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daisies which were before, as it were, embroidered all over it; and the child could hear, too, these words, uttered in a voice which grew fainter and fainter, till it died away, like a mere echo:-"Listen! instead of the bleating of lambs, I hear the ringing of scythes in the far-off meadows; the perfume of the honeysuckle and the woodbine are floating around me, and I know by the frequent call of the pheasant, that my sister SUMMER is near at hand; now I feel her hot breath; now I resign my charge to her care.Farewell-Farewell!"

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Chapters on Manufactures.

SUGAR.

COW many of my little friends are there who do not like sugar? not many, I feel assured. I have, therefore, chosen this article to commence a series of little lessons on Arts and Manufactures.

Sugar is extracted from a plant called the sugar-cane, which is principally cultivated in the West India Islands; although it has been seen in Africa, Japan, and the South Sea Islands.

As you will see by the sketch, it generally resembles weeds which grow on the edges of the lakes, except that the skin of the sugar-cane is soft and very juicy. It is topped by a bunch of leaves or blades, sharply notched at the edges, like a saw. The joints of the cane are generally from one to three inches in length, and about an inch in diameter; they shoot up sometimes as high as seven feet. This plant is in full blossom in November, and a field of them is a beautiful sight. When ripe, their colour is of a bright yellow, and in parts streaked with red when exposed to the sun. The top is at first dark-green, but afterwards becomes a brownish yellow. From the centre of the leaves shoot up an arrow like a wand, from two to six feet in height, producing from its summet a plume of delicate white feathers, which are fringed with yellow. When the cane is ripe it is cut down, the leaves are thrown aside as of

no use in the manfacture of sugar, and the stems or canes are divided into small pieces; these are tied in bundles, and bruised in the sugar-mill between upright wooden-rollers covered with iron. A large vessel is formed for the purpose of receiving the juice thus extracted, into which it flows through canals. Upwards of 10,000 gallons of juice in a day are prepared by some mills in the West Indies. The

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next operation is clarifying. In order to do this, the juice is conducted along a wooden gutter, lined with lead, to a place called the boiling-house, when it is received into copper-pans, each placed on a slow fire. A quantity of powdered lime is then added to it, in order to remove any acid which the juice may happen to contain.

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Martin Luther's Letter to his
Infant Son.

Grace and peace in Christ to my dearly beloved little son. I am glad to know that you are learning well, and that you say your prayers. So do, my little son, and persevere; and when I come home, I will bring with me a present from the annual fair. I know of a pleasant and beautiful garden, into which many children go, where they have golden little coats, and gather pretty apples under the trees, and pears, and cherries, and plums; also beautiful little horses, and golden bridles, and silver saddles. When I asked the man that owned the garden, 'Whose are these children?' he said, 'They are the children that love to pray, and to learn, and are pious.' Then, I said, ‘Dear Sir, I have also a little son; he is called Johnny Luther; may he not come into the garden, that he may eat such beautiful apples and pears, and may ride such a little horse, and play with these children?' Then the man said, 'If he loves to learn and pray, and is pious, he shall come also into the garden; Philip too, and little James; and if they all come together, then may they have likewise whistles, kettle-drums, lutes, and harps: they may dance also, and

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shoot with cross-bows.' Then he showed me a beautiful green grass-plot in the garden prepared for the dancing, where hung nothing but golden fifes, drums, and elegant silver cross-bows. But it was now early, and the children had not yet eaten; therefore I could not wait for the dancing; and said to the man, Oh dear Sir, I will go instantly away, and write about all this to my little son John, that he may pray earnestly and write well, and be pious, so that he may also come into this garden. But he has an Aunt Magdalene; may he bring her with him?' Then said the man 'so shall it be-go and write to him with confidence ;' therefore, dear little John, learn to pray with delight, and tell Philip and James they must learn to pray; so shall you come with one another into the garden. With this I commend you to Almighty God; and give my love to Aunt Magdalene; give her a kiss for me. Your affectionate Father,

In the year 1530."

MARTIN LUTHER.

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