dence, perpetual comfort. And what is more, our faculties are developed, our abilities are made the most of, and there is no enterprise too great for us to undertake.

"In all labour there is profit," says the wise man. Of course he meant honest labour; and the man who does his duty honestly and diligently in his vocation, steadily following up the duty that lies immediately before him, such an one adds worth to his character and dignity to his manhood, and while promoting his own interests, subserves the welfare of others.

But though I thus speak, yet would I recommend a working man to foster a love of nature in his heart. As he cannot enjoy the full feast of rural life, let him improve such fragments as fall to his share. Let him value his little garden, his tree pots, his tufts of house-green, as the case may be, turning them to account, and making the most of

his botanic treasures.

Reader, with excited emotions

"Have you not seen the clouds of morn,
On purple pinions lightly borne,
Uprear the canopy of day,

And o'er his chariot float away ?" If you have not, take the first opportunity of seeing the sun rise in the country, that you may bless God for your eyesight, and magnify his holy name.

"Have you not marked the evening shade In all her changeful colours fade; The golden glow, the sapphire hue, The rosy red, the melting blue ?" Then try your best to get a glance at the setting sun in the country, when, gathering around him his robes of purple and gold, as a retiring monarch he withdraws himself from the world. The sight will be health to your affections and strength to your piety. You will love your neighbour none the worse, and your Bible all the better.

it

This is a much more practical subject than appears to be. It is much more connected with a working man's happiness, and the comfort and peace of those around him, than he may suppose. The love of nature not only elevates the intellect, but expands and purifies the affections. He whose heart re

sponds to the beauties of creation, as a general rule, is a kinder man, both at home and abroad, than he who has no love for them.

The love of nature induces quiet and happy thoughts, which may be enjoyed even in hours of labour. It is a great tranquillizer of the ruffled mind, and a sweet soother of an angry heart. If you have it not, try hard to get it. If you have it, rank it among your treasures.

If, reader, you are a workman, and have a sovereign, and will lay it down on the table before you in a season of leisure to reflect upon it, you will, perhaps, find that the thoughts called up in your of revelry and mirth. mind are those of eating and drinking, The head of the

the harp, the lions, and the laurel on the queen on the one side, and the crown, other, however well executed they may be, will hardly, unless you are a die-sinker, secure your attention. The selfish thought what you can get for it, or how you shall of what you shall do with the sovereign, or hoard it up, will be uppermost in your mind.

But if, in a reflective moment, you look will most likely be struck with its beauty. on a green leaf or a blooming flower, you It will unlock in your heart some pent-up love of country scenes. You will see, as it were, the green fields and blue skies, and feel the fresh breezes blowing around you. Your emotions will be anything but selfish. You will be softened, and have more love for the world, and for those dear to you, and you will feel more disposed to ponder on His goodness who has studded the heavens with stars, and strewn the earth with flowers.

I would neither foolishly nor fancifully push my remarks beyond discretion, yet am I truly in earnest in wishing you to be a

lover of nature.

As I have elsewhere said, "A taste for the beauties of creation is, at all times, a source of blameless pleasure; but if ever you should know what it is to bear the reproach of others, or of your own heart, the running brook, the waving tree, the sighing breeze, and the gliding, clouds of heaven will be more pleasant to you than the dwellingplaces of mankind. Your sorrow will be soothed; the peaceful scenery around will not wound you with reproaches, but rather have a tendency to tranquillize, if not to humble your heart, and to point your thoughts to Him who sees every tear of contrition fall; who hears every sigh that proceeds from a sorrowful breast, and who has promised that a broken and contrite heart He will not despise.""

