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PROGRESSION.-COMMON METRE.

By Mr. H. DENNIS,

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Queen Victoria.

DURING the last illness of her Majesty's honoured and lamented father, his roya Highness the Duke of Kent, when he felt he was approaching the termination of his earthly career, he desired the infant princess to be placed before him while he sat up in bed. In this posture he offered a most affecting prayer over her, the last part of which was to this effect, if not in this very language, that "if ever this child should become Queen of England, she might rule in the fear of God." Having uttered these words, he said "take away the child:" and this was I think the last time he ever beheld her. This anecdote I had from his royal highness's chaplain, the late Rev. Leigh Richmond; and it was communicated to him by the medical attendant, who if I mistake not was present on the occasion. Who is not prepared to join in the prayer that this last petition of a dying parent may be found eminently answered in the character and history of our beloved Sovereign.-Innes.

Docility of the Infant Mind,

MRS. SIGOURNEY, in her "Letters to Mothers," thus remarks on the influence

of stories, particularly those told by superstitious, vicious servants. How criminally indifferent are parents to the influence which servants have over the youthful part of the family! "If the little girl cries while I am gone," said a mother to an Irish domestic recently hired, "tell a story and she will be quiet." Ah! what kind of story? You will not be there to hear it. But the tender intellect already sufficiently advanced to be soothed with stories, may imbibe foolish, or vulgar, or frightful images, and take their colouring, like soft wool, sinking in Tyrian purple. "Tell her a story!" Why, that is the very aliment which her opening mind seizes with the greatest eagerness. And you are ignorant whether the aliment may not be mingled with corruption. It was a wise man who said he cared not who made the laws of a nation, if he might only have the making of their songs. With greater truth may it be said of the unfolding infancy: any one who chooses may give it grave lessons, but look out for its storytellers. Thus it is, that unfortunate babes are terrified, and made to dread a dark room or a lonely chamber, until the sleep that should solace them is but a communion with nameless monsters, and they are frightened out of their sweet birthright, the fearlessness of innocence.

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Juvenile Preaching.

VANITY IN CHILDREN.

THE Most High commands 'wives to be in subjection to their own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they may, without the word, be won by the conversation of their wives.' One method in which the

moral influence of a wife operates with prodigious power, consists in the tact and devotedness with which she educates her children. A mother, in almost every case, possesses more opportunity, more persuasive energy, and more practical acheivement, to form a child's habits and mould its character, than a father; and, when her husband is an irreligious man, she may, with amazing facility, so train the moral feelings of her little ones, as to raise up before him in their temper and demeanour, a constant machinery of instruction and reproof far more fitted to impress and reform him, than any possible course of persuasion from her own lips. The following anecdote will illustrate, in a degree, how strong an influence a wife and mother

may exert:

"It was late in the evening," says a sailor, "when I arrived from my last voyage; and I had not an opportunity of seeing my eldest girl till the following day. When we sat down to dinner. I began to eat without thinking from whence my mercies came; and glancing towards my daughter, of whom I was doatingly fond, I observed her looking at me with a stare of astonishment. After a moment's pause, she asked me, in a serious or solemn manner, 'Father, do you never give thanks before eating?' I felt an instant rush of conviction, which suddenly confounded me, and I could not immediately make answer. Her mother observed that I looked hard at her, and held my knife and fork motionless in my hand; and apprehending a reproof from me, she said softly to her, "Do you give thanks, Ann?" I still kept my eyes rivetted on the child; for I knew I had never instructed her to pray, and felt conscious that I had never set her a religious example; and I was utterly at a loss what to think or say. The child seeing me still staring at her, and supposing that I waited for her to begin, folded her little hands, and lifting them towards heaven, breathed forth the sweetest prayer I had ever heard. This was too much for me: the knife and fork dropped from my hands, and I gave vent to my feelings in tears."

Vanity in Children.

MANY persons remark the vanity of children, or express astonishment at the amount of it, without adverting to its principal cause. "No such thing," says some reader, "almost all persons advert to the early depravity displayed by the human mind, and know full well that 'folly is bound up in the heart of a child."" But I do not say that a child's own folly or depravity is the principal cause of its vanity: I say, on the contrary, that the principal cause of this vice is the indiscretion and absurd conduct of parents. A fond father watches the prattles of an infant, or the early efforts of a schoolboy; and, on observing any mark of smartness such as almost every prattler or little scholar displays, he exclaims, "Oh, how clever! Well, now, John is a fine talker; John is a fine learner; John will soon be as wise as his uncle, or as knowing as his grandfather!" A fond mother not only remarks and mentions the bright eyes, or neat chin, or nice little hands, of her boys and girls when they and she are alone; but she exhibits her darlings and repeats their little sayings in their own hearing, to any relative or casual visitor whom she can interest in her maternal feelings; and when she incites them to obey her, she tells them of the intended purchase of a charming dress which will make them "look so beautiful;" or, in order to fill their young hearts to the brim with happiness, she puts some gewgaw and dashing apparel upon them, and delightedly expatiates on the beauties of the dress, and on the charms of their own figure or appearance. Who does not see that but a tenth less of this conduct than is usually practised, would produce all the vanity which makes the most of children strut about at times as if they had souls like a peacock's! Even casual visitors, and especially relatives, often create or aggravate the evil, as really as inconsiderate parents. "I once knew a little boy," says Mr. Ab bot, of unusually bright and animated countenance. Every one who entered the house noticed the child, and spoke of his beauty. One day a gentleman called upon

EXAMPLE, PRECEPT.

business, and being engaged in conversation did not pay that attention to the child to which he was accustomed, and which he now began to expect as his due. The vain little fellow made many efforts to attract

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notice, but not succeeding, he at last placed himself full in front of the gentleman, and asked, 'Why don't you see how beautiful I be.'"

