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There is something passing strange about human nature. If a man had to support his family by playing billiards at $2 a day, he'd complain he had to work awful hard for a living.

A German newspaper contains an obituary with this touching and pathetic passage: 'Our dear son Gustav lost his life by falling from the spire of the Lutheran church. Only those who know the height of the steeple can measure the depth of our grief.'

A gentleman in New York was recently descanting to a friend on the soft notes of a linnet which he had heard a few days before. Why,' said he, 'it sang so softly at times that you couldn't hear it at all.' 'S-h-h-h!' said the other, placing his hand to his ear, ‘perhaps there is one singing now.'

We commend to the average American, black or white, who goes to all the shows and doin's,' even if he has to borrow the money, the following sound advice Always pay as you go,' said an old man to his nephew. But, uncle, suppose I haven't anything to pay with?' "Then don't go.'

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Minister to candidate for church membership -- Of course, Dugald, you have read the Confession of Faith?' Dugald: -No, inteet, serr, I nefer do reat ta last dying speeches of condemt creeminals, neffer inteet; and I do hope you do not think me so depased as to reat ta wan you have shust mentioned.'

A chief magistrate was entertaining the members of council at dinner. Everything was of the best, but there was an absence of wine of any kind. This did not suit one of the company (a seasoned cask); so, addressing the host he said, 'It is winter weather, and, if this cold water drinking continues, my throat will be turned into a slide.'

Earl Beaconsfield displayed his chivalrous nature and his tender regard for the feelings of others by twitting the Irish members of Parliament with living in garrets and subsisting on potatoestheir native esculent in a baked con

dition.' At a grand banquet once Thomas Carlyle would eat nothing but a potatoe, declaring that that was what he wanted and as much as he desired.

The nervous mother of a bright little boy was alarmed lest he should take the whooping-cough, which prevailed in the neighbourhood. She talked so much about it and worried over it, that she had infected the child with her fears to such an extent that he would scarcely leave her side. One night after the little fellow had been put to bed and to sleep, a donkey was driven past the house, and when just opposite, set up his he-haw. With a shriek the little fellow was out of bed, screaming at the top of his voice, "The whooping-cough is coming, mamma; the whooping-cough is coming."

A certain man who is very rich now was very poor when he was a boy. When asked how he got his riches, he said, "My father taught me never to play till my work was finished, and never to spend my money till I had earned it. If I had but an hour's work in the day, I must do that the first thing, and in an hour. After that I was allowed to play, and then I could play with much more pleasure than if I had the thought of an unfinished task before my mind. I early formed the habit of doing everything in time, and it soon became easy to do so. It is to this I owe my prosperity."

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Civilization may be compared to a plant. Our orthodox brother, beholding in its root the germinal source of its growth, is too prone to ignore the daily unfolding of its leaf and blossom, and to venerate only the part that is under ground. The shallow radical, on the other hand, is lost in the admiration of the flower; he revels in the fruitage of the plant, but he counsels us to cut its unsightly root. The true liberal will fall into neither extreme. To him both root and bud, both past and present,are objects of tender regard and care, since both together produce that precious fruit of modern civilization, in which in turn lies hidden the seed of future progress. and perfection.

If newspaper report is to be believed, Gen. Grant seems to be making a new record, and one no less creditable to himself than some more noted victories. He has long had the name of being a free drinker; but now, a writer in the United Presbyterian says that while in San Francisco, Gen. Grant, at a banquet where the finest of California's far-famed wines were on the table, refused even to taste,stating at the same time that on leaving Philadelphia, two years and more ago, for this protracted tour, he had formed a purpose not to taste wine or strong drink, and to that purpose he had strenuously adhered.' He is also reported to have administered a public rebuke to an army officer, for profanity, stating that he made it a point never to swear.

The Baltimore Presbyterian says:Hugh Miller, hewing granite-Ferguson, the astronomer, viewing the stars while attending his flock-Faraday, searching out mysteries as a book-binder-Franklin, solving problems at the case and in his gloomy sanctum-these and many such as these, out of their gloomy surroundings, poor and unknown, have wrought many noble and grand results that have left their impress on the ages, and placed their authors among the world's great teachers. They are lowly born, but endowed by the great Author of all degrees with minds, and hearts, and wills that in the end placed them high above the commonalty of men.

A lady who had much experience in teaching both boys and girls, speaking of the extraordinary obtuseness of a certain pupil, said: In a physiology class, this young lady of fifteen inquired with languid surprise, "Is there not a straight passage through the head from one ear to the other?" "A somewhat natural conclusion,' the teacher commented dryly, "if she had ever watched the processes of her own mind." "Which would you prefer teaching," asked a visitor, boys or girls?" Boys, infinitely," was the prompt reply. "No boy, for instance, would ever have asked such a question as that. He would long before have investigated the subject with a lead-pencil. Not, probably, in his own

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ears," she added, meditatively, "but in his younger brother's."

Mr. Trestrail's last meeting with Guthrie was in Amsterdam, in 1867, at the Evangelical Alliance Congress in that city. The Doctor gave an account of his Ragged Schools to a vast audience, chiefly composed of foreigners. Many were able to follow him, though he spoke in English, and their astonishment was indeed great. Even the undemonstrative Dutch were aroused by his stirring appeals, and their enthusiasm rose to a high pitch when he closed by saying, Now, if you mean to take this work in hand, and try and rescue these forsaken ones, mind that ye provide plenty of soap and water. Begin by washing and scrubbing them well, that they may know, it may be for the first time in their lives, the feeling of being clean. Then feed them with a bountiful meal of milk and porridge ; and then prayers! Porridge first, mind; prayer afterwards.' The people fairly shouted as they listened to this quaint but sensible advice from the eloquent Scotch

man.

Two sailors, the one Irish and the other English, agreed reciprocally to take care of each other, in case of either being wounded in an action then about to commence. It was not long before the Englishman's leg was shot off by a cannon-ball; and on asking Paddy to carry him to the doctor, according to the agreement, the other very readily complied, but had scarcely got his wounded companion on his back when a second ball struck of the poor fellow's head. Paddy, through the noise and bustle, had not perceived his friend's last misfortune, but continued to make the best of his way to the surgeon. An officer observing him with a headless trunk, asked him where he was going? "To the doctor," says Paddy. "The doctor!" says the officer: why, blockhead, the man has lost his head!" On hearing this, he flung the body from his shoulders, and looking at it very attentively, By my own soul," says he, " he told me it was his leg; but I was a fool to believe him, for he always was a great liar."

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