be those amongst us whose whole thoughts are absorbed in the business of the world, and to whom the reflection never occurs that soon they must go out into etérnity, without a friend-without a home! CAIRD. THE DUMB CHILD. She is my only girl,— I asked for her as some most precious thing; The shade that time brought forth I could not see, Oh! many a soft old tune I used to sing into that deadened ear, And hushed her brother's laughter while she lay- 'Twas long ere I believed That this one daughter might not speak to me; Vain love was long the untiring nurse of faith, Oh, if she could but hear For one short hour, that I her tongue might teach That thrills the mother's ear! Alas! those sealed lips never may be stirred, My heart it sorely tries, To see her kneel with such a reverent air To watch our lips, as though our words she knew, I've watched her looking up To the bright wonder of an evening sky, The struggling soul would burst its binding cords, The song of bird and bee, The chorus of the breezes, streams, and groves, To her-the world of sound a tuneless void; Her face is very fair, Her blue eye beautiful, of finest mould Her soft white brow, o'er which, in waves of gold, Alas! this lovely temple closed must be, While He the mind within Should from earth's Babel-clamour be kept free, Heard at its inner shrine, Through that deep hush of soul, with clearer thrill ? Then should I grieve?-Oh, murmuring heart be still. She seems to have a sense Of quiet gladness in her noiseless play; Touches all hearts, though I had once the fear Thank God! it is not so; And when his sons are playing merrily, By the full eye, and tone subdued and mild, Not of all gifts bereft E'en now-how could I say she did not speak? Unto her soul yet open avenues And God, in love, doth give To her defect a beauty of its own: Yet shall the seal be melted from her ear- When that new sense is given, What rapture will its first experience be, That never woke to meaner melody Than the rich songs of heaven, To hear the full-toned anthem swelling round, Anon. ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING LATIN AND GREEK. [The Rev. SYDNEY SMITH was born at Woodford in Essex. He was educated at Winchester College, and afterwards at Oxford. For half a century, he rendered himself conspicuous as a political writer, a lecturer on "Belles Lettres," a critic, and a popular preacher. During his accidental residence in Edinburgh, the "Edinburgh Review" was commenced under his auspices, but he had edited the first number only of that periodical when he removed to London. He, however, continued for many years one of the most active contributors to that celebrated organ of Whig principles. He died in 1843.] LATIN and Greek are useful, as they inure children to intellectual dífficulties, and make the life of a young student what it ought to be, a life of considerable làbour. We dò not, of course, mean to confine this praise exclusively to the study of Latin and Greek, or suppose that other difficulties might not be found! which it would be useful to overcóme; but though Làtin and Gréek! have this merit in common with many arts and scíences, still they have it; and, if they do nothing else, they at least secure a solid and vigorous application' at a period of lífel which materially influences all other periods. To go through the grammar of òne language thoroughly, is of great úse' for the mástery of every other grammar; because there obtáins, through all languages, a certain análogy to each other' in their grammatical construction. Làtin and Gréek! have now mixed themselves etymológically with all the languages of modern Europe, and with nóne more than our own; so that it is necessary to read these two tongues! for other objects than themselves. The ancient languages are, as mere inventions-as pieces of mechanism-incomparably more beautiful than any of the modern languages of Europe; their mode of signifying time and case by terminations, instead of auxiliary verbs and particles, would of itself stamp their superiority. Add to this the copiousness of the Greek language, with the fancy, harmony, and majesty of its cómpounds, and there are quite sufficient reasons why the classics should be stúdied' for the beauties of language. Compared to them' merely as vehicles of thought and passion, all módern languages are dùll, ill-contríved, and barbarous. That a great part of the Scriptures! has come down to us in the Greek language' is of itsèlf a reason, if all others were wanting, why education should be plánned' so as to produce a supply of Grèek scholars. The cultivation of stylel is very jústly made a part of education. Everything which is written is meant either to pléasel or to instruct. The second object it is difficult to effect without attending to the fìrst; and the cultivation of style is the acquisition of those rules and literary hábits! which sagacity anticipates, or experience shows to be the most effectual means of pleasing. Those works are the best! which have longest stood the test of tíme, and pleased the greatest númber of exercised minds. Whatever, therefore, our conjectures may be, we cannot be so sùrel that the best módern writers' can afford us as good módels as the ancients; we cannot be certain that they will live through the revolutions of the world, and continue to please in every climate, under every species of government, through every stage of civilization. The móderns' have been well taught by their màsters; but the time is hardly yet cómel when the necéssity for such instruction' no longer exists. We may still borrow descriptive power! from Tàcitus; dignified perspicuity! from Lìvy; simplícity from Cæsar; and from Hòmer, some portion of that light and heat which, dispersed into ten thousand channels, has filled the world' with bright images and illustrious thoughts. Let the cultivator of mòdern literature addict himself to the purest models of taste' which France, Italy, and E'ngland could supply, he might stíll learn from Virgil to be majestic, and from Tibúllus to be tender; he might not yet look upon the face of naturel as Theocritus saw it, nor might he reach those springs of pathos with which Euripides softened the hearts of his audience. shòrt, it appears to us that there are so many excellent reasons why a certain number of scholars should be kept up in thìs, and in every cívilized country, that we should consider every system of education from which clássical education was excluded, as radically erróneous, and completely absurd. SYDNEY SMITH. In |