strains, composed entirely of trills and flourishes, frequently interrupted by loud whistling. It is numbered among the few birds which sing while flying. The loftier its flight the more elevated seems the tone of its voice. It commences its song early in the spring, and continues it during the whole summer. When it first rises from the earth, its notes are feeble and interrupted; as it ascends, however, they gradually swell to their full tone, and long after the bird has reached a height where it is lost to the eye, it still continues to charm the ear with its melody. It mounts almost perpendicularly, and by successive springs, and descends in an oblique direction, unless when threatened with danger, when it drops like a stone. It very seldom sings on the ground. The sky-lark never perches on trees, but is entirely terrestrial, walking and running with facility and swiftness, without hopping. On the approach of danger it squats in any hole or foot-print in the ground, and will thus continue until approached within a yard. The female forms her nest on the ground, beneath some turf, which serves at once to hide and shelter it. She lays four or five dirtywhite eggs, blotched and spotted with brown; and she generally produces two broods in a year. These prolific birds are granivorous; they are most abundant in the more open and highest cultivated situations abounding in grain, being but seldom seen in extensive moors at a distance from arable land. In winter they assemble in vast flocks, grow very fat, and are taken in great numbers for the table. A THE OTTOMANS. LATE traveler in Turkey thus describes some of the peculiarities in the manners and customs of the Turks: "They abhor the hat; but uncovering the head, which with us is an expression of respect, is considered by them disrespectful and indecent. No offense is given by keeping on a hat in mosque, but shoes must be left at the threshold. The slipper and not the turban is removed in token of respect. The Turks write from right to left. They follow their guests into the room and precede them on leaving it. The left hand is the place of honor. They do the honors of the table by serving themselves first. They are great smokers and coffee drinkers. They sleep in their clothes. Their mourning habit is white; their sacred color is green; their Sabbath-day is Friday." Youth's Department. TRUE BEAUTY. A FAIRY TALE. BY MRS. E. M. GUTHRIE. THAT I were only beautiful!" sighed a plain little maiden, mournfully wiping away a tear. With these words she fell asleep. As she closed her eyes, there darted in at the open window as lovely a being as ever graced a fairy festival in the charmed realm of Fancy. Poising herself for a moment upon the half-opened bud of a geranium, which grew fresh and bright beneath her gentle pressure, she rested her eyes thoughtfully upon the shadow of a flowering vine which intercepted the moonlight and threw delicate figures softly upon the carpet. Here she paused, folding her small hands upon her bosom, to await the more perfect slumber of the maiden; soon, however, she advanced to the bedside, and bending over the pillow she permitted her tresses to brush lightly as the wing of zephyr the brow of the sleeper, and thus she whispered in her dreams : 66 Maiden, it is the desire of thy heart to be beautiful. Learn this, then, oh, young inheritor of immortality! that true beauty, the beauty which fades not when the hair becomes gray and years wax many, develops from within. Adorning of the outward form alone will not render thee lovely; nor will bright eyes, sunny locks, and comely features (except as these serve to represent the symmetry of thine inner sanctuary) cause thee to be beloved; but in the high thoughts of a pure soul, which will beam forth from thy fresh young face, thou mayest find the power to attract all hearts irresistibly unto thee. "The dahlia and the poppy are more gay than the rose, yet the rose is the queen of flowers. Her outward proportions may be no more perfect, but her soft petals are laden with grateful odors; from her heart floweth the holy wealth of a sweet nature, and the surrounding atmosphere is hallowed by her presence. "Gentleness and purity are to thee, dear maiden, as fragrance is to the rose. Indulge no thought and cherish no emotion but such as are lovely and pure, then loveliness and purity will always dwell as a sacred presence about thee." "Let me ask, then, beautiful spirit," timidly inquired the maiden, "if this will indeed constitute me very beautiful, so that all who look upon me may love me?" "Yes, truly," returned the fairy. "This will indeed render thee beautiful; yet remember, maiden, that in thy hours of danger and temptation, purity and loveliness are not easily secured. Oh, fail not to regard them as a prize to be constantly and religiously guarded. "In thy short sojourn upon earth thou mayest have beheld a valued but tender plant rooted out by the grosser