"What purpose?" said the forester. "Only look out of the window, my dear sir! Do you see how the earth is covered with the deep snow, and the very branches of the trees are breaking under its weight? No flowers are to be seen, except the ice flowers that glitter here on the frozen windows. No apples or pears are hanging any more upon the fruit trees which surround my house, and not a single green leaf can be detected. All the boughs and twigs are white with frost and ice, and long icicles are hanging from the eaves of the house. The poor children are confined here like prisoners in the room, being scarcely able to take a step in front of the house door. Can it be wrong then, if loving parents create something like spring for their children in the warm room during the inclement winter? In fact this spring landscape in miniature, with its green woods, flowery meadows, grazing flocks with their shepherds, is almost the only winter pleasure these children have.".

"Still that is of the least importance! The chief object is this: We Christians rejoice during this holy Christmas season, because God's love for man was manifested to us then in Christ in the form of a man. And we wish that our children, as far as they are able to understand it, should participate in this joy. Now I know very well, that the greatest artists have represented this sacred history in paintings that have been the admiration of the world for centuries. I myself, when on my travels, have often admired that celebrated painting of Jesus in the manger in Dresden, called the 'Notte.' But the same objections, that you have made to my very imperfect representation of the manger of Jesus-the unskillfulness of the artist being duly considered-might also be made to that glorious painting, and hence they do not merit reply. Moreover, such costly paintings are only for great nobles, and do not suit little children. Indeed I would wager that my children would certainly not exchange this manger for the celebrated painting of Dresden.' "Please, then, my dear Herr von Schilf, suffer us simple people here in the forest to cleave to the old customs of our fathers. I remember yet from my own childhood's years, that the manger was my greatest joy—and was not without its blessing for me. May it also be a joy and blessing to my own children !"

THE CHRISTIAN BADGE.-The Romans had a law, that every one should, wherever he went, wear a badge of his trade in his hat, or outward vestment, that he might be known. Thus the Christian is never to lay aside the badge of his honorable profession; but to let his light shine, and adorn the doctrine of God in all things.

ADAM CLARKE.

BY PERKIOMEN.

Between the source and the mouth of the Mississippi Riverwhat a contrast! But is it any greater than that which is furnished between ADAM CLARKE, on the one hand, and Reverend Adam Clarke, Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Laws, Fellow of the Antiquarian Society, Member of the Royal Institute of Art, Linguist, Theologian, Scholar, Professor of Physical Sciences, and a dozen other great things besides? This is, for once, reversing the trite saying, to show us that "a mouse laboring can sometimes produce a mountain." Bounded by such extremes, there must stretch an interesting territory, which we purpose to explore and epitomize.

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME.

Clericus, or Clerk meant originally to emphasize the office, rather than the man, and signified a learned man-one who could read and write. The title becoming by and by a surname, Clerk soon changed into CLARKE.

That a Family name gradually emerged out of a union of one's Christian name, with the title of office or employment, is clear from these examples: Allen the Fuller; Aldred the Smith; Arnold the Baker; Walter the Miller; and-what is familiar to us allJohn the Baptist.

It seems a strange insinuation, in this XIX century, that only some chance man could be named in a district, able to read and write. But let it be remembered, that there was a period when even British monarchs could do neither. Here is a record made A. D. 700: "I Withred, king of Kent, have confirmed the above liberties, dictated by myself; and because I am unlearned-cannot write-I have, with my own hand signed this with the sign of the holy cross-+."

HIS ANCESTRY.

The Clarkes never claimed nobility, according to rank; but the character of gentility had ever been exacted and conceded. They had a saying among themselves, that blood will tell. The Greatgreat-grandfather, William Clarke, had been largely estated, in the county of Antrim. In 1690, he was appointed to receive the

Prince of Orange. A disciple of George Fox, he could not uncover his head before any man; so he took off his hat and laid it on a stone, by the way-side, and walked forward, accosting the Prince thus: "William, thou art welcome to this kingdom." thank you, sir," replied the Prince, and added: "You are, sir, the best-bred gentleman I have ever met!" How could letters patent, have been more directly conferred?

"I

John Clarke, the great grandfather had nineteen children, eighteen of whom grew up to man's estate-Horseman dying a young lad from the foam of a mad dog, which had been spattered on him.

The grandfather, William Clarke, had an offspring of four sons and two daughters, all of whom became honorably connected. His father, John Clarke, having been set apart for the Church, had studied at Edinburgh and Glasgow, and entered subsequently as a Fellow in Trinity College, Dublin. Here, however, a severe typhoid fever, and a still severer love fever, contracted from Miss MacClean, blasted forever his prospects in this direction, and settled him down a Parish school-master.

About the year 1759, when the tide of emigration set in all over Ireland, John Clarke indulged the hope of filling a professorship, in one of the nascent Universities in the new world. With his wife and infant son, he embarked and was on the eve of sailing, when his father arrived, boarded the vessel, expostulated, and by tears and entreaties, enforced by parental tenderness duly tempered with authority, prevailed on the young family to change their purpose, forfeit the passage money, and to return to their home.