Sabbath-school Treasury.

An Infant Scholar Teaching Her
Mother.

In a Sabbath School in N, Connecticut,

there was an infant class of coloured chil dren, under the instructions of a pious young lady who loved to do good. One little girl in this class was taught her letters, and to read in the Bible, in three months, so that she would commit three verses a week for her sabbath lesson. After having recited just three verses for several sabbaths, the teacher told her one day, that she must try to get as many verses as she could. The little girl said she could not get more than three verses as she had so much to do. When asked what she had to do, she replied, "I have to take care of the babe, and teach my mother to read." Miss T- her teacher, was so much interested in this reply, that she resolved to visit the mother, that she might ascertain the particulars of this singular case. On making a visit, she learned that this mother, who, previous to the instructions she had received from her little child, could not even say her letters, had been taught by that child, so that then she could spell in words of one syllable. Miss T——, finding the mother but poorly clad, kindly made arrangements to furnish her with clothes, so that she could attend public worship on the Sabbath; and that mother, through the dilligence and filial love of her daughter, and the benevolence of Miss T, is now enjoying, Sabbath after Sabbath, the privilege of Bible class instruction. How small a child can do good? How rich the reward that teacher is receiving for all her patient toilings and selfdenials to teach that little one to read. Philadelphia Saturday Courier.

Education.

On this subject, as most others, strange notions have been entertained in the world -that nothing in a mind is better than

anything; or, that if something must be there, that something is better supplied by chance than by design, as if fortune were wisdom's surest guide. But, "nothing" will never keep its hold in my mind. Be it as itmay with space, nature endures no vacuum in minds. The mind is a field, in which, so sure as man sows not wheat, so sure will the devil be to sow tares. Another strange notion, if another it may be termed, which has been entertained- as if there were a repugnancy between morality and letters, as if the health of the affections and moral

faculties depended, in this rank of life more than any other, upon a morbid state of the intellectual-letters, it has been said, may be an instrument of fraud; so may bread, if discharged from the mouth of a cannon, be an instrument of death.—Bentham.

Example, Precept.

EXAMPLES do more compendiously, easily, and pleasantly inform our minds, and direct way or instrument of discipline. Precepts our practice than precepts, or any other

But

are delivered in a universal and abstracted manner, naked, and void of all circumstantial attire, without any intervention, assistance, or suffrage of sense, and consequently can have no vehement operation upon the fancy, and soon do fly the memory. good example, with less trouble, more speed, and greater efficacy, causes us to comprehend the business, respecting it like orderly disposed, and completely united, a picture exposed to sense, having the parts contained in a narrow compass, and perceptible at one glance, so easily insinuating itself into the mind, and durably resting therein. And this the most facile, familiar, and delightful way of instruction, which is by experience, history, and observation of sensible events.-Barrow.

Poetry.

Heaven, the Home of God's Children.

Oh! bright are the mansions, prepared by the Lord,
For those who have lov'd and believed on His word:
No longer on earth-they have passed from our sight,
To the "House of their Father," that " dwelling of light."
We hear not their song, but we'll join in the strain,
And sing while on earth to a Saviour's lov'd name:
Midst harps of bright seraphs and angels above,
He will list to poor children redeem'd by His love.
Then sing Hallelujah to God and the Lamb,
For ever and ever! Amen and Amen!

This earth we are sure cannot long be our rest;
Our places by others must soon be possess'd;
And therefore has Jesus those mansions prepared,
For all who believe what His word has declared.
No sin can alloy, no impurity stain,
Their anthems of praise, to a Saviour's loved name;
But midst the pure songs of the ransomed above,
He will list to poor children redeemed by His love.
Then sing Hallelujah to God and the Lamb,
For ever and ever! Amen and Amen!

No sorrow dwells there, no disease, no decay;
All tears from their faces has God wiped away;
No friend shall depart, no enemy come,
To trouble the peaceful enjoyment of home.

Through deaths gloomy vale we must pass ere we join
In their raptures of joy, those praises sublime;
But in sorrow or joy to our Saviour we'll cling,
And trust in His love whose praises we sing.

Then sing Hallelujah to God and the Lamb,
For ever and ever! Amen and Amen!

Dying Hours.

Martyrs at their Execution. Huss, when the chain was put about him at the stake, said with a smiling countesance, "My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a harder chain than this for my sake, and why should I be ashamed of this old rusty one?" Jerome, of Prague, observing

the executioners about to set fire to the wood behind his back, cried out, "Bring thy torch hither! Perform thy office before my face! Had I feared death I might have avoided it." Lambert, just before he expired, lifted up his hands, all flaming with fire, and cried out to the people with his dying voice, “None but Christ,

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