orrice at the bottom. In 1702 diamond stomachers adorned the ladies; they were composed of that valuable stone set in silver, and sewed in a variety of figures upon black silk. The men imported the Champaign wig from France. They were made very full, curled, and eighteen inches in length to the point, with drop locks. In the Post Boy, of November 15, 1709, there were advertised as stolen, "A black silk petticoat, with red and white calico border, cherry-coloured stays, trimmed with blue and silver, a red and dove-coloured damask gown, flowered with large trees; a yellow satin apron, trimmed with white Persian, and muslin head-clothes, with crow-foot edging; a black silk furbelowed scarf, and a spotted hood." Black and beaver hats for ladies were advertised in 1719, faced with coloured silks, and trimmed with gold and silver lace. Á man of fashion in 1720 wore the full flowing curled wig, which fell in ringlets half-way down his arms and back, a laced coat, straight, formal, with buttons to the very bottom, and several on the pockets and sleeves; his shoes were square at the toes, had diminutive buckles, a monstrous flap on the instep, and high heels: a belt secured the coat and supported the sword. Perukes were a highly important article of dress in 1734. Fans were much used ladies seldom appeared without this useful ornament in their hands. The hoop underwent many important changes; sometimes it projected at the sides only, or, like its ancestor, the fardingale, it spread itself al round in imposing majesty. High heeled shoes maintained their place. In 1740 tight sleeves with full ruffles, small pointed waists, inclosed in whalebone, loose gowns, called sacques, and cloaks with hoods, named cardinals, were la grande monde. Among the gentlemen's costumes the most striking was the Ramilies tail, which was a plaited tail to the wig, with an immense bow at the top and one at the bottom. Claret-coloured clothes were considered as handsome; and light blue with silver button-holes, and silver garters to the knees, were very fashionable between 1740 and 1751. The change to wearing the natural hair instead of wigs took place about 1765. From that date the female dress altered by degrees: the cap was enlarged to a enormous size, and the bonnet swelled in proportion. Hoops were entirely discontinued. Hats and bonnets of straw, chip, and beaver became well proportioned, and velvet pelisses, shawls, and silk spencers were contrived to improve rather than injure the form. The male dress also insen

sibly changed from formality to ease, and thus, by degrees, the fashion became what our illustrations represent it to have been in 1779.

ARGUMENTATION.

FEW characteristics betray a lack of good breeding sooner than the mode of conducting an argument. In conversation the vulgar man is dogmatical and inflated, the polished gentleman modest and cool. The latter is invariably the gainer. If successful in his argument, all the company rejoice at his victory, and even if unsuccessful, his modesty enables him to beat a safe retreat with perfect grace and good humour. He never assumed to be positive on the subject, and is therefore glad to be better informed. This is the Socratical mode of reasoning, by which a man-even while bringing another over to his opinion-takes care to affirm so little that he can scarcely, in any result, be taken at a disadvantage.

The greatest difficulty which most people encounter in argument is how to keep cool and collected. But if we only consider fairly the use of all argument, which is to elicit truth, how absurd it appears to lose one's temper in discussion! The interests of men are so varied, their modes of obtaining knowledge so diversified, that it is quite impossible to find all think alike; and when any man feels incensed with another for differing in opinion, let him only reflect that the opposite party has at least equal right to be vexed with him for his difference of opinion.

Anger never strengthens a man's position in argument; on the contrary, a greater advantage can scarcely be afforded an antagonist than to fall into a passion with him; for, in the heat of the moment, how many weighty reasons and apt illustrations are likely to be forgotten, which are remembered afterwards in a cooler frame of mind. Policy, therefore, as well as good breeding, should induce us to guard our temper in argument. If defeated, we should bear it with equanimity; if victorious, we should avoid the vulgarity of pushing the victory too far, by crowing over our opponent. man of refined feeling, after making an adversary aware of his power, will always at least possess generosity enough not to take undue advantage of the position he has obtained.

WILD FLOWERS.

Why would a spider be a good correspondent ? Because he drops a line by every post.

A young woman meeting a learned doctor, in the square of a certain town, asked him where she might find a shopkeeper whom she wanted. The doctor gave the following direction:-"Move your pedestrian digits along the diagonal of this rectangle, in a line perpendicular to the earth's equator, till you arrive at the junction of the two sides. Diverge then to the left, at right angles-Perge for about fifty paces in that quadrangle, and you will have ocular demonstration of him, standing in an orifice made in an edifice for the purpose of illumination."

CURRAN.-Curran was once asked what an Irish gentleman, just arrived in England, could mean by perpetually putting out his tongue. "I suppose," replied the wit, "he's trying to catch the English accent!"

