Emily promised to request the physician to visit Eliza's father who was suffering very much from his wounds; but the prom ise was forgotten, and the physician departed.

7. She certainly was much grieved about it, and asked Eliza's pardon most sincerely. She also wept for the suffer. ings of the invalid, but it was too late to recall the doctor who was already far distant.

8. At another time, Emily wished to work a screen for her ́ mother's birthday. She carried a pattern, which she had sketched, to Eliza, who told her that it would be easily done, but that she herself would go to the town to buy the silk, and to choose the prettiest shades of color for her. "That is delightful," said Emily, "if you will take all this trouble; and during your absence, I will see that your father's dinner is prepared and carried to him."

9. Eliza confided in this promise, and set out for the town; but some unexpected visitors arriving at the house, Emily, in her anxiety to do the honors, thought no more of her engagement, and the poor old man, incapable of stirring out, and unable to call any of the villagers to his assistance, was obliged to go without his dinner.

10. The following day, Emily went to take a walk in the village with two of her friends; and the sight of Eliza, who was busily spreading some linen on the grass to bleach, recalled to her mind the promise which she had made her the day before.

11. Eliza was kind enough to refrain from all reproaches in the presence of the young ladies; but yet, as she wished to give her a slight reproof, she invited her and her young friends into the garden. They greatly admired the pretty flowers which grew at the edge of the streamlet, and afterward entering the house, were delighted with Eliza's beautiful works.

12. She presented, to each of Emily's companions, a bouquet of roses, and to herself a bunch of forget-me-nots, to

which she added, as by chance, some other flowers. Emily well understood the meaning it was intended to convey, and in her inmost heart, thanked Eliza for so skillful and delicate a manner of correcting her fault.

13. "Indeed," said she, "you have surprisingly guessed the flowers which best suit me;" and she placed them with a blush in her bosom. Emily returned, in a short time, to the house, and accompanied her young friends to their room, where they all three placed their nosegays in a tumbler of

water.

14. After a lapse of some weeks, Emily, happening accidentally to go into this room, perceived that the sweet-smelling flowers, which had been tied up with the forget-me-nots, were dried up and faded away; but the forget-me-nots had preserved their fine blue color, and their leaves were as fresh and green, as if they had just been gathered from the streamlet's edge.

15. "How can this be," exclaimed she, "that in a glass in which there is no longer any water, and when all the other flowers are dried up, these have preserved their freshness?" On examining them nearer, she perceived that these forgetme-nots were made by Eliza herself; but so faithfully copied from nature, that they might easily be mistaken for real flowers.

16. " O, my dear Eliza!" said she; "you are right, and I understand you; I require some permanent remembrance, and these flowers will constantly repeat to me, 'Forget me not!' No, my dear. friend, I will not forget you, I will not forget my duty, which these flowers will assist me in remem bering."

17. Saying these words, she took the nosegay, and placed it in a pretty little gilt vase of fine workmanship. She then hastened to Eliza to thank her for her hint, and praised the beauty of her work. "Each time that I have made a promise," said she, "I will place these forget-me-nots on my table,

or on my piano," and I will leave them there until the promise is fulfilled."

18. "Right!" exclaimed the old officer. "I admire the fancy of making the most beautiful of field-flowers serve as an emblem of remembrance, and of giving it the name of forget-me-not; and if this flower assists us to remember our duties, and above all, the sacred duty of benevolence, it is. still more to be admired."

19. Emily kept her word, and the forget-me-nots became a source of blessing to her. Many poor people, whom she had before forgotten, now received food and money. Many things which had been neglected, were now completed; and in thus acting, Emily was spared trouble and regret.

20. Her mother did not fail to remark this desirable change, and to ask her how she had conquered her bad habit of forgetting everything. Emily related the history of the forgetme-not, with which her mother was quite delighted. "You have done right," said she, "and I will endeavor to reward you." 21. She caused two rings to be made of the purest gold, upon each of which a forget-me-not of sapphires' was formed, with a fine diamond in the middle. One of these rings she gave to Emily, saying, "Endeavor to make the same use of your ring, which you have hitherto made of your flowers." 22. "If have entered into a promise with any one, or you undertaken an important business, place this ring upon your finger, and do not take it off until your promise is fulfilled, or the business brought to a conclusion. The other ring give to your kind friend Eliza. In the forget-me-not she gave you a richer present, than is contained in this gold and diamonds.”

