Yet the rose has one powerful virtue to boast,
Above all the flowers of the field;

When its leaves are all dead, and its fine colours lost,
Still how sweet a perfume it will yield!

So frail is the youth and the beauty of men,
Though they bloom and look gay like the rose;
But all our fond care to preserve them is vain,
Time kills them as fast as he goes.

Then I'll not be proud of my youth nor my beauty,
Since both of them wither and fade;

But gain a good name by well-doing my duty;
This will scent like a rose when I'm dead.

SICK OF BEING PUNISHED.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO LITTLE GIRLS.

Kate. "I wish I could go to some other school, Mary, for I do not like to be punished."

Mary.-"No one likes to be punished. But, Kate, when one likes to do wrong, one must expect to pay for it. Did the teacher hurt

you much?

Kate. "No, I was so mad I did not care for it; if she had nearly broken my head, I should not have cried a

tear."

''

Mary. "I take care not to do wrong, and so do not get punished."

Kate." Well, I am not so sly, and always get found

out."

Mary. "I should think you would grow tired of doing wrong, for it must be easier to do right than wrong." Kate. "I am not so sure of that. I like to have my own way once in a while."

Mary.-"If your own way is wrong, and brings you into trouble, I should give it up, and get a better way. Kate. "Why, do you believe I could always act right,

as

you

do?"

Mary." Certainly! Don't you think I could act wrong, as you do, if I tried to do so? Do you think your little kitten will scratch me if I take her up?"

Kate." No, indeed! She scratched me once, and I soon taught her better. I should like to see her scratch anybody now."

Mary." How did you cure her so completely?"

Kate.-"I beat her soundly, and would not give her anything to eat for a whole day." Mary smiles, and Kate says, "What are you laughing at, Mary? I do not see anything to laugh at."

Mary." Nor did the kitten. And yet it is rather odd that the kitten left off doing wrong, after being punished only once, and you cannot, after being punished a dozen times."

Kate.-"Yes, but the kitten isn't a girl."

Mary.-"I know she is not, and that makes me wonder the more, for she ought not to be expected to do so well as an intelligent girl. Now confess, Kate, that you can do right if you choose to do so? You know you can, and I wish you would, for my sake."

Kate.-"Why for your sake, when I have to take all the punishment?"

Mary. "I really believe that every time you are punished, I suffer more than you do. I love you, Kate, and cannot bear to see you suffer."

Kate.—“You are a dear one, Mary, and there is no denying it. Now, I'll tell you what I mean to do, for I am desperate"

Mary.-"Don't say so."

Kate.

"Hear me out, Mary. I am desperately sick of being punished, and not a little ashamed to be worse than my kitten, and so you see, I am going"

Mary." Where, dear Kate? Not to leave the school, I hope ?

Kate.-"No, but to love it, and try to be as good as you are, you little philosopher. There" (kissing her), "there, let me seal my promise with a kiss, and when you see me doing wrong again, just say, 'Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!' and I

"O, it snows! it snows!" said William, as he rose from his bed and went to the window, and looked out upon the fields, which were white with the first snow that had fallen for the season. He dressed himself hastily, and came down to the breakfast room, saying as he entered, "It snows, and I am glad. I hope it will snow all day, and keep on till it is over my head.”

He wished to go out immediately and play in the snow, and was rather inclined to be displeased when his mother told him he must not go out till after breakfast and prayers.

His appetite for his breakfast was not very good, nor were his thoughts always where they should have been during the offering of the morning prayer. With one

part of it he was not well pleased. It was a petition for an abatement of the storm in reference to the condition of those who had not the means of guarding themselves against its inclemency.

After prayers, he put on his great-coat, and tied down his pantaloons, and fastened the lappets of his cap over his ears, and put on his mittens, and went out into the storm.

The snow was falling fast, and the wind blew fiercely throwing it into heaps. Into these William plunged, sometimes sinking up to his arms. When he had been out about half an hour, plunging and rolling in the snow, his mother thought it was best for him to come in, and accordingly called him. He started immediately, but took occasion on the way to roll over several times, in order that as much snow might adhere to his clothes as possible. He thought he looked well when he came in, white with the snow, and stood before the fire.

His mother did not happen to come into the room til it was nearly all melted, and in consequence his clothes were almost as wet as if he had been out into the river. She reproved him for his folly, made him change his clothes, and told him he must not go out again that forenoon.

After he had changed his clothes he took his station by the window, and watched the falling and driving snow, earnestly desiring to sound the banks which were forming in an eddy caused by the position of the house and the wood-shed.

The time passed slowly; he began to think that his mother was unjust in keeping him in for wetting his clothes, and foolish in thinking his wet clothes would do him any harm. As he stood indulging these thoughts, which were just as bad in the sight of God as if he had spoken them, the sun suddenly shone out, and the storm appeared to be about to cease.

"O dear," said he, "I am afraid it is going to stop snowing."

"I hope it is," said his mother. for good sleighing."*

"There is snow enough

William was almost angry with his mother for expressing a desire that the storm should cease. He contented himself by saying to himself, "I hope it will not stop." He was not aware that by so doing he was guilty of the sin of disrespect towards his mother.

"Our wishes will not make any difference with respect to the continuance of the storm," said his mother.

"I know it," said William; and if we could have looked into his heart we should have seen that he was a little vexed with the good Lord because his wishes were not consulted in the matter.

His father came in at this moment, and saw from the expression of his son's countenance that he was somewhat out of humour.

*Sleighs are used in America, that slide along on the snow and frozen ground.

"What is the matter, my son?" said he.

"It is going to stop snowing," said William, in a tone which one would naturally use in describing an injury received.

You regard it as a great calamity, do you?"

"I do not want it to stop."

Why not?"

"I want the snow deeper to play in."

"You would have the Lord change his plans to suit your fancy, I suppose ? "

William felt the rebuke and was silent, though he was not convinced of his sin and folly.

In about an hour, William's father had his horse and sleigh brought to the door, and told his son that he might ride with him. He drove to the outskirts of the village, and stopped before a lonely hut.

"What are you going to stop here for, father?" "I have business here."

William wondered what business he could have in such a house. They entered. On a bed in one corner of the only room in the house there was a sick woman, who had her knitting in her hands.

There were openings and cracks in the walls, through which the snow had blown in great quantities. There was quite a little heap at the foot of the bed. The poor woman was suffering from a paralysis of her lower limbs, and hence could not remove the snow.

There were a few sticks of green wood in the huge fire place; they smoked, but did not burn. The room was very cold. The water-pail that stood on a table in the middle of the room was frozen over hard.

"Where is John ?" said William's father.

"I sent him to the shop to get a little meal for breakfast."

"Have not they had any breakfast yet?" whispered William to his father.

"He was ill yesterday," said the woman, 66 so ill that he could not hold up his head, but he is better to-day. I did not dare to let him go out till the storm was over.