long, by that very same disposition that ruined the English gentleman and his family in the gamblinghouse at Paris. A poor man lays wagers, and tosses and pitches for money and for pots of beer;-and the families of such are always in a starving wretched condition. The sums played for by the nobleman and the cottager are very different, but the disposition is the same; the vice is the same; and ruin will be the consequence to both. Let every parent watch, in his child, the first inclination to this vice of gambling. However trifling the stake may be, which a young lad hazards, still he is encouraging that disposition which leads to every thing that is bad. Gambling is a selfish desire to possess ourselves of what belongs to another. We may soften this down by a smoother name, but this is the truth; and this disposition, if encouraged, will lead in time to gambling on a higher scale, and from thence to every kind of deceit, falsehood, and fraud. It leads most of its followers to misery,-many to robbery, many to the gallows.

V.

DIALOGUE ON THE STARS,-LIGHT,TWILIGHT, &c.

Pupil. Most of the stars appear to twinkle. What is the reason of this?

Tutor. That appearance is occasioned by the vapours, and other minute bodies, which are floating in the air.

P. The stars appear to be placed without any thing like regular order.

T. They appear so, because we see them but in one point of view; but they are, no doubt, arranged in the most exact and beautiful order: for they were arranged by God, who is perfect order and beauty.

Dialogue on the Stars, Light, Twilight, &c. 43 P. Are the fixed stars suns, like ours?

T. Such is the common and prevailing opinion among philosophers. They are thought to be suns which give light to other worlds.

P. In what respect are they serviceable to us?

T. They serve to enlarge our ideas of the works of God, and to diminish the gloom of darkness: they are of great use also to mariners; that one, in particular, which is called the north-pole star, and which always has one and the same position in the heavens, not seeming to rise and set, or change its place like the other stars.

P. How large is the sun?

T. About a million times larger than our earth. P. How far is the sun from the earth?

T. Ninety-five millions of miles.

P. What an amazing distance! Would it not be better, if the sun were nearer to us?

T. Our all-wise Creator could not mistake. He has exactly fixed it in its proper place: if it were much nearer, we should be burnt; if farther off, we should perish with cold.

P. What benefit do we receive from the sun, be side its affording us light?

T. By its warmth and heat, it promotes vegetation, cherishes animal life, and raises the vapours from the sea; heat makes vapours rise; but, if no vapours were taken up, there would be no rain to come down.

P. Of what nature and quality is light?

T. It is an emanation of rays, shooting out, as we may say, from the sun; these rays come to us with astonishing swiftness. Light is exceedingly fine and subtle; it penetrates through glass, and is spread over the whole world.

P. How does it appear that the rays of the sun partake of the nature of fire!

T. When collected by a burning glass, and a greater number of them thus made to meet in one

place, they produce effects exactly the same as those produced by fire.

P. Is there any thing more particular in those rays?

T. They are the cause of all the different colours

we see.

P. What am I to understand by the morning and evening twilight?

T. The gradual and slow increase and decrease of the sun's light, produced by the rays of light passing through our atmosphere. Without this, we should pass instantly out of dark night into clear day; and out of bright day into dark night.

P. Would this be bad for us ?

T. Yes. A sudden change from darkness to light would be dangerous to the eye; and a sudden change from light to darkness would greatly.perplex and distress us: against both of these inconveniences God has wisely and mercifully guarded us, by giving us twilight.

The above questions are taken from Joyce's Catechism of Nature, a few expressions being altered for the sake of greater plainness.

V.

SELECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT
AUTHORS.

To wait for God's performance, and to do nothing, is to abuse that Divine Providence, which will always so work, as not to allow us to remain idle.

Bishop Hall.

He that speaks well of others, and gives them faithful counsel, shall reap the benefit thereof himself; and they that speak ill of others falsely, or deceive them, shall themselves suffer the injury which they design to do their neighbours.

Bishop Patrick.

Selections from different Authors.

45

He that spendeth his time in idle talk, and doth nothing, will be certain to come to poverty.

Bishop Hall. Anger is certainly one of the most foolish passions of human nature, and commonly betrays men into the most imprudent and unreasonable things.

Archbishop Tillotson.

He that is truly wise, has his affections and conversation above; and, in the holy way of obedience, walketh to eternal life. Bishop Hall. It is better to have peace at home without plenty, than plenty without peace.

Seed. A continual sense of God's presence is the best and only restraint from wickedness,-the strongest and most encouraging motive to obedience. Remember,-God always seeth thee. Wogan.

ま

We should never begin strife and quarrelling; and, if others begin it, we should not continue it by rough answers, but endeavour presently to make an end by softening the matter, and should be willing to give up much, for the sake of tranquillity.

Bishop Patrick.

Every man is apt to think the best of his own actions, and to justify himself in his own courses; but the Lord judgeth and examineth the inward disposition, the soul, and spirit of a man.

Bishop Hall. When thou undertakest any thing, implore the Divine blessing; and, committing the success of it to God's providence; leave it to Him to give what issue to it He pleases. Bishop Patrick.

The wisdom of God hath fitted one thing to another, punishment to sin, the evil day to the evil doer. Archbishop Tillotson. No advice, or subtle contrivances can be good, or can turn out happily, which are not agreeable to The Same.

true piety.

9

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWS PAPERS.

Vaccination. The "West Briton" Newspaper informs us that the small pox has lately been making fearful ravages at Falmouth, and that many children had died of it. It appears, however, that of those who died, not one had ever been vaccinated. An appeal is then made to parents to do all that they can to keep away this dreadful disease from their children, by having them vaccinated at an early age, which would probably altogether prevent them from having the small-pox; or, if it might not do this in every case, yet it would generally render any after-attack of small-pox so mild, as nearly to take away from it all the danger with which it is usually attended.

The small-pox is at present spreading its baneful influence with much severity. Several children have fallen victims to the disease, and many adult persons are suffering from its shocking effects. The exposure of infants, disfigured by pustules, is continually and most culpably occurring in the streets. The parents of such children ought to know that there is a law, not only expressly forbidding the practice, but subjecting the parties offending to a penalty of 51.-Taunton Courier.

An inquest was held at the Mitre, Barnet, before F. J. Osbaldeston, Esq. coroner, on the body of Elizabeth Fox, who met with her death by taking oxalic acid instead of salts. The evidence produced proved, that the deceased was in the habit of charring every Friday at a chymist's at Barnet, named Smith; that about a fortnight since she came home at night from Mr. Smith's, and laid a parcel (about two ounces) on a shelf, which she said was salts. The deceased had a large family of children, but most of them grown up; she said they should all take some, as she thought they wanted physic. She gave some to her daughter (about 13 years old), but she very quickly vomitted it up again. In a few days afterwards the deceased went to one of her daughters, who has a family, and said, "I've brought you some salts for your children." The daughter said she was glad of it, for she was going to buy some for that purpose. On Saturday night she told one of her daughters that she should take some salts; the girl said she would rather take it in the morning. On Sunday the deceased got up about six o'clock, took the dose, and was shortly after found by a neighbour quite dead. It appeared that the deceased, when charring at the house, had contemplated giving her whole family some physic (which is usual at this season of the year), and imagining that a bottle containing oxalic acid was salts, she had stolen a part of it for that purpose. The words "Oxalic Acid-Poison," were labelled on the bottle; but the deceased could not read. The Jury returned a verdict accordingly.-Times.