possessing the most favorable opportunities of cultivating it, should be destitute of the means necessary for improving them to advantage.

Instead of the sagas, some of the more pious substitute the historical books of Scripture; and as they always give the preference to poetry, most of these books have been translated into metre, chielly with a view to this exercise.

At the conclusion of the evening labors, which are frequently continued till near midnight, the family join in 5 singing a psalı or two; after which, a chapter from some

book of devotion is read, if the family be not in possession of a Bible, but where this sacred book exists, it is preferred to every other.

A prayer is also read by the head of the family, and the exercise concludes with a psalm. Their morning devotions are conducted in a similar manner, at the lamp. When the Icelander awakes, he does not salute any person

that

may have slept in the room with him, but hastens to the door, and, listing up his eyes iowards heaven,

adores Him who made the heavens and the earth, the Au6 thor and Preserver of his being, and the Source of every blessing. He then returns into the house, and salutes every one he meets, with “God grant you a good day!"

There may be in the cup
A spider steeped, and one may drink,—depárt

.
And yet partake no venom; for his knowledge
Is not infected; if one present
The abhorred ingredient to his eye; make known
How he hath drúnk, he cracks his gorge, his sides
With violent hefts.* Shakspeare.

LESSON XIX.

Centennial Hymn.-PIERPONT.
[Sung in the Old South Meeting-house, Boston, on the Centennial

Birthday of WASHINGTON.]
| To Thee, beneath whose eye
Each circling century

Celiant rolls,
Our nation, in its prime,
Looked with a faith snblime,
And trusted, in " the tine

That tried men's souls"-
2 When, from this gate of heaven, *
People and priest were driven

By fire and sword,
And where thy saints had prayed,
The harnessed war-horse neighed,
And horsemen's trumpets brayed

In harsh accord.
3 Nor was our fathers' trust,
Thou Mighty One and Just,

Then put to shame :
“Up to the hills” for light
Looked they in peril's night,
And, from yon guardian height,t

Deliverance came.
4 There like an angel form,
Sent down to still a storm,

Stood WASHINGTON!
Clouds broke and rolled away;
Foes fled in pale dismay;
Wreathed were his brows with bay,

When war was done.

5 God of our sires and sons,
Let other Washingtons

Our country bless;
And, like the brave and wise
Of by-gone centuries,
Show that true greatness lies

In righteousness.

* The Old South church was taken possession of by the British, while they held Boston, and converted into barracks for the cavalry, the pews being cut up for fuel, or used in constructing stalls for the horses.

+ From his position on "Dorchester Heights,” that overlook the town, General Washington succeeded in compelling the British forces to evacuate Boston.

Alas, how little do we appreciate a mother's tenderness while living! How heedless, are we, in youth, of all lier anxieties and kindness! But when she is dead and gone ; when the cares and coldness of the world come withering to our hearts ; when we experience how hard it is to find true sympathy, how few love us for ourselves, how few will befriend us in our inisfortúnes ;-then it is, that we think of the mother we have lost.- Irving.

As the vine which has long twined its graceful foliage about the oak, and been listed by it into sunshine, will, when the hardy plant is risted by the thunderbolt, cling round it with its caressing tendríls, and bind.up its shattered boughs; so is it beautifully ordered by Providence, that woman, who is the mere dependant and ornament of man in his happier hours, should be his stay and solace, when smitten with sudden cala nity; winding herself into the rugged recesses of his nature, tenderly supporting the drooping head, and binding up the broken heart.-Id.

LESSON XX.

Fidelity.-WORDSWORTI.
1 A BARKING sound the shepherd hearz,

A cry as of a dog or fox ;-
He halts, and searches with his eyes

Among the scattered rocks:
And now, at distance, can discern
A stirring in a brake of fern,
From which immediately leaps out
A dog, and yelping, runs about.

2 The dog is not of mountain breed;

Its motions, too, are wild and shy ;
With something--as the shepherd thinks-

Unusual in its cry:
Nor is there any one in sight,
All round, in hollow, or on height;
Nor shout, nor'whistle, strikes his ear:-
What is the creature doing here?

3 It was a cove, a huge recess,

That keeps till June, December's snow;
A lofty precipice in front,

A silent tarn* below:
Far in the bosom of Helvellyn,
Remote from public road or dwelling,
Pathway or cultivated land,
From trace of human foot or hand.

4 There, sometimes, does a leaping fish

Send through the tarn a lonely cheer;
The crags repeat the raven's croak,

In symphony austere.
Thither the rainbow comes; the cloud;
And mists, that spread the flying shroud ;
And sunbeams; and the sounding blast,
That, if it could, would hurry past
But that enormous barrier binds it fast.

5 Not knowing what to think, a while

The shepherd stood ; then makes his way
Towards the dog, o'er rocks and stones,

As quickly as he may :
Nor far had gone, before he found
A human skeleton on the ground :
Sad sight! the shepherd, with a sigh,
Looks round, to learn the history.

6 From those abrupt and perilous rocks,

The man had fallen,—that place of fear! -
At lenguh, upon the shepherd's mind

It breaks, and all is clear.
He instantly recalled the name,
And who he was and whence he came ;
Remembered too, the very day
On which the traveller passed this way,

7 But hear a wonder now, for sake

Of which this inournful tale I tell ;
A lasting monument of words

This wonder mcrits well:

* Tarn is a small inte er like, imostly high up in the mountains.

The doy, which still was hovering nigh,
Repeating the same timid cry,
This dog had been, through three months' space,
A dweller in that savage place.

8 Yes, proof was plain, that since the day

On which the traveller thus had died,
The dog had watched about the spot,

Or by his master's side :
How nourished here, through such long time,
He knows, who gave that love sublime,
And gave that strength of feeling, great
Above all human estimate.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning !-how art thou cast down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart,

will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregatiòn), in the sides of the north : I will ascend above the neights of the clouds ; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of ihe pit. They that shall see thee, shail narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdóms ? that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? that opened not the house of his prisoners ?--Bible

Aud the Lord sent Natla! uuto David.

And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in ono city; the one rích, and the other poor. The rich man had. exceeding many flocks and herds : but the poor man had nothing save one lilile ewe-la nb which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spàred to take of his own flock and of his own herd, 10 dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; put took the poor inan's lamb, and dressed it for the man That was come to him. And David's anger was greatly

a