5. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but resuming its gravity, thus replied: "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should have been seized by this sudden weariness. It is true, you have done

to think of, Would you strokes, to

a great deal of work in your time; so have we all, and are likely to do; which, although it may fatigue us the question is, whether it will fatigue us to do. now do me the favor to give about half a dozen illustrate my argument?"

6. The pendulum complied, and ticked six times at its usual pace. "Now," resumed the dial, " may I be allowed to inquire if that exertion is at all fatiguing or disagreeable to you?” "Not in the least," replied the pendulum; "it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor of sixty, but of millions.” "Very good," replied the dial; "but recollect that, although you may think of a million of strokes in an instant, you are required to execute but one; and that, however often you may hereafter have to swing, a moment will be always given you to swing in." "That consideration staggers me, I confess," said the pendulum. "Then I hope," resumed the dialplate, "that we shall all return to our duty immediately; for the maids will lie in bed, if we stand idling thus."

7. Upon this, the weights, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in urging him to proceed: when, as if with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the pendulum began to swing, and, to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; while a red beam of the rising sun, that streamed through a hole in the kitchen, shining full upon the dial-plate, it brightened up as if nothing had been the matter.

8. When the farmer came down to breakfast that morning, upon looking at the clock, he declared that his watch had gained half an hour in the night.

MORAL.

9. A celebrated modern writer says, "Take care of the minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves." This is an admirable remark, and might be very seasonably recollected, when we begin to be "weary in well-doing," from the

thought of having too much to do. The present moment is all we have to do with in any sense; the past is irrecoverable, the future is uncertain; nor is it fair to burden one moment with the weight of the next. Sufficient unto the moment is the trouble thereof. If we had to walk a hundred miles, we still should have to set but one step at a time; and this process continued, would +infallibly bring us to our journey's end. Fatigue generally begins, and is always increased, by calculating, in a minute, the exertion of hours.

10. Thus, in looking forward to future life, let us recollect that we have not to sustain all its toil, to endure all its sufferings, or encounter all its crosses, at once. One moment comes laden with its own little burdens, then flies, and is succeeded by another no heavier than the last. If one could be borne, so can another and another. Even looking forward to a single day, the spirit may sometimes faint from an anticipation of the duties, the labors, the trials to temper and patience that may be expected. Now this is unjustly laying the burden of many thousand moments upon one. Let any one resolve always to do right now, leaving then to do as it can, and if he were to live to the age of Methuselah, he would never do wrong. But the common error is to resolve to act right after breakfast, or after dinner, or to-morrow morning, or next time; but now, just now, this once, we must go on the same as ever.

11. It is easy, for instance, for the most ill-tempered person to resolve, that the next time he is provoked, he will not let his temper overcome him; but the victory would be to subdue temper on the present *provocation. If, without taking up the burden of the future, we would always make the single effort at the present moment, while there would be, at any one time, very little to do, yet, by this simple process, continued from day to day, every thing would at last be done. 12. It seems easier to do right tomorrow than today, merely because we forget, that when tomorrow comes, then

will be now. Thus life passes with many, with resolutions for the future, which the present never fulfills. It is not thus with those, who, "by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, honor, and immortality." Day by day, minute by minute, they execute the appointed task, to which the

requisite measure of time and strength is proportioned; and thus, having worked while it is called day, they at length, "rest from their labors, and their works follow them." Let us then, whatever our hands find to do, do it with all our might, recollecting that now is the proper and accepted time.

XCVIII. THE NOSE AND THE EYES.

FROM COWPER.

WILLIAM COWPER, an English poet, was born in 1731. His poetry exhibits a mixture of playful humor, and of the somber melancholy which darkened the latter part of his life. In beauty and delicacy of thought, and in his high tone of moral and religious sentiment, he has no superior among English poets. He died in 1800.

1. BETWEEN Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose ;
The spectacles set them, unhappily wrong;
The point in dispute was, as all the world know,
To whom the said spectacles ought to belong.

2. So Tongue was the lawyer, and argued the cause,
With a great deal of skill, and a wig full of learning,
While chief baron Ear, sat to balance the laws,

3.

