YOUNG LADIES' CLASS

with some difficulty, and placed them of the house as possible, aware that, be easy to carry on even question and mult that reigned.

"You find us rather noisy, I am a bairn with a smile, and in a manner the reverse; "but this is Saturday, an in such spirits, and they won't stay a my dear, don't crack your whip quite boy-that's a new whip his papa brou and he's so proud of it! William, think your drum must be tired now? give it a rest. Alexander, your trun much noise: one of these ladies has you go out-there's my good boy,-a at the cows and the sheep, you know Oh! how you will frighten them with

"No, I'll not blow it at the cows; I because then they'll think 'tis the mail running off, when Henry jumped dow

"No, but you shan't frighten them I shall frighten them with my whip. best frightened with a whip ?"-and a "Well, don't fight, my dears, and y them," cried their mamma.

"No, I'm determined he shan't frig it," cried both together, as they rushed the drummer was preparing to follo v.

"William, my darling, don't you g boys; you know they're always very b they wouldn't let you into their coa Here William began to cry." Well, have a coach of your own-a much fin I wouldn't go in to their ugly, dirty have " Here something of a consola pered; William was comforted, and ev relinquish his drum for his mamma's iv tents of which were soon scattered on "These boys are gone without th Fairbairn, in a tone of distress. "E

bell for Sally to get the boys' hats." Sally being despatched with the hats, something like a calm ensued, in the absence of him of the whip and the trumpet; but as it will be of short duration, it is necessary to take advantage of it in improving the introduction into an acquaintance with the Fairbairn family.

Mrs. Fairbairn was one of those ladies, who, from the time she became a mother, ceased to be any thing else. All the duties, pleasures, charities and decencies of life, were henceforth concentrated in that one grand characteristic; every object in life was henceforth viewed through that single medium. Her own mother was no longer her mother; she was the grandmamma of her dear infants: her brothers and sisters were mere uncles and aunts; and even her husband ceased to be thought of as her husband, from the time he became a father.

He was no longer the being who had claims on her time, her thoughts, her talents, her affections; he was simply Mr. Fairbairn, the noun masculine of Mrs. Fairbairn, and the father of her children. Happily for Mr. Fairbairn, he was not a person of very nice feelings, or refined taste; and although, at first, he did feel a little unpleasantly, when he saw how much his children were preferred to himself, yet, in time, he became accustomed to it,-then came to look upon Mrs. Fairbairn as the most exemplary of mothers,-and, finally, resolved himself into the father of a very fine family, of which Mrs. Fairbairn was the mother.

In all this there was more of selfish egotism, and animal instinct, than of rational affection, or Christian principle; but both parents piqued themselves upon their fondness for their offspring, as if it were a feeling peculiar to themselves, and not one they shared in common with the lowest and weakest of their species. Like them, too, it was upon the bodies of their children that they lavished their chief care and tenderness; for, as to the immortal interests of their souls, or the cultivation of their minds, or the improvement of their tempers, these were but little attended to, at least in comparison with their health and personal appearance.

Alas! if there "be not a gem so precious as the human soul," how often do these gems seem as pearls cast before

swine! for how seldom is it that a parent's greatest care is for the immortal happiness of that being, whose precarious and, at best, transient existence engrosses her every thought and desire! But, perhaps, Mrs. Fairbairn, like many a foolish, ignorant mother, did her best; and had she been satisfied with spoiling her children herself, for her own private amusement, and not have drawn in her visiters and acquaintances to share in it, the evil might have passed uncensured. But, instead of shutting herself up in her nursery, she chose to bring her nursery down to her drawing-room; and, instead of modestly denying her friends an entrance into her purgatory, she had a foolish pride in showing herself in the midst of her angels. In short, as the best things, when corrupted, always become the worst, so the purest and tenderest of human affections, when thus debased by selfishness and egotism, turn to the most tiresome and ridiculous of human weaknesses.

LESSON LXVI.

The same,-concluded.

"I HAVE been much to blame," said Mrs. Fairbairn, addressing Miss Bell, in a soft, whining, sick-child sort of voice, "for not having been at Bellevue long ago; but dear little Charlotte has been so plagued with her teeth, I could not think of leaving her; for she is so fond of me, she will go to nobody else she screams when her maid offers to take her, and she won't go even to her papa."

