But tell me, dear sir, did you lay nothing by 4. 5. Said the cricket, “Not I! My heart was so light, Go, then," says the ant," and dance winter away." 6. Though this is a fable, the moral is good; If you live without work, you must go without food. [Question. What does the Bible say about those who will not work? 2 Thess. iii. 10.] LESSON VIII. Affection to Parents rewarded. 1. FREDERICK, the late king of Prussia, having rung his bell one day, and nobody answering, opened the door where his servant was usually in waiting, and found him asleep on a sofa. He was going to awake him, when he perceived the end of a billet, or letter, hanging out of his pocket. 2. Having a curiosity to know its contents, he took and read it, and found that it was a letter from his mother, thanking him for having sent her a part of his wages, to assist her in her distress, and concluding with beseeching God to bless him for his filial attention to her wants. * 3. The king returned softly to his room, took a roll of ducats, and slid them, with the letter, into the page's pocket. Returning to his apartment, he rung so violently, that the page awoke, opened the door, and entered. 4. "You have slept well," said the king. The page made an apology, and, in his embarrassment, happened to put his hand into his pocket, and felt with astonishment the roll. He drew it out, turned pale, and, looking at the king burst into tears, without being able to speak a word. Ducat, a silver or gold coin of several countries in Europe. The silver ducat is about the value of an American dollar; and the gol ducat, of twice that sum. 5. "What is the matter?" said the king; "what ails you?" "Ah! sire," said the young man, throwing himself at his feet, " somebody has wished to ruin me. I know not how I came by this money in my pocket." 6. 66 My friend," said Frederick, "God often sends us good in our sleep: send the money to your mother; salute her in my name; and assure her that I shall take care of her and you." 7. This story furnishes an excellent instance of the gratitude and duty which children owe to their aged, infirm, or unfortunate parents. And, if the children of such parents follow the example of Frederick's servant, though they may not meet with the reward that was conferred on him, they will be amply recompensed by the pleasing testimony of their own minds, and by that God who approves, as he has commanded, every expression of filial love." LESSON IX. The Boy without a Genius. MR. WISEMAN, the schoolmaster, at the end of his summer vacation, received a new scholar, with the following letter : "Sir-This will be delivered to you by my son Samuel, whom I beg leave to commit to your care, hoping that by your well-known skill and attention you will be able to make something of him; which, I am sorry to say, none of his masters have hitherto done. He is now eleven, and yet can do nothing but read his mother tongue,* and that indifferently. We sent him at seven to a grammar school in our neighborhood; but his master soon found that his genius was not turned to learning languages. "He was then put to writing, but he set about it so awkwardly that he made nothing of it. He was tried at accounts, but it appeared that he had no eius for that either. He could do nothing in geography for want of memory. In short, if he has any genius at all, it does not yet show itself. But I trust to your experience in cases of this nature * That is, his native tongue-the language of his own country. to discover what he is fit for, and to instruct him accordingly. I beg to be favored shortly with your opinion about him, and remain, sir, "Your most obedient servant, "HUMPHREY ACRES." When Mr. Wiseman had read this letter, he shook his head, and said to his assistant, "A pretty subject they have sent us here! a lad that has a great genius for nothing at all. But perhaps my friend Mr. Acres expects that a boy should show a genius for a thing before he knows any thing about it-no uncommon error! Let us see, however, what the youth looks like. I suppose he is a human creature at least." Master Samuel Acres was now called. He came in hanging down his head, and looking as if he was going to be punished. "Come hither, my dear!" said Mr. Wiseman. by me, and do not be afraid. Nobody will hurt you. old are you?" "Eleven last May, sir. "Stand How "A well-grown boy of your age, indeed. You love play, I dare say?" 66 Yes, sir." "What, are you a good hand at marbles?" "Pretty good, sir." "And can spin a top, and drive a hoop, I suppose?" "Yes, sir." "Then you have the full use of your hands and fingers?" "Yes, sir." "Because I could not make the letters." "No! Why, how do you think other boys do?—have they more fingers than you? "Are you not able to hold a pen as well as a marble?" Samuel was silent. "Let me look at your hand." Samuel held out both his paws, like a dancing bear. "I see nothing here to hinder you from writing as well as any boy in the school. You can read, I suppose? "Yes, sir." "Tell me, then, what is written over the school-room door." Samuel with some hesitation read, 66 "" WHATEVER MAN HAS DONE MAN MAY DO." Pray, how did you learn to read ?-Was it not with tak ing pains?" Do 66 Yes, sir." 66 Well-taking more pains will enable you to read better. know any thing of the Latin Grammar? you "No, sir.' "Have you never learned it? " "I tried, sir, but I could not get it by heart." Why, you can say some things by heart. I dare say you can tell me the names of the days of the week in their order." "Yes, sir, I know them." “And the months in the year, perhaps?" "Yes, sir." "And you could probably repeat the names of your brothers and sisters, and all your father's servants, and half the people in the village besides?" "I believe I could, sir." "Well-and is hic, hæc, hoc,* more difficult to remember than these?" Samuel was silent. "Have you learned any thing of accounts?" "I went into Addition, sir, but I did not go on with it.” 'Why so?" 66 "I could not do it, sir." "How many marbles can you buy for a penny?" "Twelve new ones, sir." "And how many for a halfpenny?" "Six." "And how many for two pence?" "Twenty-four." "If you were to have a penny a day, what would that make in a week?" "Seven pence." "But if you paid two pence out of that, what would you have left?" Samuel studied awhile, and then said, five pence. * A declension of a Latin word in Grammar, like Nom. he, Pos. his, Obj. him, in English. "Right. Why, here you have been practising the four great rules of arithmetic, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division. Learning accounts is no more than this. Well, Samuel, I see what you are fit for. I shall set you about nothing but what you are able to do; but observe, you must do it. We have no I can't here. Now go among your school-fellows." Samuel went away, glad that his examination was over, and with more confidence in his powers than he had felt before. The next day he began business. A boy less than hin self was called out to set him a copy of letters, and another was appointed to hear him in grammar. He read a few sentences in English that he could perfectly understand, to the master himself. Thus, by going on steadily and slowly, he made a sensible progress. He had already joined his letters, got all the declensions perfectly, and half the multiplication table, when Mr. Wiseman thought it time to answer his father's letter; which he did as follows: "Sir-I now think it right to give you some information concerning your son. You perhaps expected it sooner, but I always wish to avoid hasty judgments. You mentioned in your letter that it had not yet been discovered which way his genius pointed. If by genius you meant such a decided bent of mind to any one pursuit as will lead to excel with little or no labor or instruction, I must say that I have not met with such a quality in more than three or four boys in my life, and your son is certainly not among the number. "But if you mean only the ability to do some of those things which the greater part of mankind can do when properly taught, I can affirm that I find in him no peculiar deficiency; and whether you choose to bring him up to a trade or to some practical profession, I see no reason to doubt that he may in time become sufficiently qualified for it. "It is my favorite maxim, sir, that every thing most valuable in this life may generally be acquired by taking pains for it. Your son has already lost much time in the fruitless expectation of finding out what he would take up of his own accord. Believe me, sir, few boys will take up any thing of their own accord but a top or a marble. I will take care, while he is with me, that he loses no more time |