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still upon their stilts, without the aid of a long staff, which they always carry in their hands; this guards them against any accidental trip, and when they wish to be at rest, forms a third leg that keeps them steady. The practice of walking on stilts is acquired by these shepherds, when they are very young, and it is a curious fact, that the smaller the boy is, the higher are his stilts. We gather these facts from Robin Carver's Book of Sports, an interesting little work lately published.

From the Child's Annual.

THE PATH THROUGH THE FOREST. Sister! the shades of evening

Press darker about our way; The trees grow closer about us,

And where is the light of day? One bright, bright star is shining,

It peers through the winnowing leaves; But see! a dark cloud has hid it,

And the wind for its fading grieves.

I can see no crimson sunset;

Where, where does the bright west lie? There's a wild red tint on that cloud above, Does it come from the western sky? A noise, like the roar of the sea,

Is sounding overhead,

And the tall trees swing, and their branches crash,

And the rustling leaves are shed.

Hold my hand closer in thine, sister;
I can hardly see my way;
And the thorny bushes scratch my arm;

O, they shall not make me stay. What a flash of light was that, sister! It almost blinded my eyes;

And hark! how the awful thunder
Rolls through the gloomy skies.

Let us hasten, hasten forward,
For the big rain drops pour,
And mother is anxiously watching
Before our cottage door.

I can see a bright light streaming
Beneath that tossing bough;
It is it is our own sweet home,
That lies before us now.

O! God is ever near us,

In sunshine and in storm; When winds are resting peacefully, When clouds the sky deform. His mercy is never ceasing, And he is ever good;

Why did I fear when he was near In the dark and stormy wood?

India Rubber. The tree that produces caoutchouc, or India rubber, which was introduced into Europe about the beginning of last century, is a native of South America and the West Indies. This substance is an elastic resin, obtained by making incisions in the stem. The juice is collected as it trickles from the wound, and moulds of clay, in the form of bottles, are dipped into it several times until it is of sufficient thickness. It is then beaten to break down the clay, which is easily shaken out. The inhabitants of Quito prepare from it a kind of cloth, which they use for sailcloth.

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THE WANDERINGS OF TOM STARBOARD.-No. I.

I shall occasionally give my young readers extracts from a little work under this title, which I think they will find entertaining. Mr. Starboard is one of those redoubted travellers, who are generally the heroes of their best stories, and his adventures are no less varied than wonderful. But we will let him speak for himself:

"I was two years and a few days wandering over South America. I travelled about one thousand eight hundred miles; but I did not walk all the way; oh no! I frequently went with the Indians up their rivers; and for above five hundred miles I rode on mules, or wild horses, which I caught by stratagem.

"At night I would find a tree, and lace a rope in and out of two boughs, so as to form a kind of cradle; thus supported, I slept in peace, excepting that sometimes the vampire bat would annoy me by sucking my blood; he did it though so quietly, that I suffered no pain; and perhaps it was serviceable to me to lose a little blood; it is not improbable that these flying surgeons kept me in health by their gentle bleedings. The vampire bat does not subsist entirely by sucking the blood of living animals; it feeds also on insects and young fruits.

"One morning, I remember, when I awoke, and was coming down from my cradle, I found that a rattle snake had coiled

itself round the stem of the tree, and then I really thought it would be all over with me; but my presence of mind did not forsake me even in this case; for, as the reptile reared his flat, wide, terrible head, I took such good aim, and was so near to it that I blew it to atoms. Once, I caught a poisonous serpent, called a labarri snake, that I might look for, and examine, the fangs, which contained its venom. I saw it asleep; and coming cautiously toward it, I sprang at its neck, which I grasped tightly with my hands; its mouth was thus forced open; then taking a small piece of stick, I pressed it on the fang, (the point of which communicated with the root where the bag of poison is situated,) and I distinctly saw the venom oose out; it was of a thick substance, and of a yellow color; of course I killed the creature."

BENEVOLENCE AND BENEFICENCE.

Mr. Harvey and his sons, one day visited a charity school, which had been lately founded by Mr. Leigh, a gentleman of large property in the neighborhood. George was particularly struck by the neat, clean, and comfortable appearance of the house and school, and by the healthy, cheerful countenances, and regular behavior of the children. On their return home, the following conversation ensued:

Geo. I believe, sir, those children are entirely maintained and educated at the expense of Mr. Leigh?

Mr. H. Yes: and those who conduct themselves with propriety, are afterwards taught some business by which they may support themselves.

Mr. H. He is a man of large fortune, and he makes an excellent use of it: he is more than a benevolent man, he is a beneficent one.

Geo. Why, papa, is there any difference between the meanings of the words benevolent, and beneficent?

