Mr. L. Would you not like a knife to cut sticks?

B. I have one-here it is-brother Tom gave it to me.

Mr. L. Your shoes are full of holes-don't you want a new pair?

B. I have a better pair for Sundays.

Mr. L. But these let in water.

B. I don't care for that.

Mr. L. Your hat is all torn, too.

B. I have a better hat a home.

Mr. L. What do you do when it rains?

B. If it rains very hard when I am in the field, I get under a tree for shelter.

Mr. L. What do you, if you are hungry before it is time to go home.

B. I sometimes eat a raw turnip.

Mr. L. But if there are none?

B. Then I do as well as I can without. I work on, and never think of it.

Mr. L. Why, my little fellow, you are quite a philosopher, but I am sure you don't know what that means.

B. No, Sir. I hope it means no harm.

Mr. L. No, no!

Were you ever at school? B. No, sir; but father means to send me next winter.

Mr. L. You will want books then.

B. Yes, the boys have all a spelling book, and

a testament.

Mr. L. Then I will give them to you-tell your father so, and that it is because you are an obliging, contented little boy. Now go to work again.

B. I will, Sir. Thank you.

Mr. L. Good by, Peter.

B. Good morning, Sir.

Which was the happiest boy-idle Edward, or Peter Hurdle!

EVENINGS AT HOME.

GREECE.

THERE is a fine country in Europe, in which there lived, many centuries ago, some philosophers who taught the people. Then, people had no books to read; the art of printing was not known; only a few people could read; there was no paper then; people did not know how to make it. Those who wrote, wrote upon parchment. Parchment is skin of dead animals made white, stiff, thin, and smooth. The drum head is made of parchment. The books written on parchment, were kept in rolls, as some maps are kept now.

In the country of Greece, a man named Hecademus, left a piece of ground on purpose for a school; upon this spot, very beautiful trees were planted, and the philosopher Plato taught his scholars. They walked under the shade of the trees, and listened to Plato's instructions. The name Academy is taken from Hecademus, the name of the person who gave the land, where Plato's school was. At the same time that Plato lived, lived Diogenes. Diogenes was ill-natured, and lived very meanly. He lived in

a tub, instead of a house. Plato lived very differently, and was a very good tempered as well as a very wise man.

Printing was invented in 1444. These lessons for children were written in 1819-not quite four hundred years after printing was invented. Children who think a little, will be glad that they live now; when they can have books to read, and can be taught to read them. If they had lived only five centuries ago, they could not have been taught to read, except a very few children, whose parents should have happened to have been rich.

EXPLANATIONS.

Instrument a tool. A knife is an instrument. When God made living creatures, he gave them particular parts for certain uses. He gave them legs, to move with; eyes, to see with; these are called organs.

Organ-is an instrument fitted by God, for the use of his creatures. The ear is the organ of hearing. Plants have organs. The root is fixed in the ground, that it may draw food for the plant from the ground. If a child is kept a few days without food, he dies. If a plant be pulled from the ground by the root, it withers and dies also. The root is the organ which conveys food to the whole plant; as our mouths convey food to our bodies.

Take a stone; look at every part of it; all its parts are alike; it has no organs, no eyes, or root; it is not an organized being.

Organization--the manner in which organs are placed and fitted to one another.

A fly has six legs; a fish has no legs. These two creatures have a different organization. Respire to breathe. Respiration-breathing.

The lungs are the organs of respiration. The lungs draw in, and throw out the air constantly; if any thing prevents us from breathing, we must die. To take in the air is, to inhale it; to throw out the air is, to exhale it.

66

FLYING AND SWIMMING.

"How I wish I could fly," said Robert, as he looked at the pigeons soaring high in the air. I do not doubt that the pigeons take great pleasure in it," said his father, "but we have pleasures which pigeons cannot enjoy.'

Robert. Do you think that men could learn to fly?

Father. No.

R. Why not?

F. Because I see that they have no organs to fly with.

R. Might not wings be made?

F. Yes, but how could they be moved? R. They might be fastened to the shoulders, and moved like the wings of birds.

F. Man has arms to move, it is as much as he can do to move them properly. You, who long to fly, should consider whether you do all that you might do. You want to mount in the air ;

what can you do with the water? Can you swim ?

R. Not yet.. My friend George swims.

F. Suppose you and he were in a boat upon the water together-if the boat should turn over, you would sink to the bottom and be drowned; he would rise like a cork, might reach some safe place, and thus preserve his life.

R. George has been taught to swim, and I have not.

F. It is easy to learn.

R. I should like to know how to swim, but as soon as I put my head under water, it frightens me.

F. That fear prevents you from learning to swim.

R. I am resolved to learn.

F. Find a safe place to begin at. And learn also to do all those things which you can do, and which will make you wiser, stronger, or better than you now are. And remember, it is foolish to long for things quite out of your power, as the art of flying is.

EVENINGS AT HOME.

ROSAMOND.

THE PURPLE JAR.

ROSAMOND, a little girl of seven years old, was walking with her mother in the streets of London As she passed along, she looked in at the windows of different shops, and she saw a great