think and feel as you do, since she certainly took much more pains with you, than you could possibly take with her; nevertheless, the good conferred has perhaps been equivalent to that received, for without it her health would have been delicate, her temper soured, her manners a tissue of affectation, forbidding to some and ridiculous to others. With many great virtues, she would have yet had no attractions, and of course been unable to benefit others by her example; and from being sensible that no one loved her, she would have been induced to love no one; thus you see her benevolence would have been repressed, at that period of life when it flows most freely in the heart; and perhaps misanthropy might have incrusted, and avarice tainted in time the mind of one, who under different circumstances will I doubt not become like a fountain in the desert to her fellow-creatures; for Caroline will be extremely wealthy. Mrs. Haywood's observations were suddenly closed by the arrival of Miss Cornwall, who came all the way from Nice to receive the dear girl who constituted her hope, fear and solicitude for the future. As soon as ever she saw her, her joy became full, for the lively warm affection of her manners, unsuppressed by false notions of refinement, yet not touched by rudeness, assured her that the expectations she had formed were realized that living amongst girls she had by a happy contagion, in the first place become a girl, with the simple and ardent feelings, the pliable mind, and natural hilarity, which enlivens the spring-time of existence, and was now advancing to womanhood with the sound understanding, enlarged information, and generous affections, so desirable in every girl. Of course in conversation development of opinions and recital of circumstances took place, and the means of perpetuating intercourse with these young friends was contrived by the happy father and delighted aunt, who each for the present departed with their respective prizes, deeply embued with gratitude to Mrs. Haywood, and a belief that those faults in children which home education would find it difficult or impossible to eradicate, are removed, without pain either to the teacher or the taught, by the collision which must take place in all mixed societies—that a haughty carriage will be humbled, an affected manner ridiculed, idleness reclaimed, and stupidity enlivened, most certainly amongst a large society. Before dismissing the subject, I may be allowed to remark, that emulation, as excited in a school, is found beneficial to a great degree, but is a stimulus no good woman would ever venture to practise in a private family; for sister must not vie with sister, lest a spirit contrary to all christian feeling and family happiness should be awakened. To excel the many is a noble attempt, and does not lead to any individual rivalry; but to get before one or two, gives a desire to lower them, as well as to raise ourselves; and there is certainly no acquisition in knowledge, which a sensible and pious parent would desire to purchase for her child at energies and stimulating the application the expense of her temper and disposi- of the young, can only be adopted safely, tion. Justly did the apostle deprecate where a discriminating judgment directs 'strivings and emulations' among his it in a large and well-conducted society followers; and this mode of rousing the of young people. THE MOSQUITO. time fastens them with a thread or weight to the bottom of the pond to prevent their floating away at the mercy of every wind, from a place, the warmth of which is necessary for their production, to any other where the water may be too cold, or the animal's enemies too numerous; thus the insects, in their egg state, resemble a buoy which is fixed to an anchor. As they come to maturity and become more an object of food for birds, &c. they sink deeper for security or on account of their own weight, till, by the time they reach the bottom, they become the wriggling little active worm, observed in all stagnant waters of little depth during summer, and even in rain-water hogsheads. These worms, or diminutive mosquito polywogs, hang with their heads downwards, whilst their hinder parts reach the surface of the water in order to breathe; if disturbed, they scamper to the bottom of the pool, for which operation they are provided with small fins, and in this state of existence their organs of breathing are in the posterior part of the body. The manner in which this little insect lays its eggs is particularly curious. The wonders of nature with regard to other insects, too small for human view without the aid of the microscope, are equally ingenious but the female mosquito, after having laid the proper number of eggs on the surface of water, proceeds to surround them with an adhesive matter which prevents them from sinking; yet at the same in a transparent robe, in which all the After remaining about twenty days as worms or larvæ, they are transformed into the chrysalis or cocoon state, enveloped limbs of the perfect insect are distin- cormorant for blood, he attacks man and guishable. beast, and, for lack of animals, subsists on the juice of plants. It is said that it is only the female mosquito which stings. The buzzing noise made by them in the night is almost as annoying as their bite. Three or four days pass in this sort of mummy transformation, the young mosquito wrapt in his gossamer robe, and he then prepares to become a finished mosquito by ascending to the top of the water. No sooner does the chrysalis reach the surface, than the insect with its head bursts the shell, which then serves it for a boat, of which its wings are the sails. If, in this critical moment of mosquito existence, a breeze should roughly disturb the water, it proves a dreadful hurricane to these pigmy sailors; for it oversets or swamps the tiny boat; and the insect, not yet wholly disengaged from his swaddling clothes, suffers fatal shipwreck, at a time when he can no longer