Diderot has said, that in order to write well on the subject of females, it would be necessary to dip the pen in the dyes of the rainbow, and dry the paper with powder borrowed from the wings of the butterfly.

A Yankee has just invented a method to catch rats. He says: "Locate your bed in a room much infested by these animals, and, on retiring, put out the light. Then strew over your pillow some strong-smelling cheese, three or four red herrings, some barley meal or new malt, and a sprinkling of dried codfish. Keep awake till you find the rats at work, then make a grab."

TO BECOME THIN.-The following may be considered one of the most successful prescriptions in procuring leanness: Take of anxiety as much as you can carry; of labour, twelve hours; of sleep, five hours; of food, one meal; of disappointed love, one season: of blighted friendship, half-a-dozen instances. Let these ingredients be mixed carefully with a considerable weight of debt, in a mind from which all religious remedies have been excluded, and excessive leanness will be produced.

"Is your horse perfectly gentle, Mr. Trotter ?" "Perfectly gentle, sir-the only fault he has got if that be a fault-is a playful habit of extending the hinder hoofs now and then." "By "extending the hinder hoofs,' you don't mean kicking, I hope ?" "Some people call it kicking, Mr. Green, but it is only a slight reaction of the muscles-a disease rather than a vice." Exit Green, whistling. Which are the most industrious letters ?-The Bees. Which are the most extensive letters ?The Seas. Which are the most masculine letters? The He's. Which are the egotistical letters ?-The I's. Which are the leguminous letters ?-The Peas. Which are the sensible letters ?-The Wise.

NICE DEFINITIONS.-There is a trifling difference between-1st. Treading the boards, and walking the plank. 2nd. Being a dead shot and being shot dead. 3rd. Making money, and making coins.

A biography of Robespierre, which appeared in an Irish paper, concludes in the following ludicrous manner:-"This extraordinary man left no children behind him except his brother, who was killed at the same time."

CULTIVATED FLOWERS.

HEALTH AND MONEY.-There is this difference between these two temporal blessings-health and money: money is the most envied, but, the least enjoyed; health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied; and this superiority of the latter is still more obvious when we reflect that the poorest man would not part with his health for money, but that the richest would gladly part with all his money for health.

Beauty, sweet love, is like the morning dew,
Whose short refresh upon the tender green,
Cheers for a time, but till the sun doth show,
And straight is gone, as it had never been.

Daniel. Nations in a state of war are like individuals in a state of intoxication-they frequently contract debts when drunk which they are obliged to pay when sober.

By reading we enjoy the dead, by conversation the living, and by contemplation ourselves.

Memory acts on the thought like sudden heat upon a dormant fly; it wakes it up from the dead, puts new life into it, and it stretches out its wings, and buzzes round as if it had never slept.-Hali burton.

Good breeding is a guard upon the tongue; the misfortune is, that we put it on and off with our fine clothes and visiting faces, and do not wear it where it is wanted-at home!

No ordinary misfortune, no ordinary mis-government, will do so much to make a nation wretched as the constant progress of physical knowledge and the constant effort of every man to better himself will do to make a nation prosperous.

There are many people whose whole wisdom consists in hiding their want of it.

The violet grows low, and covers itself with its own leaves, and yet of all flowers yields the most delicious and fragrant smell. Such is humility.

A writer beautifully remarks that a man's mother is the representative of his Maker. Misfortune, and even crime, set no barriers between her and her son. While his mother lives, a man will have one friend on earth who will not desert him when he is ready to despair. Her affection flows irom a pure fountain, and ceases only at the ocean of eternity.

THE ONLY PLACE.-Home can never be transferred, never repeated in the experience of an individual. The place consecrated to parental love by the innocence and sports of childhood is the only home of the human heart.

Sir Walter Scott used to repeat the following striking lines as an inscription found at Melrose Abbey:

"The earth goeth on the earth, glistering in gold; The earth goes to the earth sooner than it wold; The earth builds on the earth castles and towers; The earth says to the earth, All shall be ours!'"

All may mend, and sympathies are healing, and reason hath its influence with the worst; and in those worst is ample hope, only if thou have charity and faith.

He that blows the coals in quarrels he has nothing to do with has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.

Better to be brought up at a good mother's knee than at the feet of a Gamaliel