and admire the glorious prodigality of nature-for

"She is man's best teacher, and unfolds

Her treasures to his search, unseals his eye,
Illumes his mind, and purifies his heart.
An influence breathes from all the sights and
sounds

Of her existence; she is wisdom's self."

And see, here we are in the depths of the forest. Let us hear what a priestess of nature, Rhoda Maria Willan, can say of the woods and their inmates:-"Yonder is an antlered deer, enjoying his calm slumbers amid the wild fastnesses of Nature! Now, the gorgeous king-fisher, suddenly rising from some hidden spot, sails along between the rushes, scattering a rich light from his painted plumes; and there, the dusky water-hen floats further down the current-her image reflected darkly on its silver, amid the yellow flowers of the water-flag, the noble-looking arrowhead, and the fair and elegant narcissus, which together

"Gaze on their eyes in the stream's recess, Till they die of their own dear loveliness!" How delightful it is to sit in a spot like this-upon the moss-covered trunk of some old tree, forgetting the ungentle world, with all its cares, and exulting only in that deep contented happiness which can look abroad,

and say,

"These bounding prospects all were made for me!" To linger here in Spring, when the charms of Nature and of beauty are new; to watch the throstle returning to feed her clamorous young, all astir at her approach, but hiding their small heads again when she disappears, and looking, as before, a nest of moveless down; or to notice the young broods, newly fledged,

"First by their nests, hop up and down the hedge; Then one, from bough to bough, gets up a tree, His fellow noting his agility,

Thinks he as well may venture as the other; So fluskering from one spray to another, Gets to the top, and then emboldened flies Unto a height past ken of human eyes." To hear the blackbird singing deep and loud amid the starry clusters of "lush woodbine;" the bullfinch answering sweetly from some distant covert; while the goldencrested wren, scarcely varying in size from one of the leaves by which he is surrounded, shows, now and then, his burnished head amid the greenness, and scatters fairy music around him. At our feet, in the warming verdure, the grasshopper "chithers," and

But here we are at an opening in the wood. A stile-near which is sitting an

aged peasant, with her basket beside herconducts us to the verge of the tree-land, and yonder is the farm-house near the trysting spot selected for our pic-nic. A charming place is that old farm, with its natural decoration of ivy and honeysuckle. A pastoral simplicity distinguishes it from the villas and handsome houses of the adjacent town. There sits the farmer in his porch, pipe in mouth, his dog beside him, and all the comfortable objects of his care roaming in liberty over the place. What a happy life to lead, perhaps some of us exclaim. True, living remote from the din of pent-up cities, amidst the solitudes of Nature, must be charming; but for happiness, we may find it if, we like, in every home, no matter where it may be.

"f solid happiness we prize,
Within our breast this jewel lies,
And they are fools who roam.
The world has nothing to bestow;
From our ownselves our joys must flow,
And that dear hut-our home."

But we are now arrived at the venerable oak tree, the rendezvous of many a festive party, and here let us spread our stores. No time is lost; with a mirth and good will that always gives a zest to such occa

sions, every one is busy. Many necessary things are wanted; there are more knives than forks; some of the plates have been broken in the journey, and a similar accident has happened to a bottle or two; but who cares for these mischances? We are come with a determination to be merry, and no trivial accident must cloud our enjoyment; so let us proceed. Young and bright faces are smiling around, the bird is singing sweetly above, and Nature inspires us with a song of thankfulness for the pleasures we still may find, if we seek them in a proper spirit.

Our Daily Paths! with thorns or flow'rs,
We can at will bestrew them;
What bliss would gild the passing hours,
If we but rightly knew them.
The way of life is rough at best,
But briers yield the roses,
So that which leads to joy and rest,
The hardest path discloses.

The weeds that oft we cast away,
Their simple beauty scorning,
Would form a wreath of purest ray,
And prove the best adorning.
So in our daily paths, 'twere well
To call each gift a treasure,
However slight, where love can dwell
With life-renewing pleasure!

CROCHET LACE BORDER.

THE WORK-TABLE FRIEND.

