The rise of genius from so many obscure situations, gives us reason to hope, that what has been the fate of some individuals, may also one day be ours; and that if we have parts and abilities, industry and perseverance will enable us to surmount many obstacles in the way to preferment ; but even if we should never rise high in this world, the story of the Labouring Man teaches us, Sir, that happiness is not confined to palaces; and the happy old Woman at Draper's shows that true contentment can be found in a cottage. The Useful Information may be thought to be of more use to grown up people, than young lads like us, but if PETER LANGHEAD had taken the hint from the Magazine, and kept at a little distance instead of standing close to the tree when he ran to it for shelter from the thunderstorm, he would not have been so much hurt by the lightning; and had JOHN CARELESS read last year's Supplement,. he would not have got such a fall o'er the stair, by the rail on which he was leaning giving way on Candlemas day. The Grateful Scholars and the Country Schoolboy, remind us of the obligations we owe to those who have had the care and trouble of instructing us in our youth. TOM RESTLESS is a beacon to warn us against a changeable disposition: Friar Augustine informs us that it is in vain to expect every thing to our wishes here. The melancholy fate of the poor midshipman of the Buffalo, and affecting story of Jonathan the Gardener, are sufficient to deter us from ever indulging in the immoderate use of liquors; and the providential discovery of the Bloody Murder," he observed, (with a deep sigh, and in words scarce articulate,) "is sufficient to deter any one from imbruing his hands in blood-guiltiness."

"It gives me great pleasure to observe, my young man," said I, "that you have paid so much attention to that little Monitor; for you not only seem to have carefully perused the contents of the numbers, but, what is of infinitely more consequence, to have treasured them up in your memory, and reduced them to practice. It is truly fortunate, indeed, that you have fallen in with the Magazine, and notwithstanding the accident which you say has befallen poor CARELESS, I hope he has otherwise be-

X 3.

come:

come a good lad, as it appears that he has not been unmindful of his promise to you.

"As for CARELESS," said he, "I have not seen him for some time; and from something that has befallen him since you was here worse than the accident, I am afraid he is not much better for all that you said to him. He made a great fuss, indeed, about the Magazine, when it came out first, and gave me a reading of some of the numbers; but PETER LANGHEAD, whose company still seemed to be his principal delight, soon put him out of conceit with it, and he found means to dispose of his Fourpence otherwise, although he continued to extort it monthly from his mother till the completion of the first volume, and made her believe (when she at any time expressed her suprise that he never brought the numbers home as he did at first,) that he had lent them to me, and could not again get them out of my hands. This, from her dear boy, as she was wont to call him, completely satisfied the credulous woman on that head, and by the time the December number came out she was equally indifferent about it as her son; for WIDOW SCHEME-WELL (who had lately come to live in the same close) told her one day that it was only throwing away money to take out the Magazine, and condemned it in the most unqualified terms, although she confessed she never read a page of it! Now, Sir, how could she know what was in the numbers if she never read them, or allowed her little daughter to read them to her? But poor Mrs CARELESS has paid dearly for listening to that woman, for if she had not been advised by her, and had made her son read the Supplement, he would perhaps have taken better care not to have leaned against the old rail, and she might have saved the doctor's expense for his broken leg, which after all has made him a cripple for life. But if CARELESS has behaved in such a manner to me, very different has been the conduct of DAVID DOUBTFULL although he made no promises, for no sooner has he got out a numher than he and I read it over together, and then, after he has given each of his brothers and sister a reading of it also, he lends it to me to look it again carefully over, before he takes the second reading himself; and although I have not so much lair as DAVIE, who writes notes, and

makes

makes remarks as he goes along, yet I find no difficulty in treasuring it up; for, thank God, I have a good memory."

"This is, indeed," observed I, "a very poor account of CARELESS; and I am afraid his mother has yet some severe pångs to suffer on his account, in addition to the expense his late misfortune has incurred but it gives me pleasure to hear such favourable reports of DAVID, and I hope he is now confirmed in regular and virtuous habits.”

66

Aye, and that he is," interrupted the youth, hastily; "but in reading number after number for a long time, we could not help wondering what had become of you, Sir; for we thought that a gentleman who gave us those good advices, and sent such a fine story to the Magazine could never mean to deceive us, and yet we never heard from you, and that vexed us sadly, especially as PETER LANGHEAD desired CARELESS to inform us that you only meant to make a fool of us, and Tom BraGWELL said it was all a trick! but I shall never forget the day when DAVIE came running to me one morning on the street, I think it was in the harvest time, crying good news WILL! good news! O. P's. come again. He immediately pulled out the number from his pocket, having just received it from the schoolmaster, but I was rather disappointed in seeing it was only a note at the end, saying that you was to appear in the next number; and when that number did make its appearance you cannot think how our joy was damped in observing that you had been badly, Sir.

