ALONG the icy shores of Baffin's bay,
Where dreary winter long protracts his stay,
The howling wolves in num'rous packs abound,
And, still more fierce, the polar bear is found.
Shaggy and grim, she prowls around for prey,
And oft besets the lonely traveller's way.

Yet even in this huge creature, fierce and bold,
One mild and kindly trait we may behold;
For, with peculiar tenderness imprest,
Maternal feelings glow within her breast.
When on her steps her feeble young attend,
With what fond care does she their lives defend!
If they be wounded, piteous is her moan,
And for their safety she forgets her own.
These,-only these, her anxious feelings claim,
She dies to shield them from the hunter's aim.
O love maternal! not bestow'd in vain,
Thou strongest link in nature's golden chain,
How can our hearts enough revere thy power,
Which thus can triumph in a dying hour;
And even in forms like this so nobly prove

That nature's Author is a God of love!

SPELL dreary; howling; fierce; polar; prowls; huge; define it. Spell peculiar; piteous; anxious; maternal; define it. Spell enough; revere; triumph.

WHEN a rail-road is to be made from one place to another, a track for it is sought which may be the nearest to a level that can be found in the route.

The ground is then made quite level, or very nearly so, by digging down the higher parts or hills, and filling up the lower parts, or valleys. This is called grading.

When the ground for a rail-road is thus levelled and prepared, a solid foundation is laid, either of logs or stone, laid crosswise, a few feet apart. On these, strong pieces of timber are placed, at equal distance, for the track of each wheel of the car or carriage that is to run upon it. On these timbers, bars of iron about two or three inches wide are firmly fastened, reaching the whole distance of the rail-road. These are called the track.

Sometimes, instead of timbers and bars of iron, strong pieces of cast-iron are laid on the solid foundation, and firmly secured there, for the wheels to run on.

The wheels of the rail-road cars are made of cast-iron, and are so formed as to follow the track without running off on either side. By fixing the axles of these wheels so as to run on little rollers, called friction-rollers, they run very easy; as there is but little friction or rubbing to hinder their motion, or turning round.

SPELL rail-road; sought; which; digging; valleys; levelled'; foundation; either; pieces; wheel; carriages; iron; fastened; reaching; instead; without; axles; friction; define it. Spell rollers;

A locomotive is an engine to which steam-power is applied, so as to propel the carriage on which it is placed, by the force of the steam.

When the cars are attached to the locomotive-engine or steam-power, they are drawn along the rail-road by the force of the steam, at the rate of ten, fifteen, or twenty miles an hour.

A train of cars consists of a number of them, fastened or hocked one to another, and all drawn by the same locomotive, or steam-engine. In these, the passengers ride to the amount of hundreds-and have their baggage or trunks carried in the baggage-cars.

FRANKLIN'S WHISTLE.

THE story of Franklin's whistle has been so often told and read, that old people may think it stale. But many children may read this book, who never heard it before. To them it may be new, and convey a lesson of instruction or caution that may be of use in after life.

It may teach them to be careful of their spending money, and not hastily lay it out for things of little or no value. It may lead them to reflect, and to consider how many of the pursuits of young children (and old ones too) are no better than Franklin's whistle, for which he gave all his pocketmoney.

"When I was a child of seven years old," says Benjamin Franklin, "my friends, on a holiday, filled my pockets with half-pence. I went directly toward a shop where toys for children were sold; and, being charmed with the sound

rubbing; motion; locomotive; engine; propel; define it. Spell attached; steam; fastened; steam-engine; passengers; baggage. amount; hour.

SPELL holiday; half-pence; whistle; voluntary; money; whistling;

of a whistle in the hands of another boy whom I met by the way, I voluntarily offered him all my money for it.

I then came home, and went whistling over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family.

My brothers and sisters and cousins, hearing of the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth. This put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and they laughed at me so much for my folly, that I cried with vexation. My reflections on the subject gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This little event, however, was afterwards of use to me, for the impression continued on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, Do not give too much for the whistle; and so I saved my money.

As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who gave too much for the whistle.

When I saw any one too ambitious of court favour, so as to sacrifice his time in attendance on levees, his repose, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, to attain it, I have said to myself, This man gives too much for his whistle.

When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect, He pays, indeed, said I, too much for his whistle.

If I knew a miser who gave up every kind of comfort in living,-all the pleasure of doing good to others,—all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent disturbing; cousins; bargain; laughed; vexation; chagrin; pleasure; impression; buy; unnecessary; ambitious; sacrifice; popularity; friends; political; bustles; pleasure; citizens; benevolent; wealth:

friendship, for the sake of accumulating wealth: Poor man, said I, you indeed pay too much for your whistle.

When I met a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of mind, or of fortune, to mere sensual gratification; Mistaken man, said I, you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure: you give too much for your whistle.

If I saw one fond of fine clothes, fine furniture, and other fine things,—all above his fortune, and for which he contracted debts, and ended his career in prison; Alas! said I, he has paid dear, very dear for his whistle.

In short, I conceived that great part of the miseries of mankind were brought upon them, by the false estimate they had made of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles."

THE MOON.

THE moon is a large round body, like the earth on which we live. It is supposed to be composed of land and water, with mountains, rocks, and seas, and it may be inhabited for any thing we know

Astronomers have found that the moon is more than two thousand miles in diameter; or about one-fifteenth part as large as the earth.

It is two hundred and forty thousand miles from us; and it goes round the earth from west to east, at this great distance, in about twenty-nine days and a half.

When the moon passes directly between us and the sun, we say the sun is eclipsed. But it does not very often come

accumulating; pleasure; sacrificing; laudable; define it. Spell sensual; gratification; mistaken; clothes; furniture; contracted; debts; career; conceived; miseries; false; estimation; giving; whistles.