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selling Joseph, returned to the pit, and not finding him there, was full of grief, and went to his brethren, saying, "The child is not here, and whither shall I go?"

Then they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid, and dipped the coat in the blood; and brought it to their father saying, "This have we found; tell us, is it thy son's coat, or not?"

Now Jacob knew it was his son's coat, and said, "An evil beast has devoured him; he is no doubt torn in pieces." Then he "rent his clothes, put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days." Rending the clothes, was an eastern way of expressing grief, and putting on sackcloth, which Jacob did, is the first precedent of so doing, but which was afterwards used upon all mournful occasions, and meant that he looked upon himself as reduced to the meanest and lowest condition of line.

His children did all they could to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, "I will go down to the grave mourning for my son," or, I will not cease mourning until I die and be laid in my grave;" thus we see how one sin leads to another. Joseph's brethren, by their jealousy and bad feeling to him, was the cause of their father's extreme grief, almost his death. Therefore, dear children, avoid every little sin especially-never forgetting, that that little sin which you think so lightly of at the time, may lead to greater, and the worst of all; and that God sees us at all times. and knows all our thoughts, words, and actions,

I shall tell you more of Joseph's history in my next.

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HIS animal, like the rest of the feline or cat tribe, is playful when young, but as it advances in years, it generally loses its sportive habits, and becomes, what the nature of its race is, treacherous. It is the only quadruped of its kind that has become thoroughly domesticated; and the service it renders to man, in clearing the house of mice, makes it a most useful animal. It is very artful and insinuating, conceals its intentions until it can put them in exe

cution, and when opportunity offers, seizes what it wishes, flies off with it, and remains concealed till its offence may be forgotten. The cat loves ease, is fond of warmth, and seeks the softest cushion by the fire-side to lie upon.

The female is very savage when any of her kittens are touched while they are helpless, and has been known to make great sacrifices for their offspring: on one occasiona cat who had a number of kittens, encouraged them to play about a stable door on a morning on spring; and while she was joining them in their sportive tricks, they were discovered by a large hawk, that was flying about in search of prey, who in a moment darted down upon one of the kittens, and would have borne it off as quickly, had it not been for the courageous mother. Puss seeing the danger of her offspring, flew on the hawk, who was obliged to give up the kitten; the fight became dreadful to both parties; for the hawk by the strength of his wings, and the sharpness of his talons, had for a time the advantage, wounding the poor cat, and depriving her of an eye in the conflict; she, however, regardless of this accident, renewed her efforts in behalf of her little ones, till having broken the wing of her enemy, he became more in her power; and by a sudden exertion she laid the hawk motionless at her feet, and tore off his head. She then ran to her bleeding kitten, and licked the wounds inflicted on his tender sides, apparently forgetting the loss of her own eye.

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