"Is that possible?" said the major.

"I assure you it's very true; she's a very naughty girl sometimes"-bestowing a long and rapturous kiss on the child. "Who was it that beat poor papa for taking her from mamma last night? Well, don't cry: no, no, it wasn't my Charlotte. She knows every word that's said to her, and did from the time she was only a year old."

"That is wonderful!" said Miss Bell; "but how is my little favorite, Andrew?"

"He is not very stout yet, poor little fellow; and we must

be very careful of him.". Then, turning to Miss St. Clair, "Our little Andrew has had the measles; and you know the dregs of the measles are a serious thing-much worse than the measles themselves. Andrew, Andrew Waddell, my love, come here, and speak to the ladies." And thereupon Andrew Waddell, in a night-cap, riding on a stick, drew near. Being the major's namesake, Miss Bell, in the ardor of her attachment, thought proper to coax Andrew Waddell on her knee, and even to open her watch for his entertainment.

"Ah! I see who spoils Andrew Waddell," cried the delighted mother.

The major chuckled; Miss Bell disclaimed; and, for the time, Andrew Waddell became the hero of the piece: the blains of the measles were carefully pointed out, and all his sufferings and sayings duly recapitulated. At length Miss Charlotte, indignant at finding herself eclipsed, began to scream and cry with all her strength.

"It's her teeth, darling little thing," said her mother, caressing her.

"I'm sure it's her teeth, sweet little dear," said Miss Bell.

"It undoubtedly must be her teeth, poor little girl," said the major.

"If you will feel her gum," said Mrs. Fairbairn, putting her own finger into the child's mouth, "you will feel how hot it is."

This was addressed in a sort of general way to the company, none of whom seemed eager to avail themselves of the privilege, till the major stepped forward, and having, with his fore-finger, made the circuit of Miss Charlotte's mouth, gave it as his decided opinion, that there was a tooth actually cutting the skin. Miss Bell followed the same course, and confirmed the interesting fact, adding, that it appeared to her to be "an uncommon large tooth."

At that moment, Mr. Fairbairn entered, bearing in his arms another of the family,—a fat, sour, new-waked-looking creature, sucking its finger. Scarcely was the introduction over." There's a pair of legs!" exclaimed he, holding out a pair of thick purple stumps with red worsted shoes at the end of them. "I don't suppose Miss St. Clair ever saw legs

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like these in France; these are porridge and milk legs, are they not, Bobby?"

But Bobby continued to chew the cud of his own thumb in solemn silence.

"Will you speak to me, Bobby?" said Miss Bell, bent upon being amiable and agreeable; but still Bobby was mute. "We think this little fellow rather long of speaking," said Mr. Fairbairn; we allege that his legs have run away with

his tongue."

"How old is he?" asked the major.

"He is only nineteen months and ten days," answered his mother; 66 so he has not lost much time; but I would rather see a child fat and thriving, than have it very forward." "No comparison!" was here uttered in a breath by the major and Miss Bell.

"There's a great difference in children in their time of speaking," said the mamma. "Alexander didn't speak till he was two and a quarter; and Henry, again, had a great many little words before he was seventeen months; and Eliza and Charlotte both said "mamma" as plain as I do, at a year; but girls always speak sooner than boys: as for William Pitt and Andrew Waddell, the twins, they both suffered so much from their teething, that they were longer of speaking than they would otherwise have been; indeed, I never saw an infant suffer so much as Andrew Waddell did."

A movement was here made by the visiters to depart. "Oh! you mustn't go without seeing the baby," cried Mrs. Fairbairn. "Mr. Fairbairn, will you pull the bell twice for baby?"

The bell was twice rung, but no baby answered the sum

mons.

"She must be asleep," said Mrs. Fairbairn; "but I will take you up to the nursery, and you will see her in her cradle." And Mrs. Fairbairn led the way to the nursery, and opened the shutter, and uncovered the cradle, and displayed the baby.

"Just five months-uncommon fine child-the image of Mr. Fairbairn-fat little thing-neat little hands-sweet little outh-pretty little nose-nice little toes," were as usual whispered over it.