CONTEST WITH MONKEYS.

Two monkeys, kept by a gentleman for his amusement in a large iron cage, in his absence for a few minutes, succeeded in effecting their liberation, and seemed to feel a pleasure at the time in working all the mischief that was possible. The desk of the office was overturned, and the papers it contained torn and scattered about. They also opened the crane of a gas-tar cistern, and flooded the floor with the nauseous contents. On his return, finding matters in this plight, he commenced to inflict punishment on the first of the monkeys he came in sight of, when the other, which had been hiding, immediately made a rush to the assistance of his companion. The brutes cut his leg through his trousers, and one of them, leaping on his back, cut him pretty severely on the face also. By this time, one stick had been broken over the backs of the animals; and the gentleman, having placed his back to the wall for protection, and armed himself with another bludgeon, ultimately recaptured his assailants, but not till the leg of one of them had been broken in the contest. So you see what vicious creatures monkeys are. Dont offer to play with them, for you cannot trust them.

THE EWE AND ITS LAMB.

THE acuteness of the sheep's ear surpasses all things in nature that I know of. An ewe will distinguish her own lamb's bleat among a thousand all braying at the same time. Besides, the distinguishment of voice is perfectly reciprocal between the ewe and the lamb, who, amid the deafening sound, run to meet one another. There are few things that have ever amused me more than a sheep shearing, and then the sport continues the whole day. We put the flock into a fold, set out all the lambs to the hill, and then set out the ewes to them as they are shorn. The moment that a lamb hears its dam's voice, it rushes from the crowd to meet her, but, instead of finding its own rough, well-clad, comfortable mother, which it left an hour, or a few hours ago, it meets a poor, naked, shriveled, and most deplorable-looking creature! It wheels about, and uttering a loud tremulous bleat of perfect despair, flies from the frightful vision. The mother's voice arrests its flight-it returns-flies, and returns again, generally for ten or a dozen times before the reconcilement is fairly made up, and the lamb finds that the shorn ewe is really its own mother. Ettrick Shepherd.

THE PURSUED DOVE.

"O my dove, in the clefts of the rock."-Canticles ii. 14.
SEE yonder dove, fatigued with flight,
And seek a lesson from the sight-
Nor let her fly in vain :

She lately broke the fowler's snare,
And soar'd exulting through the air,
Her freedom to regain.

But danger soon appeared in view;
The dove beholds a hawk pursue,
And swifter yet she flies:

A cavern'd rock, her best defence,

She seeks, for none can draw her thence :

She enters or she dies!

The trembling bird has gain'd her rest,
Her peaceful home, her well-known nest;
Impervious to her foes:

In vain the hawk each art essays:
No dread she feels, no fear betrays-
Her heart with transport glows!
Draw hence instruction, O my soul;
Ah! think, had yonder rock been whole,
Where could the bird have fled ?

A cleft has prov'd her safe resort:
She knew its worth, by instinct taught:
Without it she had bled.

I too, when fears and sins distress,
Would to the Rock of Ages press-

Let nothing stay my speed,

Within its clefts securely hide;
My Saviour's pierced hands and side,
Which once for me did bleed.

There safe from sin, and death, and hell,
My soul in that strong shelter dwell-
Nor leave thy safe abode.

Dear Saviour hide me in thy heart
Till thou shalt call me to depart

To dwell with thee-My God!

"MY SON, GIVE ME THINE HEART." Written after hearing an affectionate discourse from Prov. xxiii. 26. My heart, LORD; yes, take it; 'tis vile and depraved, Defiled by corruption, pollution, and sin,

Enslaved by its passions, by satan deceived;

Yet take it and make it dear Saviour like thine.

My heart, LORD; yes, take it; 'tis wrapt in thick darkness 'Till on it the sunbeams of righteousness shine;

To chase the sad gloom and its darkness enlighten,
Shine on it, dear Saviour, and make it like thine.

My heart, LORD; yes, take it; 'tis hard and unfeeling,
And needs the sweet influence of mercy divine,
To bow down its pride and soften its hardness,
And make it as meek and as lowly as thine.

My heart, LORD; yes, take it; 'tis fickle and faithless,
And oft-times it bows at deception's low shrine;
Oh, let thy good Spirit transform and remould it,
And make it, dear SAVIOUR, entirely like THINE.

J. W.

THE ANANA, OR PINE-APPLE.

WHAT an almost endless variety of trees, shrubs, and plants yielding fruits, the beneficent Creator of the world has caused to grow upon the earth for the service of man! - among which, well known to us at home, are the apple, pear, plum, cherry, currant, gooseberry, peach, apricot, nectarine, strawberry and raspberry

and from foreign lands the grape, fig, orange, lemon, citron, pomegranate, date, and many others, among which the pine-apple may now be mentioned.

This rich and splendid fruit was, until lately, a great rarity in England, and was therefore, on account of its scarcity and high price, little known or tasted; but within the last year or two light sailing vessels from the Bahama Islands, lying between North and South America, have brought over large quantities of this fruit, which is now added to the