2. The winter passed away, and the spring came. Ernest stood with his father by the side of a bed of flowers, and gazed with delight upon the hyacinths," the violets, and the lilies of the valley. "These are the gifts of spring," said his father; "but they will soon fade and disappear." "Ah!" said Ernest, "I wish it were always spring!" "Write this down in my book," said his father; and Ernest did so.

3. The spring passed away, and summer came. Ernest went with his parents, and some of his playmates, into the country, and spent the day there. Every where the meadows were green and decked3 with flowers, and in the pastures the young lambs were sporting around their mothers. Ernest and his playmates passed a very happy day. As they were going home, the father said, "Has not the summer its pleasures too, my son?" "O, yes," said Ernest; "I wish it were always summer!" And this wish Ernest wrote down in his father's book.

4. At last autumn came. Ernest again went with his parents into the country. It was not so warm as in the summer, but the air was mild and the heavens were clear. The grape-vines were heavy with purple clusters; melons lay upon the ground in the gardens; and in the orchards the boughs were loaded with ripe fruit. "This fine season will soon be over," said the father, "and winter will be upon us." "Ah!" said Ernest, "I wish it would stay, and always be autumn."

5. "Do you really wish so?" said his father. "I do, indeed," replied Ernest. "But," continued his father, taking at the same time his memorandum book out of his pocket, "see what is written here." Ernest

looked and saw it written down, "I wish it were always winter." "Now turn over another leaf," said his father;" and what do you find written there?" "I wish it were always spring." "And farther on, what is written?" "I wish it were always summer."

6. "And in whose handwriting are these words?” "They are in mine," said Ernest. "And what is now your wish?" "That it should always be autumn." "That is strange," said his father. "In winter, you wished it might always be winter; in spring, you wished it might always be spring; and so of summer and of autumn. Now, what conclusion do you draw from all this?"

7. Ernest, after thinking a moment, replied, "I suppose that all seasons are good." "That is true, my son; they are all rich in blessings, and God, who sends them to us, knows far better than we what is good for us.

8. "Had the wish you expressed last winter been granted, we should have had no spring, no summer, do autumn. You would have had the earth always covered with snow, so that you might have had sleigh rides and made snow men. How many pleasures would you have lost in that event!

It is well for us that we cannot have all things as we wish,.but that God sends us what seems good to him.”

1 MEMORANDUM. A note to help the memory, a record.

2 HYACINTH. A plant having a beautiful flower.

3 DECKED. Adorned, arrayed.

4 CONCLUSION. Inference, final decis ion or result.

5 EXPRESSED. Uttered, declared.

1. KING BRUCE of Scotland flung himself down, In a lonely mood to think;

"Tis true he was monarch," and wore a crown, But his heart was beginning to sink.

2. For he had been trying to do a great deed,
To make his people glad;

He had tried and tried, but could not succeed,
And so he became quite sad.

3. He flung himself to low despair,

As grieved as man could be;

And after a while, as he pondered there,

4. Now just at the moment a spider dropped With its silken cobweb clew,

And the king, in the midst of his thinking, stopped To see what the spider would do.

5. 'Twas a long way up to the ceiling dome,
And it hung by a rope so fine,

That how it would get to its cobweb home
King Bruce could not divine.

6. It soon began to cling and crawl

Straight up with strong endeavor; But down it came with a slipping sprawl, As near to the ground as ever.

7. Up, up it ran, nor a second did stay,
To make the least complaint,

Till it fell still lower; and there it lay
A little dizzy and faint.

8. Its head grew steady — again it went,
And travelled a half yard higher;
'Twas a delicate thread it had to tread,
And a road where its feet would tire.

9. Again it fell, and swung below;
But up it quickly mounted,

Till up and down, now fast, now slow,
Nine bravo attempts were counted.

10. "Sure," said the king, " that foolish thing Will strive no more to climb,

When it toils so hard to reach and cling,
And tumbles every time."

11. But

up the insect went once more;
Ah me! 'tis an anxious minute;
He's only a foot from his cobweb door;
O, say, will he lose or win it?

12. Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, Higher and higher he got,

And a bold little run at the very last pinch
Put him into the wished-for spot.

13. "Bravo, bravo!" the king cried out; "All honor to those who try;

The spider up there defied despair;

He conquered, and why should not I?"

14. And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind,
And gossips tell the tale,

That he tried once more as he tried before,
And that time he did not fail.

15. Pay goodly heed, all you who read, And beware of saying, "I can't:" 'Tis a cowardly word, and apt to lead To idleness, folly, and want.

1 PERSEVERANCE. Steadfast pursuit, 4 DESPAIR. Loss of hope, hopelesspersistence.

MOOD. State of mind, humor.

8 MONARCH. A ruler of a nation, who has sole authority, a king.

ness, despondency.

5 PONDERED. Deliberated

6 ENDEAVOR. Attempt, effort.
7 GOSSIPS. Tattlers, praters.

1. Father. WELL, Henry, is this three hours' work

brought to an end at last?