some measure the purpose of words among them, by means of which they can call to their young ones, express their love for them, their fears for their safety, their anger towards those that would hurt them, &c. from which we may infer that it is cruel to rob birds of their young, deprive them of their liberty, or exclude them from the blessings suited to their natures, for which it is impossible for us to give them an equivalent.

Besides, these creatures, insignificant as they appear in your estimation, were made by God as well as you. Have you not read in the New Testament, my dear, that our Saviour said, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy?' How then can you expect that God will send his blessing upon you, if instead of endeavouring to imitate him in being merciful to the utmost of your power, you are wantonly cruel to innocent creatures which he designed for happiness?

This admonition from Mrs. Benson, which Miss Jenkins did not expect, made her look very serious, and brought tears into her eyes: on which the good lady took her by the hand, and kindly said, I wish not to distress you, my dear, but merely to awaken the natural sentiments of your heart; reflect at your leisure on what I have taken the liberty of saying to you, and I am sure you will think me your friend. I knew your dear mama, and can assure you she was remarkable for the tenderness of her disposition. But let me not detain you from your amusements; go to your own apartment, Harriet, and use your best endeavours to make your visitors happy. You cannot this evening fetch the birds, because when Miss Jenkins goes it will be too late for you to take so long a walk, as you must.

come back afterwards; and I make no doubt but that to oblige you she will feed them to-night.

Miss Harriet and Miss Jenkins returned, and found Frederick diverting himself with the hand-organ, which had lately been presented by his god-papa; but Master Jenkins had laid hold of Miss Harriet's dog, and was searching his own pocket for a piece of string, that he might tie him and the cat together, to see, as he said, how nicely they would fight; and so fully was he bent on this cruel purpose, that it was with difficulty he could be prevailed on to relinquish it.

Dear me, said he, if ever I came into such a house in my life, there is no fun here. What would you have said to Harry Pritchard and me the other day when we made the cats fly?

Made the cats fly! said Frederick, how was that?

Why, replied he, we tied bladders to each side of their necks, and then flung them from the top of the house. There was an end of their purring and mewing for some time, I assure you, for they lay a long while struggling and gasping for breath; and if they had not had nine lives, I think they must have died: but at last up they jumped, and away they ran scampering. Then out came little Jemmy, crying as if he had flown down himself, because we hurt the poor cats; he had a dog running after him, who I suppose meant to call us to task with his bow, wow; but we soon stopped his tongue, for we caught the gentleman, and drove him before us into a narrow lane, and then ran hooting after him into the village; a number of boys. joined us, and cried out as we did, a mad dog! a mad dog! On this several people pursued him with cudgels and broomsticks, and at last he was shot by a man, but,

not dead, so others came and knocked him about the head till he expired.

For shame! Master Jenkins, said Miss Harriet, how can you talk in that rhodomontade manner? I cannot believe any young gentleman could bring his heart to such barbarities.

Barbarities, indeed! why, have we not a right to do as we please to dogs and cats, or do you think they feel as we do? Fiddle faddle of your nonsense, say I; come, you must hear the end of my story-When the dog was dead, we carried him home to little Jemmy, who was ready to break his heart for the loss of him; so we did not like to stand hearing his whining, therefore left him and got a cock, whose legs we tied, and flung at him till he died. Then we set two others to fighting; and fine sport we had, for one was pecked till his breast was laid open, and the other was blinded, so we left them to make up their quarrel as they could.

Stop! stop! exclaimed Miss Harriet, for pity's sake, stop! I can hear no more of your horrid stories; nor would I commit even one of those barbarities which you boast of, for the world! Poor innocent creatures! what had they done to you to deserve such usage?

I beg, Edward, said his sister, that you will find some other way to entertain us, or I shall really tell Mrs. Benson of you.

What! are you growing tender-hearted all at once, cried he.

I will tell you what I think when I go home, replied Miss Jenkins. As for poor Frederick, he could not restrain his tears; and Harriet's flowed also at the bare idea of the sufferings of the poor animals; but Master Jenkins was so accustomed to be guilty of those things

without reflection, that there was no making any impression of tenderness upon his mind; and he only laughed at their concern, and wanted to tell a long story about an ox that had been driven by a cruel drover till he went mad; but Miss Benson and his sister stopped their ears.

At last little Frederick went crying to his mama, and the young ladies retired to another apartment; so Master Jenkins amused himself with catching flies in the window, pulling the legs off some, and the wings from others, delighted with their contortions, which were occasioned by the agonies they endured. Mrs. Benson had some visitors, which prevented her talking to this cruel boy, as she otherwise would have done, on hearing Frederick's account of him, but she determined to tell his papa, which she accordingly did some time after, when he returned home.

Master Jenkins was now disturbed from his barbarous sport, by being called to tea; and soon after that was over the servant came to fetch him and his sister. Miss Harriet earnestly entreated her friend Lucy to feed the birds properly, till she should be allowed to fetch them, who promised to do so; for she was greatly affected with Mrs. Benson's discourse, and then entreated her brother to take leave, that she might return home; with this he readily complied, as there were no further opportunities for cruelty.

After her little visitors were departed, Miss Harriet went into the drawing-room, and having paid her compliments, she sat herself down that she might improve her mind by the conversation of the company. Her mama perceived that she had been in tears, of which Frederick had before explained the cause. I do not

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wonder, my love, said she, that you should have been so affected with the relation of such horrid barbarities as that thoughtless boy has, by degrees, brought himself to practise, by way of amusement. However, do not suffer your mind to dwell on them, as the creatures on which he inflicted them are no longer objects of pity. It is wrong to grieve for the death of animals as we do for the loss of our friends, because they certainly are not of so much consequence to our happiness; and we are taught to think their sufferings end with their lives, as they are not religious beings; and therefore the killing them, even in the most barbarous manner, is not like murdering a human creature, who is perhaps unprepared to give an account of himself at the tribunal of heaven.

I have been, said a lady who was present, for a long time accustomed to consider animals as mere machines, actuated by the unerring hand of Providence, to do those things which are necessary for the preservation of themselves and their offspring; but the sight of the Learned Pig, which has lately been shown in London, has deranged these ideas, and I know not what to think.

This led to a conversation on the instinct of animals, which young readers would not understand; it would therefore be useless to insert it.

As soon as the company was gone, Pray mama, said Harriet, what did the Learned Pig do? I had a great mind to ask Mrs. Franks, who said she saw it, but I was fearful she would think me impertinent.

I commend your modesty, my dear, replied Mrs. Benson, but would not have it lead you into such a degree of restraint as to prevent you satisfying that laudable curiosity, without which young persons must