178 THE ROBINS SINGING PRAISES. THE ROBINS SINGING PRAISES. "How I love to get up in the morning, and hear the robins sing praises to their Maker! It does my heart good to hear them." Such was the frequent saying of a very aged man whom I knew, who was intemperate. He was indeed an early riser, as intemperate people usually are. And I have no doubt he loved dearly to hear the "robins singing praises," as he called it; for then it was, if at any time, that his head was clear: and when his head was clear, he was quite a sensible man. I say I have no doubt this old gentleman thought he was sincere, and that he really rose early for the pleasure of hearing the robins. And I say again, I do not doubt that this was one reason of his rising early. But there was a deeper reason still than this. may be; but they love the excitement of spirits, still more. This it is that rouses them. Were it not for the spirit bottle, the robins might probably sing on till an hour, or two hours, after sunrise, without their hearing them. But will any of my young friends who are sober and temperate, and who drink nothing but water-will any of these, I say, refuse to get up early because the drunkard is up? The morning is just as sweet as if there was no drunkard to witness it; and the robin sings as sweetly as if there were no drunkards to hearken; and rising early makes you just as happy, and as healthy, and as long-lived as if there were no drunkards in the world. I speak of rising early as a healthy practice, and as making us long lived. A very eminent man in England, Sir John Sinclair, took a great deal of pains to find out the habits of old people; and in his inquiries of great multitudes, he found one habit in which they all agreed that of rising early. He concluded, at once, therefore, that early rising must be healthy. Do you ask what it was? Have you never heard the old saying that, Drunk ards always rise early? They rise early to take their accustomed dose. They are so excited the day before, and their sleep during the night, is so disturbed or unsound, and their stomachs and ner- If you could know the habits of your vous systems are in so bad a state, that very aged friends-if you have any-I they think they want something or oth- think you would find them all early rier, as soon as they wake, to eat or drink. sers. Some early risers, it is true, die Their mouth-how bad it tastes! So in youth, or in middle age; but it is not they go to the bottle, and thus begin, because they rose early. Something else early in the morning as it is, another carried them off, in spite of their early day's work of destruction to their health rising; and not as a consequence of it. and happiness. I hope no reader of Parley's MagaThey love the music of the birds, it zine is so foolish as to lie in bed late in 180 THE NOBLE YOUNG SAILOR. lish call it; such as the poor use for he would cling dexterously round a rope, making stockings. Where does the reed warbler get his yarn for building? And who taught him to weave it so nicely together? But he is not the only curious artist among the feathered tribes. There are multitudes of others as ingenious as the reed warbler; and some much more so. THE NOBLE YOUNG SAILOR. Volney Beckner, the son of a poor sailor, was born at Londonderry, Ireland, in the year 1748. He was taught by his father to swim, almost as soon as he was weaned. To make him familiar with danger, and teach him how to guide himself in the middle of the waves, the father would take him into the sea, even when it ran almost mountains high. He would also sometimes throw him down from the stern of a vessel into the sea, and then suddenly plunging in after him, seek him out, and rescue him. Indeed he did not fail to teach him, in every possible way to brave dangers-especially the dangers of the sea-in form. every Volney became so bold, able and vigorous, that from his fourth year he would follow the ship in which he had been brought up, swimming the distance of one or two leagues. When he was exhausted by fatigue, his father, who watched him with an attentive eye, flew to catch him, and brought him to the ship on his back. Sometimes, when the little lad was not extremely fatigued, which was thrown out to him, and creep up like a rat into the vessel. When he grew a little bigger, he soon rendered himself useful to the crew. In tempestuous weather, when the wind blew with violence, when it tore the sails, and the rain fell in torrents, he was one of the most active on board. The squirrel does not clamber with more agility up the trees in Lapland, than Volney did up the shrouds and along the yards of the ship. When he was at the top of the mast, even in the fiercest of the storm, he appeared as little agitated as a passenger stretched in his hammock. Such is the force of habit and example! Happy are those who see none but good examples! Cradled in the effeminacy of cities, abandoned to ignorant nurses, most children tremble like a leaf at the creaking of a door, and are ready to faint at the sight of a mouse. It is not so with those who are brought up in the midst of labour, and who contemplate brave men. To be fed