nevolent men, whether statesmen, philanthropists or ministers of religion, have always felt a deep and peculiar interest in this class of society; and in attempts to produce reformation and advance human happiness, the young, and particularly the young men, have engaged their first and chief regards. How entirely this accords with the spirit of inspiration, it is needless to remark. Hardly any one trait of the Bible is more prominent than its benevolent concern for the youthful generations of men. On them its instructions drop as the rain, and distil as the dew; round their path it pours its purest light and sweetest promises; and by every motive of kindness and entreaty, of invitation and warning, aims to form them for duty and happiness, for holiness and God.

NATURAL HISTORY.

[FEW subjects are more interesting in their nature, or are calculated to excite more profound meditation on the wonders of creation, and the harmony of the Providence that superintends it, than the study of Natural History. It was the remark of one to whom we were indebted for much valuable instruction in our youthful years, that, to the reflecting mind, all the works of creation were alike wonderful, from the blade of grass, or even the minutest atom of matter, to the whole system of worlds and to the economy which guides their paths in the Heavens and maintains the harmony which subsists in all their motions; that one then was looked upon with less surprise than another only because it had become more fami liar to us. A similar idea is expressed in the beautiful lines of Pope, which are familiar to most of our readers.

"All are but parts of one stupendous whole
Whose body nature is, and God the soul;

That, changed through all, and yet in all the same;
Great in the earth, as in th' ethereal frame
Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze,
Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees;
Lives through all life, extends through all extent;
Spreads undivided, operates unspent;
Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part,
As full, as perfect, in a hair as heart;

As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns,
As the rapt seraph that adores and burns."

It has been said with great truth and propriety, that

"An undevout Astronomer is mad;"

and the same remark may, with justice, be applied to the study of

Natural History. To trace the animal and vegetable world through all their states and stages; to see how admirably they are adapted to the situations and circumstances in which they are placed; with what nicety and accuracy their several functions are adjusted, must impress upon the mind the most exalted ideas of the matchless wisdom of the Deity, and of the infinite power of Him, who by his word, spoke worlds into existence.

In a paper like this, it cannot be expected that Natural History can be introduced as a science; yet such facts in relation to it as will be interesting to all classes of our readers, will be selected and published from time to time, as may be found convenient.]

THERE are a great many different kinds of owls; the one here represented is the screech owl, which is a very common bird, and is generally to be found not far from the dwellings of men. This bird has its head like a cat, and its feet armed with sharp claws. It catches mice like a cat, but its eyes cannot bear the great light of the sun, so that it sleeps during the day time, and moves about at night, when it procures its food. The cry of the owl is very mournful and dismal.

The screech owl in particular, sends forth a scream, which in the silence and darkness of night, sounds through the woods to a great distance, and is such as to terrify those who are not used to it. The owl is hated and pursued by other birds, and in its turn hurts and eats the smaller ones, which it can destroy.

Moses, in the law which was given to the children of Israel, puts the owl among the unclean birds, that is those which were not to be eaten, as will be seen in the eleventh chapter of Leviticus, sixteenth verse.

It is supposed that the bird called the night hawk, in this verse, is the owl. The night owl of Asia is thus described by a traveller. "It is of the size of the common owl, and lodges in the ruins of Egypt and Syria, and sometimes even in the dwelling houses. In Syria it is very voracious, to such a degree, that if great care is not taken to shut the windows at the coming on of night, he enters the houses and kills the children; the women, therefore, are very much afraid of him"-That such a bird should be counted as unclean, and unfit for food, is very natural.

INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE EXTRACTS.

PRIDE.

THE proud heart is the first to sink before contempt it feels the wound more keenly than any other can. Oh, there is nothing in language that can express the deep humiliation of being received with coldness when kindness is expected-of seeing the look, but half concealed, of strong disapprobation from such as we have cause to feel beneath us, not alone in vigor of mind and spirit, but even in virtue and truth. The weak, the base, the hypocrite, are the first to turn with indignation from their fellow-mortals in disgrace; and, whilst the really chaste and pure suspect with caution, and censure with mildness, these traffickers in petty sins, who plume themselves upon their immaculate conduct, sound the alarm bell at the approach of guilt, and clamor their anthemas upon their unwary and cowering prey.

