MAMMALS.

ORDER 1. TWO-HANDED ANIMALS.

(Bimana.)

M. Yesterday we thought about the MENTAL DISTINCTIONS of mankind. To-day we will notice his

PHYSICAL DISTINCTIONS.

L. You mean by that, mamma, bodily distinctions, the differences in papa's body, do you not?

M. Yes. Look at your papa again, and tell me how you distinguish him from the lower animals.

L. I notice, mamma, that he stands upright, and holds up his head.

W. "Holds up his head like a man," you should say-that is what he was taught when he was a baby; and I notice that he wears Wellington boots, which—

P. That is rather foolish, Willie. You should remember that you are to notice only my body itself— the boots are no part of my body. Ion. I notice, papa, that you have only two legs.

L. I notice that you have two hands.

Ada. I notice that papa is not covered all over with thick hair, only on his head and face.

L. And I notice, papa, that your head is upright, and very large. I suppose it is because you have more brain.

P. That is true. Now, as you, too, have more brain than the lower animals, and many other great mental distinctions, shall I tell you what you may do with them?

Ion. Please, papa.

P. Make use of them now. Find out the reason of your physical distinctions-find out why you have such differences in your body.

Ion. I should like to do that,

рара.

P. I will first tell you something. You have, perhaps, most of your physical distinctions because you have such mental distinctions. Do you understand that?

Ion. Yes; you mean, papa, that they are given us in consequence of our mental distinctions-they are effects."

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P. True; let us now trace some of these effects. Man's mind is able to think very many thoughts. Man thinks, "I will make myself clothes-I will build houses-I will dig the ground, and plant trees and flowers-I will write letters," and so on. Thus, as he thinks many thoughts, he wants

W. To do many things

P. Yes. Then suppose that with all these thoughts in his head, God had made him to walk on all four of his limbs, like a cow or a dog.

W. Then he would be obliged to do what he wanted with his mouth, as the dog does.

Ion. I see something, papa-an "effect." Because man has à mind, he cannot spare all his limbs to walk with; so he uses two for walking and the other two for working: and-at the ends of his limbs, he has not feet, but hands to work with.

P. Do not say the ends of his limbs; we call the ends of the limbs "extremities." These extremities, with their fingers and thumbs, have a most surprising power of motion. See me move my hand, wrist, and fingers. How easily every joint moves. Man's mind thinks of a beautiful little machine called a watch-his hands can make the watch; they can play the piano, and can perform many other difficult actions, light work and heavy

actions yourself. Perhaps your hand can make as many different motions as the mind's different thoughts.

L. Ah, it is the mind's servant. Then I will say the first reason of our physical distinctions.

First, Man has more mind than the lower animals; therefore he uses only one pair of limbs for walking, and the other for working. At the extremities of his fore limbs are hands, instruments with a wonderful power of motion to perform different actions for the mind. Thus, mankind, s the first order of Mammals, are called TWO-HANDED ANIMALS.

W. And that is fair. One pair is quite enough to carry my body, because my mind is more important. The hind limbs are servants to our body, and the fore limbs are servants to my mind; but then the birds only walk on two legs.

Ion. Yes, I thought of that; but still, they use all four limbs for carrying their bodies-their legs for the earth, and their wings for the air. They live in different places, you see.

W. Ah!

W. It is not comfortable, papa, I'm afraid I shall fall. You see, my eyes look down on the ground.

P. Then you see the reason for the second distinction. In consequence of your having only two legs, the best position for your body is an upright one.

Ion. Men, papa, must walk on their hands and knees if they want to go on all fours-because, I was noticing Willie's legs just nowthey are much longer than his arms.

P. Yes, this shows that man was always intended to have an upright posture. It is another proof of our second distinction.

Let us repeat:

Man has more mind than the lower animals.

Therefore, he uses only his hind limbs for walking, which are longer than his fore limbs.

Therefore, secondly, HE HAS AN

UPRIGHT POSTURE.

We will finish this lesson next week.

GAY.

ENGLAND.

HULL. YORK.

DEAR CHILDREN,

I had often heard that Hull was a famous place for shipping; and, if you look on your map, you will soon see why it is so.

You may see that ships can sail to it from many different parts. A ship may come into the HUMBER from the river Ouse, or from the large river Trent, or from the Derwent, or from any of the rivers flowing into the Ouse; and, as there are many towns on these rivers, the ships bring goods and manufactures from them.

