A. "Great God, how terrible art thou
To sinners e'er so young!

Grant me thy grace, and teach me how
To tame and rule my tongue."

Q. Why do you pray for God's grace to enable you to tame and rule your tongue?

A. Because St. James tells us that "every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.'

Q. What do you learn from this?

A. That, as the tongue cannot be tamed by any power of my own, I stand in constant need of Divine grace to enable me to guard and govern it.

Taken from Dr. Watts's Hymns for Children, with Questions and Answers, by a Lady. (Rivingtons.)

ANECDOTE OF THE COMMON GREY LINNET.

(From a Farmer in the Island of Sanda, Orkney; a diligent Observer of Facts in Natural History.)'

DURING the summer of 1818, my children, having found a linnet's nest, containing four young ones nearly fledged, resolved to carry home the nest and young brood, with a view of feeding and taming the young birds. The parent birds, attracted by the chirping of the young, continued fluttering around the children until they reached the house. The nest was carried up stairs to the nursery, and placed outside the window. The old birds soon afterwards made their appearance, approached the nest, and fed their family, without shewing the least alarm. This being noticed, the nest was soon afterwards

Scotch Aversion to Parochial Relief.

511

placed on a table in the middle of the room, and the window left open. The parent birds came boldly in, and fed their offspring as before. I was called up stairs to witness this remarkable instance of strong parental attachment. To put it still further to the test, I placed the nest and young ones in a cage; still the old ones returned, entered boldly within the cage, and supplied the wants of their brood as before; nay, towards evening, the parent birds actually perched on the cage, regardless of the noise made around them by several children. This pleasing scene continued several days, when an unlucky accident put an end to it, to the great grief of my young naturalists. The cage had been set on the outside of the window, and was left exposed to one of those sudden and heavy falls of rain which often occur in the Orkneys; the consequence was, that the whole of the young were drowned in the nest. The poor parents, who had so boldly and indefatigably performed their duty, continued hovering around the house, and looking wistfully in at the window for some days, and then disappeared.

SCOTCH AVERSION TO PAROCHIAL

RELIEF.

(From the Plain Englishman.)

A POOR and infirm carter of Kirkudbright had the misfortune to lose his only horse, which took some complaint and died; a misfortune which was to him the greater, as he had no means of replacing the animal. Being thus thrown out of employment, the neighbours, after a lapse of a week or two, became apprehensive that he might be in want, and ventured to mention his case to the minister. Accordingly,

the minister waited on him, and endeavoured, in a general and indirect way, to ascertain his exact circumstances; but his parishioner's answers were equally general, and led to no satisfactory explanation. A few days more elapsed, when the minister again waited on the carter, and told him bluntly his fears, at the same time offering to procure him relief from the parish. "Thank you, thank you sir," said the carter, "for your kind intention," his heart swelling as he spoke; " but, if you please, I'll not apply just yet, till we see how things turn about; the times, I hear, are beginning to mend, and by-and-bye I'll, may be, get a little work: at any rate, sir, I have yet twenty pence, and the skin o' the horse!"

REMARKABLE ATTACHMENT.

(A well authenticated Fact, from the Plain Englishman.)

SOME years ago there were domesticated in a family, a partridge and a dog: the dog (a spaniel) was an old parlour favorite; the partridge was more recently introduced. It was rather a dangerous experiment to place them together; for the dog was a lively, spirited creature, very apt to torment the cats, and to bark, like a dog addicted to field sports, at any object which roused his instinct. The experiment was tried, and the bird being very tame did not feel much alarm at his natural enemy. They were of course shy at first, but it gradually wore off; the bird became less timid, and the dog less bold. most perfect friendship was at length established between them. When the hour of dinner arrived, the partridge invariably flew on his mistress's shoulder, calling with that shrill note which is so well

The

Questions from the History of England. 513 known to sportsmen; and the spaniel leapt about with equal ardour. A dish of bread and milk was placed on the floor, out of which they fed together; and after their social meal, the dog would retire to a corner to sleep, while the bird would nestle between his legs, and never stir till his favorite awoke. Whenever the dog went out with his mistress, the bird shewed the greatest uneasiness till his return; and once when the partridge was shut up by accident for a whole day, the dog searched about the house with a mournful cry. Their friendship was at length fatally terminated: the dog was stolen as he was running about his happy home; and the bird from that time refused all food, and died on the seventh day a victim to his grief.

QUESTIONS FROM THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

(For the Answers, see Paye 462, Vol. 3.)

In what year did you say that Richard III. was killed *?

Who became king after him?

Was Henry, Duke of Richmond, the rightful heir to the crown?

Who was?

Whom did Henry VII. marry?

How was it that this marriage put an end to the wars of the houses of York and Lancaster?

Did Henry govern the kingdom well?

And yet were rebellions excited against him?
Who made pretensions to the crown?
Whom did Lambert Simnel pretend to be?

* 1485.

Was any battle fought between the king's troops and the rebels ?

Where was it fought?

Which side conquered?

What became of Simnel?

Did any other pretender to the crown arise?
What was his name?

Whom did Perkin Warbeck pretend to be?
Was he supported by many people of rank?
Are there people who still believe that Perkin
Warbeck was really the Duke of York, who was
said to have been murdered in the Tower by
Richard III.

*

In what year did Henry VII. die?

GARDENING.

BEANS, for an early crop, may be now planted, if not done already, or, in addition to what has been done, for a double chance. A warm dry situation should be chosen. They may be put in very thick, and transplanted out in spring.

Earth up the celery to a considerable height, to whiten it. Do this on a dry day, and break the earth well, and be careful not to let it get into the inside of the plant if you can help it; some people hold the leaves together, with one hand whilst they draw up the earth with the spade in the other.

Finish planting out the cabbage plants for spring use. Hoe and clean between the rows of those already planted out.

Clean winter spinach beds, and thin them so that each plant may stand singly.-You may pluck the larger leaves for present use, and leave the small ones to come forward.

* 1509.