For Parley's Magazine.

THE ENVIOUS LOBSTER.

A FABLE-BY MISS GOULD.

A lobster from the water came,
And saw another, just the same
In form and size, but gaily clad
In scarlet clothing, while she had
No other raiment to her back,
Than her old suit of greenish black.

"So ho!" she cried, "'t is very fine!
Your dress was yesterday, like mine,
And in the mud, below the sea,
You lived, a crawling thing, like me.
But now, because you 've come ashore
You've grown so proud, that what you wore,
Your strong old suit of bottle-green.
You think improper to be seen!

To tell the truth, I don't see why

You should be better dressed than I;
And I should like a suit of red
As bright as yours, from feet to head.
I think I'm quite as good as you;
And I'll be dressed in scarlet, too!"

"Will you be boiled," the owner said,
To be arrayed in glowing red?
Come here, my discontented Miss,
And hear the scalding kettle hiss!
Will you go in, and there be boiled
To have your dress so old and soiled,
Exchanged for one of scarlet hue?"

"Yes!" cried the lobster, " that I'll do,
And thrice as much, if needs must be
To be as gaily clad as she!"
Then, in she made a fatal dive
And never more was seen alive.

Now, those who learn the lobster's fate,
Will see how envy could create

A vain desire within her breast,
And pride of dress could do the rest,
That brought her to an early death:
'T was love of show that cost her breath.

THE MANNERS OF THE JEWS.
No. XII.

MEDICINE AND PHYSICIANS.

The first mention of physicians in the Bible is Gen. 1. 2. where we find that Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; that is, to wrap up the dead body with spices and various medical preparations, which would prevent it from decaying in the natural manner. This was in Egypt, and the physicians were Egyptians. Indeed, from the simple, plain, and healthy manner in which the patriarchs lived, it is probable that they had not much occasion for medicine.

Even in the later times of the Jews, we find little reason to suppose that they knew much of what is called the medical art. Their knowledge probably did not extend far beyond binding up a broken limb, or healing a wound. As for other diseases, they appear to have regarded them as immediate effects of the anger of God. Job's friends thought so. Therefore good people generally consulted the prophets or other ministers of God; while evil and wicked men consulted the idolatrous priests, or

people who pretended to be magicians or sorcerers; and the heathen nations do se still.

When king Asa had the gout and trusted to his physicians for a cure, without seeking God's blessing on the means used, we are reminded that this was wrong, 2 Chron. xvi. 12.. When Jeroboam's son was ill, be sent his wife to the prophet Abijah, to inquire respecting the event of his illness, 1 Kings xiv. Hezekiah, when almost at the point of death, was recovered by means directed by Isaiah, 2 Kings xx. 7. For the leprosy in particular, no medicine seems to have been used. It is generally thought to have been considered as an especial mark of divine displeasure; the priests were directed particularly to watch the progress of the disease, and to keep all persons af flicted with it by themselves.

Naaman came to consult Elisha for a cure of his leprosy, but the prophet would not even see him, thus showing that his cure was to proceed wholly from God, 2 Kings v.; and when Benhadad, king of Syria, was dangerously ill, he also sent to Elisha, 2 Ki. viii. 7. 8. Ahaziah, king of Israel, who was

a wicked man, sent to the idol Baalzebub at Ekron, to ask of the priest respecting his illness. But still it is evident that there were physicians, and that they used medicine; thus the prophet Jeremiah inquires, "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" Jer. viii. 22.

The woman healed by our Lord, see Mark v. 26. had suffered many things of physicians. St. Luke the evangelist, who wrote one of the gospels and the Acts, was

a physician, Col. iv. 14. As for medicine, we read, Prov. xvii. 22. that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine." This of course does not mean foolish merriment; but a cheerful disposition often adds to health and strength. The balm already mentioned was a healing balsam or gum, highly valued; the best was found in Gilead. The merchants to whom Joseph was sold were carrying this balm to Egypt. Jacob sent some as a present to the ruler of Egypt. Gen. xxxvii. 25. xliii. 11.

A young friend to whom I presented the volume thus writes to me after the usual expression of his thanks for my gift: "I have been much pleased and instructed by it, and though I have not yet had it but a week, it has already gone half round the school. Before I get it again, I am afraid it will be rather the worse for wear. You ask me what I like best in the book. I will tell you. I liked the stories of the revolution best. What fine fellows those men must have been who threw the tea overboard! But is not Mr. Carver mistaken when he says there were only sixty. It seems to me that I have read about more than sixty of them dying during the last year. I showed it to Master and he

was much pleased with it, and said he would give it as a reward of merit to the boy who did not have a mark for a week for misconduct, and who got his lessons best. If I get it, I have promised to give it to my little cousin, who liked it as well as I."

From the cuts in this volume we have been permitted to copy the representation of the liberty tree hung with banners. You have all heard of this famous old tree, and know that it was cut down by the British soldiers during the revolution. It was formerly much cherished by the citizens, and they used to have many meetings under the shadow of its old branches. Once they hung it with banners, on an occasion of which you will read more at length in the history itself.

Questions are added at the end of the volume, and as the information contained in it is such as every child should possess, conveyed in a clear and attractive manner, we should think it might be advantageously introduced into schools.

STAR-LIGHT FROST.

RY REV. W. L. BOWLES.

The stars are shining overhead,
In the clear frosty night;
So will they shine when we are dead,
As countless and as bright.

For brief the time and short the space
That e'en the proudest have,
Ere they conclude their various race
In silence and the grave.

But the pure soul, from dust shall rise,
By our great Saviour's aid,

When the last trump shall rend the skies,
And all the stars shall fade.

DIVING-BELLS.

The first diving-bell we read of was nothing but a very large kettle, suspended by ropes with the mouth downwards, and planks to sit on fixed in the middle of its concavity. Two Greeks at Toledo, in 1588, made an experiment with it before the emperor Charles V. They descended in it,with a lighted candle, to a considerable depth.

In 1683, William Phipps, the son of a blacksmith, formed a project for unloading a rich Spanish ship sunk on the coast of Hispaniola. Charles II. gave him a ship with every thing necessary for his undertaking; but being unsuccessful, he returned in great poverty. In 1687, he set sail in a ship of two hundred tons, having previously engaged to divide the profits according to the twenty shares of which the subscription consisted. At first all his labors proved fruitless; but at last, when he seemed almost to despair, he was fortunate enough to bring up so much treasure, that he returned to England with the value of two hundred thousand pounds sterling. Of this sum he got about twenty thousand pounds, and a rich duke ninety thousand.