plays with a mouse. At last they inquired of the slave how it was the lion would not touch him. He said, 'When I ran away from my master, I hid myself in a cave in the desert, when this very lion came into

me whining, and holding up his paw to me, in which a sharp thorn was sticking. I drew the thorn out for him, which pleased him so much that he liked me ever afterwards. He supplied me with venison, and we lived together in peace and safety for some time. At the last hunting we separated from each other, and both were taken, and now the poor fellow is happy to see me again.'

All the people were pleased beyond measure with the recital of the story, and cried out, let both the lion and man live, for they have been kind to each other, and they deserve life.

The slave was set at liberty, and rewarded instead of punished; and the lion was ever after tame in his presence, and never appeared happy if any other person fed him.

We see in the above curious fact a beautiful sample of gratitude, and learn therefrom that if a lion would, feel grateful, children ought to be kind to each other, and grateful for each other's kindness.

FRANCESCA AND THE LOAF OF BREAD.

During a time when bread was scarce, a rich man invited twenty poor children to his house, and said, 'In this basket there is a loaf of bread for each of you; take it, and come again to-morrow, till God sends us better times. The boys and girls, while taking the bread, quarrelled which should have the largest loaf. But one little girl, called Francesca, stood modestly some way off, and took the smallest loaf which was left in the basket, and kindly thanking the gentleman, carried it to her mother.

On the following day the children came again, and again quarrelled with each other in trying to get the largest loaf, and poor little Francesca this time received one which was much smaller than the one she had the day before. When she got home, her mother began to cut the bread, and, lo! and behold,: there fell out of it, several bright silver pieces.

Her mother was perplexed, and said, 'there must be some mistake; take back the bread to the good man.' Francesca did so, and the gentleman said, 'There is no mistake, my dear; I had the silver pieces put into the bread as a reward for your modesty ; and I now give you some more as a reward for your honesty. Always continue to act so, and you will get something better than silver pieces baked in your breadyou will get contentment, and the joy which springs from good deeds.'

Autumn is Joseph in his coat of many colours; or like the Comer in Isaiah, has died garments, and is red in his apparel. It is better to sow a good heart with kindness, than a field with corn, for the heart's harvest is perpetual.

Sleep is the dearest solace of the wretched, and there is this sweet work of mercy in it, that it closes the eyes of the oppressed more willingly than those of the oppressor.

Consolation and hope are like an angel stretching out one hand towards the future, and the other towards the past, scattering flowers over both.

Affection, like spring flowers, breaks through the most frozen ground at last; and when the heart seeks but for another heart to make it happy, it will never seek in vain.

What is friendship? It is like brother and sister-two souls meeting without mingling-two fingers on the same hand.

And Love? Oh love! That is, to be two and yet one-a man and woman mingling into an angel.

Simplicity is the very soul of beauty-the sweet spirit of fascination, which mak esus love what otherwise we could but at the most admire.

Judgment is the throne of prudence, and silence is its sanctuary.

Knowledge is the treasure, and judgment the measure of a wise man.

'Walk gently,' said a lady to her little girl, your pa' is not well.'Oh,' poetically replied the child, I will whisper with my feet then.'

Advice should fall on the ear as snow descends to the groundsoftly that it may sink into the heart.