8. Lolling across each other's necks, some look like brothers dear; Others are full of flings and kicks, antics uncouth and queer, One tumbles wild from side to side, with hoofs tossed to the sun, Cooling his old gray seamy hide, and making dreadfül fun.

4. I thought how pleasant 't was to see, on that bright Sabbath day,
Those toiling creatures all set free to take some harmless play.
O! if to us one precious thing, not theirs (a soul!) is given,
Kindness to them will be a wing to carry it on to heaven.

R. Chambers

XLII.

QUESTIONS TO THE BIRDS, AND THEIR ANSWERS.

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1. THE SWALLOW.

SWALLOW, why homeward turned thy joyful wing?
"In a far land I heard the voice of Spring;

I found myself that moment on the way;
My wings, my wings, they had not power to stay."

2. THE RED-BREAST.

Familiar warbler, wherefore art thou come?
"To sing to thee when all beside are dumb;
Pray let the little children drop a crumb."

3. THE SPARROW.

Sparrow, the gun is levelled; quit that wall!

"Without the will of Heaven I cannot fall."

4. THE CANARY.

Dost thou not languish for thy father-land,

Madeira's fragrant woods and billowy strand?.

Your parlor all the world,—sky, earth, and sea."

5. CHANTICLEER.

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Who taught thee, Chanticleer, the time128 to count?
"Learn from my voice Time's worth and its amount.
Long before wheels and bells had learned to chime,
I told the steps unseen, unheard, of Time."

6. THE BAT.

What shall I call thee, — bird, or beast, or neither?
"Just what you will; I'm rather bōth than either;
Much like the season when I whirl my flight,
The dusk of evening, neither day nor night."
7. THE OWL.

Blue-eyed, strange-voiced, sharp-beaked, ill-omened fowl,
What art thou? —“What I ought to be -
But if I'm such a scarecrow in your eye,

an owl'

You're a much greater fright in mine, -good-by "

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8. THE PHEASANT.

Pheasant, forsake the country, come to town;

I'll warrant thee a place beneath the crown.

No; not to roost upon the throne, would I

Renounce the woods, the mountains, and the sky."

9. THE PARROT.

Parrot, why hast thou learned by rote to speak Words without meaning, through thy uncouth beak?· "Words have I learned? and without meaning, too? No wonder, sir, - for I was taught by you."

10. THE STORK.

Stork, why were human virtues given to thee?
“That human beings might resemble me:
Kind to my offspring, to my partner true,
And duteous to my parents, what are you?"

11. THE WOODPECKER.

Rap, rap rap, rap- I hear thy knocking bill, Then thy strange outcry, when the woods are still. “Thus am I ever laboring for my bread,

And thus give thanks to find my table spread."

12. THE HUMMING-BIRD.

Art thou a bird, or bee, or butterfly?

Each, and all three. A bird in shape am I; A bee, collecting sweets from bloom to bloom; A butterfly in brilliancy of plume."

"We only clear the field which man has spread;
On which should Heaven its hottest vengeance rain?
You slay the living, we but strip the slain."

14. THE EAGLE.

Art thou the king of birds, proud eagle? Say!
"I am; my talons and my beak bear sway;
A greater king than I if thou wouldst be,

Govern" thy tongue, but let thy thoughts be free."

James Montgomery

XLIII. THE WOOD STRAWBERRIES.

1. An old soldier with a wooden leg came into a village where he was taken suddenly ill. He was unable to travel any further, but was obliged to lie on straw in a shed, and submit to many hardships. A little girl, named Agatha, the daughter of a poor basket-maker, felt the most tender compassion for the poor man. She visited him every day, and every time made him a present of a half-penny.

2. But one evening the honest soldier said, with much concern, "Dear child, I have to-day learned that your parents are poor; tell me truly, then, where you get so much money. For I would rather perish of hunger than receive a single farthing which you could not give me with a clear conscience."

3. "Have no uneasiness about that," said Agatha; "the money is lawfully earned. I go to school in the next market-town. The road thither lies through a wood, where there are plenty of wild strawberries; so every day I pick a basket full, and sell them in the town for a half-penny. My parents approve of it, and say that there are many people poorer than we, whom we ought to help as much as we can."

4. Tears stood in the eyes of the old soldier, and trickled down his scarred cheeks. "Good child!" said he; "God will bless you and your parents for your benevolent disposition and your good deeds."

5. After some time, an officer of high rank was travelling through the village where Agatha lived. He stopped before the inn in order to refresh his horses, when he heard of the sick soldier, and went to pay him a visit.

6. The old soldier immediately told him about his little benefactress. "What!" cried the officer, "has a poor child done so much for you, and can I, your old general, do less? I shall at once give orders that they provide you with their best in the inn."

7. He did so; and then went to the cottage of Agatha's parents. "Good child!" he said to her, delighted; “your benevolence has made my heart warm and my eyes wet. You have presented the old soldier with many half-pennies; accept now, in return for them, the same number of gold pieces."

8. The astonished parents replied, "Ah, that is too much! But the general said, "No, no! This is only a poor compensation. The good child has still her better one in the benevolent disposition she is cultivating; for it was with no selfish thought of benefit to herself that she practised kindness. The true reward of virtue is in the heart; not in any outward gift or advantage."

1. SCHOOL is out. The last lesson has been recited, and the evening hymn sung, and the shouts of merry voices are heard on the green. Like long pent-up waters, the spirits of the children overflow. But one of their number remains behind. All is quiet now in the school-room. There sits the teacher at her desk, with a sad and troubled look.

2. At one of the desks before her sits a boy, whose flushed countenance and flashing eye tell of a struggle within. His arms are proudly folded, as in defiance, and his lips are compressed. He will never say, "I am sorry; will you forgive me?" No! not he. His breath comes thick and fast, and the angry flush upon his cheek grows a deep crimson.

3. The door stands invitingly open. A few quick steps, and he can be beyond the reach of his teacher. Involuntarily his hand snatches up his cap, as she says, "George, come to me." A moment more, and he has darted out, and away down the lane. The teacher's face grows more sad; her head sinks upon the desk, and tears will come, as she thinks of the return which the boy is making for all her love and care for him.

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4. The clock strikes five, and, slowly putting on her bonnet and shawl, she prepares to go, when, looking out at the door, she sees the boy coming toward the school-house; now taking rapid steps forward, as though fearful his resolution would fail him; then pausing, as if ashamed to be seen coming back. What has thus changed his purpose?

5. Breathless with haste, he has thrown himself down upon the green grass by the side of the creek, and is cooling his burning cheeks in the pure, sweet water; and as gradually the flush faded away, so in his heart died away the anger he felt towards his teacher.

6. The south wind, as it stole by, lifting the hair from his brow, seemed to whisper in his ear, "This way, little boy, this way!" and voices within him murmured, "Go back, go back!" He started to his feet. Should he heed those kind words, should he go back? Could he go? Ah! here was the struggle. Could he be man enough to conquer his pride and anger, and in true humility retrace his steps, and say, "Forgive!"

7. Could he go back? As he repeated the words, he said to himself, "I will go back;" and the victory was won.