AMUSING ANECDOTE.

67

Dutchman's answer for the name of the proprietor." "Oh, oh," said he, "it belongs to Mr. Kaniferstane. Well, I am sure he must be very agreeably situated; the house is most charming, and the garden appears delicious. I don't know that ever I saw a better. A friend of mine has one much like it, near the river at Chaise; but I certainly give this the preference." He added many other observations of the same kind, to which the Dutchman, not understanding them, made no reply.

3. When he arrived at Amsterdam, he saw a most beautiful woman on the quays,' walking arm in arm with a gentleman. He asked a person that passed him who that charming lady was; but the man, not understanding French, replied “Ik kan niet verstaan." "What, sir,” replied our traveler, "is that Mr. Kaniferstane's wife, whose house is near the canal? Indeed, this gentleman's lot is enviable; to possess such a noble house, and so lovely a companion."

4. The next day, when he was walking out, he saw some trumpeters playing at a gentleman's door, who had secured the largest prize in the Dutch lottery. Our Parisian, wishing to be informed of the gentleman's name, he was still answered, “ Ik kan niet verstaan." "Oh," said he, "this is too great an accession of good fortune! Mr. Kaniferstane, proprietor of such a fine house, husband of such a beautiful woman, and to get the largest prize in the lottery! It must be allowed that there are some fortunate men in the world."

5. About a week after this, our traveler, walking about, saw a věry superb burying. He asked whose it was. "Ik kan niet verstaan," replied the person of whom he asked the question. “Ah!" exclaimed he; "poor Mr. Kaniferstane, who had such a noble house, such an angelic wife, and the largest prize in the lottery. He must have quitted this world with great regret; but I thought his happiness was too completes to be of long duration." He then went home, reflecting all the way on the instability' of human affairs.

'Pro prl' e tor, owner.-Chaise (Sház), a small town in France.'Quays (kez), wharfs; moles or piers used for the purpose of loading or unloading vessels.— Ac cès' sion, addition.— Com plète', wanting noth. ing; full.—® Du rà' tion, remaining in a particular state; continuance. --In sta bil' i ty, changeableness.

13. LIFE.

1. THE days of Infancy are all a dream,
How fair, but oh! how short

they seem-
'Tis Life's sweet opening SPRING!

2. The days of Youth advance :
The bounding limb, the ardent glance,
The kindling soul they bring—

It is Life's burning SUMMER time.

3. Manhood-matured' with wisdom's fruit,
Reward of Learning's deep pursuit—
Succeeds, as AUTUMN follows Summer's prime.
4. And that, and that, alas! goes by;
And what ensues? The languid3 eye,
The failing frame, the soul o'ercast;
'Tis WINTER'S sickening, withering blast,
Life's blessed season—for it is the last.

ROBERT SOUTHEY

1

2.

3.

THERE

14. THE Two Boys.

ERE were two boys, who were bred up together,
Shared the same bed, and fed at the same board.
Each tried the other's sport, from their first chase,
Young hunters of the butterfly and bee,

To when they followed the fleet hare, and tried
The swiftness of the bird.

They lay beside

The silver trout stream, watching as the sun
Play'd on the bubbles: shared each in the store
Of either's garden; and together read

Of him, the master of the desert isle,

Till a low hut, a gun and a canoe,
Bounded their wishes.

Or if ever came

A thought of future days, 'twas but to say

'Ma tùred', ripened; perfected in growth or years.- En sùcs', fol lows.-Languid (lång' gwid), weak; dull; drooping.

WE WERE BOYS TOGETHER.

That they would share each other's lot, and do
Wonders, no doubt. But this was vain; they parted
With promises of long remembrance, words

Whose kindness was the heart's, and those warm tears,
Hidden like shame by the young eyes that shed them,
But which are thought upon in after years

As what we would give worlds to shed once more.

4. They met again,—but different from themselves,—
At least, what each remember'd of themselves:
The one proud as a soldier of his rank,
Ard of his many battles; and the other
Proud of his Indian' wealth, and of the skill
And toil which gather'd it; each with a brow
And heart alike darken'd by years and care.

