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Who by that search shall wiser grow?
By that, ourselves we never know.
The little knowledge I have gain'd,
Was all from simple NATURE drain'd;
Hence my life's maxims took their rise,
Hence grew my settled hate to vice.
The daily labours of the bee
Awake my soul to industry.
Who can observe the careful ant,
And not provide for future want?
My dog, (the trustiest of its kind)
With gratitude inflames my mind:
I mark his true, his faithful way,
And in my service copy Tray.
In constancy and nuptial love,
I learn my duty from the dove:
The hen, who from the chilly air,
With pious wing protects her care,
And every fowl that flies at large,
Instruct me in a parent's charge.
"From NATURE too I take my rule,
To shun contempt and ridicule.
I never, with important air,
In conversation overbear.

Can grave and formal pass for wise,
When men the solemn owl despise?
My tongue within my lips I rein;
For who talks much must talk in vain.
We from the wordy torrent fly,
Who listens to the chattering pye?
Nor would I, with felonious flight,
By stealth invade my neighbour's right
Rapacious animals we hate;

Kites, hawks, and wolves, deserve their fate.
Do not we just abhorrence find
Against the toad and serpent kind?
But Envy, Calumny, and Spite,
Bear stronger venom in their bite.
Thus every object of creation
Can furnish hints to Contemplation;
And, from the most minute and mean,
A virtuous mind can morals glean.".

Thy fame is just," the Sage replies;
"Thy virtue proves thee truly wise.
Pride often guides the author's pen,
Booke as affected are as men:

But HE WHO STUDIES NATURE'S LAWS,

FROM CERTAIN TRUTH HIS MAXIMS DRAWS."

GAY.

ON HEARING THE THRUSH FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN THE SEASON, Feb. 15th, 1814.

DELIGHTFUL songster! pleas'd, I hear
Thy song harmonious swell;

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Though unconfirm'd the trembling year,
Thy welcome notes my spirits cheer:
I love thy music well.

Although no leaves adorn the trees,
Nor soft and gently fanning breeze
Play o'er the daisied meadows, wliere
At summer eve the swains repair,
In healthful sport an hour to spend,
Ere the bright glowing sun descend:
Yet conscious of returning spring
Thou tun'st thy little throat to sing;
Cheerful, if but the rising day
One crimson blush above display,

Tho' glittering dew-drops deck each spray.

Sweet bird! sing on, the fields shall soon
Their robes of glory wear;

While 'neath the blaze of summer noon
The woods all gay appear.

Then with thy faithful mate retire
To some sequester'd glen:
Sweetest amid the tuneful choir,
There let thy cheering lays inspire
With LOVE the hearts of men.

VIGIL OBSERVATOR.

NOTES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The Cottager's Fireside The Twa Ploughmen-Hints on the Morals of the Peasantry-The Cood News-How to make a good Wife-Perseverance and Obstinacy and Poetical Pieces, including the Acrostic by Silyab-Juvenile Amusements, &c. by A. A.-and the communication by A. B. are received.

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Mrs MASON's three Rules for making a good Servant, will be found in page 135 of our first volume.

We certainly give Siyab credit for his good intentions and the jɛdicious selection of his pieces, but are sorry we cannot insert any of those yet sent us, for reasons, that, we have no doubt, would prove satisfactory to himself, did he, give us an opportunity of communicat ing them to him personally, by sending us his address.

HADDINGTON;

Printed and Published, MONTHLY, by G. MILLER & SON

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BEING A CONTINUATION OF

THE HISTORY OF AN IRISH FAMILY.

