follow him to his home, while you might not find him cross and savage, you would see him careless and thoughtless of the welfare of his family. We have been told, on good authority, that he sometimes sells, not only the clothing of his wife and children, but also wife and children themselves, in order to obtain means to supply himself with opium. Opium he must have, and there is scarcely a crime, which he will not commit in cases of necessity, to procure it. And in many cases, the end of the whole business is beggary and premature death.

Of the number of those addicted to opium smoking, in China, we have no data for forming a correct estimate. Frequent inquiries of the Chinese themselves, have afforded no definite information in this respect. Some have said, one-half of the adult population; others have said two-fifths; some threefifths; and some have made the proportion as high as four-fifths. What the true proportion is, we know not. But we do know that the number of those who have fallen under the dominion of this destructive habit is very large. No doubt the aggregate would embrace several millions. And these are most of them from the fathers and husbands of the families of the Celestial Empire; they are those who ought to be the support and comfort of those whom Providence has placed under their care; but who have been made by opium a plague and a curse in the home circle.

There is one more inquiry, which arises here, and

demands attention. Who furnishes the Chinese with opium? And where does it come from? We must answer these questions briefly. The opium is raised in India, under the direction of the East India Company, to which it is a source of very great profit. By this Company it is sold to English and American merchants, the representatives of the two pricipal Christain nations of the world, and also to the merchants of some other countries. These merchants take it to the coast of China, and sell it at a great profit to themselves, and that in despite of the laws of the Chinese Empire, prohibiting the importation of the drug, and without regard to the untold amount of wretchedness and woe which it brings upon that vast nation. And now, who is responsible for that wretchedness and woe? Whose is the guilt? Will not he who sells the opium, as well as he who uses it, have a fearful account to render at the bar of the civilized world, and at the higher Court of Eternal Justice? And if those, who desire to promote good morals in this Christain land, feel it incumbent upon them to adopt stringent measures to prevent men from selling ardent spirits, ought they not also to do something to prevent merchants, from this same Christain nation, selling opium to the Chinese, among whom it is producing such incalculable evil and misery? Let sober convictions answer this question.

"Mamma, that's a worm." "No," said Mrs. F., with stress, "Well, you know 'tis S.

"Now, my pet, I'll try you here

Charlie, be a man—

Tell me what is that, my dear,"

"That is sissy's fan."

"Charles, how naughty you can be! Sure you know that's V."

LOVE met a fair child,

Tripping lightly along;

With a look meek and gentle
She warbled this song-

"O Birdie, O Birdie,

That sits on a tree,

I often do wonder

What's Sunday to thee.

"Your voice is so sweet

All that holy day long,
That it oft makes me think

There is praise in your song."

Love threw down his quiver—
He caught the sweet maid;

And now both together
They sit in the shade.