An

other long silence having again taken place, we did not know what to think of it for some time, and last night, when I saw DAVIE, we both concluded you had again been taken ill. O, Sir, if you will let me run for him, how glad he'll be to see you-I'll not stay-I'm sure nothing will keep him from you a moment.

Finding this grateful young man could not be happy without his companion, I told him I would allow him to go presently; "but tell me first," said I, "what has become of BRAGWELL! I hope, WILLIAM, you did not forget my request at parting." Here the shade of melancholy which I had observed on his countenance at entering, and which had frequently brightened up during our con

versation,

versation, particularly when he spoke in commendable terms of DAVID, all on a sadden assumed a more lowering aspect, while, with a sobbing heart, an altered tone of voice, and the tears flowing from his eyes, he proceeded: Aye, TOM BRAGWELL is in a poor situation now. 0, Sir, if you had seen him, when he was marched off from our prison by a party of soldiers, it would have made your heart wae to look at him; for he was mair like death than life. But it was not your fault, nor ours either; far better for him if he had ta'en your advice."

"What!" said I, hastily, "what has befallen BRAGWELL? What has he done?-Where is he now ?"

"Much, very much has befallen him," said he, trying to compose himself while he faultered out-" HE HAS BEEN GUILTY OF ROBBERY AND MURDER! and now lies jail to be tried for his life."

in

I now found that the air of melancholy which overspread the features of this young man when he found, on entering, who had sent for him; the sigh that escaped him when he spoke of blood-guiltiness, and his sensations on the present occasion, all proceeded from the same cause-a reflection of what BRAGWELL had brought upon himself by persisting in his evil courses, and a consciousness of what he also might have reaped, if he had not been so providentially ar rested in the beginning, (as he expressed it) in the bean-field.

After he was somewhat composed, I suffered him to go in quest of his companion; and as he found him at his book, it was not long before he returned with him. This young man, I soon observed, came up in every respect to the good opinion I had formed. After the usual salutation, and DAVID had satisfied my inquiries respecting his health, I desired them to proceed with the history of BRAGWELL, and from the information I picked up from WILL CANDID, assisted by his companion in some particu lars, with which he was better acquainted, I have been enabled to draw up the following narrative, which may well be termed "THE BEACON IN A BLAZE AGAIN!" and I sincerely hope, that the lesson it inculcates will not be lost on your young readers..

Од

On entering the street, in which is situated the Western-lane, on the evening on which I parted with them, the three young men it appears soon observed their fugitive leader at his usual station, as if rivetted to the spot, with his back to the wall. He advanced, however, to meet them, and as if still determined to act in character, when he considered himself out of danger, exclaimed, as he came forward: "What stupid blockheads to stand and be ta'en!: I'm sure, CARELESS, ye might easily hae gotten awa for a' that ye fell; for ye soon got up, and the fallow didna offer to rin after ye." Although the discourse was principally addressed to CARELESS, yet as he answered only by a vacant stare, CANDID took the liberty to answer for him, that it would have been better for him if he also had come back, and then proceeded to give him a detail of all that passed. "It's just what I thought," cried BRAGWELL. "Iken'd weel that it was about the beans he was makin' a' the pal aver; but what has the takin' a pouch fu' beans to do wi Macdonald, an' Macintosh an' Sutherland? If they had never doon ony thing war, they might a' been liven yet!"

"That is very true," observed David; "but if a little crime leads on to a greater, the sooner we put a restraint on our vices the better: For the gentleman observed, that the approaches to vice were easy, and almost imperceptible, and that when once a youth turns aside from the path of rectitude, there is no saying where he may stop." "So ye're begun again wi ye're buts an' ye're ifs, master DOUBTFU'; I wish, as I said before, we had never had ony thing to do wi' sic a co'ardly fellow, wha's aye frightened wi something or ither, Man I wish ye wad gang hame to your mither; for a' the noise ye hae made, what has the taken a wheen beans ado wi' murder, and if the man CAMPBELL had na been kilt i' the mob, its weel ken'd the Edinburgh chaps wad nae been hang d. For a' that ye hae said, DAVIE, I dinna see ony ill in taken a pouch fu' beans, but D'YE THINK THAT EVER TAM BRAGWELL WILL TURN OUT A MURDERER ! So get hame wi' ye as fast as ye can to your parritch, an' gees nae mair oʻye're

nonsense."

"As for my nonsense, as ye call it,” replied DAVID,

" I