W. Yes; and if you will come here, and look at the map of the world, I will show you something that our teacher told us at school. A great many ships sail into the Humber from other countriesfrom the east of Europe-from Sweden, and Denmark, and Russia; and the ships that come from the cold northern seas, laden with oil which the sailors get from the whales there, when they come to England, it is so much easier to sail up the Humber and call at Hull, instead of going all the way to London. But let us hear what Mr. Young says.

L. Yes: listenShips also come from countries which are at the north and east of England, bringing oil, timber, flax, hemp, and other things, because Hull is the nearest port. Canals, also, and now railways, bring goods from all parts to be "exported;" so that Hull is called THE GREAT EASTERN PORT OF ENGLAND.

I cannot tell you of all I saw at Hull-the great church, the statue of Wilberforce, and the

too!-the famous docks, which are almost the largest in England-to write you a description of their splendid warehouses and long quays, covered with all kinds of goods, would require, oh, a very large sheet of paper! As I was standing near the water, I saw a steamer coming in from London, which was called the Wilberforce; and there was a smaller steamer alongside, which was to start for York at twelve o'clock.

So I returned home quickly, and at exactly a quarter to twelve Mrs. Peg and I took our places for York on board the boat Ebor. We had a delightful trip up the river Ouse, for the Ebor was not a very fast boat; so we were able to notice the old ruin at Howden, and Selby, and many pretty places.

It was getting late in the afternoon, when I, who had been walking backwards and forwards on the deck for a long time, sat down to have some talk with myself, and to think of the City of York. "Fine old city!" I began"dear old city! I have read thy ancient name in many a history book. Old city, where the Romans built idol temples, when thou wert called Eboracum! Old city, where now the finest cathedral in England stands! Great city, once the capital of the north, how I long to see thy old walls and gates!"

So I took out my guide-book to read. I found that the city, in the time of the Romans, was called Eboracum, and that, even in the present day, the Archbishop of York signs his name Ebor.

W. And the steamer was called Ebor, too!

But, in the Saxon times, its name was changed. The Saxon

name for the river Ouse was Ure, and the Saxon word for "village" was Wic, and, as it was one of the Ouse villages or towns, it was called "Ure-wic."

If you repeat that name very quickly, it will sound like Yurek; and, if you say it quickly several times, you will find yourself saying YORK-the word which people say

now.

York, like Carlisle and Westmoreland, has been the scene of many a battle. York was the stronghold of the Saxon nobles who resisted William the Conqueror. Your papa has, I believe, told you in his history lessons, how this city and all the country round about, was destroyed by William.

I have told you in one of my letters, of Edward I. who tried to conquer the Scots. During seven years he fixed his head-quarters here. Both Edward II. and Edward III., when they marched against the Scots, also made this city their head-quarters. Queen Philippa, Edward's wife, when, as you have heard, she conquered the Scotch king David, at Neville's Cross, received him as prisoner in York Castle.

ment.

But in the time of the civil war between Charles I. and his Parliament, there were many dreadful scenes in this city. At one time the suburbs (that means the houses built around the city) were all burned by the army of the ParliaGreat batteries were built for destroying the walls and gates, but the place was kept by the king until after the battle of Marston Moor (the place which my Yorkshire friend at Hull spoke of). Then the royalists were defeated, and obliged to flee. EASE HER!

What's that? STOP HER!

What? And as I shut my book, and jumped on my feet, I saw before me the ancient city. The sun had left us, but, standing athwart the dim red sky, I saw the two tall western towers, and the heavy lantern tower of the cathedral, or "minster," the castle, and below, part of the walls and the bridge over the Ouse.

I slept that night at the house of an aunt of mine who lives here, and the next day we took a walk to see the city. I saw the castle, which is now a new building-the barracks-and the soldiers exercising. I walked round part of the old walls, for a very great part of them is still standing, saw the four ancient bars or gateways-and was shown the places where, a long time ago, our barbarous ancestors used to expose the heads of their prisoners, and of criminals who had been executed.

If you have ever been to London, you may have seen a bar something like these called Temple Bar. One of the bars in York was called Micklegate Bur-another, a very old "picturesque" place, was called Walmgate. There were some remains of an old abbey, called St. Mary's Abbey, which were also picturesque-but, oh, the most picturesque, the grand sight was the Minster! You shall hear about it in my next letter.

Your faithful friend, HENRY YOUNG. W. Papa. What does he mean by "picturesque?"

P. It mcans really-" fit for a picture;" old buildings, trees, and many natural objects are picturesque. You shall understand that word better another day.