HOW Hammel and George conducted themselves in Edinburgh...A noble sentiment... True magnanimity... A disagreeable shopmate in a gentleman's son ill brought up ...A more agreeable companion in the son of a poor widow ...A good servant meets with attention from an old mistress... The first interview between George's master and William Gray...The fatherless boy is taken into the shop ...Badly used by Ned R....The defects of genius supplied by persevering attention...Hammel delivers his message to his uncle... Their dialogue in consequence... George takes up the narrative... Informs his uncle how he and his brother first attracted notice... The manner in which they spent the evenings...Advantages of reading...Hammel's master makes an unexpected appearance ...Lewis expresses his satisfaction at the recital...The advantage of a well regulated mind... Of a taste for literature, and the benefits to be derived from well chosen circulating libraries...The duty of parents to cultivate a taste for reading in their children, and to encourage publications adapted for youth, &c.

"WHEN we found ourselves in a strange place," said Hammel, "it was a great comfort that we always met VOL. II.

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at night, and could advise and comfort each other. W seldom went to bed, or separated to our several work-shop in the morning, without speaking to each other of you parting advice, and resolving neither to say or do an thing we would be unwilling to lay before you in all th minutest circumstances."

"Well, my dear Hammel, you could not submit you conduct to a more partial judge, and this account will no diminish the interest I feel in you both. Many anxion moments have I passed during the first six months yo spent in town. Hardship I knew must be the lot of al in your situation, but I relied upon your manly spirit fo sustaining disagreeables without flinching. My solicitud was not for what you might suffer, but how

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"We had some hardships," said Hammel; "but we di not forget you had often told us, that THE NOBLEST USE OF COURAGE IS IN DOING OUR DUTY AGAINST ALL OBSTACLES AND DISCOUR AGEMENTS, AND TO BEAR PAINFUL EX ERTION OR INCONVENIENCE WITH CHEER FUL FORTITUDE."

"That is indeed truer valour," said Lewis, "than to pos sess strength, agility, and ferocity, to engage and overcom all the lads in your shop. Any strong animal, a madman a bull, or a mastiff, may conquer his inferior in bodily prowess; but to persevere in the endurance of lengthened discomfort, and to abstain from employing any ignoble means for relief, is the magnanimity of a rational being."

"Hammel never had to defend himself," said George "but he once took my part against a tall fellow, who, be cause he was four years older, and had been born a gentle man, thought I should not only run when he pleased in the shop, but spend the after hours as he chose; and that was in card-playing in a gin shop; two snares you warned me to shun."

had

"Poor young man," said Hammel, "he was born a gentleman, but did not receive a gentleman's education for I have reason to say, that really well instructed gen

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emen have a generous way of thinking, and a gentleness their manners that sets all about them at ease; but this young man was the son of very foolish parents, who squanered their fortune and their precious time in amusehents, leaving three sons under the care of a worthless tor, whom they had chosen chiefly because he made a genteel bow, and dressed handsomely. When Mr R. and is lady were from home, the tutor paid visits also, and left the boys to play about the stables. Their father died insolvent; their mother is married again; and the boys taken up by relations. George's master was a distant cousin, and he would have been very fortunate had he conducted himself properly, for Mr B. is a liberal man, and has no near heirs; but Edward R. though a very clever lad, gave no application, and among the stable-boys he had contracted such a passion for cards, as ended in his ruin. He ran deeply in debt, and as he had no prospect of paying, entered himself a volunteer with a man-of-war's tender at Leith. George suffered much from him, but he behaved worse to a poor youth who was certainly not his equal in birth or talents, but he had sound principles and prudence, and, if he lives, has now much better prospects than Ned R."

"Does he owe his good fortune to any incident," said Lewis, 66 or is it self-earned ?"

"He owes it all to himself, sir," said Hammel, "and to a worthy mother. She was left a young widow with five children, who could hardly take any care of each other they were so young. What was to be done to

maintain them? Their father had come from a distant. country as a labourer, having been reduced to poverty by the failure of his crops and loss of cattle. Their mother had served a lady in town four years, and had left her to to take care of her own mother, who lived near her husband's parents: but many years had elapsed since she had heard of her late mistress. She was conscious of having deserved a blameless character for honesty and diligence, and knew the lady to be so actively benevolent, that if she could find her out, some employment might be devised for her. She applied to the medical gentleman who with FF2

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