liked; sometimes he was her horse; sometimes she was his horse: sometimes he rolled her in his wheelbarrow, and sometimes she made a cat's cradle for him.

Though Mary and Frank were very good natured, yet they had faults. Frank was sometimes impatient; and Mary was sometimes a little cross. Frank had not been used to play with children younger and weaker than himself. When he found that he was the strongest, he made use of his strength, to force Mary to do as he commanded her; and when he wanted any thing she had, he would snatch it rudely from her hands. Once Frank took a ball from her in this manner, and hurt her so much that she roared out with the pain.

Frank's father, who was in the next room, heard her, and came in to inquire what was the matter. Mary stopped crying; and Frank, though he felt much ashamed, told his father how he had hurt her.

Frank's father was pleased with his honesty, in telling the truth, but he ordered the children into different rooms, and they were not allowed to play together any more that day.

The next morning, at breakfast, Frank's father asked them if they liked best to be together, or to be separate.

"To be together," answered Frank and Mary. "Then, my children, take care and do not quarrel," said Frank's father, "for whenever you quarrel, I shall end your dispute at once, by separating you. You, Frank, know the use of punishment."

"Yes, I know," answered Frank, “ that when

I have done wrong, you give me pain; you take away what I like; or hinder me from doing as I like."

"Do you think," asked his father, "that I like to give pain-for what purpose do I punish you?"

"Not because you like to give me pain, but to hinder me from doing wrong again."

"How will punishment hinder you from doing wrong again?".

"You know, papa, I should be afraid to have the same punishment again, if I were to do the same wrong action; and the pain, and the shame of the punishment, make me remember them a long while. Whenever I think of doing the wrong action again, for which I was punished, I recollect the punishment, and then I determine not to do wrong again."

"Is there any other use in punishments, do you think, Frank?”

"Yes, to prevent other people from doing wrong when they see a person who has done wrong punished, if they are sure they shall have the same punishment, if they do the same wrong thing, they take care not to do it.

"I heard John, the gardener's son, saying to his brother yesterday, that the boy who robbed the garden had been taken, and had been whipped; and that this would be an example to all dishonest boys; and would hinder them from doing the same thing. But, papa, why do you ask me all this? Why do you tell me these things?"

"Because, my dear son, now that you are becoming a reasonable creature, I wish to explain to

you the reasons for all I do to you. Brutes, who have not understanding like you, must sometimes be governed by blows; but human creatures, who can think and reason, can be governed, can govern themselves, by considering what is right-what makes themselves and others happy. I do not treat you as a brute, but as a reasonable creature; and I always try to explain to you what is right, and wrong; and what is just, and unjust."

"Thank you, papa," said Frank, be treated like a reasonable creature."

"I wish to

"Go, Frank, play with Mary, and remember to act like a kind, generous, reasonable boy." MISS EDGEWORTH.

PREJUDICE.

EXPERIENCE-what we have tried, seen, and known, is our experience. We know in all the years of our life, which we can remember, that after autumn was over, winter came, so we expect from our past experience, that winter will always follow autumn.

When we know that one of our acquaintance is good and amiable now, our experience makes us believe that we shall always find him good and amiable. But when we believe a person to be good, or bad, without knowing that he is either, that is a prejudice.

Sometimes we may think very rightly, and expect things to happen, with good reason, with⚫ut our own experience. Other persons, who

speak truth always, may have heard, or seen, what we could not have known; they may write it, or tell it, so that we must believe it. To believe what others show to be true, is not prejudice-it is faith.

Not to believe what others prove to be true, is incredulity.

A prejudice-is an opinion formed without experience, or correct information.

Many people allow themselves to form prejudices, to believe that persons are good, or bad; that actions are right, or wrong; that what they hear is true, or false-without thinking, or inquiring, if their own opinions and feelings are just or unjust, wise or foolish. This way of thinking leads to wrong actions. It makes us dislike some persons that deserve respect; it makes us expect favours from those who would perhaps injure us, and to approve and admire some who deserve no affection or esteem.

Read the story of the Black Bonnet-when you have done, consider if Rosamond's prejudice against the lady who wore it, was right.

THE BLACK BONNET,

ROSAMOND was with her mother in London One morning an elderly lady came to pay her mother a visit. This lady was an old friend of her mother's; she had been for some years absent from England, so Rosamond had not seen her. When the lady left the room, Rosamond exclaimed, "Mamma! I don't like that old woman at all; I am sorry ma'am that you promised to go and see her in the country, and to take me

with you; for I dislike that woman, mamma!" "I will not take you with me to her house, if you do not wish to go there, Rosamond; but why you dislike that lady I cannot even guess; you never saw her before this morning, and you know nothing about her."

"That is true, mamma; but I really do dislike her-I disliked her from the first moment she came into the room."

"For what reason?"

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'Reason, Mamma! I do not know-I have no particular reason:"

"Well, particular or not, give me some rea

son."

"I cannot give you a reason, mamma, for I do not know why I dislike the lady; but you know, that very often-or at least, sometimeswithout any reason, without knowing why-we like, or dislike people."

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We!--Speak for yourself, Rosamond; for my part, I always have a reason for liking or disliking people."

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Mamma, I dare say I have some reason too, if I could find it out; but I never thought about it."

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I advise you to think about it, and find it out. Silly people sometimes like, or take a fancy, as they call it, at first sight, to persons who do not deserve to be liked; who have bad tempers, bad characters, bad qualities. Sometimes silly people take a dislike, or as they call it, an antipathy, to those who have good qualities, good characters, and good tempers."

"That would be unlucky, unfortunate," said Rosamond, beginning to look grave, ·