of higher qualities. Then, patriotism is eloquent; then, self-devotion is eloquent.

6. The clear conception outrunning the deductions of logic; the high purpose; the firm resolve; the dauntless spirit, speaking from the tongue, beaming from the eye, informing every feature, urging the whole man onward, right onward to his object; this, this is eloquence; or rather it is something greater and higher than all eloquence: it is action-noble, sublime, god-like action.

DANIEL WEBSTER.

VI. THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH.

1. Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

2. His hair is crisp, and black, and long;
His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat;
He earns whate'er he can;

And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

3. Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell
When the evening sun is low.

4. And children coming home from school,
Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

5. He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach;
He hears his daughter's voice
Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

6. It sounds to him like her mother's voice, Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;

And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

7. Toiling-rejoicing — sorrowing –
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begun,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

8. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught !
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW.

VII.-I MUST DO THE CHURNING.

1. I never undertook but once to set at naught the authority of my wife. You know her way—cool, quiet, respectful, but determined. Just after we were married, and all was going "nice and cozy," she got me into a habit of doing all the churning. She never asked me to do it, you know; but then she-why it was done just in

this way:

2. She finished breakfast rather before me one morning, and, slipping away from the table, she filled the churn with cream, and set it just where I could not help seeing what was wanted. So I took hold regularly enough, and churned till the butter came. She did not thank me, but looked so nice and sweet about it that I felt well paid.

3. Well, when the next churning day came along, she did the same thing; and I followed suit and fetched the butter. Again and again it was done just so; and I was regularly "in for it" every time. Not a word said, you know, of course. Well, by and by this began to be rather irksome. I wished she would just ask me; but she never did, and I could not say any thing about it, to save my life; and so on we went.

4. At last I made a resolve that I would not churn another time, unless she asked me to. Churning day came, and then my breakfast - she always got nice breakfasts when that was swallowed, there stood the churn. I rose up, and standing a few minutes, just to give her a chance to ask me, put on my hat and walked out door. I stopped in the yard to give her time to call me; but not a word did she say; and so, with a palpitating heart, I moved on.

5. I went down town, up town, and all over town;

and my foot was as restless as was that of Noah's dove. I felt as if I had done a wrong, I did not exactly know what; but there was an indescribable sensation of guilt resting on me all the forenoon. It seemed as if dinner time never would come; and as for going home one minute before dinner, I would as soon have had my ears taken off. So I went fretting and moping around town till dinner hour came.

6. Home I went, feeling very much as a criminal must when the jury is out, having in their hands his destinylife or death. I could not make up my mind exactly how she would meet me, but some kind of a storm I expected. Well, will you believe it? She never greeted me with a sweeter smile; never had a better dinner for me than on that day but there stood the churn, just where I left it!

7. Not a word was said; I somehow felt guilty, and every mouthful of that dinner seemed as if it would choke me. She did not seem to notice it, but went on just as if nothing unusual had happened. Before dinner was over I had again resolved, and shoving back my chair I marched to the churn, and went at it just in the old way. Splash, drip, rattle, splash: I kept it up. As if in spite, the butter never was so long coming. I sup posed that the cream, standing so long, had become warm; and so I redoubled my efforts.

8. Obstinate matter! the afternoon wore away while I was churning. I paused at last, from real exhaustion, when she spoke for the first time: "Come, my dear, you have rattled that buttermilk quite long enough, if it is only for fun you are doing it!" I knew how it was in a flash. She brought the butter in the forenoon, and left the churn standing, with the buttermilk in, for me to exercise with. I never set up for myself in household matters after that.

VIII.-HOW TO READ.

1. President Porter, of Yale College, lays down principles with regard to reading, worthy of attention.

2. Among other points he suggests that: Reading should be followed in an earnest and reflecting spirit. If we are careful in the selection of books, we must be equally careful as to the way in which we read them.

3. If a man has little time to read, he has no right to allow these golden hours of his life to be wasted, or worse than wasted.

4. If he reads a great deal, he has no right to allow influences, which are silently but most powerfully affecting his whole character, to be what the chance or mood of the hour decides them to bring disease or health, life or death, to that which makes him a man.

5. Read with attention. This is the golden rule, and is more important than all the rest. The great objection to omnivorous and indiscriminate reading is, that it jades and wearies the power of attention.

6. Edmund Burke and Abraham Lincoln always so read a book as to make it their own, a possession for life. Passive reading is to be carefully guarded against, as a habit that will destroy all good in reading.

7. Read with interest. Find out what will interest you, ask yourself in what particulars your ignorance most disturbs or annoys you. With what class of thoughts, facts, principles or emotions, would it please you best to be conversant.

8. "Read what will satisfy your wants and appease your desires, and you will comply with the first condition to reading with interest and profit," is a direction that must be received with caution, for you should see that your wishes and desires are correct before you attempt to satisfy them.