evening, Wheeler's cavalry (Confederate) arrived, pursued them, took about 1000 prisoners; and among them General Stoneman, who had boasted he would sup in Macon, but did not probably calculate it would be as a prisoner Indian Springs is about thirty miles north of Macon, and according to the map just in the line of way for the Yankees. The gentleman who was sole protector of a large party of ladies there, has been giving us a very lively picture of his perplexities. When he tried to remove his charge, he found the Confederate Government had seized every vehicle; not even one wagon was to be had. However, luckily, the Yankees passed the town, leaving it six miles on one side, for their own convenience in crossing the River Ocmulgee. They plundered and burnt all along the way. Among other mischievous acts, they have burnt a factory and two bridges-one a railway bridge over the Oconee, the other a road bridge. These two will be repaired in a few weeks. (To be continued.) HINTS ON READING. AMONG the last quarter's books of the S. P. C. K. is a beautiful little tract called Old Christy, upon Contentment; a very good one, intended to be read aloud at mothers' meetings, called Govern your Temper; and a bright little one, by name My Greataunt's Cat, against making false excuses. Selections New and Old, (Masters) have much of interest, and are well-chosen on the whole, though we own we do not like those Scriptural fragments from Herderthey give a sense of irreverence and sentiment. For the rest, it is a pleasant book to have lying on the table, and to take up at odd times. Dear Mr. Editor, CORRESPONDENCE. BOOKS FOR READING ALOUD. I send two lists of books for reading aloud in a Sunday school, the first adapted to elder children, of twelve or thirteen, the second suitable for boys and girls who are beginning to think for themselves. Those marked 2 might suit either class. The books marked with an asterisk are those from which a teacher would be able to extract much that is interesting, but which could hardly be read from beginning to end. No MS. can be returned unless the Author's name and address be written on it, and stamps sent with it. Contributions must often be delayed for want of space, but their writers may be assured that when room can be found they shall appear. F. F. M.-TO SKELETONIZE LEAVES, SEED-VESSELS, ETC.-Soak the leaves in soft water, in an earthen vessel, set in the sun, or in the dark—either of which has a tendency to decompose the green part of the leaf. Leave them until the fibrous part of the leaf will separate easily from the rest, which with some leaves will be in a fortnight or three weeks, in others seven or eight months. Then pour off this water, which will be very unpleasant in smell, and fill the basin with fresh water; put the hand into the basin, and holding the leaf under the water, gently manipulate it between the fingers and thumb, until every particle of green comes away. If it does not do so easily, the leaf requires more soaking. You may lay each leaf in a soup plate, if you prefer it, and remove the decayed green with a camel's hair brush, or an old tooth-brush for strong fibred leaves. A piece of white blotting paper raises the leaf out of the water better than writing paper. Bleach them, when you have a good many, in a solution of chloride of lime-half a tea-cupful of the powder to a pint of water. Dry them gradually between folds of blotting paper, not too much pressed, either to mount or to preserve in any way you please before they are quite dry. When bleached, you must be careful to exclude them from the air as much as possible, as they soon lose their colour; the sooner they are mounted under glass the better. There are many leaves that will do; the easiest being Ivy, Pear, Butcher's-broom, Holly, Poplar, and Tulip-tree. The sycamore and horse-chestnut are very pretty; but it is difficult to know exactly when to do them, as they must not be too young, or they tear; nor too old, as then they are too tough to do at all: this observation holds good with all leaves. Other leaves that will do, but are more difficult or uncertain, are Magnolia, (which take seven or eight months,) Apple, Andromeda, India rubber, Aspen, Apricot, Lemon, Orange, Box, Lime, Hornbeam, Passion-flower, Quince, Dentzia, Rose, Acacia, Mahonia, Barberry, and Wild Cherry, with many others. The leaves of the Camellia Japonica, are best done by boiling them with soap. The blossoms of the Hydrangia are beautiful; and they are best dissected by placing them in a vessel of soft water, on the top of a stone, for four or five weeks, constantly filling it up as the water evaporates. Oak leaves, and some others of the same texture, resist the usual process, and require diluted muriatic acid to decay them, on account of the tannin in them. The best seedvessels