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C. The hour-glass I suppose is to show people that their time is

come.

P. Right. In the hour-glass that Death holds in his left hand all the sand has run from the upper to the lower part. When death comes, the sands of life have all run out.

C. But is it right to represent death as so hideous? To the Christian, death is a change from a life of care and suffering to a life of perfect and continued happiness.

P. The emblem rather intends to call attention to the fact that death is inevitable; but it would certainly be a much better emblem did it also point in some way to the Christian's hope of a future life.

Blessed, blessed are the dead
In the Lord who die;
Radiant is the path they tread
Upward to the sky.

All their deeds of virtue done,
Deeds of peace and love,
Now are stars of glory strewn,
Lighting them above.

But emblems, like other human things, cannot be expected to be

perfect. Do you recognize this grave, thoughtful old figure with wings and scythe?

C. Yes, I recognize it as the emblem of Time.

P. Like Death, you will see that he is provided with scythe and hour-glass.

"Fierce spirit of the glass and scythe-what
power

Can stay him in his silent course, or melt
His iron heart with pity!"

C. But I notice that the sand in his

hour-glass is still running, while in Death's it has ceased to run.

P. Why is Time represented as so old?

C. Because he has lasted a long time. Think how many ages have rolled away since time began! But I notice one thing which I do not understand;-his head is perfectly bald except a single lock on his forehead.

P. I thought that would puzzle you. It relates to time as giving an opportunity for doing anything. Time must be seized as it presents itself, or it will escape, and cannot be recovered. Thus the proverb says, "Take time by the forelock."-Do a thing at once; do not delay. Do you notice anything else in the emblem?

C. Yes; I notice the large and conspicuous wings with which the figure is furnished, and very significant devices those wings certainly are. They imply that time flies, and their size would seem to mean that he flies with great swiftness.

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P. And with each additional year of life you will better and better realize the swiftness of his flight.

Time speeds away,-away,-away;
Another hour, another day,
Another month, another year,

Drop from us like the leaflets sere,-
Drop like the life-blood from our hearts.
The rose-bloom from the cheek departs;
The tresses from the temples fall;
The eye grows dim and strange to all,

Time speeds away,-away,-away;
Like torrent in a stormy day,

He undermines the stately tower,

Uproots the tree, and snaps the flower;
And sweeps from our distracted breast

The friends that loved, the friends that blessed;
And leaves us weeping on the shore
To which they can return no more.

Time speeds away-away-away;
No eagle through the skies of day,
No wind along the hills can flee
So swiftly or so smooth as he;
Like fiery steed, from stage to stage
He bears us on from youth to age:
Then plunges in the fearful sea
Of fathomless eternity.

P. Describe to me what you notice in the emblem I now present

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to you.

C. I see a man climbing a ladder. One end of the ladder rests on the edge of a cliff, which is steep and high. The other end of the ladder seems to have no support.

P. It is supposed to rest against a cloud. It is an emblem of Ambition. The man is very high already, but he wants to be higher still. Hard will he find the task to climb his cloud-supported ladder; and if he falls, there is nothing to save him from the abyss that yawns beyond the cliff. And even in the event of success, what is his reward. At best, a name! Praise-when the ear has grown too dull to hear! Gold-when the senses it should please are dead! Wreaths when the hair they cover has grown gray! Famewhen the heart it should have thrilled is numb!

He who ascends to mountain tops shall find

The loftiest peaks most wrapped in clouds and snow;

He who surpasses or subdues mankind

Must look down on the hate of those below.

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P. I dare say you will at once know this fellow, who is running as fast as his legs will carry him. His hair is streaming behind him, and his hat is gone, though he seems unconscious of the loss. C. He must be Fear, or Terror, I fancy.

P. Yes, you may call him which you please. And here is a lady sitting demurely with one finger on her lip, while in her other hand she holds a bridle.

C. The finger on her lip, I suppose, denotes Silence. The bridle must mean confinement. I should almost fancy her to be a schoolmistress.

P. Ha! ha! I hope, indeed, many schoolmistresses are endued with her spirit, for she is Prudence, or Discretion. Well, we have now got to the end of our pictures; and, upon the whole, you have interpreted them very well.

LESSON CCXXXIV.

BRIM MING, filled full to its brim; just | PRIME, manhood; the time of life when ready to run over.

Fo'LI-AGE, green leaves.

IM-PET U-OUS, vehement, hasty, moving forward with force and violence.

a man is in his utmost health, strength, and perfection.

SEEM'ING, appearing to be.

TEND, to move in a certain direction.

PRONUNCIATION.-Yel'low 6, fo'li-age 3i, chan'nel 4b, nar'row 6.

THE RIVER OF LIFE.

1. RIVER! river! little river!

Bright you sparkle on your way;
O'er the yellow pebbles dancing,
Through the flowers and foliage glancing,
Like a child at play.

