done for him." "Beloved Lina," answered her mother, "I thought thou didst always tend him most carefully." "Ah, no! replied the child, "it was only a little while before his death, that, instead of bringing him a bit of sugar which you gave me for him, I ate it myself."

Thus spake the maiden with a troubled heart. The mother did not make light of Caroline's remorse, for she recognised therein the holy voice of truth which spake within the heart of the child.

"Ah!" said she, "what must then be the grief of an undutiful child over the grave of its parents!"

KRUMMACHER.

THE BRIGHTEST ORNAMENT OF YOUTH is virtue. As, on the one hand, religion never appears more lovely and engaging than where it dwells on the lips and is exhibited in the lives of young people; so, on the other hand, young persons never appear so amiable, and deserve so much esteem and confidence, as when they are religious;when they walk in the paths of virtue, honesty, sobriety, and integrity. Always interesting in itself, youth is rendered doubly so when associated with the graces and tempers of the gospel. A young man or a young woman, destitute of religion,

may be very estimable and worthy on account of the amiableness of their dispositions and the propriety of their deportment. But where the spirit and graces of Christianity are added, it is like adding life and motion to a statue which we have admired for its proportions and decorations. But a young person of elegant form and engaging manners, who lives in profligacy, impurity, and blasphemy, deserves to be compared to a finished statue, streaming forth corruption, and poisoning the atmosphere with contagion and death.

THE FEMALE HEART may be compared to a garden, which, when well cultivated, presents a continued succession of fruits and flowers, to regale the soul and delight the eye; but, when neglected, producing a crop of the most noxious weeds; large and flourishing, because their growth is in proportion to the warmth and richness of the soil from which they spring. Then let this ground be faithfully cultivated; let the mind of the young and lovely female be stored with useful knowledge, and the influence of woman, though undiminished in power, will be like "the diamond of the desert," sparkling and pure, whether surrounded by the sands of desolation, forgotten and unknown, or pouring its refreshing streams through every avenue of the social and moral fabric.

"SERMONS IN STONES."

As Mr. Williams was walking out towards evening, with one of his pupils, he picked up a paving stone, which seemed more nearly round than usual. The earnestness with which he viewed it attracted the attention of his pupil, who said to him, "Pray, sir, what do you see so interesting in that old stone."

"Much," said the teacher, "much; it has given rise to a course of thought which overwhelms me."

"I should not think there was anything in it worthy of a thought," said the lad, laying his hand upon it, with a sort of curiosity, to see if he could discover anything in it without the aid of his teacher.

The indulgent teacher yielded it up to him, and the ardent pupil turned it over and over again, but he could see nothing peculiar in it, except that it was nearly as round as a ball, though too hard to be used as one. At last he returned it to his teacher, and said. "Are you

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serious, sir, in saying that this stone excites overwhelming thoughts in your mind."

"I never was more serious in my life, Allan."

"Will you be good enough, then, sir, to point out to me what you see so clearly, but what is so invisible to me."

"I will, Allan, with great pleasure; but, before doing so, allow me to use this occasion to impress upon your mind the important fact, that the instructed see with eyes unlike those of uninformed persons; for it is literally true of the latter that 'having eyes they see not, and having ears they hear not' one half of the sights and signs that fill the universe. The Creator, in His wisdom, has not made one object to please the ignorant, and a different one to please the learned; but He has made the same thing to please both, though for different reasons, and in very different degrees. I have been but an unworthy student of nature, and yet it seems to me that every step I have advanced in knowledge, has added new power to my eyes, new quickness to my ears, and quicker pulsations to my heart. But let us to the stone, and see what lessons we can draw from it." "What is its form, Allan ?"

"It is nearly round, sir."

"How do you think it became so round." "I suppose nobody can tell, sir. Has it not always been round ?"

"Oh no, indeed. Have you never seen such round stones before?"

"Oh yes, sir, on the sea-beach, I have seen thousands of them; and now I think of it, I suppose they get rounded by rubbing against each other as they are moved by the waves. My sister Mary says this is what is called contrition."

No; it is called attrition, Allan. But tell me, how long do you think it would take for the waves to round and polish a hard stone like this ?"

"Oh dear! ever so long," said Allan. "So large a stone as that would not be moved by one wave in a million, if it were on the seashore, which it is not.'

"Does it appear to be homogeneous !" asked the teacher.

"Homo what?" anxiously inquired Allan.

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Homogeneous," repeated Mr. Williams; "that is, does the whole stone seem to be made of the same substance?"

"Oh, no, sir, I did not notice it before; but I think I can see a variety of grains in it. Here is one that shines like silvered glass."

"Yes, that is called Mica," said the teacher, "and you may pick off little scales of it with a pen-knife. What else do you see?"

"Light-coloured smooth sort of grains," said Allan.