with biscuit broken with a hatchet, sparingly moistened with muddy water, to be half covered with a garment of coarse cloth, to take some hours of repose on a plank, and be suddenly wakened at the moment when his sleep was the soundest, was the lot of Volney, and yet he enjoyed a robust constitution. He never caught cold, he never knew fevers, or any of those diseases which arise from gluttony and idleness. A THE NOBLE YOUNG SAILOR. hardy education is always the best, and alone forms superior men: of this fact history furnishes us with numerous examples. Such were the aptitude and industry of Beckner in his twelfth year, that at this age he was judged worthy of a higher station, and double pay. The captain of his ship often mentioned him as a model to the other boys; and said once, in the presence of the whole crew, "If this little fellow continues to conduct himself with so much valour and prudence, I have no doubt of his obtaining a place much above that which I occupy." Little Volney was very sensible to the praises that he had so well deserved. Though deprived of the study of letters, which cultivates the mind, extends our knowledge, and gives us just idea of things, he loved glory by instinct, and made great efforts to acquire it. From several instances of intrepid daring, which he manifested in many danger ours emergencies, we shall only select the following, since this alone will confer eternal honour on his memory. A little girl, daughter to a rich American, who was going to Port-au-Prince, in France, had slipped away from her nurse, who was sick in the cabin, and ran upon deck. There, whilst she fixed her eyes with curiosity on the immense expanse of water, a sudden heaving of the ship caused her head to turn, and she fell into the sea. The father of Volney darted after her, and in five or six strokes caught her by the frock. 181 Whilst he swam with one hand to regain the ship, and with the other held the child to his breast, Beckner perceived at a distance a shark advancing towards him. He called out for assistance. The danger was pressing. Every one ran on deck, but no one dared to go further they contented themselves with firing off several muskets; but the animal, lashing the sea with his tail, and opening his frightful jaws, was just about to seize his prey. In this terrible extremity, what strong men would not venture to attempt, filial piety excited a child to execute. Little Volney armed himself with a sabre; he threw himself into the sea; then plunging with the velocity of a fish, he slipped under the belly of the animal, and thrust the sword into him up to the hilt. Thus suddenly assailed, and deeply wounded, the shark quitted the sailor and child, but turned, exasperated, against the aggressor, who attacked him with repeated blows. What a heart-rending sight! How worthy of admiration ! On one side the American, trembling for his little girl, who seemed devoted to destruction; on the other, a generous mariner exposing his life for a child not his own; and here the whole crew raising their hands to heaven on seeing young Volney contending with an enemy so greatly superior, and encountering inevitable death to divert it from his father! Who can view a scene like this without dissolving into tears of tenderness? The combat was too unequal, and no refuge remained but in a speedy retreat. Several ropes were quickly thrown out to the father and the son, and each succeeded in seizing one. They were hastily drawn up; already they were many feet above the surface of the water; already cries of joy were heard: "Here they are! here they are!—they are saved!" Alas! no-they were not saved! At least one victim was to be sacrificed. Enraged at seeing his prey about to escape him, the shark plunged with a vigorous spring, and darted forward like lightning, with his sharp teeth he tore asunder the body of the intrepid and unfortunate youth while suspended in the air. A part of his palpitating and lifeless body was drawn up to the ship, with the father and little girl. Thus died, at the age of twelve years, this hopeful young sailor, who deserved a better fate. When we reflect on the generous action which he performed, and the sacred motive by which he was animated to the enterprise, we are penetrated with sorrow to see him sink under it. Yet these great examples cannot be lost. The memory of them does not perish with the individual who gave them. A faithful relation of them cannot but animate with a generous zeal the tender minds of youth, and produce from age to age the repetition of actions not less praise-worthy. Physicians rarely take medicine. THE USE OF FLOWERS. BY MARY HOWITT. GOD might have bade the earth bring forth The Oak-tree and the Cedar-tree He might have made enough, enough And yet have made no flowers. The clouds might give abundant rain, Our outward life requires them not, ROOMS. To sleep in, sit in, eat ín, and sometimes to work or play in. But every body should work, play and eat as much as possible in the open air. SHOES AND BOOTS. To keep our feet warm, and to defend them from injury by sharp nails, glass, &c. But we should take care not to cut or burn them. |