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ary Society publicly expressed a wish that another ship should be purchased by voluntary contributions in order to replace the Camden, and to be the means of communication among the various stations in connexion with that Institution, in the South Pacific. It will be remembered that the Camden was purchased by an effort of this kind, in which a number of the nobility and gentry aided, after perusing "The Missionary Enterprises" of the late Rev. John Williams (now in the 38th edition,) and in consequence of his convincing statements in favour of such a mode of promoting religion in the South Sea Islands. This vessel has, however, been found inadequate to the wants of the society, and she has accordingly been brought to England for sale. Soon after the first appeal of the Directors, it was suggested that possibly the young connected with the various Independent congregations and Sunday-schools throughout the country might raise the amount requisite to obtain a ship of larger dimensions. The idea was immediately taken up, and has been carried into action with such vigour as to enable the Directors to announce in their magazine, that the amount already received considerably exceeds 5000, while it is expected that the total sum, when

all the collections are remitted, will cover the entire expences both of purchase and outfit of the ship.

DR. SOUTHEY AND JOHN WESLEY.

DR. SOUTHEY, the late Poet Laureat, observes,-"I wrote the Life of Wesley, independent of party, with as little hope of favour from the churchman as from the dissenter; but no man can take up that life, and read it, who, on laying it down, will not sayJohn Wesley was a great and a good mau. I may have been mistaken, but no man can say, 'an enemy hath done this;' an enemy to John Wesley I could not be. Some of my earliest recollections and associations are in his favour. I was in a house in Bristol, where he was, when a mere child. On running down stairs before him, with a beautiful little sister of my own, whose ringlets were floating over her shoulders, he overtook us on the landing, when he took my sister in his arms and kissed her. Placing her on her feet again, he then put his hand upon my head, and blessed me; and I feel, (continued the bard, highly impassioned—his eyes glistening with tears-and yet in a tone of tender and grateful recollection) I feel as though I had the blessing of that good man upon me at the present moment."

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The hedge-rows in blossoms are drest;

The sweet little birds to the meadows repair, And pick up the moss and the lambs' wool and hair,

To weave each her beautiful nest.

High up in some tree, far away from the town, Where they think naughty boys cannot creep, They build it with twigs, and they line it with down,

And lay their neat eggs, speckled over with brown, And sit till the little ones peep.

Then come, little boy, shall we go to the wood, And climb up yon very tall tree:

And while the old birds are gone out to get food, Take down the warm nest and the cheruping brood,

And divide them betwixt you and me?

Oh, no; I am sure 't would be cruel and bad, To take their poor nestlings away;

And after the toil and the trouble they've had, When they think themselves safe, and are singing so glad,

To spoil all their work for our play.

Suppose some great creature, a dozen yards high, Should stalk up at night to your bed,

And out of the window away with you fly, Nor stop while you bid your dear parents good bye,

Nor care for a word that you said:

And take you, not one of your friends could tell where,

And fasten you down with a chain;

And feed you with victuals you never could bear, And hardly allow you to breathe the fresh air, Nor ever to come back again.

Oh! how for your dearest mamma would you sigh, And long to her bosom to run;

And try to break out of your prison, and cry, And dread the huge monster, so cruel and sly, Who carried you off for his fun!

Then say,

little boy, shall we climb the tall tree? Ah! no;-but remember instead, That 't would just as cruel and terrible be,

As if such a monster to-night you should see, To snatch you away from your bed!

Then sleep, little innocents, sleep in your nest, To steal you I know would be wrong;

And when the next summer in green shall be drest,

And your merry music shall join with the rest, You'll pay us for all with a song.

When Spring shall return to the woodlands we'll hie,

And sit by yon very tall tree;

And rejoice, as we hear your sweet carols on high, With silken wings soaring amid the blue sky, That we left you to sing and be free.

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THE SWORD FISH.

THIS is a large, powerful, and voracious animal, growing to the length of upwards of twenty feet. The body is of a conical form, black on the back and white under

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