large leaves growing round the cabbage, like the leaf we had to put our strawberries in." "These leaves,"

said she, were once closely folded round the cabbage, as the inside leaves now are; but as the cabbage grows the leaves spread out; and, by and by, these leaves which are now folded over one another will also spread out, and when they are all spread, the flower in the middle will grow and blossom.” "But if Mark cuts them all for dinner, the flowers will never blow." "We always keep some to run to seed," said Mark. "What does that mean?" inquired Willy. "Why, sir, we cannot get the seed until we keep the cabbage till the flower blows, and the seed ripens. The seed grows in the flower, and when the flower dies and falls off, the seed remains and ripens.' "That is just like the fruit," said Willy, "which comes after the flower is gone away." "Very much like it; some plants have no other fruit but seeds."

An old man and his little boy were driving an ass to market to sell. "What a fool is this fellow," says a man upon the road," to be trudging it on foot with his son, that his ass may go light!" The old man hearing this set his boy upon the ass and went whistling by his side.

Why, sirrah," cries a second man

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to the boy, "is it fit for you to be riding, while your poor aged father is walking on foot ?" The father upon this, took down his boy from the ass, and mounted himself. "Do you see," says a third, "how the lazy old knave rides along upon his beast, while his poor little boy is almost crippled with walking!" The old man no sooner heard this, than he took up his son behind him. Pray, honest friend," says a fourth, "is that ass your own?" "Yes," says the man. would not have thought so," replied the other, by your loading him as you do without mercy. You and your son are better able to carry the poor beast than he is to carry you!" "Any thing to please," says the owner; and so he and his son coming off, they tied the legs of the ass together, and by the help of a pole tried to carry him upon their shoulders along the bridge that led to the town.

The sight of this was so odd, that the people ran in crowds to laugh at it, till the ass, feeling a dislike at the too great kindness of his master, began to struggle for his freedom, burst the cords that tied him, slipped from the pole, tumbled into the river, and was drowned. The poor old man made the best of his way home, filled with shame and sorrow that, by his attempts to please every body, he had pleased nobody, given himself much trouble, and lost his ass into the bargain.

The dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink;
I heard a voice: it said, "Drink, pretty creature, drink,"
And, looking o'er the hedge, before me I espied

A snow-white mountain-lamb with a maiden at its side.

Nor sheep nor kine were near; the lamb was all alone,
And by a slender cord was tethered to a stone;
With one knee on the grass did the little maiden kneel,
While to that mountain-lamb she gave its evening meal.

"What ails thee, young one? what? Why pull so at thy cord?

Is it not well with thee ?-well both for bed and board? Thy plot of grass is soft, and green as grass can be; Rest, little young one, rest; what is't that aileth thee?

Rest, little young one, rest; thou hast forgot the day When my father found thee first in places far away; Many flocks were on the hills, but thou wert owned by none,

And thy mother from thy side for evermore was gone.

Thou know'st that twice a-day I have brought thee in this can,

Fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran;
And twice in the day, when the ground is wet with dew,
I bring thee draughts of milk, warm milk it is and new.

Here thou need'st not dread the raven in the sky: Night and day thou art safe,-our cottage is heard by. Why bleat so after me? Why pull so at thy chain ? Sleep-and at break of day I will come to thee again!" Wordsworth.

"Which of the animals shall we begin with?" said Mrs. Myrtle to her children one evening in December, while waiting in the drawing-room for the ringing of the dinner bell.

"With the camel," said Bessie.

"The great roaring lion," said Harry, "That goes about seeking some one to devour."

66 What," "said mamma, "if we should begin with pussy, who lies sleeping there at our feet on the hearthrug. And first of all, tell me how pussy gets her food. What does she like best to eat ?"

"Mice and birds," cried both the children at once. "And does she catch them alive?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Then she doesn't need a butcher to kill her meat for her. She is a beast of prey. Have you ever seen her watch for a mouse?"

"Yes," said Harry, "if she can get into the storecloset she will sit on the top of a barrel for a whole day watching for a mouse to stir."

"All the animals of that race," said Mrs. Myrtle, "such as the great roaring lion, and the fierce tiger, and the spotted leopard, are remarkable for the patience with which they will wait and watch."

"But, mamma," said Bessie, "pussy is often very cruel."

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"My dear child," said her mamma, you must remember that pussy has not got a soul like you, and is not at all aware of her cruelty. She wants the sense of right and wrong, that which in human beings is called the moral sense. She, on the other hand, has no choice. She must act according to the nature which God has given her."

The way in which her body is made, fits her for a certain way of life. You, for example, could not catch mice and birds like puss, even if you were ever so willing, because you have been differently made. But let us proceed to examine Mistress Puss, and then you will see better what I mean. Lift her up gently on my knee."

Bessie and Harry made a cat's cradle of their little hands, and placed pussy where they were told; and she on her part purred a little, stretched herself, and then lay down to sleep again.

"Now," said their mamma, "Look first at her paws. Tell me how they are made."

"Oh!" said Harry, "they have got a nice pad or cushion under each toe."

"And what are these for ?" asked Mrs. Myrtle.

"I know," cried Bessie. "It must be to make her tread softly, so that the mice and birds may not hear her when she goes to catch them."

"And are her paws always as soft and velvety as they are now ?" asked mamma.

"No, indeed," said Harry, laughing. “When I tease her, she puts out her claws like sharp nails with hooks at the end, and gives me a good scratch."

66 Then, are these claws given to her for nothing, do you think, but to scratch you ?"

"Oh! I dare say," said the children," she puts them out when she makes her great jump and catches hold of poor little mousey with them."