1. Down in my solitude' under the snow,
Where nothing cheering can reach me,-
Here, without light to see how to grow,
I'll trust to nature to teach me.

2. I will not despair, nor be idle, nor frown, Locked in so gloomy a dwelling;

My leaves shall run up, and my roots shall run down, While the bud in my bosom is swelling.

3. Soon as the frost will get out of my bed,
From this cold dungeon' to free me,

I will peer up with my bright little head;
All will be joyful to see me.

4. Then from my heart will young petals diverge,
As the rays of the sun from their focus*;

I from the darkness of earth will emerge,
A happy and beautiful crocus !

5. Gayly arrayed in my yellow and green,
When to their view I have risen,
Will they not wonder how one so serene
Came from so dismal' a prison?

6. Many, perhaps, from so simple a flower
This little lesson may borrow-

Patient to-day, through its gloomiest hour,
We come out the brighter to-morrow.

1. A SOFT answer turneth away wrath; but grievous' words stir up anger.

2. Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

3. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.

4. It is an honor for a man to cease from strife; but every fool will be meddling.

5. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

6. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

7. Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.

8. Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

9. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

1 GRIEVOUS. Causing grief, oppressive, vexatious, irritating.

am-bus'sa-dor de-spatch&

chal'leng-ingde-stroyed

1. MANY years ago there lived in Scotland a noble man whose name was Lord Melville. In Europe thera sa class of persons called noblemen, who have titles of honor which were bestowed upon them, or some distinguished' ancestor of theirs.

2. Lord Melville was a man high in station, and assisted in the government of the country. In the summer season he lived in a large, fine house, a few miles from Edinburgh, called Melville Castle, where a great many ladies and gentlemen used to come and see him. He was a very good-natured man; and one of the ways he had of showing his good nature was by his fondness for animals.

3. At one time he made a pet of a ram, which was called Will, which grew very tame, and used to follow his master all over the house and about the grounds. One day, in the early part of September, he had invited a large party of ladies and gentlemen to dine with him. When the hour drew near at which his guests were expected, he went into the drawing-room to see that all things were in order; after which he passed by the front door, which he thoughtlessly left open.

4. Will was sauntering about the outside of the house, panting with the heat; but seeing the front door open, he stepped in, and as the drawing-room door was also open, he at once went forward into it. At the farther end of the room there was an uncommonly large and beautiful mirror,3 which cost nearly a thousand dollars. It had been bought at the sale of the furniture of a Spanish ambassador1 who was leaving London, and was such a mirror as money could hardly replace.

5. Will was a black-faced ram, with large, curled horns. No sooner did he see his own image in the glass, than he took it to be a rival challenging him to fight. He stamped with his foot, snorted with his nose, throwing up his head with an air of haughty defi

ance. same.

The likeness in the glass, of course, did the Will accepted the challenge, and stepping back as far as he could, ran forward with all his force, and struck the mirror a most tremendous blow, shivering it into a thousand pieces.

6

6. Lord Melville was standing at the front door when he heard the dreadful crash cf the glass. He came running in, saw the havoc' that was made, and easily judged how it had been done. Will was standing on the floor, shaking his head, and looking much surprised at the sudden disappearance of his foe.

7. His master was very angry for a moment, but remembering that the poor beast had only obeyed a natural instinct, and that he himself had been to blame in leaving the outer door open, he soon got over it, and contented himself with saying, "Ah, Will, you little know what mischief you have done!" After dinner, he told the story to his guests, and they all had a good laugh over the accident.

8. In due time, Will went the way appointed to all animals of his kind, and fell under the butcher's knife. One of his horns was made into a spoon, and the other into a snuff-box. This snuff-box was mounted with silver, and had a Scotch pebble, or crystal, set in the lid. These articles were given to Mr. Pitt, who was at that time prime minister of England, and an intimate friend of Lord Melville. The snuff-box was often pro duced after dinner, and the story told of Will's encoun ter with the mirror.

9. But we have not come to the end of the story yet. The Spanish ambassador, at whose sale the mirror had been bought, had gone home to his own country, and was there one of the king's ministers. Mr. Pitt once