interrupting them; and this sometimes vexes him; and he goes away, perhaps, silent and pouting.

Poor Robert! The other day, when his father was reading a letter to the family, which they all wished very much to hear, Robert broke in with, "Mòther, you said I might go with you, to-morrow, when you went to see cousin Emily. Do you remember?"

His mother only said, softly, "Hùsh! Robert." But he instantly put another question, and, not long after, anòther; till he had to be put out of the room, before the letter could be read.

When Robert grows older, and has more good sense, and can govern himself better, it will amuse him very much, I dare say, if any one tells him that there ever was a time when he could not hold his tongue.

Little boys do not always understand, that it sometimes takes as much patience to wait and be silent, as to bear even a degree of pain; and that it is just as selfish to be determined that people shall stop and attend to ùs, whether it is convenient for thém or not, as it would be to say we will have everything done just as wè wish, whether it suits others, or not; we will have our own way in everything.

Robert, I have no doubt, will, one day, learn to talk at the right time; for he is a kindhearted boy, and does not mean to give trouble to anybody; and, when he sees how troublesome the habit of interrupting people, is, he will try to learn patience, and wait till they can attend to him.

LESSON IX.

A WALK ON THE ROAD.

"COME, James; it is a cool, pleasant evening: let us take a walk along the road," said James's father, when he came home from the city.

"Shall I ask mother and sisters to go with us?" asked James.

"No, James," said his father.

"Your sister

Ellen is not well enough yet, to walk far; and the road is very dusty. Your mother and sisters prefer to walk with Ellen, in the garden, this evening. But that would not be exercise enough for you. I am glad that you wish to have your mother and sisters share your pleasures. I like to have you think of them, when you are going to enjoy anything yourself. But I like to have you take a good, long walk,

every morning and evening; because I wish to have you grow up a strong, active man."

"I would rather walk with you, father," said James. "I like the garden very much. But I like to take long walks, and see new things; and here is little Ròver, wagging his tail, and looking as if he wished to go, too. He likes long walks, as well as I do. There he goes, wheeling about, and barking for joy."

James and his father had not walked far, when up came a stage-coach, at great speed, full of people, and loaded with trunks and boxes.

"Father," said James, "what is that great bàg, fastened with a chain, and lying at the driver's feet?"

We

"It is called the mail-bag," answered his father. "It holds the letters and newspapers that people send from one place to another. write letters; and they are carried, in the mailbag, to our friends in other places, to tell them how we are, and what we are doing."

"How pleasant it is, to be able to read and write!" said James.

"Yes," replied his father. "You heard me read, last week, a letter which came from your uncle in Ohio. We knew by it, that your cousin, who had been sick, was getting well;

and that your uncle and aunt are coming to visit us, next month. If we could not read and write, and had no mails to carry our letters, we could not have such pleasant news.

"Stage-coaches are very convenient, too, for travelling. Some of the people in the coach that passed us, are going, or returning, on important business; some are travelling to visit dear friends; some are returning to their own homes and families.

"Did you observe the girl and the boy sitting near the window of the coach? They are the children of a person whom I know. They have been on a visit to their grandparents, who live at a great distance; and they have been away, for several weeks. Their own home is in the next town on the road. Their parents, and brothers, and sisters, will be glad to see them again; and so will the little girl and boy be to see them. The stage-coach, --which only brings dust to you and me, as it rolls along *—brings joyful faces, and happy hearts, to some people.".

"Hark! father," cried James, stopping suddenly. "Do you hear the steam-whistle? Yonder go the càrs, dashing along, as if they

* A clause included between dashes, is read like a parenthesis,-lower, faster, and with a more uniform tone, than the rest of a sentence.

were drawn by horses at full gallop. I like to ride in the cars, they go so swiftly and smoothly. Riding in them, seems like flying."

"Steamships and railroad cars work wonders for us," said his father. 66 People can now travel to the most distant parts of the world, in a few weeks. We know, now, in a very short time, what happens anywhere. Men, all over the globe, are now becoming like one great family, intimate with each other, and disposed to live in peace and love."

LESSON X.

SECOND WALK BY THE BROOK.

THE next time that James went with his mother and sisters, to walk by the brook, they went along the bank to a smooth slope, all covered with beautiful wild flowers.

'Dò, mother, let us stop and gather some of these lovely flowers, to take home with us!" said one of the sisters. be so glad to see them. