great depths through the limestone, was the specious reason generally assigned for the sudden vacation of the former site, as the new one was remarkable for the numerous large and copious springs existing within its limits. Thus Thomas and Richard Penn, proprietories and governors in chief of the province

Can any one who has ever seen, fail to recognize the accompanying sketch? The artist has so elaborately preserved the most minute objects within the boundaries of his view, that at this interval memory can easily recog-of Pennsylvania, became private owners of nise the fidelity of his pencil.

The mountain seems to give an agreeable relief to the extended clusters of dwellings before it, whilst the peculiar proximity of its two most prominent churches and their rival steeples, serves at once to identify the ancient and goodly borough of Reading.

In designating it as ancient, we are fully aware that we must use the term simply in its relative sense, as there are but few European villages of equal extent that cannot retrace their history to a period long anterior to the discovery and consequent settlement of this portion of the country.

Like most of the primitive towns of the state, Reading is indebted for its name and that of the county in which it is situated, to the native soil of the Penns'.

the ground plot of Reading, the lots of which they carefully subjected in their titles to an annual quit or ground rent. Singular as it may seem, this claim became almost forgotten through neglect, and the circumstances that resulted from the change in the old order of things, produced by the Revolution; indeed, when recurred to at all, was generally believed to have became forfeit to the State, by the nature of that event. But a few years ago it was however renewed by the heirs, and its collection attempted under the authority of the law; but so excited were the populace, and averse to the payment of its accumulated Secured by "deeds of peace," a blessing amount, that it was generally, and in cases appeared particularly to throw its happy in-violently, resisted, till the deliberations of a fluence over the prosperity of the state-the town meeting had suggested measures leadinterminable forests bowed before the hand of ing to a more direct, amicable, and permanent the hardy settler; smiling fields greeted his compromise. appearance every where, and busy villages soon marked the denser points of population. As early as 1733, warrants were taken out by John and Samuel Finney, and 450 acres of land surveyed under their sanction, which are now entirely embraced within the limits of Reading. Whether the inducements to this selection were other than its general beauty and fertility, it is now difficult to say; though it is asserted that when the proprietories John and Richard Penn became aware of its advantages, and proposed its repurchase for the location of a town, the Messrs. Finney long and firmly resisted all the efforts of negotiation. This produced a momentary change in the design of the proprietories, as they employed Richard Hockley to survey and lay out the plan of a town on the margin of the Schuylkill opposite its confluence with the Tulpehocken. This survey is still to be found on record, though divested of any data or name by which the precise period in which it was made can be ascertained. It is now only known as an appended portion to Reading, under the designation of the "Hockley Out Lots."

Its area comprises about 2194 acres of a rich calcareous soil, sloping gently from Penn's Mount, an elevation on its eastern side, to the river Schuylkill, thus presenting natural facilities for its drainage, and the prevention of accumulated filth, and adding a decided feature to its well established character for health.

The streets intersect each other at right angles, and form in their direction almost correct indices to the cardinal points of the compass. Their original names were retained to a very recent date (Aug. 6, 1833) and were characteristic of the loyalty of the proprie tory feeling, as well as family attachment and regard.

King, Queen, Prince, Duke, Earl and Lord streets, sufficiently evidence the strength of the former, whilst the main or central streets, Penn and Callowhill are as distinctly indica tive of filial regard.

Hannah Callowhill, their mother, was the The importance as well as reality of the second wife of William Penn, and had issue design now appears to have subdued the ob- beside Thomas and Richard, of John, Marjections of the Finneys to the sale of their garet and Dennis, whence also had originated claim, as they immediately relaxed in their the names of Thomas, Margaret, and Richard demands and finally yielded them to the streets. Hamilton street, from James Hamproprietories, who at once caused the "Hock-ilton, Esq., who was Deputy Governor of the ley Plot" to be abandoned, and in the fall Province at that period. of the year 1748, that of Reading to be laid

out.

The difficulty in obtaining water even at

The names now substituted "as more compatible with the Republican simplicity of our present form of government," are similar to

The surrounding scenery is proverbially bold and romantic to a great degree. The In 1751 Reading contained 130 dwelling mountains and river-the high state of ferhouses, besides stables, and other buildings-tility of the adjacent country, all serve to con106 families, 378 inhabitants, though about two years before it had not above one house in it.

No. 8.

The Charity of Wages.

-191

THE CHARITY OF WAGES.ceive that her step grew feeble, as day by day

BY MRS. L. H. SIGOURNEY.

she passed through the crowded streets to her task, or night after night returned to nurse her infirm mother. A sudden flush came upon her cheek, and she sank into the grave before the parent, for whom she had toiled.

Among the forms of benevolence, which, in our age of the world, are both multiplied and various, perhaps few of us sufficiently keep in mind the charity of wages. To assist the The wife of a sailor, during his periods of poor, through their own industry, enobles absence, did all in her power to aid him in them. It keeps alive that love of indepen- diminishing their expenses. He was not of dence, which is so priceless in a free country. that class who spend their wages on their arTo grudge, or stint the wages of female la- rival in port, and forget their family! But as bor, is false economy. It is to swell the ranks that family increased, his earnings, without of degradation and vice. In our sex, it is un-rigid economy on her part, would have been pardonable cruelty; for the avenues in which insufficient for their support. they can gain an honest subsistence, are nei- At length the bitter news came that her ther so numerous or so flowery, that we may husband was lost at sea. When the first close them at pleasure, and be innocent. We shock had subsided, she summoned her resoought not to consider ourselves as doing the lution, and determined to do that for her childuty of christians, though we subscribe liber-dren, which their father had so often expressed ally to the foreign and popular charitieswhile we withhold the helping hand, or the word of sympathy, from the female laborer within our own gates.

a wish to have done, that they should be kept together, and not be dependent on charity.She meditated what mode of livelihood would best enable her to comply with a wish, to her I know not that I narrate an uncommon, or so sacred. She had great personal strength, peculiar circumstance, when I mention a and a good constitution. She made choice of young girl, brought up in apparent affluence, the hardest work, which is performed by fewho, at the sudden death of her father, was males, because it promised the most immediate left without resources. The mother's health reward. Often, after her hard task of washfailed, through grief and misfortune, yet she ing, did she forget her weariness, while in nobly resolved to earn a subsistence for both. the dusky twilight, she hastened toward her She turned to the needle, with which she had lowly home, as the mother bird nerves her been dexterious for amusement, or the decora-wing when she draws nearer to her nest. tion of her own apparel. A little instruction enabled her to pursue from house to house, the occupation of a dress-maker.

But she found her sickly babe a sufferer from these absences, and sometimes accidents befell the other little ones, from her having no person with whom to leave them. The sum she earned, would not always pay for the injury they had sustained by the want of her sheltering care. It occasionally happened, that if the lady for whom she worked, was out, or engaged with company, she returned without her payment, for which either to wait or to go again, were inconveniences, which those in the abodes of plenty cannot estimate.

At first some of the delicate feelings of early culture clung around her. She dared scarcely to raise her eyes, at the table of strangers, and when at night money was given her, she felt half ashamed to take it. But want soon extinguished those lingerings of timidity and refinement. Before her pittance was earned, it was mentally devoted to the purchase of some comfort for her enfeebled mother. It soon became evident that her common earnings were insufficient. She took home extra work, and abridged her intervalslings for whose subsistence she toiled? The of rest. Her candle went not out by night, spinning-wheel and loom, first presented them and sometimes when her mother had retired, to her thought, for she had been skillful in she almost extinguished the fire, continuing their use, in the far off agricultural village to work with chilled hands and feet, lest the where her youth was spent. But domestic stock of fuel should not suffice until her slen-manufactures had became unfashionable, and der earnings would allow her to purchase

more.

Was there not some labor which she could perform at home, and thus protect the nurs

she could obtain no employment. Coarse needle-work seemed her only resource. At this, Her nervous system became over-wrought she wrought incessantly, scarcely allowing and diseased. Those for whom she worked herself time to get, or partake of a scanty meal. were often querulous and hard to please. She But after all was done, the remuneration was felt an insuperable longing for a kind word, inadequate to their necessities. She could an encouraging look, for some form of sym-scarcely supply a sufficiency of the coarsest pathy to sustain the sensitive spirit. Those food. Her children shivered as the winter who hired her, had not put these in the con- drew on. Their garments, though constantly tract. Work on her part, and money on theirs, mended, were thin, and their poor, little feet, was all the stipulation. They did not per-bare and blue. She drew back from the mis

192

A Farewell to the Year 1838.

erable fire, that they might be warmed, and shuddered as she saw the means of sustaining this comfort wasting away.

