"My interest, advice, and purse, are now at your command; there, take it, and please yourself with what is necessary to subsist yourself, and your recruits to the regiment." This presently brought the colonel off the bed; and this afternoon's behavior entirely obliterated the harshness of his friend's morning refusal. He now viewed him in the agreeable light of a sincere friend, and for ever after esteemed and found him such.

In short, the colonel set out with his recruits for the regiment, where he gained great applause for his success, which, as well as his commission, he had well nigh lost by one morning's folly. He immediately solicited, and purchased the adjutancy; and, from that day forward, never touched cards or dice, but as they ought to be used, merely for diversion, or to unbend the mind, after too close an attention to serious affairs.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH.

What is Hope like?

Like a foam on the billow,

When it swells o'er the deep;

Like a tear on the pillow,

When we sigh, while we sleep;

Like the siren that sings

We ne'er can tell where,
Is the fond hope that brings
The night of despair.

Like the starlight of gladness

When it gleams in death's eye;

Like the meteor of madness

In the spirit's dark sky;

Before the birth of Cyrus, his grandfather, Astyages, king of the Medes, dreamed that he was raised to the throne in his own lifetime; and this so troubled him with fears for the safety of his crown, that he caused the infant, as soon as born, to be delivered to Harpagus, with strict orders to have it destroyed. Harpagus, willing to avoid the sin of so cruel a deed, entrusted the execution of it to the herdsman of Astyages; but the herdsman's wife, happening at the very time to lose. her own infant child, prevailed on her husband to adopt the living child in its place.

When Cyrus (for such was the boy's name) grew up, he was particularly distinguished among his playmates, for his boldness and intelligence; and, as an honor justly due to superior merit, they conferred on him the title of king. Cyrus put the rush crown on his head with all the confidence of one who was entitled to a real one. He proceeded to appoint one playmate to be his prime minister; another to be his chamberlain; a third to be his sword bearer; so many to be his privy council; and so many to be his guards.

One of these boy-subjects, the son of a nobleman, happening to disobey some of the royal commands, Cyrus ordered him to be seized by his guards, and severely flogged. The lad, as soon as at liberty, ran home to his father, and complained bitterly of the treatment he had received. The father repaired to Astyages, and, showing him the bruised shoulders of

his son, "Is it thus, O king!" said he, "that we are treated by the son of thy bondsman and slave?"

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Astyages sent for the herdsman and his supposed son; and, addressing the latter sternly, said, "How darest thou, being the son of such a father as this, treat in so vile a manner the son of one of my court?" Sire," answered Cyrus, with firmness, "I have done nothing unto him but what was fit. The country lads, of which he was one, chose me for their king, in play, because I seemed the most worthy of that dignity; but, when all the rest obeyed my commands, this boy alone regarded not what I said. For this he was punished; and if, on this account, I have merited to suffer any punishment, I am here ready to suffer it."

While Cyrus spoke, Astyages was so struck with the family resemblance of the boy's features, that he was tempted to make some particular inquiries of the herdsman; and pressed him so hard, that he at last extorted from him a confession of the truth. Dismissing them for the present, Astyages went and consulted the magi on the discovery he had made, revealing to them, at the same time, the purport of the dream which had given such trouble to his mind.

The magi, ingenious in behalf of humanity, declared that, in their opinion, all that the dream imported had been already realized, by the circumstance of Cyrus having played the king in sport. This interpretation lulled the fears of Astyages; he became reconciled to the boy's existence; and, after acknowledging him as his grandson, sent him into Persia, to his father.-But, ere many years had elapsed, Cyrus stimulated the Persians to revolt, overcame Astyages, his grandfather, and united the empire of the Medes to that of the Persians.

In a visit which Cyrus made to his grandfather, shortly after his royal descent was recognised, Astyages was much charmed with his sprightliness and wit, and gave a sumptuous entertainment on his ac

count, at which there was a profusion of every thing that was nice and delicate. All this exquisite cheer and magnificent preparation, Cyrus looked upon with great indifference. "The Persians," said he to the king, "have a much shorter way to appease their hunger; with them, a little bread and a few cresses answer the purpose.

Sacras, the king's cupbearer, displeased Cyrus; and Astyages praising him on account of the wonderful dexterity with which he served him, "Is that all, sir?" replied Cyrus; "if that be sufficient to merit your favor, you shall see I will quickly obtain it; for I will take upon me to serve you better than he."

Immediately Cyrus was equipped as cupbearer, and very gracefully presented the cup to the king, who embraced him with great fondness, saying, 66 I am mightily well pleased, my son; nobody can serve with a better grace; but you have forgotten one essential ceremony, which is that of tasting. "No," replied Cyrus, it was not through forgetfulness that I omitted that ceremony. "Why, then," said Astyages, "for what reason did you omit it?" "Because I apprehended there was poison in the liquor," replied the youth.

"Poison, child!” continued the king; "how could you think so?" "Yea, poison, sir; for, not long ago, at an entertainment you gave to the lords of your court, after the guests had drunk a little of that liquor, I perceived all their heads were turned; they sung, made a noise, and talked they knew not what; you yourself seemed to have forgot that you were a king, and they, that they were your subjects; and when would have danced, you were unable to stand.""Why," says Astyages, "have you never seen the same thing happen to your father?" No, never," says Cyrus. "What then? how is it with him, when he drinks?" "Why, when he has drunk, his thirst is quenched; and that is all."

you

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEENTH.

Affliction.

Yes, sorrow can visit the bowers

Of any fair palace on earth;
And wither the delicate flowers,

And drain its sweet sources of mirth.

This life is a wilderness way,

Where roses with brambles entwine;
The path is not evermore gay;

The day does not constantly shine.

The delicate music within

The least disappointment may stop;
Remove but a spring or a pin,
The wheels of our happiness drop.

Our hope is a delicate flower,
Which yields to each furious blast,
And often we lose in an hour,

What promised for ages to last.

When the heavens are calm and serene,
We fancy 't will always be day,
Till the whirlwind and storm intervene,
And sweep the bright prospect away.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEENTH

Filial Devotion.

A woman of Japan was left a widow with three sons, and with no other wealth than what could be procured by their joint labor. Work became scarce; and the sons saw their mother ready to perish. With the most ardent attachment to their mother, and unable to relieve her, they formed a desperate resolution An edict had a short time before been issued,