lived, as she pressed him frantically to her bosom. The youth could scarcely stand, so faint was he from his exertions.

17. Who can describe the scene that followed,--the mother's calmness while she strove to resuscitate her boy, and her wild gratitude to his preserver, when the child was out of danger, and sweetly sleeping in her arms? Our pen shrinks at the task. But her words, pronounced then, were remembered afterwards by more than one who heard them.

18. "God will reward you," said she, " as I can not. He will do great things for you in return for this day's work, and the blessings of thousands besides mine will attend you.", And so it was; for, to the hero of that hour, were subsequently confided the destinies of a mighty nation. But, throughout his long career, what tended to make him more honored and respected beyond all men, was the self-sacrificing spirit, which, in the rescue of that mother's child, as in the more august events of his life, characterized oUR BELOVED WASHINGTON.

characterized

QUESTIONS.-1. Describe the scene where this accident took place. 2. What did the woman say to the young man? 3. Why would not the men release the woman? 4. What did the young man do? 5. Did he finally succeed in saving the child? 6. What did the mother say to him? 7. Who did this youth prove to be?

THE FOUR MISFORTUNES.

1. A PIOUS Rabbi, forced by heathen hate,
To quit the boundaries of his native land,
Wandered abroad, submissive to his fate,

JOHN G. SAXE

Through pathless woods and wastes of burning sand.

2. A patient ass, to bear him in his flight,

A dog, to guard him from the robber's stealth,
A lamp, by which to read the law at night,-
Was all the pilgrim's store of worldly wealth.

3. At set of sun he reached a little town,

And asked for shelter and a crumb of food;
But every face repelled him with a frown,
And so he sought a lodging in the wood.

4. ""Tis very hard," the weary traveler said,
"And most inhospitable, I protest,

To send me fasting to this forest bed;
But God is good, and means it for the best!"

5. He lit his lamp to read the sacred law,

Before he spread his mantle for the night;
But the wind rising with a sudden flaw,

He read no more, the gust put out the light.

6. ""Tis strange," he said, "tis very strange, indeed,
That ere I lay me down to take my rest,
A chapter of the law I may not read,--
But God is good, and all is for the best."

7. With these consoling words the Rabbi tries
To sleep, his head reposing on a log,—
But, ere he fairly shut his drowsy eyes,
A wolf came up and killed his faithful dog.

8. "What new calamity is this?" he cried;

"My honest dog--a friend who stood the test When others failed-lies murdered at my side! Well,--God is good, and means it for the best." 9. Scarce had the Rabbi spoken, when, alas!— As if, at once, to crown his wretched lot, A hungry lion pounced upon the ass,

And killed the faithful donkey on the spot. 10. "Alas!--alas!" the weeping Rabbi said,

"Misfortune haunts me like a hateful guest; My dog is gone, and now my ass is dead,Well, God is good, and all is for the best." 11. At dawn of day, imploring heavenly grace,

Once more he sought the town, but all in vain;
A band of robbers had despoiled the place,

And all the churlish citizens were slain.

12. "Now God be praised!" the grateful Rabbi cried, "If I had tarried in the town to rest,

I too, with these poor villagers had died,Sure, God is good, and all is for the best!' 13. "Had not the saucy wind put out my lamp,

By which the sacred law I would have read,
The light had shown the robbers to my camp,
And here the villains would have left me dead.

14. "Had not my faithful animals been slain,

Their noise, no doubt, had drawn the robbers near, And so their master, it is very plain,

Instead of them, had fallen murdered here. 15. "Full well I see that this hath happened so To put my faith and patience to the test; Thanks to His name! for now I surely know That God is good, and all is for the best!"

PRE TER NAT' U RAL, (PRETER, beyond;) beyond what is natural; mirac ulous.

IN VOLV' ED, (IN, in; VOLVED, rolled;) rolled in; enveloped.

IN TER RUPT', (INTER, in, between; RUPT, to break ;) break in between; stop; hinder.

1

JOB, a patriarch, celebrated for his patience, constancy, and piety. For note on DAVID, see page 138.

NOTE. The dash at the end of a remark, denotes that the speaker is interrupted by the one with whom he is conversing.

MRS. CREDULOUS AND THE FORTUNE-TELLER.

Mrs. Credulous. Are you the fortune-teller, sir, that knows every thing'?

Fortune-Teller. I sometimes consult futurity, madam; but I make no pretensions to any supernatural knowledge. Mrs. C. Ay', so you say; but every body else says you know every thing; and I have come all the way from Boston to consult you; for you must know I have met with a dread

ful loss.

F. T. We are liable to losses in this world', madam'. Mrs. C. Yes'; and I have had my share of them, though I shall be only fifty, come Thanksgiving.

F. T. You must have learned to bear misfortunes with fortitude, by this time.

Mrs. C. I don't know how that is, though my dear

husband, rest his soul, used to say, "Molly, you are as patient as Job', though you never had any children to lose, as he had."

F. T. Job was a model of patience, madam, and few could lose their all with so much resignation.

Mrs. C. Ah, sir', that is too true'; for even the small loss I have suffered, overwhelms me!

F. T. The loss of property, madam, comes home to the bosom of the best of us.

Mrs. C. Yes, sir; and when the thing lost can not be replaced, it is doubly distressing. When my poor, good man, on our wedding day, gave me the ring, "Keep it, Molly,' said he, "till you die, for my sake." And now, that I should have lost it, after keeping it thirty years, and locking it up so carefully all the time, as I did—

F. T. We can not be too careful in this world, madam; our best friends often deceive us.

Mrs. C. True, sir, true, but who would have thought that the child I took, as it were, out of the street, and brought up as my own, could have been guilty of such ingratitude? She never would have touched what was not her own, if her vagabond lover had not put her up to it.

F. T. Ah, madam, ingratitude is the basest of all crimes! Mrs. C. Yes; but to think that the impudent creature should deny she took it, when I saw it in the possession of that wretch myself.

F. T. Impudence, madam, usually accompanies crime. But my time is precious, and the star that rules your destiny will set, and your fate be involved in darkness, unless I proceed to business immediately. The star informs me, madam, that you are a widow.

Mrs. C. La! sir, were you acquainted with my deceased husband?