King James of Scotland, while wandering in disguise, and under the assumed name of Fitz-James, encounters Roderick Dhu, an outlaw, by the side of his watch-fire in the Highlands. Roderick. THY name and purpose, Saxon! Stand! Fitz-James. A stranger. Rod. What dost thou require? Fitz-J. Rest, and a guide, and food, and fire. My life 's beset, my path is lost, The gale has chilled my limbs with frost. Rod. Thou darest not call thyself a foe? He brings to aid his murderous hand. Rod. Bold words! But, if I mark aright, Fitz-J. Then by these tokens may'st thou know Each proud oppressor's mortal foe! Rod. Enough, enough! Sit down and share Sir Walter Scort LXXIII. SELF-SERVICE AND SELF-DEPENDENCE. 1. It appears to have been designed by Creätive Providence that every human being should chiefly depend on the means within himself for his own subsistence and advancement in the world. Except in our helpless years, we have not been designed to depend on each other for food, clothing, or any other things we desire: we are called on to labor, that we may obtain these things for ourselves. The support and comfort of each person are thus made much surer than they could have been by any other arrangement. 2. It is of importance, therefore," for young persons, that they should accustom themselves from their earliest years to trust as little as possible to others for what they want. They should learn to put on their own clothes, to wash their own faces, to take their food with their own hands, and not to expect that their mothers or servants are always to do these things for them. 3. They should learn to read, to write, to cast accounts; and should fill their minds with knowledge, that they may be able as soon as possible to go into the world and earn their own bread. At the proper time they should be prepared, if necessary, to commence learning some art, trade or profession, by which they may subsist for the rest of their days. 4. The more they can serve themselves, and the more they can live by their own exertions, the more will they be likcȧ and respected by others. It is justly considered shameful for any one who has hands to labor with, and a mind to think, to remain in idleness while others are working, and to look for enjoyments to those who work, when he might, by a little activity, obtain them for himself. 5. Whatever we trust to others to do, is scarcely ever so well done as what we do for ourselves. Often, too, it is not done at all. We should never, then, commit any duty to another which we ourselves can perform. 6. A gentleman in England had land worth a thousand dollars a-year, which he cultivated himself; but, nevertheless, he fell into debt, to pay off which he was obliged to sell one half of his property. He then let the remaining half to a farmer for twenty-one years. 7. Before that time had expired, the farmer, one day, bringing his rent, asked the landlord if he would sell his land. "And would you buy it?" inquired the landlord. "If it so please you," answered the farmer. 8. "How comes it," cried the gentleman, "that, after I was unable to live upon double the quantity of land, paying no rent, you, riving on this small piece, for which you paid rent, have gained enough to purchase it?” 9. "O!" said the farmer, smiling, "but two words made the differenco; you said Go, and I said Come." "What is the meaning of that?" inquired the gentleman."You lay in bed," quoth the farmer, "or took your pleasure, and sent others about your business: I rose betimes, and saw my business done myself." Chambers. There are some men who have so bad a temper that they will get angry without a cause, and make both themselves and others very uncomfortable. I hope my young readers will never give way to such a propensity as that exhibited by Mr. Cross in the following conversation between him and his hired man, John. Mr. Cross. WHY do you keep me knocking all day at the door? John. I was at work, sir, in the garden. As soon as I heard your knock, I ran to open the door with such haste that I fell down. Mr. C. No great harm was done in that! Why didn't you leave the door open? John. Why, sir, you scolded me yesterday because I did so. When it is open, you scold; when it is shut, you scold. I should like to know what to do. Mr. C. What to do? What to do, did John. I said it. Would you have me open? Mr. C. No. John. Would you have me keep it shut? John. But, sir, it must be either open or ? you say Mr. C. Don't presume to argue with me, fellow ! John. And I say that a door must be either open or shut. Now, how will you have it? Mr. C. I have told you a thousand times, you provoking fellow I have told you that I wished it But what do you mean by questioning me, sir? Have you trimmed the grape-vine, as I ordered you ? John. I did that three days ago, sir. Mr. C. Have you washed the carriage? John. I washed it before breakfast, sir, as usual. Mr. C. You idle, negligent fellow!—you haven't watered the horses to-day! John. Go and see, sir, if you can make them drink any more. They have had their fill. Mr. C. Have you given them their oats? John. Ask William; he saw me do it. Mr. C. But you have forgot to take the brown mare to be shod. Ah! I have you now! John. I have the blacksmith's bill, and here it is. Mr. C. My letters- did you take them to the postoffice? Ha! You forgot that-did you? John. Not at all, sir. The letters were in the mail ten minutes after you handed them to me. Mr. C. How often have I told you, sir, not to scrape on that abominable violin of yours! And yet this very morning, you John. This morning? You forget, sir. You broke the violin all to pieces for me last Saturday night. Mr. C. I'm glad of it!- Come, now; that wood which I told you to saw and put into the shed—why is it not done? Answer me that. John. The wood is all sawed, split and housed, sir; besides doing that, I have watered all the trees in the garden, dug over three of the beds, and was digging another when you knocked. Mr. C. O! I must get rid of this fellow. He will plague my life out of me. Out of my sight, sir! Imitated from the French. ΕΙ LXXV.- THE SAILOR-BOY OF CARRON. 1. In the month of October, 1811, the sloop Fame, of Carron, in Stirlingshire, Scotland, was captured by a French privateer off the coast of Northumberland. The crew were transferred to the French vessel to be carried off as prisoners to France, with the exception of an old man and a boy, who were left on board, with six Frenchmen, to steer the sloop to a French port. 2. Soon after the sloop had parted with the privateer she was overtaken by a severe storm, which drove her to the mouth of the Firth of Forth, with the navigation of which the Frenchmen, as well as the old man, were unacquainted. 3. The night being dark, and oil and candles being expended, or thrown overboard, the compass was useless. The men, in despair, allowed the vessel to go before the wind. The boy, who was only thirteen years of age, had made one or two voyages before, and had observed some thing of the neighboring coasts and islands. 4. He recognized the peculiar beacon-light on the island of Inchkeith, which lies in the middle of the Firth. He took the helm, and steered accordingly, till he got the vessel to St. Margaret's Hope, where he knew there was a 45 |