of refinement about it, and a true lady is very particular

upon this point.

6. The walking-dress should be quiet in color, and simply elegant; never showy, and, above all, harmonizing with bonnet, gloves, etc.

7. Carriage or visiting dresses should be gayer in color and richer in style than is desirable in a walking-dress.

8. Ordinary evening-dress admits of much taste. A low-necked dress may then be worn with advantage; but, in the daytime, a thin dress with high neck is preferable for dinners, unless, where, as in England, the custom is the reverse.

9. Natural flowers, worn as ornaments for young girls, are by far more appropriate and becoming than any thing else.

For the country, the attire should be plain and strong, yet taste should always be consulted. The hat, now so universally adopted, should be trimmed with a feather, in preference to flowers. A cloak of a light material for summer and stout in winter, the balmoral skirt, and thick leather walking-boots.

11. For outer coverings in city life, the cashmere shawl, velvet cloak, or richly-trimmed mantilla, are the most desirable; but the fashion of the day must settle that point.

12. The parasol or sunshade has tant appendage to a lady's toilette.

come to be an imporThese vary also with

the fashion. At present, white silk, with a covering of

black lace and coral finishings on handle and tips, are the most elegant.

13. A riding-dress should be made of cloth of a dark shade, fitting perfectly to the figure, and never more than half a yard longer than an ordinary dress: nothing increases the risk to a lady on horseback more than a long skirt.

14. A plain linen collar and cuffs should be worn with the habit; gauntlet gloves of thick leather; but no ornaments of any sort, save the riding-whip, which may have a handle of agate, carnelian, or some appropriate

stone.

15. The riding-hat must suit the style of the day. The most becoming is the low, round hat with graceful, sweeping feather. The stiff hat, to resemble a man's, is trying to a woman's face, and should only be worn when fashion forbids any other.

THE

VI.-PETS AND THEIR USES.

HE Rev. Daniel Wilkie, "one of the most kindly Christian men that lived to do good," strongly advised that all boys should be trained to love pets: it was such a great preventive against the thoughtless cruelty and tyranny they are so apt to exercise towards all dependent beings!

If boys are to be thus humanized, girls must also be trained how to care for pet animals; because, as sisters and mothers, they must help and teach boys in whatever things are good, tender, and lovely.

Home-life is the place for all innocent loves; and, when the love of pet animals can be judiciously cultivated, it leads to the love of natural history and intellectual improvement, as well as to thoughtful tenderness and moral sensibility.

The family circle is made better, wiser, and happier, by having its amusements of pets, which naturally bring all the household into some kind of participation and enjoyment in its innocent recreations.

As grandmother to a happy little set of children, I have, for the past eight or nine years, enjoyed their delight in a zoological collection, including creatures from each class of "Animated Nature," — beast, bird, reptile, fishes, mollusca, and insects.

Our May has been hitherto queen of our petdom, but is now quietly resigning in favor of sister Fay and brother Carolus (Latin seems appropriate for boys: it sounds collegiate; and grandmammas have wonderfully bright pictures in the future for their little men) who loves all living things, but forgets sometimes that to be loved in his fashion is not so pleasant for his pets.

The small wood-tortoise will be found to be one of the best, safest, and most convenient pets for little boys. Children always long to handle a pet; and they can do so

here, without risk either to themselves or the object of their affections. We shall have more to say on this point later.

Our aquarium has had a large population; but, as in the world of humanity, few individuals have risen to particular distinction. Fishes are monotonous pets; still it is pleasant to see an aquarium, with its variety of life, and very little care is needed to make the pets comfortable. The chief pleasure to the owners of this "watercolony" is in replenishing it; and one might well envy the happiness of our May, when she comes home with her wealth of snails, bugs, tadpoles, and dragon-flies.

The glory of our aquarium has departed. Only fishes, gold and silver, remain, with one eel and two lizards. During the past winter, this eel lay concealed under the pebbles and gravel at the bottom of the aquarium; but at the call, or rather whistle, of pater familias or May, this "water-snake" would wriggle itself up and out, eager to get the little rolls of meat held in the hands of its friends, even thrusting its long head above water to seize its food.

We have had a large collection also of birds, canaries, paroquets, ring-doves, and a mocking-bird. The paroquets were a novelty at first, and made a grand sensation at the end of their career. May had set her heart upon a parrot, and pater familias promised to bring her one from Brazil; but the fleet was ordered home suddenly while lying at Monte Video, where only the larger kind of

paroquets abound, and the result was that May had two paroquets instead of one parrot. We all tried to love and praise these birds, and to persuade May that they were beauties.

Their color was beautiful, green all over, in different tints, from the softest spring green of grass and opening leaves, to the dark shade of the closing summer foliage; and then their brotherly love (they seemed like brothers)* was more beautiful than their colors. Nestled closely side by side, as their habit was, with their necks crossed together, like green ribbons to be tied in a knot, they were indeed lovely.

At first they were very quiet; but, as time went on, their vocal powers developed. They did not talk; but oh, when they opened their beaks, what a volume of strange sounds those green throats could pour forth!

Unfortunately for our peace, a piano in full practice was within hearing of our paroquets. They listened and learned, and, after some time, began, on their own resources, a performance which none who heard can ever forget. It was as if every chord in music had broken loose, every quaver gone distracted, every semi-tone become a grand crash. This caused laughter at first; but, as the unearthly din went on day by day, even our steadfast patience with pets gave way, and we hailed the escape of one of them from the window, and exchanged the other for a pair of ring-doves; and thus ended the farce of the paroquets. May has never since coveted a parrot.