great delight, however, on passing a small green recess on one side of the road, they saw a man sitting and employing his skill in making captives of many of the sweet little birds, whose songs she had listened to with such pleasure. If she had reflected a moment on the real cruelty of this occupation, she would not have observed the birdcatcher with such feelings of gratification; but she was intent on nothing but the pleasure she should have in possessing one of the little warblers, and she forgot the barbarity of making it a prisoner, in the thoughts of what care she would take to feed it, and make it lie in her bosom, and sleep there when the weather was again very cold. One of the birds, therefore, was bought, and the man lent her one of his small cages to carry it home in.

Overjoyed at possessing such a dear little creature, so gentle and pretty, and, what was still more in her thoughts, a real living being that would in time know her and sing to her, Ellen carried the cage as the greatest treasure that could have been given her; and so delighted was she, that she could not help stopping every now and then to look at the bird, and she every time expressed more fondness for it. But at last, not satisfied with these momentary glances, she begged her mamma to rest a few minutes, and she sat down on a bank to enjoy more leisurely the sight of her new companion. The birds in the trees and hedges were all singing loudly and joyfully, and they flew from bough to bough, flitting their gay wings in the air, and chasing each other, for the very pleasure of floating on the pleasant breeze. "Oh how delightful!" said Ellen, "to possess one of these pretty, happy things," and she looked at her little bird in the cage.-Alas! there it sat, up at one end of the perch, its head drooping, its wings folded to its sides, but rough and broker, and its eyes half-covered with a thick film. Ellen spoke to it, but the poor little creature was not to be so cheered, and she looked at her mamma, more grieved than ever.

"Yes," said the latter, smiling, "I had no doubt you would soon discover your error, or I should not have so readily agreed to your wishes. I had no doubt you would be very kind to the bird, but your kindness could not supply the place either of its liberty, or of the pleasure it doubtless has among its own proper companions in the woods. Besides, Ellen, though you might love it very much, you would never feel great satisfaction in attending to a thing which would have no reason to thank you for your pains, and could never talk with you!"

"No, indeed, mamma," said Ellen, and she hung down her head, looked again at the bird, and, after playing a few moments with the door of the cage, continued, "Well, I am sure you are right, and it would be very useless and very cruel to keep a thing a prisoner only for my own satisfaction, and it would be a bad companion after all." So saying, she opened the door, the bird put its head at first fearfully out, and then, shaking its wings, darted out, and was soon perched and singing on one of the trees hard by. Ellen looked again at her doll, and began almost to think that she must be contented with her playthings, which could neither fade nor feel it cruel to be locked up. But this thought continued only a moment, and as they passed through a field where several lambs were lying about, she made another attempt at finding something which she might play with and love at the same time. But she was again disappointed; a lan b was very pretty, very gentle, and very playful; but after she had succeeded in getting near one, and had spoken to it very kindly, and called it by a hundred tender names, it looked at her for an instant, and ther bounding away, could not be induced to return by ali the persuasion she could employ.

The walk was now nearly at an end, and the sweet spring morning had only made Ellen dissatisfied with her senseless and inanimate doll. Before, however reaching home, her mamma bad to call at the cottage

of one of the villagers, and thither they now went. A neat little garden before the door was smelling sweetly with some carefully-cultivated 'plants, and everything about the place bore an air of great neatness. But what struck Ellen the most were three or four children who were playing among the flowers, the youngest of which was nursed by a girl about seven years old

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Oh, what a dear little baby," said she, going up to it, and at the moment it stretched out its arms, and laughing in her own smiling face, put its little flaxen head against her bosom. Indeed, indeed, mamma,' said she, "it is a live doll;" and she gave her own painted one to the young nurse, and took the infant, all joy and innocence, in her arms.

Ellen had now found something which was as beautiful as the spring-flowers, as gentle and happy as the free birds, as gay as the sportive little lambs, and, which was better still, endowed with a mind and reason like her own to rejoice in all that is bright, and beautiful, and good upon the earth. The thoughts with which she returned home, led her ever afterwards to employ her summer days and winter evenings in more profitable occupations than formerly; and there was many a live doll in the neighbourhood, whose little lips soon began to lisp its thanks for the pretty presents or the warm clothing with which her industry furnished it.

THE HOG, AND OTHER ANIMALS.

A DEBATE once arose among the animals in a farmyard, which of them was most valued by their common inaster. After the horse, the ox, the cow, the sheep, and the dog, had stated their several pretensions, the Log took up the discourse.

"It is plain," said he, "that the greatest value must be set upon that animal which is kept most for his own sake, without expecting from him any return of