NOTES. -a See piano, page 90, note b. b The sapphire is a precious stone, composed of pure alumina. It is of a blue color, and ranks next to the diamond in value. In Ceylon, where it is found, it is called the Oriental ruby. c The diamond is composed of pure carbon, or charcoal; it is colorless, or of a brown, blue, yellow, or pink color. It is found in Brazil and the East Indies. The largest in the world weighs about two and one third ounces. An offer of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and two large brigs of war, was made for it, to the governor of Batavia, and he rejected it.

23. Emily hastened to Eliza. "There is no necessity," said she, "for your wearing a ring to make you remember your duty, for you seldom forget it in any instance; but wear it in remembrance of that friend to whom you have rendered such service."

24. "O my dear Emily! "exclaimed Eliza, "who is there that does not require to be reminded of his duty? But each time that we look at this ring we will think of the performance of some good action; we will endeavor to relieve the poor, the unfortunate, or to bestow happiness on some fellowcreature." And the friends pressed each other's hand.

25. "Very well, my child," said Eliza's father; "and may he who cannot possess such a ring still remember to do good every time that he sees the forget-me-not on the edge of the stream; and may-he, at the sight of this pretty flower, remember also his Creator, toward whom the appearance of every flower should lift our thoughts.

26. "In this manner, the humble field forget-me-not will be of more value than gold, and each flower that we see, more precious than the most precious of stones."

QUESTIONS. 1. What is the forget-me-not? 1. What kind of a girl was Emily Milford? 2. How did she cause much sorrow to her mother? 4. Who was Eliza Newton? How did she support her father? 6. What promise did Emily omit to perform? 7. How did she feel when she recollected it? 12. What did Eliza present to Emily? 16. What did Emily say? 17. By whom and when was the piano invented? 19. What effect did the forget-me-nots have on Emily? 21. What did Emily's mother do? 21. What is the sapphire? 21. Where is it found? 21. What is the diamond? 21. Where is it found? 21. What offer was made to the governor of Batavia for the one he owns? What moral lesson may be learned from this piece?

17*

1. Winglets, little wings. 1. Con-ceptions, ideas.

LESSON XXXIII.

Spell and Define.

2. Ver'nal, belonging to spring.
2. Flo'rist, a cultivator of flowers.

3 Pet'als, leaves of flowers.

3. Pin'ions, wings.

6. Prai'ries, great natural meadows.

6. Gorgeous, glittering with gay colors

7. Re-splen'dent, very bright.

7. Vi-vac'i-ty, sprightliness.
9. De-spair', hopelessness.
9. Cher'ish-ed, beloved.
10. Nurs'lings, young birds.
10. Cri'sis, decisive point.

ERRORS.-1. Crit'ter for crea'ture; 1. kinely for kindly; 2. eer-long for ere long; 3. hyst-ed for hoist-ed; 3. re'ces-ses for re-ces'ses; 3. in'secs for in'sects, 4. sal'i-va for sa-liva; 8. up'wud for up'ward; 10. nus'lings for nurs'lings.

THE HUMMING-BIRD.

J. AUDOBON.

1. WHERE is the person who, on seeing this lovely little creature, moving on humming winglets through the air, suspended in it as if by magic, flitting from one flower to another with motions as graceful as they are light and airy, pursuing its course over our extensive continent, and yielding new delights wherever it is seen; where is the person, I ask, who, on observing this glittering fragment of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and instantly turn his mind with reverence toward the Almighty Creator, the wonders of whose hand we at every step discover, and of whose sublime conceptions we everywhere observe the manifestations, in his admirable system of creation? There breathes not such a person, so kindly have we all been blessed with that intuitive and noble feeling, admiration.

2. No sooner has the returning sun again introduced the vernal season, and caused millions of plants to expand their leaves and blossoms to his genial beams, than the little humming-bird is seen advancing on fairy wings, carefully visiting every opening flower-cup, and like a curious florist, removing

NOTE. -a The humming-bird is peculiar to America. It generally arrives in New England in May, and leaves in September for the south.