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to be idle, it never can be made to improve as fast as one who is diligent and attentive: and this, and no other, is exactly the reason why Ann Kent learned so little, and Sarah Williams so much.

When these two children were very little, it was easy to see that they would turn out just as they did. Sarah Williams knew that she came to school to learn, and she always tried to learn as well as she could. She fixed her eye constantly on her book, whilst she was reading; and when her mistress was giving any advice or instruction, she always paid great attention to what was said; so that she learned a great deal; and she remembered what she learned, and thus became a very clever girl. But this was not all, for, at the National School, Christian instruction makes a great part of the business; and the attention which this child paid to this part of her education was the means by which her mind became stored with such truths as are the only real foundation of all right practice. Thus Sarah had not only learning, but she had that which is far beyond all learning, a Christian faith, and a Christian heart.

But Ann Kent never would fix her attention on what she was doing. When she was at her lesson, she was constantly taking her eyes off her book; she would not give her mind to her business; and thus, she got on very slowly; she was a long time in the same class; and, almost always, at the bottom of it. Then, when she was at her needle work, she was constantly taking her eyes off, so that she did but little work, and that very badly. When religious instruction was given, she would be, all the time, thinking of something else, so that she knew very little more of these great things than if she had never been at school at all.

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Sarah was very neat and clean in her person; kept all her clothes in very nice order, had a place for her books, and her pens, and her pencils, and her needles, so that she knew, at once, where to find them, without losing any time in looking for them.

Ann was not at all neat in her appearance; though she was fond of a little finery, and had the appearance of a sort of shabby-genteel slattern. She had no care about putting her things in the right places, so that, when she wanted them, she never knew where to find them, and thus a great deal of time was lost, and very idle habits were learned.

I think we have now accounted for the difference between Sarah Williams and Ann Kent. V..

LINES,

Written by the Rev. R. W. Mayow, for his Children at Evening Prayer.

To-night, my Lord, before I rest,

May I with thoughts of Thee be blest;

And if I wake before the day,

Lead me to think of Thee, and pray:

And if to-morrow come to me,

May my first thoughts be fix'd on Thee;

Or if, my God, I die to-night,

Oh! let me see Thee in the realms of light.

GARDENING.

HAVING given a regular Gardener's Calendar for every month of the year in our First Volume, we have thought it less necessary to say much on the subject since. We hope, however, that our Cottage Readers are not neglecting their gardens.

This is such a delightful time of the year for enjoying our gardens, that the evenings should be em-ployed in keeping them in good order, in destroying the weeds, and making the vegetables as useful and profitable as possible, and also shewing them off, as well as the flowers, to the best advantage.

I have often observed that, when a man bas once got to understand a garden, and to be fond of it, he would rather be employed there, and be turning his leisure to profit, than wasting his time and throwing away his money, and learning a great deal that is bad, among idle and loose companions. Whilst a man is in his garden, he can turn his thoughts to subjects of the most delightful kind. Every herb and every flower may bring to the mind of a reflecting man, the great Being who made it. Every plant, as it springs from beneath the ground, may bring with it the thoughts of Him who hath given it the power to live and grow. The heart of man then may well join the grateful harmony which he hears from the feathered tribe around him, resounding from every bush...

"Ev'ry note that cheers the vale*,
Ev'ry sweet that scents the gale,
Ev'ry blooming flow'r we see,
Tells what joy we owe to THEE."

Some Objections to Gardening.

V.

We have always been desirous of encouraging our Cottage Readers to endeavour to get a garden, and to keep it in order, both for the sake of profit and amusement. We have, however, heard some complaints which we hope and trust are not true. We mean that some of those, who have gardens, are apt to work in them on a Sunday morning. We sincerely hope, that this cannot be so. If it. be the garden, instead of doing them good, will have done them a great deal of harm; and, if any of our readers have thus been led astray, we shall be very sorry that we have ever given them a word of encouragement on the subject of gardening.

Another accusation is, that a labourer who has a

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garden is inclined to hurry over his master's work, or to get away from it before the time, that at he may go to work in his own garden. den. This is very dishonest. If a man is paid for a day's work, he should do a day's work; otherwise he is cheating his master of his time; which is just the same as if he cheated him of his money. Thus we see, that a garden may be the means of a great deal of harm, and lead a man to break both his duty to God and to his neighbour. It is not, however, fair to argue against the use of a thing, because some people abuse it. For there is indeed nothing in the world to which some objections may not be found, and some evil be made to arise. A bad man may make evil to come out of that which is, in itself, good;whilst a conscientious man will try to get all good that he can out of every thing, and to avoid all that is evil. roitslogov to obro teowoled t nder of

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FORMER DIFFICULTY OF GETTING A BIBLE.

IN 1429, Nicholas Belward, of South Elham, in Suffolk, was accused of having in his possession a New Testament, which he had bought in London, for four marks and forty pence. An astonishing price to be paid in those days by a labouring manfor such Belward appears to have been.-Townley's Illustrations of Biblical Literature.

are we, in being able to read the

How happyrestrained by the fear of man; and

Word of

how inexcusable will be our conduct, if we neglect to provide ourselves with so valuable a treasure, when we may, in these days, have it at so small price.

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I have often observed that, when a man bas once got to understand a garden, and to be fond of it, he would rather be employed there, and be turning his leisure to profit, than wasting his time and throwing away his money, and learning a great deal that is bad, among idle and loose companions. Whilst a man is in his garden, he can turn his thoughts to subjects of the most delightful kind. Every herb and every flower may bring to the mind of a reflecting man, the great Being who made it. Every plant, as it springs from beneath the ground, may bring with it the thoughts of Him who hath given it the power to live and grow. The heart of man then may well join the grateful harmony which he bears from the feathered tribe around him, resounding from every bush.

"Ev'ry note that cheers the vale*,
Ev'ry sweet that scents the gale,
Ev'ry blooming flow'r we see,
Tells what joy we owe to THEE."

Some Objections to Gardening.

V.

We have always been desirous of encouraging our Cottage Readers to endeavour to get a garden, and to keep it in order, both for the sake of profit and amusement. We have, however, heard some complaints which we hope and trust are not true. We mean that some of those, who have gardens, are apt to work in them on a Sunday morning. We sincerely hope, that this cannot be so. If it. be the garden, instead of doing them good, will have done them a great deal of harm; and, if any of our readers have thus been led astray, we shall be very sorry that we have ever given them a word of encouragement on the subject of gardening.

Another accusation is, that a labourer who has a

Merrick.

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