VOL. II.

in mind the principle of aiding them as far as possible, through their own exertions, for she who thus studies their moral benefits elevates

Mothers, speak often to your daughters on these subjects. Instruct them in the economy of charity. Your responsibility comprises both earth and heaven.

Still, the injunction of her departed hus-them in the scale of being, and performs an band lay deep and warm in her heart. She acceptible service to her country, and to her asked no charity. She remitted no exertion, God." and her whole life, was as one prayer to God. At this crisis, a society, formed on the true principle of benevolence, to aid poverty through its own efforts, arose to save her from destruction. Its express object was to improve There are many works from writers of the the condition of the tempest-tost mariner, and present day, which afford valuable hints for his suffering household. It comprised an estab- conversation, on the subject of being respectlishment where garments were made for sea-able and happy, without the possession of men; and here she obtained a constant supply of needle-work, with liberal and prompt payment. One of its most beautiful features, was a school, where the elementary branches of a good education were gratuitously taught.Here, instructions in the use of the needle was thoroughly imparted, and as soon as the pupils were able to finish a garment for the clothing-store, they were encouraged by receiving a just payment.

Now, the small, lowly room of the widow, was brightened with comfort, and her heart was too full for words, when her little girls came running from school, with a shout of joy, the eldest one exclaiming,

"See, mother, see, here are twenty cents. Take them and buy a frock for the baby.They gave them to me, for making a sailor's gingham shirt, strong and good. My teacher says I shall soon sew well enough to make one of a nicer kind, for which I am to re

ceive seventy-five cents. Then I will help pay your house-rent. O, I never was so happy in my life, and yet I could not help crying when I worked, for I remembered that you used to make exactly such shirts for dear father, and I did not know but the man for whom I made this might be lost at sea, and never come back to his home any more.' "Here is a book," said the little sister, "which iny teacher let me take from the school library, to bring home and read to you, while you sit at work. And she is so good, and kind to me, mother, she takes as much pains to have me learn, as if we were ever so rich, and I love her dearly.”

66

Blessings on her," said the widow, through her grateful tears. "Heaven's blessings on the society, and on every lady into whose heart God has put it to help the desolate poor, through their own industry." And night and morning she taught her kneeling babes the prayer of gratitude for their benefactresses.

Let us encourage every variety of effort, by which our sex can gain a subsistence, and foster in the young that spirit which prefers the happy consciousness of being useful, to any form of indolent, and helpless independence. In our bounty to the poor, let us keep

wealth. Pre-eminent among them is Miss Sedgwick's "Rich Poor Man, and Poor Rich Man." From your own observation you can illustrate the truths of such sentiments. You can convince them from the page of history that virtue, and talent, and the heart's true felicity, may exist without the tinsel of gold. You can impress them from a Book divine, that to "gain the whole world" would not balance one sigh of a lost soul.

For the Ladies' Garland.

A FAREWELL TO THE YEAR 1838.
Year of my deepest griefs-farewell, farewell,
Haste down oblivion's stream, and there forever dwell.

Temper'd with mercy, recent strokes were given,
And calmly suffer'd as the will of heaven.

But does high heaven design that human power
Should add new sorrows to affliction's hour,
That friends should turn perfidious and unjust,

And crush a new shorn victim in the dust?

Forbid it, righteous heaven—and let this year

In dark oblivion quickly disappear.

But O! thou rising year, upon thy wing,
Back to my view some happier object bring;
Expel the ill surmises that destroy

Each opening bud of kind and social joy,
Which have of late their withering influence spread;
May the young year a warming radiance shed.
Adieu, old year! I wish thee gone forever,
Twas thine full many a kindred tie to sever;

Let me be thankful that thy end is near,

Though thou hast taught a lesson most severe;
But heaven is just, and for its aid I call
On friendship, that can make amends for all.

Z.

Learning, if rightly applied, makes a young man thinking, attentive, and industrious, confident and wary, an old man cheerful and reserved. "Tis an ornament in prosperity, a refuge in adversity, an entertainment at all times; it cheers in solitude, and meditates upon a throne.