equator, and the snow will not lie in that hot climate any lower down. But now and then the snow melts off, and rushes down the mountain side in floods of water and of mud, and the cindery cone of Cotopaxi stands out black and dreadful against the clear blue sky, and then the people of that country know what is coming. The mountain is growing so hot inside that it melts off its snowy covering; and soon it will burst forth with smoke and steam, and red-hot stones, and earthquakes which will shake the ground, and roars that will be heard, it may be, hundreds of miles away.

QUESTIONS.-What cities lay round Vesuvius long ago? Where is it? Near what city? When was the first known eruption? What had happened nine years before? What man of science lost his life there? Can you tell the story? What cities were destroyed? Is anything found in their ruins now? What happened in Java one hundred years ago? What happened in Quitoin 1698? What can you tell about Cotopaxi?

AN INCIDENT.-Norman Macleod. jour-neyed

in-ci-dent ea-ger-ly boun-ti-ful A FRIEND told me this incident the other day. Coming down a high mountain in Greece, very wearied and very thirsty, he met a shepherd who had been down in the valley, filling his jar with water. This supply was to last him twenty-four hours, as his hut was near the summit of the mountain. He was a wild-looking fellow, more like a robber than a person from whom one would expect to receive any kindness. My friend asked for a drink. "I have journeyed a long way for this,"

said the shepherd, "and cannot return for more, and the day is so hot too-but-yes-drink!" and he held the jar to the stranger's lips, who could not resist quaffing long and eagerly of the spring water. He felt so grateful that he offered the poor shepherd money. But the shepherd replied, "No, no, sir; not a farthing. I to take money for giving you a little of that which is the bountiful gift of God! You are welcome to it!" and smiling he passed on his way.

POLONIUS'S ADVICE.-Shakspere.

GIVE thy thoughts no tongue,

Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel: but, being in,
Bear 't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice:

Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy:

For the apparel oft proclaims the man;

And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend;
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all,-To thine ownself be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

THE EARS OF WHEAT. Grimm.

AGES upon ages ago, when the angels used to wander on earth, the fruitfulness of the ground was much greater than it is now. Then the ears of wheat bore, not fifty or sixty fold, but four times five hundred fold. Then the corn grew from the bottom of the stalk to the top; and as long as the stalk was, so long were the ears. But men always do in the midst of their abundance, they forgot the blessing that came from God, and became idle and selfish.

as

One day a woman went to a corn-field, and her little child who was with her fell into a puddle and soiled her frock. The mother tore off a handful of wheat-ears, and cleaned her daughter's dress with them. Just then an angel passed by and saw her. He became very angry, and declared to her that, henceforth, the wheat-stalks

should no longer produce ears, "for," said he, "you mortals are not worthy of heaven's gifts." The bystanders who heard him fell on their knees, weeping and praying him to leave the wheat-stalks alone, if not for themselves, yet for the poor fowls, who, otherwise, must perish of hunger. The angel pitied their distress and granted part of their prayer; and from that day the ears of wheat have grown as they

do now.

QUESTIONS.-What does this fable say about wheat long ago? How much did it yield? What were the ears like? How did they come to be shortened? What did the woman do who angered the angel? How did he come to spare us even what we have?

THE LAND OF CONTRADICTIONS.-Anon.

con-tra-ri-e-ties

des-per-ate

quad-ru-peds

vor-a-cious

THERE is a land in distant seas

Full of all contrarieties.

There beasts have mallards' bill and legs,
Have spurs like cocks, like hens lay eggs.
There parrots walk upon the ground,
And grass upon the trees is found;
On other trees-another wonder-
Leaves without upper side or under.
There, pears you'll scarce with hatchet cut;
Stones are outside the cherries put;
Swans are not white but black as soot;
There neither leaf, nor root, nor fruit,
Will any Christian palate suit;
Unless in desperate need you'll fill ye
With root of fern and stalk of lily.

I

There missiles to far distance sent

Come whizzing back from whence they went.
There a voracious ewe sheep crams

Her paunch with flesh of tender lambs;
While 'stead of bread, and beef, and broth,
Men feast on many a roasted moth
There quadrupeds go on two feet,
And yet few quadrupeds so fleet.
There, birds, although they cannot fly,
In swiftness with the greyhound vie.
With equal wonder you may see
The foxes fly from tree to tree;
And what they value most, so wary,
These foxes in their pockets carry.

The sun when you to face him turn ye,
From right to left performs his journey.
The north winds scorch, but when the breeze is
Full from the south, why, then it freezes.
Now, of what place can such strange tales
Be told with truth but New South Wales?

This lesson may give matter for lengthened examination, before the children understand all the allusions, and will prove full of instruction when well studied.