LESSON LIV.-RIVERS.

Rivers rise in elevated districts, and flow thence in various directions towards the sea. The high land or ridge between the sources of the rivers, which flow in opposite directions through a country, is called the water-shed; the tract of country, which sends its waters into any great river, is called the basin of that river. Europe may be described as having two leading watersheds: one in the region of the Alps, and the mountains on the south-west of Germany; the other extending in a winding course from the west of the Carpathian range, north-east through Russia.

Rivers form an important part of that grand natural circulation of water, constantly going on through air, earth, and ocean. The waters of the great lakes, seas, and oceans, being raised into the atmosphere in vapour by the influence of solar heat, are wafted over the land by winds, and condensed and precipitated on the earth's surface; and the water which has descended in rain, or been deposited as dew, or collected by the melting of hail, snow, hoar-frost, and ice flows along the surface ; in streams or rivulets, which unite and form rivers, which pour their waters into other rivers, great lakes, or the sea; or it sinks into the ground, penetrates through porous strata till it meets some obstruction, when it accumulates, or takes some other course, and bursts out in springs.

Rivers generally run at right angles to the mountainchains from whose upper ridges they flow; and from the arrangement of the leading mountain-chains, the greater number of large rivers flow from west to east towards the ocean; some to north or south; few towards

the west. They carry down with them a large quantity of solid matter in suspension, by the wearing away of their beds. This is deposited when their velocity becomes small; when they overflow their banks; and in large beds of a somewhat triangular form at their mouths, called deltas.

Many rivers periodically overflow their banks, as the Ganges, the Indus, the Nile, the Mississippi. This phenomenon occurs chiefly in the torrid zone, and is caused by the sudden and heavy rains which fall there in the wet season; or by the melting of snows on the mountains. The latter cause operating suddenly, often gives rise to floods in other districts. The rivers in northern Asia are often flooded, from their lower portions near the Arctic Ocean being still bound up in ice, while their sources are opened up and replenished by the influence of summer. The American continent, though comparatively narrow, has the largest rivers in the world, as the Maranon or Amazon, and the Mississippi, and a great number in proportion to the extent of land; Africa is scantily supplied with rivers; Arabia is nearly river less.

Rivers form striking features in natural scenery, and effect important changes on the earth's surface. They restore to the ocean the superfluous water not needed for the fertilization of the land, and by gathering the surface water into channels, render the countries on their banks dry and salubrious. They wear down the solid matter of the globe, and transport it to the bed of the deep, or deposit it as a rich alluvial soil on their banks. The influence of their moisture promotes vegetation, and moderates temperature in their vicinity. They afford to mankind never failing supplies of fresh water, and solid

sustenance in the fish with which they abound: they become highways of commerce: and have often proved powerful barriers against the encroachments of the invader. The simple abodes of the earliest races of men, as well as the largest and most magnificent cities of modern times, are found upon their banks. The river has always possessed a peculiar interest for man. His reason soon taught him the substantial advantages it confers the fresh and beautiful verdure of its banks and the music of its gushing waters charmed his senses; its wild unceasing movement ever onwards changing-yet ever renewed-an emblem of life and eternity-fascinated his imagination.—Reid.

LESSON LV.-DUTIES AT SCHOOL.

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Parents make great efforts and sacrifices to procure for their children the privileges of school; and children ought to be diligent and faithful in improving these privileges. They ought to submit readily and cheerfully to the authority of the teacher, and to be industrious, patient, and persevering, in pursuing the studies assigned to them.

The first duty which devolves upon children at school, is to be diligent and faithful in improving their time and privileges there. There is pleasure in play, and advantage in study. But children make a great mistake in attempting to enjoy the pleasure of play in school hours. There is so much fear of detection, so much watching of the teacher, so many interruptions, and such a constant uneasiness, from a consciousness of doing wrong, that playing in school is anything but a pleasure.

It requires an effort-sometimes a great effort-to bring the mind to a state of diligent application; but if

the effort is made, it is at once rewarded by the satisfaction and enjoyment which faithful industry affords. Besides, it is very wrong to waste or misimprove the privileges which parents have provided for their children. The support of schools is a heavy burden. It is sustained by parents altogether for the benefit of their children. They know the value of knowledge, and they wish to secure the treasure for those whom they love; and for the child to neglect and throw away the privileges thus procured for him, is to be guilty of great sin.

Children are bound to submit with cheerfulness and good-humour to all the requisitions of their parents and teachers, in respect to their studies, and to their conduct in school. Children sometimes think differently from their parents about the studies they are to pursue. But the parents must decide. The teacher, too, will establish rules which the scholars sometimes think unnecessary, or too strict. But it is of no consequence if they do think so. The teacher must decide. A pupil should never put his opinion or his will in opposition to that of the teacher.

Do not trouble the teacher with frivolous complaints about the other scholars, nor be a tale-bearer to carry to him, or to your parents at home, stories of their misconduct. While children should be very unwilling and slow to speak of the faults of others, unless circumstances demand it, yet when they are required by a parent or teacher to give them information in regard to any wrong that has been done, they should, as witnesses always do when they are required to give evidence in courts of justice, state all that they know, promptly, fully, and with exact justice to all concerned.

It undoubtedly requires a great deal of firmness and

decision, to resist the various temptations which occur at school, and to be at all times diligent, faithful, and persevering, in fulfilling the duties which arise there. But when once good habits are established, it will be easy to continue in them; and the effort, which it is necessary to make, will be richly rewarded by the great advantages which knowledge will bring in future life.-J. Abbott.

LESSON LVI.-RETREAT FROM MOSCOW.

In the retreat from Moscow, Bonaparte provided only for his own security; the famished and the wounded were without protection. Forty thousand men, who had been sent on distant and desperate excursions to supply the army with food, being uninformed of the retreat, perished to a man; whilst their disappearance caused the death of a far greater number of their former comrades. Forty miles of road were excavated in the snow. The army looked like a phantasmagoria; no sound of horses' feet was heard, no wheel of waggon or artillery, no voice of man. Regiment followed regiment in long and broken lines, between two files of soldiers, the whole way. Some of the latter stood erect, some reclined a little, some had laid their arms beside them; some clasped theirs: all were dead. Several of these had slept in this position, but the greater part had been placed so as to leave the more room, and not a few, from every troop or detachment, took their voluntary station among them. The barbarians, who at other seasons rush into battle with loud cries, rarely did so now. Skins covered not their bodies only, but their faces; and such was the intensity of the cold, that they reluctantly gave vent, from amidst the spoils they had taken, to this first and most natural expression of their