foundations of my mind were laid. As Sancho boasted that all his family were old Christians,—that is, Spaniards without any mixture of Moorish blood,-so I may say that I am descended maternally and paternally from genuine Puritans. This is the true nobility of New England.

18. I nursed Puritan milk, drew Puritanical air, read Puritanical books, received Puritanical doctrines, was formed amidst Puritanical manners, and, when I go to the grave, shall sleep in the recesses which enclose Puritanical dust, until the morning of the resurrection. Have I not, then, some reason to call myself The Puritan ?

LESSON XXVII.

Knowledge.

1. "WHAT an excellent thing is knowledge!" said a sharp looking, bustling little man, to one who was much older than himself. "Knowledge is an excellent thing," repeated he; "my boys know more at six and seven years old, than I did at twelve. They can read all sorts of books, and talk on all sorts of subjects. The world is a great deal wiser than it used to be. Every body knows something of every thing now. Do you not think, sir, that knowledge is an excellent thing?"

2. "

"Why, sir," replied the old man, looking gravely, "that depends entirely upon the use to which it is applied. It may be a blessing or a curse. Knowledge is only an increase of power, and power may be a bad as well as a good thing."

3. "That is what I cannot understand," said the bustling little man. "How can power be a bad thing?"

4. "I will tell you," meekly replied the old man ; and thus he went on:-"When the power of a horse is under restraint, the animal is useful in bearing burdens, drawing loads, and carrying his master; but when that power is unrestrained, the horse breaks his bridle, dashes to pieces the carriage that he draws, or throws his rider."

5. "I see! I see!" said the little man.

6. "When the water of a large pond is properly con ducted by trenches, it renders the fields around fertile; but when it bursts through its banks, it sweeps every thing be fore it, and destroys the produce of the fields."

7. "I see! I see!" said the little man; "I see!"

8. "When a ship is steered aright, the sail that she hoists up enables her the sooner to get into port; but if steered wrong, the more sail she carries, the farther will she go out of her course."

9. "I see! I see!" said the little man ; "I see clearly!" 10. " Well, then," continued the old man, "if you see these things so clearly, I hope you can see, too, that knowledge, to be a good thing, must be rightly applied. God's grace in the heart will render the knowledge of the head a blessing; but without this, it may prove to us no better than a curse."

11. "I see! I see! I see!" said the little man; "I see!"

LESSON XXVIII.

Self-Denial.

1. ONE evening during the vacation, Frank, a tall schoolboy, amused his young brother, Harry, by reading an essay, which had given him the first prize at school. The subject was Self-Denial. Frank was a clever lad, and had acquitted himself very well.

2. He represented his subject in so striking a light, that it made a considerable impression on the mind of his young auditor; who, as soon as it was finished, thanked his brother for his good advice, and expressed his determination of endeavoring to profit by it.

3. "I am afraid," said he, "I have never learned to deny myself as I ought; but I hope, brother Frank, that I shall not forget this lesson of yours; I wish you would be so kind as to give me some more good advice about it."

4. Now Frank, instead of considering this the best possible compliment that could be paid to his composition, felt disappointed, that, instead of commenting upon the force of his arguments, or the graces of his style, he should begin gravely to moralize upon it; and it confirmed him in a favorite opinion of his, that his brother Harry had not a spark of genius, and never would have.

5. Harry repeated his request; but, finding his brother more inclined to discuss the merits, and relate the success, of his essay, than to draw a practical improvement from it, he contented himself with his own private reflections.—

"To-morrow," said he to himself, "to-morrow morning I will begin. But why not begin to-night?" continued he. The clock had just struck, and Harry recollected that his mother had desired them not to sit up a minute after the clock struck nine. He reminded his brother of this order.

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6. "Never mind," said Frank; "here's a famous fire; I shall stay and enjoy it." Yes," said Harry, "here's a famous fire, and I should like to stay and enjoy it; but that would not be self-denial; would it, Frank?"

7. "Nonsense! said Frank; "I shall not stir yet, 1 promise you." "Then good night to you," said Harry.

8. Now, whether his brother was correct or not, in his opinion of Harry's want of genius, we shall not stay to inquire; indeed, it is a question of very little importance, either to us or him, since it cannot be denied that his reflections, and especially his conduct, then, even on a trifling occasion, displayed good sense and strength of character; and these are sterling qualities, for which the brightest sparks of genius would be a poor exchange.

9. Six o'clock was the time at which Harry was to rise; but not unfrequently, since the cold weather set in, he had indulged an hour longer.

