55. "I have tried it, too," said Charlotte, "and can do nothing with it either."

56. "We've got so near home, now,' said Mrs. Rush, "that I shall only have time to mention one more curious and beautiful contrivance. Indeed, I did not intend to show you many of them, but rather to persuade you to look for them yourselves. The living world is full of them. Your own bodies might be the study of a long life.

57. "Well, the contrivance that I mean to close with is a simple bird's nest. The young bird has been reared in a nest. But it has never seen one made, and cannot know whether its mother found hers ready made, or formed it of itself. In fact, it has not the slightest chance of seeing the operation, until the very moment when it must set to work. And yet it does begin, and makes it as perfect as if it had been for years under the tuition of the most skilful artist. Again. Does the yearling bird know why it is building? Does it know that it has within its body half-formed eggs, an article which it has never seen, and consequently cannot form the least idea of, and that its young will be hatched from these eggs, if a soft nest should be prepared, and it should preserve their vital heat by sitting on them for a proper time? How can the bird know all this, and how can it acquire the skill to execute so beautiful a piece of work? It is evidently impossible. The knowledge of the use to

which the nest is to be applied, and the knowledge of the art by which it is built, is not in the bird, but in that GREAT ARTIST who made all things."

Repeat the substance of this lesson. Can man make anything? What, then, can he do? Who is the Maker of all things? How do we know that there is a God? What is remarkable about leaves? For what purpose are they placed in beds of down, and covered with scales? What is remarkable about animals with hairy coverings? Could man or the animal itself furnish it with clothing comparable to this? Can you stop your pulse, or make it. go faster or slower? What is remarkable about birds' nests? Did a yearling bird ever see a nest built? Who teaches the bird to build its nest? Can the yearling bird know why it builds? Does it, or does it not, know it is about to lay eggs? When it sits on them, does it know, or not, that they contain its young? If this knowledge and foresight is not in the bird, in whom is it? What does the Bible say on this subject? Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?" Job xxxv. 11, or Job xxxviii. 25, 27, 41; and xxxix. 13.

LESSON XXVI.

Punctuality, Selfishness, and Benevolence.

1. "WHY, Helen, ain't you ready yet?" said Grace Somerville to her younger sister. "You know we ought to have been at uncle Darling's at one o'clock. It is ten minutes after one now, and yet you have not finished dressing."

2. "Oh, we shall be there soon enough, I dare say," said Helen. "Don't you re

collect what cousin John said t' other day; it's always one o'clock till it's two ?"

3. "That's a very bad maxim," replied Grace; "and especially now, when you know we promised to meet our botanizing party exactly at one. Come, do move a little quicker. It is a pity to lose any part of so fine an afternoon for our excursion.'

4. Well, well, I'm all ready now,' said Helen. "Let's be off." So saying, the sisters put on their bonnets, and, arm in arm, tripped lightly away.

5. This conversation considerably exemplifies the character of these little girls. Helen was generally a laggard. It was difficult to get her to begin to dress before it was time to set out. One reason for this was, that she had little or no consideration for the feelings of others. She was neither ill-disposed nor malicious. She would not do any thing to offend or injure her friends. or acquaintance. But she had no idea of making the slightest sacrifice to please or to benefit them. In fact, she never thought of their feelings at all. Thus, on the present occasion, she was not ready at the appointed hour, simply because she did not herself care about spending the whole of a summer's afternoon in the woods and fields. never considered that she was keeping twelve or fourteen of her friends waiting for her, and that probably many of them might be fretting at their loss of time.

She

6. Grace's feelings and conduct were the very opposite of all this. In every thing that she did, if others were concerned, she always thought of them first. "How would my father or mother, or how would my friends feel if I were to do so and so?" was the idea generally uppermost in her mind. If she could possibly help it, no one would ever have to wait for her. Unless forced to do otherwise by her sister, or other careless people, she was always punctual to her engagements. And when she was thus compelled to be behindhand, it always gave her pain. Many and many a time did Grace mildly remonstrate with her sister on the impropriety and indelicacy of being so late at church, or at lecture, or for keeping her friends waiting when a walk or any kind of excursion was in hand. Helen always calmly listened, and sometimes promised amendment. But she was naturally inactive, and her bad habits had been indulged by her mother, till the labor of conquering them had become too great for her sluggish mind. So, even though her good-nature induced her sometimes to try to reform, in order to please her sister, yet she always relapsed quickly into her old habits.

7. Grace and Helen found the rest of the party assembled at their uncle's, and amongst them John, who, forgetful of his wise maxim, was fretting at the delay

caused by the non-appearance of his cousins.

8. "So, so, you've come at last?" says he. "Well, better late than never."

9. "Late!" cried Helen. "Do you call it late, cousin?"

10.

Didn't you know that we were to have gone at one o'clock?" said he.

11. "To be sure I did," said Helen. "But I have just been telling my sister, here, in order to stop her scolding, that I had your authority for the fact, that in law it is always one till it is two.

12. A general laugh made John blush a little at hearing his own words quoted against him, but quickly recovering himself, he seized Helen's hand, and replied,

13. "You're a naughty girl, coz; I find I can do nothing with you.'

14. The company now set out on their excursion. They descended the hill to the river, where, crossing a covered bridge, they continued a short distance farther along the highway, and then left it to descend to a rich intervale, where they intended to commence their search for plants. Between the spot they had now reached and the bridge, there is a fall in the river of about 100 feet, and, for about 50 or 60 rods below the fall, the stream is confined in a narrow ravine, which, perhaps, the waves have been deepening since time itself had a commencement, and the bottom of which is nearly filled by its bed. This