parade for, on this day? I hear it called INDEPENDENCE, and, wishing to be as wise as the rest, I have looked out the word in my dictionary, and it said 'freedom - exemption from reliance or control.' Now, though I see every body seems to do what he likes on the 4th of July, and sometimes, I think, rather silly things, yet I do not know why people should do it on the 4th more than any other day of July, or of the year."

MR. MILTON. "I think, my dear, none but a very little boy would be obliged to ask the question; but if you have any doubts about the matter, you do very right to ask to have it explained, for I dare say you will enjoy the gayety of the day better, when you know why it is celebrated.

"You know, then, my dear, that the people who first came to live in this country came from Europe, and those who came to this part of it, came from England. They had got tired of living in England, because they could not do as they liked there. There were laws which compelled every body to worship God after a particular form; and this form happened to be one which the Puritans, as the people who came over here, and those who thought

like them, were called, did not think the best, and would not comply with, and for refusing, they were sadly persecuted; so they concluded to come over to this country, where there were no people except Indians, of whom they thought they could buy some land, and quietly settle down, and serve God and do their own business in their own way. They considered themselves still as Englishmen, and the king of England as their king. As this part of America had been discovered first by Englishmen, the king of England claimed it as his, and they had to ask his permission to settle here, and do as they liked in matters of religion. King James the First did not positively agree that they should do this, but he did not molest them. For many years they were very poor, and the English government did not think much about them; but when they increased in numbers, the people in England began to take more notice of them. They made the Americans pay taxes to assist in supporting the government, though they did not allow them to send any of their men to England to sit in the parliament, and say what should be done with the money. They used to choose governors in England, and send them

out here to govern the people, instead of letting them say who should be the governor. And when the English were fighting with France, they made the Americans help them, by gathering armies, and going to fight the people who lived in this country, but in parts of it which were under the French government. This the American people did; and I suppose that what they learned about making war in these combats with the French, helped them when they came afterward to be obliged to fight with the English. Things kept growing worse and worse. The Americans increased in numbers, and hated more and more to be governed by the English; and the more populous and valuable the country became, the more unwilling the English were to give it up; so they sent over armies to watch the people, and at last they came to fighting. The Americans had no regular army at first; but the people were all so tired of being, as they thought, so ill-treated, that every body that could get a gun, was glad to take it and fight the British whenever he could get a chance. You have read about the Boston massacre, the battles of Lexington and Concord, and the battle of Bunker Hill. The

Americans thought, as they refused to obey the English government, they ought to set up one of their own. So each of the thirteen states sent delegates to a Congress, which met at Philadelphia. They chose General Washington to be commander-in-chief of their armies, and declared the states INDEPENDENT of the crown of Great Britain, that is, according to your dictionary, free from its power, and no longer submitting to its direction and control. It was eight years before the British would agree that they should be so, and they kept sending out armies, and the Americans had a sad time of it. The men were compelled to leave their homes, and go and fight; and the government had very little money to support, and clothe, and pay them; but a good Providence carried them through all their difficulties, and at last the British were obliged to give up the matter, take home their troops, and make peace. Since then the country has prospered greatly. The government has become established, and every thing goes on happily. The declaration of Independence was made on the 4th of July, in the year 1776; and, as it was the beginning of the American government, it is called the Birth-day of the Nation. And if it is matter of rejoicing that the birth

day of a single little boy or girl has come round, it certainly seems right that the birthday of a great and happy nation should be observed in every part of it with marks of joy. Some of the ways which are taken to celebrate the day, seem, and are foolish; but the beauty of the thing is, that every body feels he has a right to spend this day and all his days just as he pleases, provided he does nothing which shall injure himself or another person; and this is being INDEPENDENT."

FRANK. "I thank you, papa, for giving me this account. I think I understand the matter pretty well, and I shall be glad when I am old enough to read some good history of the country from beginning to end, and particularly the life of General Washington; for I think he must have been a wonderful man."

Sophia now produced some beautiful butterflies, which had just hatched out from the chrysalises, where they had been concealed for several months. She had seen some of the large potato-worms, the last autumn, and having been told that beautiful butterflies proceeded from this animal, in itself so disagreeable, she took them, when she perceived they were getting into their torpid state, and placed them in a box with some of the leaves of the plant on