PICTURESQUE BEAUTY OF THE OAK.

A FINE oak is one of the most picturesque of Trees. It conveys to the mind associations of strength and duration, which are very impressive. The oak stands up against the blast, and does not take, like other tress, a twisted form from the action of the winds. Except the cedar of Lebanon, no tree is so remarkable for the stoutness of its limbs; they do not exactly spring from the trunk, but divide from it; and thus it is sometimes difficult to know which is stem and which is branch.

The twisted branches of the oak, too, add greatly to its beauty; and the horizontal direction of its boughs, spreading over a large surface, completes the idea of its sovereignty over all the trees of the forest. Even a decayed oak

66 -dry and dead,

Still clad with reliques of its trophies old,
Lifting to heaven its aged hoary head,

Whose foot on earth hath got but feeble hold."—

even such a tree as Spenser has thus described is strikingly beautiful: decay in this case looks pleasing. To such an oak Lucan compared Pompey in his declining state.

TRUE NOBILITY.

Rank titles, grandeur, are mere earthly baubles. The treasures of an upright heart are the only treasures that moths may not corrupt, and thieves break through into and steal. The refinements of the mind are indeed, what constitute nobility of demeanor, and cannot be dispensed with; they polish with higher lustre than any court etiquette; they give that native elegance which has superior charms to any that can be acquired.

IMAGES OF TIME AND ETERNITY.

There is something attractive in the contemplation of a river-it is not indeed so vast, so sublime, as that which we experience when gazing on the boundless expanse of the world of waters-the mighty ocean-but it is more analogous to the mind of man in its mortal state the one is the image of life, the other of eternity.

NOTICE OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

The Commandment with Promise. By the Author of the "Last day of the Week." Boston: Perkins & Marvin. pp. 208.

This volume deserves a large share of attention from both parents and children. In the form of a narrative, it brings forward some of the main principles of family government, exhibited in practical operation. The various classes of unruly children may find their own pictures drawn here with such accuracy that they cannot deny the likeness, though they may blush to own it, and tremble while they ponder on the consequences of their conduct. The child of obedience may also find some pleasing resemblances to himself or herself, and without flattering their own vanity, may take encouragement from good example, to follow on, in the path of rectitude, with the certainty of receiving the recompense of reward, both in this life and that which is to come. Parents, too, of every age, husbands or wives, of whatever station in society, may here draw lessons of instruction from the same pages, which please and inform the minds of very little children. It is evident that the author has watched the progress of more families than one, and that he describes characters from real life, though he may for prudence' sake adopt fictitious names. Reader, change but the name, perhaps the person is yourself.

The Life of Mohammed, by the Rev. George Bush, A. M. No. X. of the Family Library. New-York: J. & J. Harper, 1830. We are happy to see so interesting an account of the Arabian Prophet by an American writer. It is drawn up with great care from the best sources that were accessible; and not only exhibits the exciting scenes of Mohammed's life, but gives a very accurate representation of the doctrines and the style of the Koran. There is peculiar interest attached to such a work at this time, when the Mohammedan delusion is evidently falling before the power of Christianity. It gives us great pleasure to find the Author every where recognizing a superintending Providence.

A Lexicon of Useful Knowledge.-The Rev. H. Wilbur, the author of several school books of good repute, has recently published a handsome duodecimo, of the above title, in which a vast number of the terms explained in the Dictionary are illustrated by appropri ate wood cuts. There can be no doubt that such a work is highly advantageous in instruction, and that proper ideas are acquired and false ideas corrected by such pictural explanations.

The Advancement of Society in Knowledge and Religion, by James Douglas, Esq. from the 2d Edinburgh edition. Hartford: Cooke & Co. 1830.

This is a work of great originality, and one which compels the reader to think. The author is the same who published a little work some few years since, entitled, "Hints on Missions," which at that time excited very general notice. He has recently issued another entitled, "Errors regarding Religion," of which we should be very glad to see an American edition. His views of religion are