22nd Week.

Moral Lesson.

I DARE say you don't know the road by which Tom used to go to school. It was a country road, for Tom lived in the country, about three miles from the county town.

There was one part of the road where a tall house stood, on the left-hand side; there were white posts in front of the house, outside the gravel walk, and there was a plot of grass between the posts and the road. I should like to tell you about the saw-mills that were close by, on the opposite side, and the long trunks of-poplar trees I think they were-some very large trees-that used to lie by the side of the road, near the saw-mill; and of the very little pond that there was near those trunks, where three ducks used to swim-we used to drive away the drake, and feed the other two, very often; but the history of those ducks and of those places has nothing to do with our lesson.

One morning three boys were walking in the part of the road that I have mentioned. One boy wore corduroy trowsers. I don't know what sort of a coat and waistcoat he had, because

an old-fashioned, thick, blue pinafore covered his body from his shoulders down to his knees. He had not any white collar; his cap was circular, with a peak to it, and was made of seal - skin. If you had descended from his cap to his boots, you would have noticed that they were hob-nailedregular country boots, just the sort of thing for that road; for in the winter time-especially down Damphurst Hollow-it was awfully muddy! I may add respecting this boy, that he was marked with small-pox, that he had red hair, and was decidedly ugly in the face. Yet he was a very regular and steady fellow; and every morning, at twenty minutes past eight exactly, even when it poured with rain, you might have seen him, with a bag over his shoulder, trudging past the great house, past the saw-mills, past everything else that was by the side of the road, onward and onward, to school. Finally, I may tell you his name; he was called John Snub, and he was the son of the shoemaker who always mended Tom's shoes.

L. But who was Tom, papa?

P. Tom was one of the other boys whom you might have seen on that country road at twenty minutes past eight. Tom Martingale was the son of a Thomas Martingale, Esq., a gentleman and a "Justice of the Peace."

L. That means a magistrate, I suppose?

P. Yes. I am not going to describe Tom, nor the third boy, who was his younger brother. I will only tell you his thoughts. When he overtook John Snub, he thought to himself, "There's that boy again! We will pass him on the other side of the grass-plot; then we need not notice him. Let us run," he said to his brother, "and get on before him. It will be an unpleasant thing to have that fellow for company every morning!"

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When they had passed the "fellow," Tom said to his brother, "I hope that that boy doesn't go this way to school every day. Do you know who he is?"

"No. Who is he?"

"He is the shoemaker's boy. He brings home our shoes sometimes. I think he goes to the National School, in the town. Of course, it wouldn't be respectable, when we are Grammar-school boys, to talk to a boy from the National School. But, look here! How shall we get past?"

"Halloo! Sh-sh-sh!" said Tom. "Get out of the way!"

"I think we had better go back," said Tom, "for we can't pass, the lane is so narrow!" But just at this moment they heard some steps, and, looking back, behold, another cow was behind them!

"What shall we do?" said Tom again. "We had better get into the ditch."

"Wait a minute," said a voice from the other side of the hedge; and, looking up, they saw John Snub, with his round seal-skin cap in his hand.

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"I'll drive her back," said John. "You keep still. I saw her come out of the field gate.” And with that he threw his great cap at the cow behind them; at which, being quite "horror-struck," she turned into the field again.

"Now, then," said John, getting into the lane, "we'll soon make t'others goo! Yuoy! Whoo-oo-op! Yu- oy oy - oy there! Coo-up, coo-up, cup, cup, gee! Go on, will yer?" Then curling up his tongue, and making a strange noise between his tongue and teeth (which the printer could'nt print if he tried ever so), John tossed his bag up in the air, and whirled it round and round, and took two or three steps forward..

These steps ended the contest; the cows heard John's remarks they considered the matter they looked very glum and discontented; they also stared vacantly into the air, as if they inwardly felt that a retreat was not "quite the thing," but they didn't say anything;

root; they are white, and in racemes. I have not brought you any, for they are the least striking part of the plant; the leaf is the most conspicuous part. The plants grow in bogs, on small hillocks, just raised above the water. There they have a beautiful sparkling appearance.

Ion. Now, will you tell us what the second curious-looking plant is?

P. Yes, this is another of the same order. It is one of the Dionæa tribe.* The English name of this plant is the "Venus's fly trap." I have spoken about it in one of our former lessons.

L. Yes, you said that it does not flourish if it has not flies or other animal food to nourish it. P. By observing it you may now see how it procures its food. I should tell you first, that the sticky hairs of the Drosera appear to retain small insects. When any victim comes within their reach, the hairs slowly curve round, and entrap it. These hairs, however, are not strong enough to catch flies, like the leaves of the Venus's Fly-trap.

Now let us look at the Dionaea (see cut). The parts which you might take to be the leaves are the leaf-stalks, or petioles; these, you see, are flattened and widened, even more than the true leaves. I believe they perform the functions of leaves.

* Dionæa is one of the names of Venus. Drosera, the name of the former plant, is derived from the Greek word droseros, dewy.

The leaves are the parts at the ends of the leaf-stalks, which you see fringed with a long row of spines. If you notice one of these leaves (a), you will see that each half has three thorns upon it. Directly one of these is touched by a fly, the two sides close together. They thus form a perfect trap, for when they are folded up, the spines at the edges so cross each other that they completely prevent the insect from escaping. The more the poor captive struggles, the more closely they seem to press upon it.

Ion. They are, really, very singular leaves; but you have not drawn the flower of this plant.

P. No, the flower of this plant, like the Drosera, is the least striking part. You may now make a summary of the order.

L. Here are the notes which I have made, papa. Will you hear if they will do?

Order 9. SUN-DEW PLANTS.

(Parts.) These plants are chiefly remarkable for their leaves, which are covered with long, bright red, glandular hairs, having at their ends small drops of a clear viscid fluid.

This substance having a sweet taste, attracts small insects, and retains them. These leaves are also orbicular and "depressed." They are so arranged that they form a circle. This circle is sometimes rather convex; thus the bright red patch has a sparkling appearance.