money to spendthrifts; but this is not the true one. The true moral of the story is that we should always be obliging to everybody, however absurd it may sometimes appear, for kindness never fails to be its own reward in the end.

Copyright, in 1867, by Harper & Brothers.

LANGUAGE.

JEAN MACE.

Tell what property is, and what is meant by spendthrifts.
Use the words obliging, absurd, reward, welcomed.
What is meant by sought in vain? knew no bounds?

Silver minnow fain would go
Where the coral forests grow,
Through the seaweed groves below,
Restless silver minnow!

Silver minnow's pert and smart,-
Through the water see him dart;
He knows all a sailor's art,
Pretty silver minnow.

Silver minnow fears no snare
Where the mermaids comb their hair;
May no pirate meet him there,

Foolish silver minnow!

NATURAL HISTORY.

The fish feels cold when we touch it because its blood is cold. It has gills to breathe with instead of lungs, and so breathes the air that is in the water. It moves by means of fins, and has either a naked skin or a covering of scales.

Mermaids are sea-fairies. They are said to have heads like women, but to be like fishes in other ways.

Pirates are sea-robbers, or murderers.

LXXXIII. GOD'S CARE.

approach'es❘ twink'ling | con tin'u ally dis turbed'

1. Who takes care of all people when they are sunk in sleep; when they cannot defend themselves, nor see if danger approaches?

2. There is an eye that never sleeps; there is an eye that sees in dark night as well as in the bright sunshine.

3. When there is no light of the sun, nor of the moon; when there is no lamp in the house, nor any little star twinkling through the thick clouds, that eye sees everywhere, in all places, and watches continually over all the families of the earth.

4. The eye that sleepeth not is God's; His hand is always stretched out over us.

He made sleep to refresh us when we are weary: He made night that we might sleep in quiet.

5. As the mother moves about the house with her finger on her lips, and stills every little noise that her infant be not disturbed, -as she draws the curtain around its bed, and shuts out the light from its tender eyes, so God draws the curtains of darkness around us; things to be hushed. and still, that His large family may sleep in peace.

so He makes all

MRS. BARBAULD.

1. There was once a miller who was very poor, but he had a beautiful daughter. Now, it happened that he came to speak to the king, and, to give himself importance, he said to him, "I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.”

2. The king said, “That is a talent that pleases me well; bring her to-morrow to the palace, and I will see if she is as skilful as you say.”

3. When the maiden was brought to him, he led her to a room full of straw, gave her a wheel and spindle, and said, "Now set to work, and if by the morrow this straw be not spun into gold,

you shall die." He locked the door, and left the maiden alone.

4. The poor girl could not for her life think what she was to do; for she knew not-how could she?-the way to spin straw into gold;

and her distress increased so much that at last she began to weep. All at once the door opened, and a little man entered, and said, "Good evening, my pretty miller's daughter; why are you weeping so bitterly?"

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5. Ah!" answered the maiden, "I must spin straw into gold, and I know not how to do it."