Mr. H. A great deal. A benevolent man, is only a well-wisher; but a beneficent man, is a well-doer. I remember a story that, I think, will render the difference evident. Mr. Goodman and Mr. Sylvester, were two intimate friends. As they were, one day, walking through the village together, they were accosted by a thin, sickly-looking woman, having a wailing infant in her arms; while a ragged child, about three years old, clung screaming to her apron. She told them, that her husband had been seized with a fever three months ago, which, though he had quickly recovered from his illness, had thrown him out of work; and that he had been able to procure none since; that their parish lay at a considerable distance, and they had not been able to get relief; that all their savings had been spent in paying the doctor, and in purchasing present necessaries, and that now they were almost starving: the truth of which, the looks of the woman and of the children confirmed

"Poor woman," said Mr. Goodman, “poor creature! I wish that I could render you any assistance; but alas! I know not how. If I had a hundred pounds, you should be welcome to it all-but, I have not sixpence in my pocket." "Nor I," said Mr. Sylvester, and walked on.

Mr. Goodman thought it was wrong not to speak one word to comfort the poor wo

Geo. What a very kind, benevolent man man, and inwardly resolved, that, as soon as Mr. Leigh is!

he got home, he would desire his servant to

earry them some food. They now observed that the people were all running in one direction; and the dense smoke, that arose at a distance, sufficiently accounted for it. They quickened their pace, and in a few minutes arrived opposite a cottage which was blazing in a most terrific manner. The chimneys threw up long spires of fire; white flame and smoke poured in torrents from the windows. The people, that were assembled, in vain endeavored to check the consuming element, by throwing water upon the building; for the fire-engine was so much out of order, as is generally the case in small places, that it would not play. Two men were endeavoring to drag away a frantic woman, who tried, with all her strength, to escape from them. Some of the spectators said, that she was the mistress of the house, and that, in her alarm, she had left an infant asleep in the chamber. "Poor, poor child!" said Mr. Goodman, "what a dreadful thing, to be burned alive! will no one try to save thee? what no one! I wish I could save it, poor little thing!"

He had scarcely uttered these words, when he saw, issuing from the volume of smoke that poured out at the door-way, his friend, bearing, wrapped up in his great coat, the infant unhurt; but his own arm was dreadfully burnt, and his hand scorched in a most shocking manner: yet, notwithstanding this, he superintended, and even assisted, with his lame hand, in pulling down a shed, to prevent the fire communicating to any other building, while Mr. Goodman stood, not knowing what to do, or how to act, and wishing from the bottom of his heart, that any thing could be done.

On his arrival at home, the fire had made such an impression on his mind, that he quite forgot to send the food for the poor

woman and her starving children. Not so Mr. Sylvester; though he suffered much from his burn, yet as soon as it was dressed, he walked back in search of the wretched family. After some difficulty, he found them in a stable which a neighbor allowed them to occupy: their landlord having turned them out of their old habitation because they had not the means of paying their rent. The man sat, in a kind of stupor, on the straw : his wife and children were weeping beside him. They said that they had not tasted food for two days. Mr. Sylvester had brought some broken victuals in his pocket, which they devoured in a most ravenous way. It was too late to procure fresh lodgings for them, that night, but, with the aid of another bundle of straw, they made themselves a more comfortable bed. On going, he gave them half a crown to procure food for the evening; and told the man, that, if he would come to his house on the following mornning, he would endeavor to give him some employment, till he could find work in the business to which he had been brought up.

"Now," said Mr. Harvey, "Goodman was a benevolent man, Sylvester a beneficent one." "Why," said George, "I dare say, if it had not been that the fire made him forget, Mr. Goodman would have relieved the poor family."

Mr. H. Yes, George, but we ought not to allow any thing to make us forget the necessities of our fellow creatures: but all benevolent men, like Mr. Goodman, intend to be beneficent.

Smoky Chimneys.-A large bladder filled with air, suspended about half way up the chimney by a piece of string attached to a stick, and placed across a hoop, which may be easily fas tened by nails, will, it is said, prevent the disagreeable effects of a smoky chimney.

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The religion of the ancient Britons was one of the most considerable parts of their government. Their priests, or ministers of religion, called Druids, possessed unbounded authority. The chief residence of the Druids was in the island of Anglesea, anciently called Mona. They were held in the highest esteem. They had the direction of every thing relating to religion, and the British youth flocked to them in crowds to receive instruction.

Their garments were remarkably long; and when employed in religious ceremonies, they always wore a white surplice. They generally carried a wand in their hands; and wore a kind of ornament enchased in gold about their necks, called the Druid's egg. Their necks were decorated with gold chains, and their hands and arms with

bracelets. They wore their hair short, and their beards long and flowing.

They considered the oak as the emblem, or rather the peculiar residence of the Supreme Being. They performed their rites in woods or consecrated groves, and any one who entered these sacred recesses, carried with him a chain in token of his absolute dependence on the Deity. These groves were of different forms; some quite circular, others oblong; fenced round with stones and guarded by some inferior Druids, to prevent strangers from intruding into their mysteries.

Chaplets of oak were worn both by the Druids and the people in their religious ceremonies: the altars were strewn with its leaves, and encircled with its branches. Is fruit, especially the misletoe, was thought

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