METALS.-THE PRUSSIAN EXERCISE. Metals. 63 the place with much trouble and care. There is not much gold found in Europe; there is more found in America than in any other part of the globe, although a good deal is obtained in some of the rivers of France and Germany. Copper is more abundant in England than elsewhere, and there are mines of iron in most countries." "THAT thimble, Henry, which you are looking at, and think so pretty, is made of silver. Silver is dug out of the earth, and so are all metals. There are a great many metals: I will tell you the names of some of them, but I cannot tell all. you Gold is metal; so is silver, iron, lead, copper, tin, brass, and a great many more. Some are pure metals, that is, not mixed together. Gold is con- The sidered the most valuable. Silver is also valuable; but I think we may consider iron the most useful; for what should we do without spades, shovels, rakes, ploughs, and many other things which are made of iron ? "We should have no wheat, unless the earth was ploughed before the seeds were sown. We could not dig up the potatoes without a spade; we could have no fire in our rooms without a grate; besides, the saucepans are made of iron, which could not be made of any other metal. Gold and silver are also very useful. Spoons made of silver are pleasanter to use than iron ones would be. Gold is chiefly used for money and jewelry, although kings and many very rich people have their plate made of gold. Lead is very useful in building; the tops of houses are sometimes covered with lead, to prevent the rain from coming through. Water pipes are made of it; the point of my pencil is made of black lead." "Is not your ring made of gold, mamma?" "Yes, my ring and watch are both gold." "And was that gold found in the earth ?" "Some gold is dug out of mines, but not all. Gold is sometimes found amongst the sand and mud at the bottom of rivers; it is found in very small grains, and is collected by the people of Prussian Exercise; a Game for Children. In this diverting little game, as many children as wish to play must kneel down beside one another, in a row. The corporal, as she is called, is placed at the head of the line, and the captain stands up in the manner of a captain of a company, and gives them words of command. These must be something ludicrous, such as telling them to pull their noses, slap their faces, clap their hands, cough, and things of that kind. All the little company must try to obey the word of command at the same time, as the real soldier obeys the order of his captain. After various amusing manœuvres, the captain must tell them to "present arms.' They all then raise their right arm and hold it straight out before them. The next order is to "fire." Here the corporal, who is in the secret, gives the little girl next her a sudden push, which sends her and all the other little people in the line, tumbling down one over the other. This is a very diverting game, and easy to be taught to very young children. 64 ANECDOTE OF BONAPARTE. Anecdotes of Bonaparte. WHILST the French troops were encamped at Boulogne, public attention was much excited by a daring attempt at escape made by an English sailor. This person, having escaped from the depôt, and gained the borders of the sea, the woods on which served him for concealment, constructed, with no other instrument than a knife, a boat, entirely of the bark of trees. When the weather was fair, he mounted a tree and looked out for the English flag; and having at last observed a British cruiser, he ran to the shore, with the boat on his back, and was about to trust himself in his frail vessel to the waves, when he was pursued, arrested, and loaded with chains. Everybody in the army was anxious to see the boat; and Napoleon, having at length heard of the affair, sent for the sailor, and interrogated him. "You must," said Napoleon, "have had a great desire to see your country again, since you could resolve to trust yourself on the open sea in so frail a bark: I suppose you have a sweetheart there."—"No," said the sailor, "but a poor and infirm mother, whom I was anxious to see." "And you shall see her," said Napoleongiving at the same time orders to set him. at liberty, and bestowing on him a considerable sum of money for his mother; observing, that she must be a good mother who had so good a son. At the siege of St. Jean d'Acre, in Egypt, Bonaparte had three aides-decamp (or officers) killed in advancing with his orders to the same point. It was necessary to send a fourth. He had no officers near him but Eugene Beauharnais and Lavalette. He called the latter, and, without being overheard by the former, said to him, "Il faut y aller; je ne veux pas y envoyer cet enfant et le faire tuer si jeune; sa mere me l'a confie; vous, vous savez ce que c'est que la vie."