watching every little. sign in the sky or the water that might show whether land was near; but still no land was to be seen. 5. At last the sailors grew quite furious, and then Columbus, despairing, perhaps, of keeping them quiet any longer, promised that if, in three days more, the land did not appear, he would give up all his long-cherished hopes, and go back to Spain. 6. On the very next day, as some of the crew stood gazing on the water, they saw floating towards them a branch of a tree with red berries, and, at the same time, there alighted on the mast some birds that live on land. Joyfully were these signs hailed; but again the sun set, and still no land was to be seen. 7. But just before midnight the welcome cry of "Land, land!" was heard. A light had been seen quite distinctly moving along, as if carried by some person on a shore. The seamen rushed into one another's arms, quite wild with joy. They now knelt at the feet of Columbus, and praised, as an inspired man, him whom they had been disposed to throw overboard a few days before. 8. They asked his pardon, and he readily granted it. They wept, they sang hymns of thanksgiving. No eye was closed in sleep during that night; and at the early dawn a beautiful green island lay before them in full sight. This was on the 12th of October, in the year 1492. 9. The island was one of the Bahá'ma Islands, and was called St. Salvador by Columbus. He was the first Europe'an that set foot on the soil of the New World. He landed in a rich dress, and with a naked sword in his hand; and then all the Spaniards knelt, and rendered thanks to God for the great event. LXII. TO MY LITTLE SISTER WHO DIED. 1 THY memory as a spell of love comes o'er my mind; As dew upon the purple bell, as per'fume on the wind;" As music on the sea, as sunshine on the river, So hath it always been to me, so shall it be forever. 2. I hear thy voice in dreams upon me softly call, Like echo of the mountain streams in sportive waterfall. And blossomed in the eyes of men, like any flower of spring, 4. I hear, in solitude, the prattle kind and free Thou uttered'st in joyful mood while seated on my knee. LXIII. ON THE USE OF BAD LANGUAGE. 1. WE would guard the young against the use of any word that is not perfectly proper. Use no profane expression. You know not the danger of using indecent and profane language. It may never be oblit'erated" from your memory. 2. The profane youth, when he grows up, will often find himself using, without meaning it, an expression for which he is very sorry. It was one he learned when he was quite young. It has clung to his memory like a hateful thing. 3. By being careful to shun familiarity with impure language you will save yourself much future mortification and sorrow. There have been instances in which good men have been taken sick and become delirious, in which state they have used bad words. 4. When informed of it, after a restoration to health, they remembered that the words were those which they had learned in their early days from vicious associates; and though many years had passed since they had spoken a bad word, the expressions had been so stamped upon the memory as to be recalled and uttered in moments when the will was powerless to reject them. 5. Think of this, ye who are tempted to use, or even to hear, improper language. Remember that the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom. "It chills my blood to hear the blest Supreme CLEON hath a million acres, - ne'er a one have I; Cleon dwelleth in a palace, But the poorer of the twain is in a cottage, I; not a penny, I; Cleon, and not I. Cleon, true, possesseth acres, but the landscape, I; Cleon is a slave to grandeur,-free as thought am I; Death may come, -he'll find me ready, happier man am I. Cleon sees no charms in Nature, in a daisy, I; Cleon hears no anthems ringing in the sea and sky. State for state, with all attendants, who would change? Not I LXV. THE BLIND GIRL. C. Mackay 1. In a stage-coach, where late I chanced to be, I saw she looked at nothing by the way, Her mind seemed busy on some childish thought. 2. I, with an old man's courtesy, addressed 3. The child, and called her pretty, dark-eyed maid. 66 Never did tongue of child utter a sound Her mother then related how she found 4. "I'll do it when 't is daylight, if you please; Miss Lamb. LXVI. THE HEROINE OF SIBERIA. Prascovie Lopouloff (pronounced, Pras'ko-vee Lo'pooloff) was the real name of a girl who, about the year 1795, made her way, many hundreds of miles, from Siberia to St. Petersburg, to beg the Emperor of Russia to release her father from exile. She was eighteen months in making the journey. Siberia is a part of the Russian empire, and one of the coldest countries in the world. The adventures of Prascovie have been made the subject of a popular story, entitled "Elizabeth, or the Exiles of Siberia," by Madame Cottin, a French lady. The incidents of the following dialogue between Prascovie and the Empress, at St. Petersburg, are strictly true. Empress. COME nearer to me, child. Sit by my side. I wish to hear more of your story. What first prompted you to this undertaking? Did your father urge it? Prascovie. O, no! lady. My father opposed it strongly. It was long before I could get his consent. But I prayed to Heaven that he might be made to yield, and, at length, my prayer was granted, and I set forth on my way with a glad heart. Emp. And was your mother equally opposed to your enterprise? Pras. At first she laughed at me for what she called my wild scheme; but, after a year or two, seeing that I did not give it up, she believed that Heaven had put the thought into my mind, and so she began to favor it. Emp. But how could you suppose you would be able to gain access to the emperor? You were very poor, and without friends. How did you expect to get a hearing? Pras. I believed that God would raise up friends to a daughter whose object was to save her parents from exile and despair. I had faith in his protection, and it never failed me. Emp. But did you encounter no adventures on your long and dangerous journey? Were you never in peril? Pras. O, yes! I was twice taken ill, and once came near being drowned. On one occasion I arrived late at a village, and sought a lodging in vain. At last an old man, who had previously repulsed me, followed and invited me into his hut. There I found an old woman. But both these people had a bad expression of countenance, which alarmed me. The woman closed the door silently and securely, after I had seated myself. They asked me whither I was going. I told them to St. Petersburg; on which the man remarked that I must have plenty of money about me, to be able to undertake so long a journey. I told them what was true, that I had only a few ko-pecks; but they, in a harsh manner, accused me of lying. Emp. Dear child, were you not greatly terrified? These people must have been robbers. How did you support yourself under such a peril? Pras. They told me to go to bed. I did so; but took care to leave my wallet exposed, so that they might see I had told the truth, if they chose to examine it. About midnight I was roughly awakened, and saw the old woman |