44. THE CYNIC.

THE cynic' is one who never sees a good quality in a man,

and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness, and blind to light; mousing for vermin,3 and never seeing noble game. The cynic puts all human actions. into only two classes-openly bad, and secretly bad.

2. All virtue and generosity and disin'terestedness are merely the appearance of good, but selfish at the bottom. He holds that no man does a good thing, except for profit. The effect of his conversation upon your feelings is to chill and sear them; to send you away sour and morose.' His criticisms and innuendoes fall indiscriminately upon every lovely thing, like frost upon flowers.

3. "Mr. A," says some one, "is a religious man." He will answer: "Yes; on Sundays." "Mr. B has just joined the church :" "Certainly: the elections are coming on." The minister of the Gospel is called an example of diligence: "It is his trade." Such a man is generous:-" of other men's money.” This man is obliging :—“ to lull suspicion and cheat you.” That man is upright :-" because he is green.”

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4. Thus, his eye strains out every good quality, and takes in only the bad. To him, religion is hypocrisy, honesty a preparation for fraud," virtue only want of opportunity, and undeniable purity asceticism." The live-long day he will sit with sneering lip, uttering sharp speeches in the quietest manner, and in

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'Cyn' ic, a surly, snarling man. The Cynics were a sect of philosophers in ancient Greece, who affected to despise all the refinements of life. The sect was founded by Antisthenes, and supported by Diogenes. The name is derived from the Greek word for "dog," because they lived more like dogs than men. Hence, any ill-natured person, despising the common courtesies of life, is called a cynic.-2 Vig'ilant, watchful.3 Vår' min, noxious animals, as rats, mice, worms, &c.— Gåme, animals that are hunted. Dis in' ter est edness, fairness; not favoring one's self.- Sear, burn; harden.- Mo rose', sour; peevish. In nu ên' do, a hint carefully given; a sly suggestion. In dis crim' i nately, without distinction.-10 Hy poc' ri sy, the putting on of an appearance of virtue, or goodness, which one does not possess." Fraud, deceit; dishonesty.—12 As c&t'icism, the practice of undue severity and selfdenial.

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polished phrase transfixing' every character which is presented: “His words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords."

5. All this, to the young, seems a wonderful knowledge of human nature; they honor a man who appears to have found out mankind. They begin to indulge themselves in flippant sneers; and with supercilious' brow, and impudent tongue, wagging to an empty brain, call to naught the wise, the long-tried, and the venerable.

6. I do believe, that man is corrupt enough; but something of good has survived his wreck; something of evil, religion has restrained, and something partially restored; yet, I look upon the human heart as a mountain of fire. I dread its crater. I tremble when I see its lava roll the fiery stream.,

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7. Therefore, I am the more glad, if upon the old crust of past eruptions, I can find a single flower springing up. So far from rejecting appearances of virtue in the corrupt heart of a depraved race, I am eager to see their light, as ever mǎriner was to see a star in a stormy night.

8. Moss will grow upon gravestones; the ivy will cling to the moldering pile; the mistletoe' springs from the dying branch; and, God be praised, something green, something fair to the sight and grateful to the heart, will yet twine around and grow out of the seams and cracks of the desolate temple of the human heart!

H. W. BEECHER.

'Trans fix' ing, piercing through; stabbing. Flip' pant, smooth; easily spoken; pert.- Su per cil' ious, scowling; proud; haughty.— Cra' ter, the cup, mouth, or hollow top of a volcano.- La va, melted matter from a volcano.-Erůp' tions, outpourings; burstings out.'Mistletoe (miz' zl tỏ), a plant that grows on trees.- Wick' ed, having a wick. The reader will notice that every stanza of this piece contains a věry happy play on words.

2. He once was fat, but now, indeed,
He's thin as any griever;

He died, the doctors all agreed,
Of a most burning fever.

3. One thing of him is said with truth,
With which I'm much amused;
It is that when he stood, forsooth,
A stick he always used.

4. Now winding-sheets' he sometimes made;
But this was not enough,
For, finding it a poorish trade,
He also dealt in snuff.

5. If e'er you said, "Go out, I pray,"
He much ill nature show'd;
On such occasions, he would say,
"Vy, if I do, I'm blow'd."