HANDSOME CROCHET LACE. Materials.-Cotton suitable for the material to be trimmed. The following will be requisite :For toilet covers, or anti-macassars, Messrs. W. Evans and Co.'s Boar's Head Crochet Cotton, No. 12. For petticoats, the same make, No. 28; for children's drawers, dresses, &c., No. 24 or 30. With ordinary workers No. 24 cotton will make an edge two inches wide at the point of the Vandyke.

MAKE a foundation chain of any length required, but counting such a number of stitches as may be divided by 65.

(If this border is to be worked round an anti-macassar or other article in crochet, no foundation chain will be required.) 1st Row.+1 Dc, 1 Ch, miss 1+ to the

end.

2nd Row.-+2 Dc, 3 Ch, miss 3, 1 Dc, 3 Ch, miss 3, 1 Dc, 5 Ch, miss 5, 4 Dc, 6 Ch, miss 6, 1 Dc, 6 Ch, miss 6, 2 Dc, 6 Ch, miss 6, 1 Dc, 6 Ch, miss 6, 4 Dc, 5 Ch, miss 5,1 Dc, 3 Ch, miss 3, 1 Dc, 3 Ch, miss 3, 1 Dc, repeat to the end. In future rows, to prevent repetition, it is to be understood that as many stitches are always missed as there are chains.

3rd Row.+3 Dc, 5 Ch, 3 Dc, 5 Ch, 2 Dc, +3 times, 2 Ch, † 2 Dc, 5 Ch, † 3 times. 3 Dc, 5 Ch, 2 Dc, + to the end.

4th Row.+ 4 Dc, 3 Ch, 5 Dc, 10 Ch, 4 Dc, 6 Ch, 2 Dc (over 2 Ch, in last row), 6 Ch, 4 Dc, 10 Ch, 5 Dc, 3 Ch, 3 Dc, + to

the end.

5th Row.+3 Dc, 3 Ch, 7 Dc, 4 Ch, 1 Dc, 5 Ch, 2 Dc, 6 Ch, 4 Dc, 6 Ch, 2 Dc, 5 Ch, 1 Dc, 4 Ch, 7 Dc, 3 Ch, 2 Dc, + to the end.

6th Row.+2 Dc, 5 Ch, 5 Dc, 4 Ch, 3 Dc, 7 Ch, 1 Dc, 6 Ch, 2 Dc, 6 Ch, 1 Dc, 7 Ch, 3 Dc, 4 Ch, 5 Dc, 5 Ch, 1 Dc,+to the end.

7th Row.+1 Dc, 2 Ch, 3 Dc, 2 Ch, 3 Dc, 4 Ch, 5 Dc, 8 Ch, 1 Dc, 8 Ch, 1 Dc, 8

Ch, 5 Dc, 4 Ch, 3 Dc, 2 Ch, 3 Dc, 2 Ch, + to the end.

8th Row. +6 Dc, 3 Ch, 3 Dc, 4 Ch, 7 Dc, 4 Ch, 1 Dc, 6 Ch, 2 Dc, 6 Ch, 1 Dc, 4 Ch, 7 Dc, 4 Ch, 3 Dc, 3 Ch, 5 Dc, + to the end.

9th Row. This row is the first of the point. Each is done separately, the ends being worked in. Begin on the 2nd Dc of last row, with a slip stitch. 1 more slip, 1 Sc, 2 Dc, 1 Ch, 3 Dc, 5 Ch, 5 Dc, 3 Ch, 1 Dc, 6 Ch, 6 Dc (over 2, and 2 Ch, at each side), 6 Ch, 1 Dc, 3 Ch, 5 Dc, 5 Ch, 3 Dc, 1 Ch, 2 Dc, 1 Sc, 2 slip.

10th Row.-Slip on 1st Dc of last row. 1 slip, 1 Sc (on Ch), 3 De, 6 Ch, 3 Dc, 3 Ch, 1 Dc, 5 Ch, 10 Dc (on 6 and 2 Ch at each side), 5 Ch, 1 Dc, 3 Ch, 3 Dc, 6 Ch, 3 Dc, 1 Sc, 2 slip.

11th Row.-Slip on Sc, 1 Sc, 2 Dc, 1 Ch, 3 Dc, 3 Ch, 1 Dc, 2 Ch, 4 Dc, 4 Ch, 10 De (on 10), 4 Ch, 4 Dc, 2 Ch, 1 Dc, 3 Ch, 3 Dc, 1 Ch, 2 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip.

