Who among our little readers would like to be a king? A kingdom more glorious than any of the kingdoms of earth; a crown-not a fading crown, or one which can be taken away, but a crown of life, enduring for ever, is promised by God to his children. God is an Almighty King, King of kings and Lord of lords, and all his children are kings too, for the Bible says, " If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." Oh! lose no time in trying to discover whether you have any title to the promised kingdom! MY FATHER'S WILL. 66 A good old man was one day walking to the sanctuary with his Bible in his hand, when a friend met him, and said, "Good morning, Mr Price, what are you reading there ?" "Ah! good morning," replied he; "I am reading my Father's will as I walk along." Well, and what has he left you?" said his friend. "Why, he has bequeathed to me a hundredfold more in this life, and in the world to come life everlasting." The reply was the means of comforting his Christian friend, who was at the time in sorrowful circumstances. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, IN DIFFICULTIES. History records a multitude of interesting facts relative to great men. While not a few of the chief have sprung from the base of the social pyramid, others, if sprung at a greater altitude, have yet been precipitated into the depths of poverty, displaying their versatility, their genius, and self-control, by a prompt and cheerful adaptation of themselves to their circumstances. We remember no instance more remarkable than that of Napoleon I. M. Thiers, in his "History of the Consulate," relates some very strange and previously unknown particulars respecting the early life and penury of Napoleon Bonaparte. It appears, that after he had obtained a subaltern's commission in the French Army, and after he had done the State good service, by his skill and daring at Toulon, he lived for some time in Paris in obscure lodgings, and in such extreme poverty, that he was often without the means of paying ten sous (5d.) for his dinner, and frequently went without any meal at all. He was under the necessity of borrowing small sums, and even worn-out clothes, from his acquaintances. He and his brother Louis, afterwards King of Holland, had at one time only one coat between them, so the brothers could only go out alternately, time and time about. At this crisis, the chief benefactor of the future Emperor and Conqueror, "at whose mighty name the world grew pale," was the actor Talma, who often gave him food and money. Napoleon's face, afterwards so famed for its classic mould, was, during this period of starvation, harsh and angular in its lineaments, with projecting cheek-bones. His meagre fare brought on an unpleasant and unsightly cutaneous disease, of a type so virulent and malignant, that it took all the skill and assiduity of his accomplished physician, Corvisart, to expel it after a duration of more than ten years. The squalid beggar then, the splendid Emperor afterwards -- the threadbare habiliments, the imperial mantle-the hovel and the palace-the meagre food and the gorgeous banquet -the friendship of a poor actor, the homage and terror of the world-an exile and a prisoner-such are the ups and downs of this changeable life; such are lights and shadows of the great and mighty. Christian Penny. THE MOTHER. It has been said, "The first being that rushes to the recollection of a soldier or a sailor, in his heart's difficulty, is his mother. She clings to his memory and affection in the midst of all the forgetfulness and hardihood induced by a roving life. The last message he leaves is for her, his last whisper breathes her name. The mother, as she instils the lesson of piety and filial obligation into the heart of her infant son, should always feel that her labour is not in vain. She may drop into the grave, but she has left behind her influence that will work for her. The bow is broken, but the arrow is sped and will do its office." OUR COUNTRY AND OUR QUEEN. In other lands the bright sunbeam Still then we'll pray to Heaven to bless In song let children hail her name, From lordly tower, and princely hall, Our mountains their delight express Though great her glory and renown, But Heaven, in thy great love, still bless ARC DE TRIOMPHE DE L'ETOILE. THE most historically remarkable, as well as the loftiest triumphal arch in Europe, is the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, in Paris, which was erected to the glory of the French Army, on a part of the immense square of the Carrousel, where, in 1812, Napoleon reviewed his troops prior to their departure on the disastrous Russian Campaign; and also where, in 1662, the famous tournament, from which its present name is derived, was held. This colossal monument was commenced in the year 1806, but in consequence of the political events of 1815 the works were interrupted, and but little progress was made during the ensuing fifteen years, and although in 1823 the government expressed a wish for the works to proceed, it was not until 1830 that any serious and determined efforts for its construction were put forth; and in 1836, exactly thirty years from its commencement, the building was completed. The majestic simplicity, magnificent architecture, and splendid sculptures strike the beholder with admiration and wonder. Its height is about one hundred and sixty English feet, and its breadth one hundred and forty-six, whilst its foundations descend to the depth of twenty-six feet, and its thickness is seventy-three and a half feet. The groups which adorn the sides of the monument are forty feet high, and the figures are about twenty feet. The first group on the right represents the departure of the army for the defence of the country; a warrior takes his weapons, and raises his helmet as a rallying emblem; a young man follows him, and a soldier is in the act of pulling out his sword. In the midst of this scene is a trooper falling from his horse. An old man is giving counsel to the leader, whilst of the two last personages, one is bending his long bow, and the other is represented as blowing a trumpet. The Genius of Liberty hovers over to protect and inspire them. The group on the left represents Triumph. Napoleon, standing in a calm and noble attitude, receives the crown of victory on his forehead, while History, sitting at his feet, is busied in writing his good deeds, and Fame in publishing them. Conquered towns, represented by women crowned with pinnacles, bow down to the hero, whilst a foreign soldier is bound with chains, and his weapons are hung upon a tree. On the opposite side, facing Neuilly, the group on the right is a representation of Resistance. A young man, guided by a Genius fluttering above him, and attended by his father and his wife, who folds in her arms the dead body of her infant, runs to the defence of his home. And on the left is an image of peace. A soldier returning from the war, is surrounded by his wife and children, whilst a man leads an ox which he has tamed, and subjects it to the yoke. The Genius of Peace is hovering above protecting Agriculture, and encouraging commerce. These two beautiful sculptures are by Etex, and they have more unity, though perhaps less perfection in their details, than |