$6

THE CHILD AND THE LOOKING-GLASS.

XXXVII.-THE CHILD AND THE LOOKING-GLASS.

Grim-a'ce, wry face.

Pas'-sions, ill-feelings.

Shat'-tered, broken.

Straight-way, immediately.
Sum'-moned, asked to go away.
Sup-press'ed, put down.

Te'ase, provoke.

Tra'ced, formed like a picture.
Tran-quil-li'se, soothe.
Va'-ri-ous, different.
Vis'-ion-a-ry, imaginary.
Wrath'-ful, angry.

THE little hero of my tale,
Brought up in a retired vale,

Was summoned from his native green,
To visit friends he ne'er had seen;
He viewed the various objects o'er
Which he had not beheld before.

A looking-glass beside him placed
His face and figure straightway traced;
With pleasure he the image sees,
And then in sport he tries to tease;
Before the glass he twists his face,
The shadow makes the same grimace,
And when with rage he lifts his fist,
He sees the wrathful form resist ;
At length of empty threats grown tired,
Revenge his kindling bosom fired,
And at the visionary foe,

He fiercely aims an angry blow;
His wounded hand feels very sore,
And soon with blood is covered o'er.

Trembling with agony and rage,
Determined still the war to wage,
Again he strikes the shattered glass,
And then to grief his passions pass.

His watchful mother, who had been
Gazing a moment on the scene,
Thus kindly spoke, "Dry up your tears
And tranquillise a mother's fears;
In fact it was your own grimace
That raised the same ill natured face;

THE CHILD AND THE LOOKING-GLASS.

But now you smile, please look again,
And learn your passion was in vain ;
For when your cheek with laughter glows,
The same delight your image shows;
A friendly hand to you he gives
For that which he from you receives;
Nor does resentment warm his breast,
Since you that feeling have suppress'd.
This is a lesson all mankind,

As well as you, should bear in mind-
That for ill deeds we must expect
An ill return, or cold neglect ;

While goodness always finds a friend,

87

And virtue will with virtue blend."-Florian.

DICTATION.

View, new, dew, few, Jew, chew, mew, curlew, curfew

the

cud..

The

tolls

Supply the words omitted in-He | money. The cow can went to the spot. Here is my The cat will when hungry. hat. The wets the grass. Give screams loudly. The lends him the knell of parting day.

me a

pease. The

XXXVIII.—A FORTUNE FOR A PIN.

Ap-pli-ca'-tion, request for em-
ployment.

Cap-a-ci-ty, power of mind.
Cap'-i-tal-ist, man who lends
money for interest.
Char'-ac-ter, qualities.
De-par'-ture, going away.

E-con'-o-my, carefulness.

Em'-in-ence, high honour.
Em-ploy'-ment, work.
Fur'-nished, supplied.
In-tel-li-gence, knowledge..
Ob-ser'ved, noticed.

Pro-pri'-e-tor, owner.
Ush'-ered, led.

Va'-can-cy, empty place.

IT was in the year 1788 that Lafitte first came to Paris, in the hope of obtaining an humble situation in a banking house. Furnished with a letter of introduction, he waited on the rich Swiss banker, Perregaux. The young man, poor and friendless, timid and careworn, was ushered into the presence

88

A FORTUNE FOR A PIN.

of the wealthy capitalist, and in a modest manner requested employment.

"I cannot admit you into my office, at least for the present," replied the banker, "every place being occupied, and I do not expect there will be any vacancy for a long time to come.”

The young man bowed and left the room. While crossing the court yard, with drooping head, and his heart sinking with grief, he observed a pin on the ground; stooping down, he lifted it and placed it carefully in the corner of his coat.

The banker had, from the window of his apartment, watched the departure of the youth, and being a man who judged the character of others from their actions, he was at once favourably disposed to Lafitte when he saw him take up the pin. "A young man," said the banker to himself, "who can thus store a pin must be possessed of order and economy, and will certainly make a worthy clerk."

The same evening the banker sent a letter to Lafitte, saying that on thinking over his application, he had found that he could give him a situation in his office, and requested him to enter on his duties immediately.

The banker was not mistaken in the opinion he had formed of the young pin collector. Lafitte displayed a capacity and intelligence beyond what his employer had ever expected. From a clerk, he speedily advanced to be cashier, and at length, after becoming a partner in the bank, Lafitte himself rose to be proprietor of the largest and wealthiest bank in Paris. Besides this good fortune, he was

A FORTUNE FOR A PIN.

89

elected a Deputy of the people, and chosen President of the Council of Ministers, the highest honour to which a citizen could aspire.

But for the fact that Lafitte had been observed lifting a pin, he would not have been employed by the Swiss banker, and might never have risen to eminence. After his elevation, he who did not disdain to pick a pin from the ground, spent thousands of pounds in the cause of charity.

Perregaux did not probably foresee that the young man who carefully stored up a pin could, in the future, be so generous of his riches. But the person who dislikes to see anything going to waste is most likely to be inspired with true generosity. Never were riches more strangely and worthily obtained than by Lafitte, and never was there any one who made a better use of them.

Parlour Literature.

Perregaux is pronounced as if it were Per-re-go. "Favourably disposed to," desiring much to aid. "Deputy of the people,' Member of the French parliament. "President of the Council of Ministers," highest officer of state, Prime Minister.

DICTATION.

Honour, honest, hour, hostler, heir, herb, humour.

Supply the words omitted in-He | ago.

obtained

for his good deeds. The He who is gives every man This his own. I saw him about an

The

boy is in ill QUESTIONS.

is in the stable. should be respected. is very wholesome. The

What was he to enter on immediately? What was the banker not mistaken in? What did Lafitte display? What did Lafitte speedily advance to be? What did he afterwards become proprietor of? What was he elected to be? If Lafitte had not been observed lifting the pin what would he not have been? After his elevation what did he spend in charity?

When did Lafitte first come to Paris? | him? From whom did he request employment? What, did the banker say to him? What did Lafitte observe while crossing the court yard? What did he do with the pin? From what did the banker judge the character of others? When he saw Lafitte take up the pin what did he say to himself? What did the banker do the same evening? What did he say he could now give

90

THE OLD COTTAGE CLOCK.

XXXIX. THE OLD COTTAGE CLOCK.
OH! the old, old clock of the household stock,
Was the brightest thing and neatest,
Its hands, though old, had a touch of gold,
And its chime ran still the sweetest.

'Twas a monitor too; though its words were few
Yet they lived though nations altered;
And its voice still strong, warned old and young,
When the voice of friendship faltered.
"Tick, tick,” it said, "quick, quick to bed,
I give you timeous warning;

Up, up, and go—or else, you know,

You'll never rise soon in the morning."

A friendly voice had that old, old clock,
As it stood in the corner smiling,
And blessed the time with a merry chime,
The wintry hours beguiling.

But a cross old voice had that old, old clock,

As it called at daybreak boldly,

When the dawn looked gray o'er the misty way,

And the early air blew coldly.

"Tick, tick," it said, "quick out of bed,

For five I 've given warning;

You'll ne'er have health-you'll ne'er have wealth--
Unless you rise soon in the morning."

Still hourly the sound goes round and round,
With a tone that ceases never,

While tears are shed for the bright days fled,
And the old friends lost for ever.

Its heart beats on-though hearts are gone
That warmer beat and stronger;

Its hands still move, though hands we love
Are clasped on earth no longer.
"Tick, tick," it said, "to the churchyard bed,
The graves have given warning;
Then up and rise, and look to the skies,

And prepare for a Heavenly Morning.”—Anon.