12th Row.-Slip on 2nd Dc, 1 Sc on 1 Ch, 3 Dc, 3 Ch, 10 De (on 4 De and 3 Ch at each side), 4 Ch, 4 Dc (on 4 centre of 10), 4 Ch, 10 Dc, 3 Ch, 3 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip.

13th Row-Slip on 1st of 3 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 Dc, 3 Ch, 10 Dc on 10, 2 Ch, Dc (on 4 and 2 Ch at each side), 2 Ch, 10 Ch, 3 Ch, 1 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip. 14th Row.-1 slip on Sc of last row, 1 Sc, 4 Dc, 2 Ch, 4 Dc (on centre 4 of 10) 3 Ch, 5 Dc, 2 Ch, 5 Dc, 3 Ch, 4 Dc, 2 Ch, 4 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip.

15th Row.-Slip on 2nd of 4 Dc, 1 Sc, 14 Dc, 4 Ch (over 2 Ch and 1 Dc at each side), 14 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip.

16th Row.-Slip on 1st of 14 Dc, 1 Sc, 9 Dc, 4 Ch, 2 Dc (on centre 2 of 4 Ch, 4 Ch, 9 Dc), 1 Sc, 1 slip.

17th Row.-Slip on 2nd Dc, 1 Sc, 4 Dc, 4 Ch, 2 Dc, 2 Ch (over 2 Dc), 2 Dc, 4 Ch, 4 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip.

18th Row.-Slip on the 2nd Dc, 1 Sc, 4 Dc, 3 Ch, 2 Dc, 3 Ch, 4 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip. 19th Row.-Slip on 2nd Dc, 1 Sc, 4 Dc, 2 Ch, 4 Dc, 1 Sc, 1 slip.

20th Row.-Slip on 2nd Dc, 2 Sc, 2 Dc, 2 Sc, 1 slip. This forms the extreme point. When all are done, work round the whole of the Vandykes in Sc, then the following shell. +1 slip, 1 Sc, 2 Dc in next, 2 De in next, 2 Dc in next, 1 Sc, + all round.

For round d'Oyleys this edge may be used, by missing fewer than the number of chain in the early rows. It is best to do

the corners of anti-macassars by working enough chain for one complete pattern at each corner, and then sewing it in full.

WORK-TABLE FOR JUVENILES;

OR,

LITTLE MARY'S HALF-HOLIDAY.

"WELL, my dear, I am glad to see you ready for work again. I almost thought the temptation of joining your cousins in their pic-nic would have been too great to be resisted. And, of course, had chosen so to employ a day which I considered as your own, I could not have been displeased at it."

you

"You are very kind, dear Mamma. And I should have liked very much to have gone out with my cousins; but I am very happy working by your side. And when I think of the pleasure of giving these things at Christmas, I feel I cannot relinquish it for any present enjoyment. Besides, I am to do something to-day for my aunt; and you remember, dear Mamma, how very kind she was to me when I was ill last year."

"I do indeed, Mary; and I am glad you, too, have not forgotten it. Let not your gratitude be like that of too many people what a very clever man once called a lively sense of favours to come."

"I don't quite understand that, Mamma. How can we feel grateful for a kindness we have not yet experienced ?"

"It means, my dear girl, that we too frequently show attention and respect to those who have, as we think, the power of benefiting us in future, than to those from whom we have already received favours. Do you not remember some lines on this subject in your favourite 'Lady of the Lake?'"

"Oh, yes, Mamma. It is in the song when Fitz James leaves the island :

"Not faster yonder rowers' might

Fling from their oars the spray, Not faster yonder rippling bright That tracks the shallop's course in light Melts in the lake away,Than men from memory erase The benefits of former days.""" "It is too true of the world in general. Let it not be so of ourselves. In denying yourself the little pleasure of going out, and devoting your time to the gratification of another, you are conquering any inclination to selfishness, and giving all the little

Here is a drawing of it. It is 7 inches long, and 4 in the widest part. Mark the depth of three inches from the bottom, and form this into a half round, then cut it into a point from the widest part to the top. The lower part, which is for the pocket, is