6. In this his friends do all agree,

Although you'll think I'm joking,
When going out, 'tis said that he
Was very fond of smoking.

7. Since all religion he despised,
Let these few words suffice,

Before he ever was baptized,

They dipp'd him once or twice.

PUNCH.

46. COMPARISON OF WATCHES.

WHEN Griselda thought that her husband had long enough

WHEN

enjoyed his new existence, and that there was danger of his forgetting the taste of sorrow, she changed her tone.-One day, when he had not returned home exactly at the appointed minute,

1 Wind' ing-sheets, melted tallow, that runs down and hardens around a candle.

she received him with a frown; such as would have made even Mars' himself recoil, if Mars could have beheld such a frown upon the brow of his Venus.3

2. "Dinner has been kept waiting for you this hour, my dear." “I am very sorry for it; but why did you wait, my dear? I am really very sorry I am so late, but" (looking at his watch) "it is only half-past six by me."

3. "It is seven by me." They presented their watches to each other; he in an apologetical,' she in a reproachful, attitude.

4. "I rather think you are too fast, my dear," said the gentleman. "I am very sure you are too slow, my dear," said the lady.

5. "My watch never loses a minute in the four-and-twenty hours," said he. "Nor mine a second," said she.

6. "I have reason to believe I am right, my love," said the husband, mildly. "Reason!" exclaimed the wife, astonished. "What reason can you possibly have to believe you are right, when I tell you I am morally certain you are wrong, my love?"

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7. "My only reason for doubting it is, that I set my watch by the sun to-day." "The sun must be wrong, then," cried the lady, hastily-"You need not laugh; for I know what I am saying; the variation, the declination, must be allowed for, in computing it with the clock. Now you know perfectly well what I mean, though you will not explain it for me, because you are conscious I am in the right."

8. "Well, my dear, if you are conscious of it, that is sufficient. We will not dispute any more about such a trifle. Are they bringing up dinner?" "If they know that you are come in; but I am sure I can not tell whether they do or not.—Pray, my dear Mrs. Nettleby," cried the lady, turning to a female friend, and still holding her watch in hand, "what o'clock is it by you? There is nobody in the world hates disputing about trifles so

Mårs, the god of war.-2 Re coil', turn back.- Vẻ' nus, the goddess of love, gracefulness, beauty, and mirth. A pol o gêt' ic, by way of excuse.— At' ti tùde, posture; position of the body. Và ri à' tion, here means unequal motion. Dec li nà' tion, the position of the sun at noon, north or south of the equator.-"Com put' ing, calculating.

much as I do; but I own I do love to convince people that I am in the right."

9. Mrs. Nettleby's watch had stopped. How provoking! Vexed at having no immediate means of convincing people that she was in the right, our heroine' consoled herself by proceeding to criminate2 her husband, not in this particular instance, where he pleaded guilty, but upon the general charge of being always late for dinner, which he strenuously denied.

10. There is something in the species1 of reproach which advances thus triumphantly from particulars to generals, peculiarly offensive to every reasonable and susceptible mind; and there is something in the general charge of being always late for dinner, which the punctuality of man's nature can not easily endure, especially if he be hungry. We should humbly advise our female friends to forbear exposing a husband's patience to this trial, or, at least, to temper it with much fondness, else mischief will infallibly ensue.

MISS EDGEWORTH.

47. TRUE FREEDOM, AND HOW TO GAIN IT.

1.

E want no flag, no flaunting rag,

WE

For LIBERTY to fight;

We want no blaze of murderous guns,

To struggle for the right.

Our spears and swords are printed words,

The mind our battle-plain;

We've won such victories before,

And so we shall again.

2. We love no triumphs sprung' of force

They stain her brightest cause:

"Tis not in blood that Liberty

Inscribes her civil laws.

'Her' o ine, a female hero, or principal character spoken of.- Crim'Strên' u ous ly, boldly; firmly.- Spè' cies, kind; sort;

in åte, accuse.

class. In fål' li bly, without fail.- Flaunt' ing, spreading out; gau

dy; showy.

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Sprung of force, gained by force.