10. When it struck six next morning, he started up; but the air felt so frosty, that he had a strong inclination to lie down again. "But no," thought he,-"here's a fine opportunity for self-denial;" and up he jumped without further hesitation.

11. "Frank, Frank !," said he to his sleeping brother, "past six o'clock', and a fine starlight morning`." "Let me alone," cried Frank, in a cross, drowsy voice. 'Very well, then," said Harry ; a pleasant nap to you; and down he ran, as gay as a lark.

12. After finishing his Latin exercise, Harry had time to take a pleasant walk before breakfast this morning, so that he came in, fresh and rosy, with a good appetite, and, what was still better, in good humor. But poor Frank, who had just tumbled out of bed when the prayer-bell rang, came down, looking pale, and cross, and cold, and discontented.

13. Harry, who, if he was no genius, had some sly drollery of his own, was just beginning to rally him on his forlorn appearance, when he recollected his resolution. "Frank does not like to be laughed at, especially when he is cross," thought he; so he suppressed his joke; and it requires some self-denial even to suppress a joke.

14. "I should like another half, I think, mother," said Frank, that day at dinner, just as he had despatched a large semicircle of mince pie. Any more for you, my dear Harry?" said his mother. "If you please',—no, thank you though," said Harry, withdrawing his plate; "for," thought he, "I have had enough, and more than enough to satisfy my hunger, and now is the time for self-denial."

15. Brother Harry," said his little sister, after dinner, "when will you show me how to do that pretty puzzle', you said you would, a long time ago?" "I am busy now, child," said Harry" don't tease me now, there's a good girl." She said no more, but looked disappointed, and still hung upon her brother's chair.

16. "Come, then," said Harry, suddenly recollecting himself; "bring me your puzzle;" and, laying down his book, he very good naturedly showed his little sister how to place it. That night, when the two boys were going to bed, Harry called to mind, with some complacency, the several instances in the course of the day in which he had succeeded in exercising self-denial; and he was on the very point of telling his brother what he was thinking of. "But no," thought he; "here is another opportunity still of denying myself; I will not say a word about it; besides, to boast of it, would spoil all."

17. So Harry lay down quietly, making the following sage reflection:-"This has been a very pleasant day to me; and, although I have done several things against my will, I find that self-denial is painful but for a moment, and very pleasing in the end. If I go on this plan every day, I shall have a good chance of having a happy life; for life is made up of days and hours, and will be more pleasant, and just as easy."

18. But here Harry's thoughts began to wander, and soor became quite indistinct. In fact, he was sound asleep be fore he had half finished his reflections.

LESSON XXIX.

Attention and Industry rewarded.

1. A RICH husbandman had two sons, the one exactly a year older than the other. The very day the second was

born, he set, in the entrance of his orchard, two young apple trees of equal size, which he cultivated with the same care, and which grew so equally, that no person could perceive the least difference between them.

2. When his children were capable of handling garden tools, he took them, one fine morning in spring, to see these two trees, which he had planted for them, and called after their names.

3. When they had sufficiently admired their growth, and the number of blossoms that covered them, he said, My dear children, I give you these trees: you see that they are in good condition. They will thrive as much by your care, as they will decline by your negligence; and their fruit will reward you in proportion to your labor."

4. The youngest, named Edmund, was industrious and attentive. He busied himself in clearing his tree of insects that would hurt it, and he propped up its stem, to prevent its taking a wrong bent.

5. He loosened the earth about it, that the warmth of the sun, and the moisture of the dews, might cherish the roots. His mother had not tended him more carefully in his infancy, than he tended his young apple tree.

6. His brother Moses did not imitate his example. He spent a great deal of time on a mount that was near, throwing stones at the passengers in the road. He went among all the little dirty boys in the neighborhood, to box with them; so that he was often seen with broken shins and black eyes, from the kicks and blows he received in his quarrels.

7. In short, he neglected his tree so far, that he never thought of it, till, one day in autumn, he, by chance, saw Edmund's tree so full of apples, streaked with purple and gold, that, had it not been for the props which supported its branches, the weight of its fruit must have bent it to the ground.

8. Struck with the sight of so fine a tree, he hastened to his own, hoping to find as large a crop upon that; but, to his great surprise, he saw scarcely any thing, except branches covered with moss, and a few yellow, withered leaves.

9. Full of passion and jealousy, he ran to his father, and said, "Father, what sort of a tree is that which you have given me? It is as dry as a broomstick; and I shall not