LESSON I.

CLOUDS.-ANONYMOUS.

How beautiful are the clouds at morn! they look like ruby gems set round with gold; and the lark mounts toward them, and sings as if he were at heaven's gate.

How bright are the clouds at mid-day, when high in the sky they hang, and show their pe

At sunset they again are they take all hues and forms. towers and castles, high throner and of gold.

whiteness in the azure sky! autiful, and in the far west Sometimes they look like and lofty palaces, of topaz

At night, when the moon shoes on them, they look fair and white, and pure, and w like a flock of little lambs isle.

Yet what are clouds br soon they change: now they now they swell in storm; but

all is hushed and still, seem

ors? soon they pass away, come dark with tempest; the bow of mercy is seen,

and nature, in the midst of shs is cheered.

Life is like a cloud, fleetin and changeable; to-day it is gay and bright, to-morrow it is dark and full of gloom; yet again the sun shines upor it, and it sinks to its rest in peace. What gives to the clouds the r brightness and their beauty? it is the sun that lights the d them with his beams, and

paints them with his smis

What gives to life its glory? it is the smile of Him who formed the clouds to water the earth with rain, and to refresh all plants and herbs.

It is He who gives to life's roaring its bright joys; who in manhood's prime, exalts us ar stains: who in the storm and darkness, like the rainbow, smiles upon us; and who at even-time, when death would draw his curtains round us, brightens the soul with hope.

LESSON II.

EARLY RISING.-MECHELEN.

I BEG you will accustom yourself to early rising, all your life time. This habit has many great advantages: in the

first place, it is necessary for our health; and in the next place, it gives us more time for our occupations. One hour more employed in a day, makes a great deal of time at the end of a single year; it is snatched as it were from death. Yes, my children, think that sleep is a kind of death, and the time that we can deprive ourselves of it, is a time really acquired. You will understand this better by a supposition, which may afford you pleasure.

Let us suppose that Peter and Paul both died at the age of sixty. Peter has, however, found means to live a much longer time than Paul, and this is the method he pursued: Paul never rose till nine in the morning; Peter, on the contrary, was up every day at five. These two men went to bed every night at ten, therefore Peter's day was seventeen hours long, and Paul's was only thirteen; this made a difference of four hours in a day. Four hours in a day, make at the end of a year, fourteen hundred and sixty hours, which is a hundred and twelve days, at the rate of thirteen hours each, which was the length of the day Paul enjoyed. You clearly perceive, my children, this is nearly the third of a year more for Peter. But let us continue, and you will be surprised at the time Paul lost. At the end of sixty years, Peter had by his diligence, gained six thousand seven hundred and twenty days, which make eighteen years and eight months.

Observe that these eighteen years and eight months, are taken from the time that Paul was increasing in years. I do not, in this calculation, comprehend the time which nature requires us to allot to sleep.-In order to shake off the remains of a sleep likely to be troublesome, get up immediately. Reflect, and endeavor to appreciate the value of time, and I am certain you will never allow yourselves to lose much of a life so short.

LESSON III.

A DROP OF DEW.-ANONYMOUS.

BEHOLD yon drop of crystal dew, which hangs pendent from a blade of grass. How it sparkles in the sun! it looks like a little star in the green mead.

Whence comest thou, little diamond drop? and why comest thou? I have seen thee as a pure gem on buds, and leaves, and flowers, making all bright and cheerful about thee.

Sometimes thou liest like a deep fond tear, in the snowdrop's bell, and one would almost think the flowers did weep were you not so bright and they so gay.

I came from the sea, my child; from the place of pearls, and shells, and gems; from dark rocks and whirling sands; from coral caves and diamond mines, but I had no light from them.

The sun called me from the deep sea, that I might rejoice in his light. I arose at his call, and leaving the salt and bitter ocean, became pure and clear; and then he threw his beams upon me to make me bright.

I came not for my own good, but that I might do good to others. I moisten the blighted plant, and it springs up again. I restore the withered flower. I call the dying unto life.

So hast thou been called from the dust, my child, by the God who made thee. So must thou rise to welcome His light and love. So must thou shed blessings and comfort around thee, sweet child.

Look at me again, do you not see that while I sparkle, the whole image of the sun is reflected in me?

So beameth the spirit of God in thine own soul; so will his light illumine thy heart, and so will his image be reflected from thee, if thou art His child.

So wilt thou give new life, and joy, and peace, to all around; comfort the stricken heart, brighten the darksome breast, and be a solace to those that droop and mourn.

LESSON IV.

DIVINE EXCELLENCE.-MRS. BARBAULD.

COME, and I will show you what is beautiful. It is a Rose fully blown. See how she sits upon her mossy stem, like the queen of all the flowers! Her leaves glow like fire; the air is filled with her sweet odor; she is the delight of every eye.

She is beautiful; but there is a fairer than she. He that made the rose is more beautiful than the rose; he is all lovely; he is the delight of angels and of men.

I will show you what is strong. The Lion is strong, when he raises himself up from his lair, when he shakes his mane, when the voice of his roaring is heard, the cattle of the field fly, and the wild beasts of the desert hide themselves, for he is very terrible.

The lion is strong; but he that made the lion is stronger than he. His anger is terrible, he could make us die in a moment, and no one could save us out of his hand.

I will show you what is glorious. The Sun is glorious. When he shines in the sky, when he sits on his bright throne in the heavens, and looks abroad over all the earth, he is the most excellent and glorious creature the eye can behold.

The sun is glorious; but he that made the sun is more glorious than he. The eye beholds him not; for his brightness is more dazzling than we could bear. He sees in all dark places, by night as well as by day; and the light of his countenance is over all his works.

Who is this great Being, and what is his name?—The name of this great Being, is God. He made all things, but he is himself more excellent than all which he has made. They are beautiful, but He is beauty; they are strong, but He is strength; they are perfect, but He is perfection.

LESSON V.

THE HUNDRED AND THIRD PSALM.-BIBLE.

BLESS the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul! and forget not all his benefits;-who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a

father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; for he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.

As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth: for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy

of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul !

LESSON VI.

THE COTTAGE ON FIRE.-ANONYMOUS.

THE flames spread rapidly, they had nearly consumed the habitation, from which farmer Ashford had, however, removed every article of consequence; fortunately no lives were lost, and I was conversing with this good man, and listening to his grateful ejaculations on seeing his family safe, when the shouts of the surrounding laborers informed us, that a little cottage, adjacent to the farm, had taken fire.

I ran towards the spot. I saw the flames bursting from the casements.-Poor Randal, the laborer, who inhabited it, rushed forward; he had borne his wife, and his boys through the flames, when a rafter having fallen upon his arm, disabled him; his wife, the image of despair, clasped her children to her bosom. Her husband watched the progress of the flames in stupid horror, then suddenly he started, and exclaimed, "My mother!"-"My grandmother!" cried a fine boy of about twelve, and dashing amidst the spreading flames and falling rafters, remained deaf to the entreaties of those who considered his endeavors as hopeless.

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My boy, my boy!" cried the father; the mother sunk, fainting, amidst the crowd! But that Being, who animated this pure and generous-hearted little fellow, spread around him