Perhaps he had better gone to America; but the trouble is, that one does not always know, whether to go or stay. At any rate, poor John never got on well in Ireland, from that date. Friends failed him; resources ran low and dry; disappointments and poverty drove him at last into an obscure village" Moybeg, Township of Cootinaglugg, in the Parish of Kilchranagham, in the county of Londonderry."

HIS BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD.

Here Adam Clarke was born, either in 1760 or 1762-it is not certainly known in which year. He was the second of seven children. His older brother, TRACY, having received a most tender treatment, which produced an unfavorable effect throughout life, it was determined to make no Sunday child of Adam. He met with but little indulgence; was comparatively neglected; was nursed rather indifferently and left, as it were, to shift for himself. Through this mode of raising he grew uncommonly hardy, took to his feet in eight months, and before he closed his ninth month, could walk over the lawn unattended.

He became remarkably insensible to cold. He had a passion for snow. When the flakes fell, he became enraptured. He would crow, clap his hands, call them his brothers,' and steal out of his crib early of a morning, in his night clothes, dig mounds and scoop out rooms, in which he would sit contentedly for a long time.

He was soon possessed of great strength, taking after his maternal uncle, in this respect, who, having been insulted by an officer, one day, took off his coat, rolled it up in a bundle and threw it under the table, saying:- Divinity lie thou there; and, Parson McLean, do for yourself!" So saying, he seized the impertinent fellow by the cuff and waistband, and landed him through the window outside the house.

Adam Clarke has frequently been known to thank God for the hardy manner in which he had been raised. "My heavenly Father," he used to say, "saw that I was likely to meet with many rude blasts in journeying through life, and He prepared me in infancy for the lot His Providence destined for me; so that through His mercy I have been enabled to carry a profitable childhood up to hoary hairs. He knew that I must walk alone through life, and therefore He set me on my feet right early, that I might be prepared by long practice for the work I was appointed to perform.

His grand-parents had promised to raise little Adam up to manhood. The lad was accordingly transferred to their care. But Adam would not stay by his grandmother all day. The old lady fearing the open draw-well near the house, sent him home again. When safely at home, he took the small-pox. The five-year-old boy was put to bed with a load of clothes piled over him; the curtains drawn close to keep off every breath of air, and some spirituous liquors administered plentifully, in order to strike the pock out. This was too much for the boy, and although covered from sole to crown, no parental or any other power could confine him to bed. He stole out into the air with but shreds around himself, and escaped without a single mark! In after life he frequently referred to the relief he found in this burning disease by exposure to the open air. The only hinderance to his walking were the pustules which covered the soles of his feet. Nor need this early recollection be wondered at, since the power of memory was great, even from his third year?

He was a child of strong sympathies and antipathies. He was afraid of large, fat men. Pearce Quinlin, a near neighbor, was remarkably corpulent; his eyes stood out with fatness, and his stomach protruded. Pearce was fond of Adam; but Adam dreaded Pearce. A silly fellow of the District, pretended to tell fortunes.' He told the boy that he would be very fond of the

bottle, grow fat, and have a large stomach.' Adam ran into a near field, crept into a thicket, knelt down and prayed:-"O_Lord God, have mercy upon me, and never suffer me to be like Pearce Quinlin." He continued to pray thus, until he felt persuaded that the evil would be averted.

HIS SCHOOL-DAYS.

Adam was a very inapt scholar, and found it very difficult to acquire a knowledge of the Alphabet. Often was he imprudently censured and crully chastised. When he reached his eighth year, a circumstance occurred which kindled the spark of hope. The school-master one day set out the boys before some visitors. When Adam's turn came, the teacher apologized and remarked, "this lad is a grievous dunce." But a humane man, patting him on the head, said:" Never you fear, sir, this lad will make a good scholar yet!" Then there was a loud laugh. "Dunce!" "Dunce!" the boys cried for days. "I'll pull your ears as long as Jowler's are!" threatened the master again and again. The boy wept, and in a piteous tone was heard to moan-"I cannot learn!" One day he felt as if something had broken within him." The ability to apprehend the reason of things, seemed generated in a moment, and with the aid of a good memory, he astonished master and pupils ever after.

But let no one imagine, that, from this time Adam found no difficulty to cultivate his mind, or to acquire knowledge. He was compelled to contend with the same lion in the way, all through life, that lay at the portal of his school-life. He never could catch anything at first sight. The initial labor, in taking up any new task, invariably proved onerous to him. To comprehend the reason, and to acquire a principle-that was for him the first and most tiresome step. Having made the first, all the following steps seemed to follow spontaneously.

The English and Latin languages and Arithmetic, were the chief and daily branches of study. These attended to, he would spend hours in miscellaneous reading. Littleton's dictionary he ever kept by his side, so that there was neither person nor place in the classic world, of which he could not give a ready account. This made him a character of reference among his school-fellows, who applied to him for every information on the historical parts of their studies.

His list of favorite books will strike any man somewhat singularly. The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, Robinson Crusoe, Æsop's Fables, The Athenian Oracle, The Fairy Tales, The Peruvian Tales, The Tartarian Tales, The Holy War, The Pilgrim's Progress, The History of the Nine Worthies of the World, The