for dissecting are the Horn-apple, Henbane, Poppy, Cavatera, Malope, Horehound, Sea-Holly, Deadly-Nightshade, Radish, Flax, Hemp, Stinging Nettle, stalk of Cabbage, tuber of Turnips, Canterbury bells, Winter Cherry, Toad-flax, Skull-cap, Bladder-senna, Bladder-mints, &c. They should be gathered when just ripe. Many of the seed-vessels are very pretty, and make a variety when dried and bleached only, without dissecting. Ferns are only bleached generally; sometimes they are dissected, but take many months in the process, and often fail at last. The fronds should not be too old or too young, and should be first dried in blotting paper, and then immersed in chloride of lime till quite white, which is usually in a week or ten days, but varies; they must be carefully removed to a piece of white blotting paper, and pressed till dry-blanching makes them very brittle. Grasses and mosses are done in the same way. Some things are best bleached in chloride of soda; but only experience can tell; as also about the time for gathering the leaves, as it varies according to the seasoR— and no two years are alike. You must not be disappointed if only a few turn out perfect out of many, as it requires practice and experience to know exactly when and how to do them. If F. F. M. needs further directions, will she send us her address? E. B. We do not know of such a book as you want. The attempt has been made in The Monthly Paper to give a knowledge of the Bible in the Readings, but hitherto there has been no space for more, though we believe that the Questions for the Sunday Lessons are made to elucidate much of the intervening portions of Scripture. A. C. asks what is the Mahometan Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus? also which are the Sarum colours, and when each is used? Does A. C. mean the Christian Legend of the Seven Sleepers, who taking refuge from persecution in a cave, slumbered for three hundred years? The tale is to be found in Dr. Neule's little volume of Deeds of Faith. St. Aubyn is thanked for 5s., Perpetua for 2s., and X. for £1, for the Keble Memorial Fund; P. S. for a hamper of periodicals, received on September 19th at the St. Andrew's Water-side Mission, Gravesend. Declined with thanks.-In Memoriam of Dr. Neale; Morn and Eve. A. K. C. begs to inform Nelly that the lines, 'Mortal, they softly say,' &c. are part of Southey's poem on The Removal of Some Old Family Pictures.' Daughter' is the word made use of. D. V. M. informs R. M. that the poem called The Lambs of Christ, beginning, "They were gathered early-earth's young and fair,' is in a volume of poems, called Lines and Leaves, by Mrs. Acton Tindal, not by Adelaide Proctor. Niksen asks for names of books for servants' reading. We advise giving freely any right-minded book. Servants see a good deal of the world, and have it in their power to handle our books so much, that it is a vain attempt to treat them as a class, and confine them to an exclusive library of our choosing. They are, too, of such different grades of intelligence and cultivation, that to name books for them en masse is impossible. B. M. J.-Mendelssohn, the philosopher, died in 1786. VOL. 2. ADVENT. WHAT secret spell doth Autumn know, Sere is the rustling leaf. Half penitent, the wind surveys The woodland streams the grief reflect, To eager leaves gave dull respect, Sweet summer hours, deemed so long, To lure away in haste. And they are gone-nor bitt'rest tear But see, with Autumn wrapped in gloom, A younger sister tread! Hand linked in hand, they onward roam, Full many a year they've sped. And mark how Autumn's frown declines, Round dying chaplet sprays entwines 37 PART 12. Advent beloved! the sinner's friend, Thou, if the sinner watchful bide Thy sister shall thy paths attend With warning tones and stern, That with thy softer notes shall blend— E. J. R. SONNETS FROM THE COLLECTS. ST. THOMAS. PRAYER FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH. O GOD, the Lord of all things, who denying The perfect gift of faith unto thy Saint,(Awhile the spirit of thy witness trying,)— Didst thus permit his wavering heart to faint: When he, perverse, his better hope belying, Could doubt the word of truth, from earthly taint Of pride, till carnal reason testifying, He saw and felt, believing by constraint; O loving Jesu! Who hast called blest Those who believe, yet see not; so inflame With love that knows not doubt, the faltering breast, That we, adoring with repentant shame, May own the presence that no sense can test, And cry, Our Lord, our God,' Christ evermore the same! THE NATIVITY.—(EPISTLE.) ACT OF ADORATION AND FAITH IN THE WORD INCARNATE. In the beginning was the eternal Word; With God, and ONE WITH GOD, pure, uncreate, From the beginning consubstantiate : By whom the worlds were made; of all things Lord. |