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2. River! river! swelling river!

On you rush o'er rough and smooth;
Louder, faster, brawling, leaping,
Over rocks, by rose-banks sweeping,
Like impetuous youth.

3. River! river! brimming river!
Broad and deep and still as time;
Seeming still, but yet in motion,
Tending onward to the ocean,
Just like mortal prime.

4. River! river! rapid river!
Swifter now you slip away;
Swift and silent as an arrow,
Through a channel dark and narrow,
Like life's closing day.

MRS. SOUTHEY.

LESSON CCXXXV.

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AD-EPT, a person well-skilled in an art.
AD-MIN'IS-TER, to manage the estate of
a deceased person-
take care of his
property, &c.
CLERK, in the English church, an officer
whose business it is to assist at divine
service, read the responses, &c.
CON-SID-ER-A'TION, something that is
given as the price or reason of a con-
tract or proceeding.

EF-FECTS', goods, movable property.
EX'EM-PLA-RY, serving as a pattern;
worthy of imitation.

GAIN-SAY', to dispute, to contradict.

PRONUNCIATION.

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GIFT, faculty, endowment, power.
IG-NO-MIN' I-OUS-LY, disgracefully.
PAR'SON, the clergyman of a parish.
POINT, to fill the joints of bricks with
mortar, and smooth them off with a
trowel.

PRED-E-CES'Son, a person who has pre-
ceded another. Washington was the
predecessor of Adams as President of
the United States.

PRE-TER-NAT U-RAL, beyond the ordina-
ry course of things, very uncommon.
SPON-TA'NE-OUS-LY, of one's own accord.
UN-OR THO-DOx, improper, incorrect.

Mis'chiev-ous 32a, cap'ture 17, as-cer-tain' 36. pre'cincts 29, vir'tues 18, pret'ty 33, raven-less 4d and le; fel'low 6, bev'er-age 36, ker ́nel 16.

RECREATIONS IN NATURAL HISTORY.

I. THE DRUNKEN CROWS.

1. A FARMER in Illinois had his grain-fields much damaged by crows. When the corn came up in the spring they settled on it in thousands, and seemed to threaten its entire destruction. If one was killed, a dozen filled its place. Though the sharp crack of the rifle drove them away, they always returned with the echo.

2. The owner resolved to try the virtues of alcohol. Procuring a gallon of the spirit, he soaked therein a few quarts of corn, and scattered it over his field. The black-coats came, and partook with their usual relish.

3. As happens with other partakers of the dangerous beverage, the crows became thoroughly intoxicated. The cawing and cack

ling, the strutting and staggering, were laughable in the extreme. The boys tried to catch them; they had barely strength to gain the edge of the wood, where they united at the top of their hoarse voices in shrieking out the curses of alcohol.

4. But the farmer saved his corn. As soon as the birds became sober they set their faces steadfastly against alcohol. Not another kernel would they touch in his field, though they pulled up the corn of his neighbors as freely as ever.

II. A MAGPIE AT CHURCH.

1. In a village in the county of Kent, in England, a magpie known in all the country for his mischievous propensities entered the village church one Sunday-afternoon during the time of divine service.

2. Our friend hopped quietly in at the open door, and for a time surveyed the congregation, recognizing many a friend who was wont to greet him with words of kindness; but on this occasion Jack was surprised at finding that no notice was taken of him.

3. At last he seemed determined that he would not be thus overlooked, and down the middle aisle he marched, knocking at the door of each pew, and announcing his arrival to the inmates with a clear, loud, "Here am I." This movement had the desired effect, for in a few moments every eye was turned upon our hero.

4. The worthy parson finding himself in a decided minority, and perceiving broad grins coming over the before solemn faces of his flock, at once stopped the service, and desired the clerk to eject the intruder.

5. But the order was more easily given than executed. Jack was determined not to leave, and so, finding himself pursued, took refuge in a forest of legs belonging to his young friends, the schoolchildren, who did not appear at all unwilling to afford him shelter.

6. The clerk rushed on, intent upon catching the enemy, and putting an end to this unorthodox proceeding; and, first over a bench and then a child he stumbled in his attempts to pounce upon the fugitive, who easily evaded his grasp, and always appeared just where the clerk was not, informing him ever and anon of his whereabout by the old cry, "Here am I."

7. At last, with the help of two or three of the congregation who had joined in the pursuit, a capture was effected, and Jack was ignominiously turned out, and the door closed upon him.

8. After the lapse of a few minutes, order and solemnity were restored in the church; and the prayers were commenced and ended without further disturbance. The parson in due time ascended to the pulpit.

9. He gave out his text, and commenced a discourse calculated, no doubt, to be of great benefit to his hearers; but he had not pro

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