And my faint, weary spirit stand
Within that happy, happy land?

Caroline Bowles.

LESSON LIX.-LAKES.

Inland bodies of water, entirely surrounded by land, are called lakes-sometimes, when they obtain a very great magnitude, seas. Some lakes have no river running either into or out of them-conjectured to be craters of extinct volcanoes. Some send out a stream, but receive none-fed by springs. Some receive rivers, but send out none; as the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Aral, the Dead Sea, and Lake Tchad in Africa. By far the greater number both receive rivers, and have rivers flowing from them,-as the great lakes in North America, and Lake Baikal, in Northern Asia.

The most celebrated European lakes are those of Constance and Geneva. The Russian lakes, of which Ladoga is the largest, are, however, of much greater extent. The British lakes, though presenting much picturesque scenery, are of small size; the largest English lakes, those of Westmoreland and Cumberland, would appear mere specks on a map of Europe. The lakes of Scotland, of which Loch Lomond is the largest, though of somewhat greater extent, are insignificant in a general view of the world. The lakes of Ireland are likewise of small dimensions; but the Lake of Killarney and Lough Erne are celebrated for their beautiful and picturesque scenery.

Asia contains some fresh-water lakes, among which is that of Baikal, but the greater number of its lakes are salt. The most celebrated of the latter is Lake Asphaltites, or the Dead Sea, which is more saline than the

ocean. Many of these natural depositories of salt are situated in the interior of this vast region; and their occurrence in districts so far removed from the sea is of great importance to the inhabitants, who, in many cases, obtain considerable supplies of that valuable article, merely by collecting the saline incrustations formed round the margin of the lakes.

We are too little acquainted with the interior of Africa to speak with any certainty as to the number or character of its lakes; but Lake Tchad is described as one of the largest fresh-water lakes in the world.

North America, however, may be considered as the country of lakes. A vast chain, more or less connected with each other, extends across a large portion of the continent, commencing near the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and terminating on those of the Atlantic. Many of these lakes are of great extent, but the most remarkable are those which form the great water-system of Canada. The largest of these is Lake Superior, which has an extreme length of 380 miles, and a breadth of 161 miles. The surface occupied by the Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron, is computed at 72,930 square miles. South America is very deficient in lakes; that of Titicaca being the only considerable one in this portion of the New World. This lake, however, is remarkable on account of its great elevation above the level of the sea.-Zornlin.

LESSON LX.-DUTY TO GOD,

God is mysterious, majestic, and powerful, and children ought to adore Him. He is strict in requiring obedience to His law, and terrible in His displeasure against those who persist in disobeying it; and therefore we ought to fear Him. He is merciful to forgive those who are

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penitent; and He loves and watches over all His creatures, to keep them from harm, and to make them happy; and therefore we ought to love Him. He is always near us, ready to listen to us, to take care of us, and to be our best friend; we ought, therefore, to commune with Him every day, to confess our sins, to thank Him for His favours, and to ask His continued guidance and protection.

God is everywhere. If a boy plant a seed in the ground in the spring, there comes from it, in a few days, a little sprout. There are two parts: the part that is for the root turns down, and grows into the ground; that part which is for the stem and leaves turns up, and comes out into the air. How do the root and the stem know which way they each must grow? They do not know. God is there, where you plant that seed, and He guides the growing of it; and all over this vast world you cannot find a place where you can put in the smallest seed, but God will be always ready there, to send the little leaflets up and the root down.

Did you ever feel your pulse in your wrists? Do you know what it is occasioned by? It is the beating of the blood, as it is driven along through a little channel into your hand. It is by means of this that your hand is kept alive, and warm, and made to grow. Your blood beats its way thus into every part of your body; and if it should cease this motion, you would soon become cold, and stiffen, and die. Now, who makes your pulse beat? Do you do it? Can you make it beat, or stop its beating? No. It is God. His power is always present within you and around you; and He causes the pulse to beat all the time, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing,-whether you are awake or asleep, at home or abroad, running or playing, or sitting still.

How strange! that God should never for a moment forget, and leave His work unperformed! He is great and mighty, and is constantly present and constantly acting everywhere. We ought to adore Him for His greatness and majesty, love Him for His goodness, dread His displeasure, and ask His forgiveness and protection every day.

Every duty which we have to perform is enjoined upon us by the command of God; so that we cannot neglect any duty whatever, without disobeying Him. Now, the law of God clearly forbids all the sins of which we can be guilty against any one; so that we cannot do any wrong without disobeying Him. If a child be unjust to his playmate, he disobeys and displeases God. If he attempts to deceive his parents, he disobeys and displeases God. If he waste his time, or is insubordinate and troublesome at school, he disobeys and displeases God. Every offence which we can commit, small as well as great, is a transgression of His law; and we cannot be really happy, after we have committed such transgressions, until we obtain His forgiveness. We ought, therefore, to make it the great duty and business of our lives to secure and enjoy at all times the favour of Almighty God, our Father in heaven. We should seek His pardon for all our sins, go to Him always in all our trouble, look to Him for protection in danger, strength in temptation, comfort in sorrow, and peace and happiness in duty; and cultivate such constant habits of intercourse and communion with Him as shall enable us, under all the circumstances of life, to feel that He is our refuge and strength, and an ever-present help in time of trouble.-J. Abbott.

penitent; and He loves and watches over all His creat.. to keep them from harm, and to make them happy: therefore we ought to love Him. He is always ready to listen to us, to take care of us, and to be friend; we ought, therefore, to commune with Hi.. day, to confess our sins, to thank Him for His favor to ask His continued guidance and protection.

God is everywhere. If a boy plant a seed in the ground in the spring, there comes from it, in a few day a little sprout. There are two parts: the part that for the root turns down, and grows into the ground; part which is for the stem and leaves turns up, and out into the air. How do the root and the stem which way they each must grow? They do not God is there, where you plant that seed, and He the growing of it; and all over this vast wo cannot find a place where you can put in the seed, but God will be always ready there, to send leaflets up and the root down.

Did you ever feel your pulse in your wri know what it is occasioned by? It is the blood, as it is driven along through a lit your hand. It is by means of this kept alive, and warm, and made to beats its way thus into every part of it should cease thing, you cold, and stiffen, an beat? Do you do its beating? N present within