to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; the weights hung speechless; each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others.

3. At length, the dial instituted a formal inquiry as to the cause of the stagnation—when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence.

4. But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who thus spoke :-"I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage; and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking." Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged, that it was on the very point of striking.

5. "Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial-plate, holding up its hands. "Very good!" replied the pendulum, "it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as every body knows, set yourself up above me,-it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness! You, who have had nothing to do all the days of your life, but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes on in the kitchen! Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this dark closet, and to wag backwards and forwards year after year, as I do."

6. "As to that," said the dial, "is there not a window in your house, on purpose for you to look through ?”—“ For all that," resumed the pendulum, "it is very dark here; and, although there is a window, I dare not stop, even for an instant, to look out at it. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and if you wish, I'll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. I happened this morning to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the course of only the next twenty-four hours; perhaps some of you, above there, can give me the exact sum.'

7. The minute hand, being quick at figures, presently replied, "Eighty-six thousand four hundred times." "Exacily so," replied the pendulum. "Well, I appeal to you all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day, by those of months and years, really it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect; so, after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, I'll stop."

8. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but resuming its gravity, thus replied; "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should have been overcome by this sudden

action. It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so have we all, and are likely to do; which although it may fatigue us to think of, the question is, whether it will fatigue us to do. Would you now do me the favor to give about half a dozen strokes to illustrate my argument ?"

9. The pendulum complied, and ticked six times in its usual pace. "Now," resumed the dial, " may I be allowed to inquire, if that exertion was at all fatiguing or disagreeable to you?" "Not in the least," replied the pendulum, "it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor of sixty, but of millions."

10. "Very good," replied the dial; "but recollect, that though you may think of a million strokes in an instant, you are required to execute but one; and that, however often you may hereafter have to swing, a moment will always be given you to swing in.” "That consideration staggers me, I confess," said the pendulum. "Then I hope," resumed the dial-plate, we shall all immediately return to our duty; for the maids will lie in bed if we stand idling thus."

11. Upon this, the weights, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in urging him to proceed; when, as with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the pendulum began to swing, and to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; while a red beam of the rising sun that streamed through a hole in the kitchen, shining full upon the dial-plate, it brightened up, as if nothing had been the matter.

12. When the farmer came down to breakfast that morning, upon looking at the clock, he declared that his watch had gained half an hour in the night.

MORAL.

13. A celebrated modern writer says, "Take care of the minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves." This is an admirable remark, and might be very seasonably recollected when we begin to be "weary in well-doing," from the thought of having much to do.

14. The present moment is all we have to do with, in any sense; the past is irrecoverable, the future is uncertain; nor is it fair, to burden one moment with the weight of the next.Sufficient unto the moment is the trouble thereof.

15. If we had to walk a hundred miles, we should still have to take but one step at a time, and this process continued, would infallibly bring us to our journey's end. Fatigue generally begins, and is always increased, by calculating in a minute the exertion of hours.

16. Thus, in looking forward to future life, ler as recollect that we have not to sustain all its toll, to endure all its anffer ings, or encounter all its crosses at once. One moment domes laden with its own little burdens, then fles, and s bicceeded by another no heavier than the last if she could be sore, can another and another.

n

17. Even looking forward to a single day, the airt may sometimes faint from an anticipat noffe ute, he a the trials to temper and patience, that may seared. this is unjustly laying the bazen s many tout mome

upon one.

18. Let any one resize always to do

to do as it can: and he perso 25 de 19e Met wete he would bever is wrong, But he su.... to act right after real, ing, or next fine but no, it was the mos the same as ever.

worked wale i

teem to labors, and the weeks follow Lehen our hands hd to do, do it val or mgr. recollecting that now he proper and

LESSON

Buttle of Lexingto

2. Bean the 19th, 1775 JANSSTION: Daves, for tea

*Lingam, a lown in M

*

from the old mother country. Early that morning, General Gage, whose force in Boston was augmented to 10,000 men, sent a detachment of 1,000 to destroy some military stores which the Americans had collected in the town of Concord, near Lexington.

2. On coming to the place, they found the town militia assembled on the green near the road. "Throw down your arms, and disperse, you rebels," was the cry of the British officer, (Pitcairn) which was immediately followed by a general discharge of the soldiers; whereby eight of the Americans were killed, and several wounded.

3. The provincials retired. But finding that the British still continued their fire, they returned it with good interest; and soon strewed the green with the dead and wounded. Such fierce discharges of musketry produced the effect that might have been expected in a land of freemen, who saw their gallant brothers suddenly engaged in the strife of death.

4. Never before had the bosoms of the swains experienced such a tumult of heroic passions. Then throwing aside the implements of husbandry, and leaving their teams in the half finished furrows, they flew to their houses, snatched up their arms, and bursting from their wild shrieking wives and children, hasted to the glorious field where LIBERTY, heaven-born goddess, was to be bought for blood.

5. Pouring in now from every quarter, were seen crowds of sturdy peasants, with flushed cheeks and flaming eyes, eager for battle! Even age itself forgot its wonted infirmities: and hands, long palsied with years, threw aside the cushioned crutch, and grasped the deadly firelock. Fast as they came up, their ready muskets began to pour the long, red streams of fiery vengeance.

5. The enemy fell back appalled! The shouting farmers swift-closing on their rear, followed their steps with death, while the British, as fast as they could load, wheeling on their pursuers, returned the deadly fire. But their flight was not in safety. Every step of their retreat was stained with bloodevery hedge or fence by which they passed, concealed a deadly foe.

Thomas Gage, was an officer of some distinction in the British army. He was appointed Governor of Massachusetts in 1774, and soon began the course of illegal and oppressive acts which drew on the war of the revolution Soon after the commencement of the war, he returned to England, w he died, 1787. He was the last Governor of Massachusetts that was an ed by the King.

† Pronounced Strowd,

6. They would, in all probability, have been cut off to a man, had not general Gage, luckily recollected, that, born of Britons, these Yankees might possess some of the family valor, and therefore sent 100 men o support the detachment. This reinforcement met the sour eles, aint with fear and fatigne. and brought them say of % 3.ston.

s eminenc

4 The English, heating, operat lery of the auM,, of the fee, and of the Batting bass tioned and the peasts of Boston. To bailed

boobs and halls on the works of the

especially incommoded by the f

eminence named Cop's Hill,

forms a species of tower in t was without effect.