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Story of the Seasons.

BY H. G. ADAMS.

Part E.-Spring.

HERE was once a little child deserted by his parents, -left alone in the world to wander where he pleased, and to find food and shelter where he could: not for

any fault of his own, for he was a good and affectionate child, and loved those cruel parents dearly; but they left him, I do not know for what cause, they left him, and there he stood, on a cold March morning, on a wide common, where there was no shelter from the pelting hail-storm, no sign of human habitation to assure the little sufferer of pity and protection. Sobbing as if his heart would burst, and calling out piteously for help, he stood and looked around, as far as the blinding hail would let him see, but there was nothing to cheer him; all was lonely and desolate, and he was about to sink to the earth in his drenched clothes, overcome by terror and exhaustion, for he had wandered far and gone many hours without food, when suddenly there fell a ray of sunshine upon the spot

where he stood, which warmed and cheered the poor child; the hail-storm ceased, the sharp north-east wind swept no more, whistling and howling, across the common; the clouds rolled away above, and the air grew bright and balmy; then there arose a twittering of birds in a hazel copse hard by, which the child had not before seen for the blinding showers, and presently a little lark sprung up from amid the green fresh grass, and spreading out its glossy brown wings, soared and soared high up into the blue heavens, singing the while as though in a perfect extacy of delight; and then a blackbird and a thrush, not liking to be outdone by the saucy little songster, began talking to each other from opposite sides of a meadow that lay beyond the copse of hazel trees, which were just then bursting into leaf; sweet it was to hear their rich musical voices, contrasting so pleasantly with the shrill piping of the merry lark, and sweet it was to smell the perfume of the violets, which put forth their purple and white blossoms on a mossy bank, that ran along the side of the copse, and to see, twinkling here and there, the golden stars of the pilewort, or celandine as it is commonly called, and the daisies, like silver studs set in a cloth of emerald green, for as yet their delicate pink-tipped leaves, or petals, which, ever in wet and gloomy weather fold up closely, had not spread themselves out again to the sun :-sweet it was, I say, to see and hear all these pleasant sights and sounds, and to inhale the perfume of the fresh flowers; doubly sweet after the gloomy and desolate aspect of all things previously; and the heart of the poor child revived within him, and the smile of hope once more played upon his face, now turned up to where

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Scripture Bistories.

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN, OR, THE GOOD

CHILD REWARDED.

En Four Parts. Part 1.

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OSEPH was the son of Jacob and Rachael, the youngest daughter of Jacob's uncle Laban, and was born A. M. (or the year of the world) 2259, at Padan-Aram, in Mesopotamia, and his infancy was, no doubt, passed there with his father; although no especial mention is made of him in Scripture, until his father had left his uncle, to reside at Canaan; and then we find Joseph at the age of seventeen years. His occupation was at that time the same as his brethren, viz. that of a shepherd; property in those early times consisting of flocks and herds; and the principal duty of the young men was attending to them.

Joseph appears to have been a most dutiful and affectionate son; and the commentators upon the Bible, in alluding

the lark was singing what seemed a hymn of praise to the great God, who watches alike over birds and children, for, as the Scriptures say, he suffers not a sparrow to fall to the earth unnoticed; and the boy knelt down and joined in the grateful offering, when, all at once, he felt as though the gentle hand were laid upon his head of a being bright and beautiful, who stood before him, and smiled upon him, and, in a voice which seemed like the mingled sound of birds, and bees, and whispering breezes, and rustling leaves, and all the softest and sweetest harmonies of nature, bade him be of good cheer, for God had heard his prayer, and had commanded the SEASONS to take him under their particular care, and therefore had she-the kind and tender SPRING-the first and fairest of them-come to conduct him through her pleasant domain, to provide for his bodily wants, to amuse and instruct his young mind, and thus perform her part of the duty assigned to the "Children of the Year," as the SEASONS have been poetically called

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The child under the guidance of this spirit of beauty and freshness, wandering day by day through the meads and woodlands, which put forth their fairest flowers and their

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