children of Flora's domain. Had a wise hand but have timely removed those intruders from the soil about her roots, sunshine and showers would have surely raised her to the high estate of a joy and blessing to the upper air. But the rank weeds grew, the young plant died, and the air never knew how rich a treasure was once hidden within her gentle heart. "Loveliness and purity are within thy spirit, sorrowing one; tender and beautiful flowers which God has planted there that thou mayest cherish for him. Yet if the growth of impure thoughts and ungoverned passions is allowed, they would soon shut out the light, drink up the dew, and poison the soil, while loveliness and purity would wither, sadly wither, under their deadly shade. "Be it thy constant care, dear child, to keep clean the garden of thy heart. Leave it ever open to the rays of truth, and let the dew of innocence nightly rest upon it. Then, as the rare plants of virtue unfold, sending abroad their numberless branches to fill the atmosphere of thine inner life with fragrance and joy, thine outward form will gradually rise to the heavenly proportion of thine inner self. The impression of angelic beauty that blossoms within, will glow softly in thy smile, and fall tenderly from the glance of thine eye. Thy brow will become radiant as thy spirit expands, and thy voice melodious as thy heart swells with that love which encircles every creature of God within its embrace. 66 Good-night, little maiden. Seek thou to be generous and noble, truthful and pure, and thou shalt become indeed very beautiful, even unto the eye of angels." The fairy ceased, and bending gracefully over the maiden, she parted the hair upon the forehead of the sleeping one; then kissing her with the tenderness of a mother, she flitted back again to the window. Resting once more where the shadow of vines wrought their delicate embroidery upon a ground of moonlight, she clasped her hands together, and upraised her eyes as if invoking a superior power. She remained thus for a moment, but ere long passed away. As she was departing, a mystic light, soft as the moonbeam, but clear as the morning sun, gathered above the couch whereon the little maiden rested. Beneath its magic influence all traces of tears were effaced, a calm smile came in their stead, and she was baptized with the spirit of joy. Henceforward her life was as a charmed life. When she awoke upon the morrow, her heart was peaceful and strong, her soul light and free. All about her marked the wonderful change that had come upon the little maiden, though she was half unconscious of it herself, for the day-hours seemed but the continuance of her delightful dream. The quiet, humble grace that attended her steps like an angel of light was as the prompting of her fairy benefactor. Years passed cheerfully on. The spirit enshrined within that young form became exceedingly lovely; from day to day the outward figure yielded to its sweet proportions, and the fairy's prophecy was at length fulfilled. THE RAIN. The following pretty lines were sent us by a girl of about fourteen summers, residing in Massachusetts. They were suggested and written during the severe rain-storm which flooded this section of the country during the last week in April. For simplicity and truthfulness in pieturing they are worthy one of maturer years.-ED. PATTER, patter, falls the rain. Ceaseless patter all around, Patter, patter, little feet, Softly on the carpet fall; 'Gainst the window-panes are press'd Little dimpled hands, and small, Marking tiny drops of rain, As they gilde adown the pane. Weary little voices sigh, Weary of the constant rain, Watching, through the dull cloud-curtain, For the sun to peep again; Wondering where the birds do hide In the pattering showers, Lò! in yonder western sky Sunlight breaks the dark clouds through; And upon the eastern cloud Spreads "God's promise" to the view. That the rain shall cease to pour; When the stream of trouble falls, Will the sun come forth again, And, by trouble made more plain, EVELINA. Lectures on Useful Knowledge.-Lo 1. INTRODUCTION. MY DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS: EVER VERY day I try to think of something that will be pleasing and instructive to you, because I wish you to love knowledge and virtue. I have now concluded to give you some lectures in THE STUDENT, which I hope will be interesting and useful to you. In these days it is very bad for any one to be without knowledge. There was a time when there were no books, no magazines, no papers, no pens, no ink. Many things now familiar to you were unknown then. Hundreds of years ago people had no comfortable houses to dwell in; no glass to admit the light, and keep out the wind and rain. In the old times, people living in different places could seldom see each other, and they never sent letters, for there were no mails to carry them. If men traveled fifty miles, it took them a long time of |