TOM BROWN STARTING FOR RUGBY.

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away while he worked himself into his shoes and his great-coat, well warmed through. And just as he is swallowing his last mouthful, winding his comforter round his throat, and tucking the ends into the breast of his coat, the horn sounds, Boots looks in and says, "Tally-ho, sir "; and they hear the ring and the rattle of the four fast trotters and the town-made drag, as it dashes up to the inn.

20. "Anything for us, Bob?" says the burly guard, dropping down from behind, and slapping himself across the chest. 21. "Young genl'm'n, Rugby; three parcels, Leicester; hamper o' game, Rugby," answers Ostler.

22. "Tell young gent to look alive," says Guard, opening the hind-boot, and shooting in the parcels after examining them by the lamps. "Here, shove the portmanteau up atop, I'll fasten him presently. Now then, sir, jump up behind."

23. "Good-by, father, my love at home." A last shake of the hand. Up goes Tom, the guard catching his hat-box and holding on with one hand, while with the other he claps his horn to his mouth, Toot, toot, toot! the ostler lets go their heads, the four bays plunge at the collar, and away goes the Tally-ho, forty-five seconds from the time they pulled up. T. Hughes.

EXERCISE.

1. Great was the grief amongst the village school-boys.

2. Each of them had given him some little present.

3. Madame Brown had supplied the biggest cake ever seen in our

village.

4. Tom and his father alighted at the inn.

5. He heard with unfeigned joy the paternal order for supper.

6. He wondered at all the vehicles passing.

7. He fraternized with the boots and ostler.

8. He ascertained that the coach was a tiptop goer.

9. Being summoned to supper he regaled himself on beef-steak and oyster-sauce.

10. You are going to be chucked into this great school.

11. All the way up to London he had pondered what he should say

to Tom.

LXXXI.

THE KNIGHT'S TOAST.

THE

I.

HE feast is o'er! Now brimming wine lordly cup is seen to shine

Before each eager guest;

And silence fills the crowded hall,
As deep as when the herald's call
Thrills in the loyal breast.

II.

Then up arose the noble host,

And smiling cried: "A toast! a toast!

To all our ladies fair!

Here, before all, I pledge the name

Of Staunton's proud and beauteous dame,
The Lady Gundamere!”

III.

Then to his feet each gallant sprung,
And joyous was the shout that rung,
As Stanley gave the word;

And every cup was raised on high,
Nor ceased the loud and gladsome cry,
Till Stanley's voice was heard.

IV.

"Enough, enough," he smiling said,
And lowly bent his haughty head;
“That all may have their due,
Now each, in turn, must play his part,
And pledge the lady of his heart,
Like gallant knight and true!"

V.

Then, one by one, each guest sprang up,
And drained in turn the brimming cup,
And named the loved one's name;
And each, as hand on high he raised,
His lady's grace or beauty praised,
Her constancy and fame.

Each guest upstarted at the word,
And laid a hand upon his sword,
With fury-flashing eye ;

66

And Stanley said: We crave the name,
Prond knight, of this most peerless dame,
Whose love you count so high."

X.

St. Leon paused, as if he would

Not breathe her name in careless mood,
Thus, lightly, to another ;

Then bent his noble head, as though
To give that word the reverence due,
And gently said: "My Mother!"

197

EALTH is a blessing so invaluable that you cannot be too careful in preserving it. It is that which makes your meat and drink savory, and your sleep refreshing; which gives bloom to your cheek and suppleness to your limbs, and renders active exertion a delight. When health deserts you, food loses its relish, and exercise becomes a toil. Sleep refuses to lull you into sweet forgetfulness; and you leave your couch - if, indeed, you are even able to leave it tired and unrefreshed. You are feeble, spiritless, despondent. Life itself becomes a burden.

2. Three things are especially necessary to the preservation of health, pure air, due exercise, and cleanliness.

3. In breathing, you first draw air into the lungs, and then send it out from them. But when it returns from the lungs, it is not in the same state as when it entered. Nearly two fifths of that portion of it which is of the most value in sustaining life has disappeared, and its place has been supplied by an equal volume of what is positively injurious. If the same air is breathed again and again, it at last becomes altogether incapable of supporting life.

4. Accordingly, it is found that the air of a close room in which any considerable number of persons are assembled soon becomes noxious, while even the breath of a single person is sufficient, after a time, to make such a room unwholesome. Those who labor in confined and crowded workshops are neither so long-lived nor so healthy as those who work in airy buildings; and in the open country the average duration of human life exceeds that in the towns by at least sixteen years.

5. You may have heard of the horrible suffering which was endured in the Black Hole of Calcutta, in 1756. One hundred and forty-six Englishmen were thrust into a wretched prison eighteen feet square, in which there were only two very small windows by which air could be admitted. Scarcely was the door shut upon the prisoners

when their sufferings commenced, and in a short time a delirious and mortal struggle ensued to get near the windows. Within four hours those who survived lay in the silence of apoplectic stupor; at the end of six hours ninetysix were relieved by death; and in the morning, when the door was opened, twenty-three only were found alive, many of whom were subsequently cut off by putrid fever caused by the dreadful corruption of the air.

6. Exercise is highly conducive to health, especially when taken out of doors. By means of walking, riding, boating, and the various manly sports, the chest is expanded, the muscles strengthened, the blood more briskly circulated, and the pores of the skin kept open. Yet it should be remembered that exercise never ought to be taken to the extent of causing exhaustion, and that the risk of a sudden chill after copious perspiration should be carefully avoided.

7. The necessity of cleanliness arises from the peculiar structure of the skin. It is said that there are seven millions of pores in the skin, and that these pores are the orifices or mouths of tubes intended to carry off effete matter from the body. Yet they are constantly liable to be closed and obstructed. It thus happens that in the course of a day the whole skin becomes so coated with impurities that its pores get clogged, and cease to permit the free passage which is required of them. How is this coating to be removed? Only, it is obvious, by frequent ablution or washing.

8. "The canary," says Professor Miller, "teaches us two good lessons. The bird whistles in its captivity, preaching contentment; and it carefully washes itself. What is the most precious gift you can make to a canary? A saucer with some clean water. In it hops with a chirp; and, spluttering with its wings, how it enjoys its bath! Well, we, too, can always have a saucerful of clean water with a sponge; and the man, if he will, can then make a splutter of it, like the canary."