renew his youth and safety as a worm, nor resume his late chrysalis character, but must bide the pelting of the pitiless storm.' If, on the contrary, the weather is calm, the mosquito makes a more prosperous voyage, kicks out one leg and then another, plumes his gauze-like wings placed horizontally over each other, stretches his formidable proboscis (which consists of a membranous round tube terminated by two lips forming a little button, and a sucker formed of five scaly filaments, producing the effect of a needle,) and, having time to dry his wings before leaving the boat, he is enabled to mount into his new element the air. Contemptible as he is in size, he soon becomes a formidable, inveterate, and persevering tormentor of the lords of creation. A very In Lapland a species of these little insects are so troublesome to the inhabitants and their flocks of rein-deer, that they quit their farms in the mountains and emigrate hundreds of miles to the seashore during the summer months,leaving the mosquitoes in quiet possession of their houses and homes, goods and chattels, through the whole inland country. In other warm humid countries they are also very noxious. The following extract from Captain Hall's travels shows the mode of " GOING TO BED IN INDIA. 'The process of getting into bed in India is one requiring great dexterity, and not a little scientific engineering. As the curtains are carefully tucked in close under the mattress all round, you must decide at what part of the bed you choose to make your entry. Having surveyed the ground, and clearly made up your mind on this point, you take in your right hand a kind of brush, or switch, generally made of a horse's tail; or, if you be tolerably expert, a towel may answer the purpose. With your left hand you then seize that part of the skirt of the curtain which is thrust under the bedding at the place you intend to enter, and by the light of the cocoa-nut oil lamp (which burns on the floor of every bed-room in Hindostan), you first drive away the mosquitoes from your immediate neigh borhood, by whisking round your horsetail. You next promptly form an open ing, not a hair's breadth larger than your own person, into which you leap, like harlequin through a hoop; with all the speed of intense fear, you close up the gap through which you have shot yourself into your sleeping quarters.' WELSH PRIDE. MR. Proger of Werndee, riding in the evening from Monmouth, with a friend who was on a visit to him, heavy rain came on, and they turned their horses a little out of the road towards Perthyer. My cousin Powell,' said Mr. Proger, 'will I am sure be ready to give us a night's lodging.' At Perthyer all was still; the family were abed. Mr. Proger shouted aloud under his cousin Powell's chamber-window. Mr. Powell soon heard him, and putting his head out, inquired, 'In the name of wonder what means all this noise? Who is there ?' It is only your cousin Proger of Werndee, who is come to your hospitable door for shelter from the inclemency of the weather; and hopes you will be so kind as to give him and a friend of his a night's lodging.' 'What, is it you, cousin Proger? You and friend shall be instantly admityour ted; but upon one condition, namely, that you will admit now, and never hereafter dispute, that I am the head of your family.' What was that you said?' replied Mr. Proger. 'Why, I say, that if you expect to pass the night in my house, you must admit that I am the head of your family.' 'No, sir, I never will admit that; were it to rain swords and daggers I would ride through them this night to Werndee, sooner than let down the consequence of my family by submitting to such an ig nominious condition. Come up, Bald, come up!' 'Stop a moment, cousin Proger; have you not often admitted that the first earl of Pembroke, of the name of Herbert, was a younger son of Perthyer; and will you set yourself up above earls of Pembroke?' 'True it is I must give place to the earl of Pembroke, because he is a peer of the realm; but still, though a peer, he is of the youngest branch of my family, being descended from the fourth son of Werndee, who was your ancestor, and settled at Perthyer, whereas I am descended from the eldest son. Indeed my cousin Jones of Lanarth is of a branch of the family elder than you are; and yet he never disputes my being the head of the family.' 'Well, cousin Proger, I have nothing more to say; good night to you.' 'Stop a moment, Mr. Powell,' cried the stranger, you see how it pours; do let me in at least ; I will not dispute with you about our families.' 'My name is Smith; I come from Bath.' 'A Saxon of course; it would indeed be very curious, sir, were I to dispute with a Saxon about family. No, sir, you 'Pray, sir, what is your name, and must suffer for the obstinacy of your friend, so, good night to you both.' where do you come from?' USEFUL TABLES TO COMMIT TO MEMORY. AVOIRDUPOIS OR WHOLESALE WEICHT. 16 drams make 1 ounce. 16 ounces 28 pounds 4 quarters 20 cwt. .... .... .... Oz. 1 pound. lb. 1 quarter of a gross 1 gross hundred, cwt. When mother sends for any thing, I must not play nor stop; So now I'll tell how things are sold, At every grocer's shop. First, sixteen drams will make an ounce And sixteen ounces make a pound Twenty-eight pounds one quarter make And twenty hundred make a ton, According to this rule, Of any thing with waste or dross; TROY OR GOLD WEIGHT. 24 grains make 1 pennyweight-dwt. 12 ounces make 1 pound-lb. Makes rings and chains and seals of gold. When scales are true, and beams are straight, Twenty-four grains make one pennyweight; Twenty pennyweights one ounce we see, Twelve ounces just one pound will be. OUR present Number contains some very interesting tales in verse by MARY HOWITT, and stories by Mrs. HOFLAND, by the authoress of 'Always Happy,' and other good writers. We have received further contributions, whose insertion will add much interest to our future numbers and we have no doubt will be acceptable to our young friends. |