5. They met with cold words and yet colder looks;
Each was changed in himself, and yet each thought
The other only changed, himself the same.
And coldness bred dislike; and rivalry

Came like the pestilence3 o'er some sweet thoughts
That linger'd yet, healthy and beautiful,
Amid dark and unkindly ones. And they,
Whose boyhood had not known one jarring word,
Were strangers in their age: if their eyes met,
'Twas but to look contempt, and when they spoke,
Their speech was wormwood!-and this, this is life.

L. ELIZABETH MACLEAN,

69

'Indian (Ind' yan), relating to India.-2 Ri'val ry, state of being rivals; opposed to each other.- Pås' ti lence, the plague; an infectious disease, or one that is catching. Wormwood (wêrm' wid), a bitter herb; bitterness. Heath' er, heath; a place overgrown with shrubs.

The humble home, to memory dear;
Its sorrows and its joys;

Where woke the transient' smile or tear,
When you and I were boys.

2. We were youths together,
And castles built in air;

Your heart was like a feather,

And mine weighed down with care.
To you came wealth with manhood's prime,
To me it brought alloys'
Foreshadow'd' in the primrose time,
When you and I were boys.

3. We're old men together;

The friends we loved of yōre,

With leaves of autumn weather,

Are gone forever more.

How blest to age the impulse given—

The hope time ne'er destroys

Which led our thoughts from earth' to heaven,

When you and I were boys!

GEORGE P. MORRIS.

16. ON THE WASTE OF LIFE.

AMERGUS was a gentleman of good estate : he was bred to no business, and could not contrive how to waste his hours agreeably; he had no relish for any of the proper works of life, nor any taste for the improvement of the mind; he spent generally ten hours of the four-and-twenty in bed; he dozed away two or three more on his couch; and as many more were dissolved in good liquor every evening, if he met with company of his own humor. Thus he made a shift to wear off ten years of his life since the paternal' estate fell into his hands.

'Transient (trån' shent), passing away; fleeting; hasty.-Castles (kås' slz), houses fortified for defense against enemies.- - Al loys', evils mixed with good; base metals mixed with precious ones. - Fore shåd' owed, painted or drawn beforehand.—Yore, old time.- Im' pulse, force quickly applied.-' Earth (erth).- Dissolved (diz zölvd'), worn away. Pa ter' nal, belonging to or derived from one's father.

ON THE WASTE OF LIFE.

71

2. One evening, as he was musing alone, hi thoughts happened to take a most unusual turn, for they cas a glance backward, and he began to reflect on his manner of life. He bethought himself what a number of living beings had been made a sacrifice to support his carcass,' and how much corn and wine had been mingled with these offerings; and he set himself to compute what he had devoured since he came to the age of man.

3. "About a dozen feathered creatures, small and great, have, one week with another," said he, "given up their lives to prolõng mine, which, in ten years, amounts to at least six thousand. Fifty sheep have been sacrificed in a year, with half a hecatomb2 of black-cattle, that I might have the choicest parts offered weekly upon my table. Thus a thousand beasts, out of the flock and the herd, have been slain in ten years' time to feed me, besides what the forest has supplied me with.

4. "Many hundreds of fishes have, in all their variety, been robbed of life for my repast, and of the smaller fry, some thousands. A measure of corn would hardly suffice' me fine flour enough for a month's provision, and this arises to above six score bushels; and many hogsheads of wine and other liquors have passed through this body of mine-this wretched strainer of meat and drink! And what have I done all this time for God and man? What a vast profusion of good things wasted upon a useless life and a worthless liver!

5. "There is not the meanest creature among all those which I have devoured, but hath answered the end of its creation better than I. It was made to support human nature, and it has done so. Every crab and oyster I have eat, and every grain of corn I have devoured, hath filled up its place in the rank of beings with more propriety and honor than I have done. Oh, shameful waste of life and time!"

6. In short, he carried on his moral reflections with so just and severe a force of reason, as constrained' him to change his whole course of life; to break off his follies at once, and to apply himself to gain some useful knowledge, when he was

1Câr' cass, body.—'Hèc' a tomb, the sacrifice of a hundred.—3 Blåck'cattle, cows, bulls, and oxen, as distinguished from sheep and goats, which are called small cattle.-'Re påst', meat; food.-Suffice (suf fize'), satisfy." Pro fù' sion, a large quantity.-' Con strained', forced.