So fam'd for his talent in nicely +discerning.

"In behalf of the Nose, it will quickly appear,

And your lordship," he said, "will undoubtedly find,
That the Nose has the spectacles always to wear,
Which amounts to possession, time out of mind."

4. Then, holding the spectacles up to the court,

"Your lordship observes, they are made with a straddle, As wide as the ridge of the Nose is; in short, Design'd to sit close to it, just like a saddle.

5. "Again, would your lordship a moment suppose, ('Tis a case that has happen'd, and may happen again,) That, the visage or countenance had not a Nose, Pray, who would, or who could wear spectacles then? 6. "On the whole it appears, and my targument shows, With a reasoning the court will never condemn, That the spectacles, plainly, were made for the Nose, And the Nose was, as plainly, intended for them." 7. Then shifting his side, (as a lawyer knows how,) He pleaded again in behalf of the Eyes:

But what were his arguments, few people know,
For the court did not think them equally wise.

8. So his lordship decreed, with a grave, solemn tone,
Decisive and clear, without one if or but,
That whenever the Nose put his spectacles on,
By day-light or candle-light,-Eyes should be shut.

My

1. How beautifully the dawn shines through the hazelbush, and the wild roses blossom at the window! How joyfully the swallow sings on the rafter, under my roof, and the little lark in the high air! Every thing is cheerful, and every plant is revived in the dew. I also feel revived. staff shall guide my tottering steps to the threshold of my cottage, and there will I sit down facing the rising sun, and look abroad on the green meadows. How beautiful is all around me here! All that I hear are voices of joy and thanks. The birds in the air and the shepherds on the hill, sing their delight, and the flocks from the grassy slopes and out of the variegated valleys, bellow out their joy.

2. How long, how long, shall I yet be a witness of divine goodness? Ninety times, have I already seen the change of the seasons; and when I look back from the present hour to the time of my birth,-a beautiful and extended prospect which, at last, is lost in pure air,-how swells my heart! The *emotion, which my tongue can not utter, is it not rapture? And are not these tears, tears of joy? And yet, are not both too feeble an expression of thanks? Ah! flow, ye tears! flow down these cheeks!

3. When I look back, it seems as if I had lived only through a long spring, my sorrowful hours being only short storms, which refreshed the fields and enlivened the plants. Hurtful *pestilences have never diminished our flocks; never has a *mischance happened to our trees, nor a lingering misfortune rested on this cottage. I looked out tenraptured into futurity, when my children played smiling in my arms, or when my hand guided their tottering footsteps. With tears of joy I

looked out into the future, when I saw these young sprouts spring up. "I will protect them from mischance," said I, "I will watch over their growth, and heaven will bless my endeavors. They will grow up and bear excellent fruit, and become trees, which shall shelter my declining age with their spreading branches."

4. So I spake, and pressed them to my heart, and now, they have grown up, full of blessings, covering my weary years with their refreshing shade. So, the apple-trees, the peartrees, and the tall nut-trees, planted by me while yet a boy, around my cottage, have grown up, carrying their widelyextended branches high into the air; and my little home nestles in their covering shade. This, this was my most *vehement grief, O Myrta, when thou didst expire on my agitated breast, within my arms. Spring has already covered thy grave, twelve times, with flowers. But the day approaches, a joyful day, when my bones shall be laid with thine. Perhaps, the coming night conducts it hither. O, I see with delight, how my gray beard flows down over my breast. Yes, play with the white hair on my breast, thou little *zephyr, who thoverest about me! It is as worthy of thy caresses, as the golden hair of joyful youth, or the brown curls on the neck of the blooming maiden.

5. This day shall be to me a day of joy! I will assemble my children around me here, even down to the little *stammering grand-child, and will offer thanksgiving to God; the altar shall be here before my cottage. I will *garland my bald head, and my trembling hand shall take the lyre, and then will we, I and my children, sing songs of praise. Then, will I strew flowers over my table, and, with joyful *discourses, partake of the bounty of the Most High.

6. Thus spake Palæmon, and rose trembling upon his staff; and having called his children together, held a glad +festival of devout and joyous +thanksgiving to the Deity.