THE READING OF THE WILL. 233 Swipes. Yes! The dear soul! 'Squire. "And Christopher Currie, Fly-court, saddler Cur. Yes! The good old lady! 'Squire. "To have and to hold IN TRUST, for the sole and exclusive benefit of my nephew, Francis Millington, until he shall have attained the age of twentyone years; by which time I hope he will have so far reformed his evil habits, as that he may safely be intrusted with the large fortune which I hereby bequeath to him." Swipes. What's all this? You don't mean that we are humbugged? In trust! - how does that appear? Where is it? 'Squire. There! On the parchment, in two words of as good old English as I ever penned. Cur. Pretty well too, Mr. 'Squire, if we must be sent for to be made a laughing-stock of! She shall pay for every ride she had out of my chaise, I promise you. Swipes. And for every drop of my beer. Fine times, if two sober, hard-working citizens are to be brought here to be made the sport of a graceless profligate! But we will manage his property for him; Mr. Currie ! We'll make him feel that trustees are not to be trifled with! Cur. That will we! 'Squire. Not so fast, gentlemen; for the instrument is dated three years ago, and the young gentleman must already be of age, and able to take care of himself; so your services as trustees are null and void. Is it not so, Francis? Frank. It is, sir. I shall be twenty-two in May. 'Squire. Then gentlemen, having attended to the breaking of this seal according to law, you are released from any further trouble in the premises. 234 THE LIFE AND LIGHT. XCV.-THE LIFE AND LIGHT. VISA, n., a view; a prospect. WON'DROUS (wйn-), a., admirable. / (ēlva), n., the close of the day. RA'DI-ANT, a., emitting rays. Pronounce where'er (a contraction of wher-ev'er) where-air'. THOU art, O God, the life and light When Day, with farewell beam, delays Through golden vistas into Heaven,— When Night, with wings of starry gloom, When youthful Spring around us breathes, ALLEN'S CAPTURE OF TICONDEROGA. 235 【CVI. — ALLEN'S CAPTURE OF TICONDEROGA. = or CENTRE, n., the middle. CAM-PAIGN' (kam-pane'), n., the time an army keeps the field in one year. PER'EMP-TO-RI-LY, ad., positively. Do not say pize for poise (poiz); mornin for morn'ing; fust for first. THE 'men were at once drawn up in three ranks, as the first beams of morning broke upon the tain peaks, Ethan Allen addressed them thus: ends and fellow-soldiers, we must this morning our pretensions to valor, or possess ourselves of fortress; and, inasmuch as it is a desperate att, I do not urge it on, contrary to will. You that undertake it voluntarily, poise your firelock." At the word every firelock was poised. "Face e right!" cried Allen; and, placing himself at the of the center file, Arnold keeping emulously at ide, he marched to the gate. It was shut, but the et was open. The sentry snapped a fusee at him. Americans rushed into the fort, darted upon the ds, and raising the Indian war-whoop, such as not been heard there since the days of Montcalm, ed on the parade in hollow square, to face each e barracks. One of the sentries, after wounding an officer, being slightly wounded himself, cried out for ter, and showed the way to the apartment of the manding officer. "Come forth instantly, or I will ifice the whole garrison,” cried Allen, as he reached door. At this, Delaplace, the commander, came half dressed, with some of his clothes in his hand. "Deliver to me the fort instantly," said Allen. I what authority?" asked Delaplace. "In the e of the great Jehovah and the Continental Con Allen Delenlace becen to ancok 236 MAN'S IMMORTALITY. again, but was peremptorily interrupted; and, at sight of Allen's drawn sword near his head, he gave up the garrison, ordering his men to be paraded without arms. 5. Thus was Ticonderoga taken, in the gray of the morning of the tenth of May, 1775. What cost the British nation eight millions sterling, a succession of campaigns, and many lives, was won in ten minutes, by a few undisciplined men, without the loss of life or limb. GEORGE BANCROFT. XCVII.-MAN'S IMMORTALITY. DE-DUCE', v. t., to conclude by reason- CON-SISTENT, a., agreeing. ing. AN-NI'HI-LATE, v. t., to destroy ut terly. IN-COM-PAT'I-BLE, a., not able to co- Pronounce design, de-sine' or de-zine'. The former mode is preferred. 1. What is to become of man? Is the being who, surveying nature, recognizes, to a certain extent, the great scheme of the universe, but who sees infinitely more which he does not comprehend, and which he ardently desires to know,-is he to perish like a mere brute; all his knowledge useless; all his most earnest wishes ungratified? How are we to reconcile such a fate with the wisdom, the goodness, the impartial justice, so strikingly displayed throughout the world by its Creator? 2. Is it consistent with any one of these attributes, thus to raise hopes in a dependent being, which are never to be realized?-thus to lift, as it were, a corner of the veil, to show this being a glimpse of the splendor beyond, and after all to annihilate him? With the character and attributes of the benevolent Author of the universe, as deduced from his works, such conceptions are absolutely incompatible. The question then recurs- What is to become of man? -- PARTING OF DOUGLAS AND MARMION. 237 3. That he is mortal, like the lower animals, sad experience teaches him; but does he, like them, die entirely? Is there no part of him that, surviving the general wreck, is reserved for a higher destiny? Can that within man which reasons like his immortal Creator, which sees and acknowledges his wisdom, and approves of his designs,- be mortal like the rest? Is it probable, nay, is it possible, that what can thus comprehend the operations of an immortal Agent, is not itself immortal? 4. Thus has reasoned man in all ages; and his desires and his feelings, his hopes and his fears, have all conspired with his reason to strengthen the conviction that there is something within him which can not die; that he is destined, in short, for a future state of existence, where his nature will be exalted, and his knowledge per-fect'ed, and where the GREAT DESIGN of his Creator, commenced and left imperfect here below, WILLIAM PROUT. WILL BE COMPLETED. Avoid saying ferce for fierce (feerse); adoo for a-dieu'. Pronounce sovereign, suv'er-in; open, o'pn; howe'er, how-air'; even, e'vn; said, sẽd. THE train from out the castle drew; "Though something I might plain," he said, "Of cold respect to stranger guest, |