-Lavalette set off, and, contrary to every expectation, returned safe and sound. During the tour of Napoleon and Maria Louisa in Holland, in 1810, the burgomaster of one of the towns which they visited caused the following inscription to be posted on the triumphal arch through which their Imperial Majesties were to pass: "Il n'a pas fait une Sottise, En epousant Marie-Louise." Napoleon no sooner read the inscription, Quand vous y prenez une prise, CATCHING RABBITS. Bacon says, "A company of scholars going to catch conies, carried one with them, which had not much wit, and gave in charge that if he saw any, he should be silent, for fear of scaring them; but he no sooner espied a company of rabbits than he cried aloud Ecce multi cuniculi;' which he had no sooner said, but the conies ran to their burrows; and he being checked by them for it, answered, Who would have thought that the rabbits understood Latin ?'” Down to the reign of "Old Queen Bess," the greater part of the houses in fashionable London had no chimneys. The fire was kindled against the wall, and the smoke found its way out in the best manner that it could, at the windows, or at the door; but generally "reclined in blackness" in the room. We look around, and notice that the young of all animals devote a portion of every day to amusement. The calf, the lamb, the puppy, the kitten-all have their gambols. This proceeds from no instruction-no parental injunctions; it is instinct-the mandate of the God who made them. We find, in children, precisely the same instinct-the same mandate. The desire of active, lively, animating sport -the romp, the laugh, the shout, the chase is as inherent in children, as much a craving of their nature, as the desire of food. These are as necessary, in order to the health, happiness, and proper development of children, as are fresh air, or pure water. Another thing we observe in young animals, is that their amusements are suitable to their several conditions. The wrestling of young dogs is fitting to creatures who have often to contend for mastery over other animals; the skipping of lambs, is calculated to qualify them to roam over hills, rocks and precipices; the nimble tricks of kittens train them for that dexterity which is needful in their pursuits as mousers. Thus far, then, we are instructed, by observing young animals, that amusements are necessary, and that these should be suited to circumstances. And we may safely apply these observations to children. They should all have amusements-cheerful--animating ones. They should have sports which take them into the open air-which draw them over hill and valley-which put to the stretch their feet, eyes, ears and hands. All their young faculties should be roused. But, hark ye, masters and misses!— don't take undue advantage of what I say-don't ask for unreasonable or unsuitable amusements. Of these points, your parents are the best judges. I say to parents-your children need their frolics; I say to children—even in your frolics, obey your parents. It is said, and truly, that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." It may be added, that all play and no work keeps Jack always a boy. As to the girls-they need less training than boys; whether it is that they are more discreet, or more heedful, or more docile, I will not say. Boys require line upon line, precept upon precept-here a little and there a little-or rather a good deal. Don't scowl, my lads, and think that old Merry is turning preacher. Not a bit of it-and if I say that the girls behave better than you do, surely you have gallantry enough to bear me out. But as to the girls-while I would enjoin suitable amusements—such as are adapted to their sex-yet I wish to ask one favor in their behalf, of their parents. And what do you suppose this may be? That they may generally spend two hours, each day of winter, in the open air; and at least three, of each day, in other seasons. In this way alone can they ensure enduring health and enduring beauty. GENTLE READER! Did you ever hear a flock of children-hearty, healthy hoidens-girls and boys-black eyes and blue eyes-when all by themselves, in an attic, or a barn, or a school-room? Whew, what a racket! But excuse me, reader, if I ask another question. Was you ever, of a summer evening, in the swamp of a southern climate-as that of Okefonoco in Georgia, or one of those which border the southern portions of the Mississippi? If not then you have never heard one of the queerest concerts that can be listened to. How shall I describe it? We may pourtray things to the eye by pictures, but we cannot paint sounds. To what shall I compare the swamp serenade of the tropics? Alas, it is without a parallel. The congregated uproar of the poultry yard-roosters crowing, turkeys gobbling, hens cackling "Cut-cut-cadaw cut- Geese gobbling; ducks quacking; Guinea hens yelling; pigs squealing-this, before I went to Georgia, I thought something-but it is nothing. Reader, you may have heard the soft serenade of a couple of cats beneath your window, sounding all the louder, because of your anxiety to get to sleep, and the deathlike stillness around; but this is nothing. You have heard the shout of a school set free-the hubbub of a Lowell factory-the clatter of steamboat paddlesthe rush of some spit-fire engine and its trains upon a railroad track-the tearing fire of a militia muster, "all together"-which means one after another. All this you may have heard. Nay more by an effort of fancy, you may put them all together, and, worked one into another by Marmaduke Multiply's table-crossways, and up and downand yet you have but a faint idea of the clangor made by the frogs, alligators, whippoorwills, chuck-will's-widows, and other songsters of a southern swamp, |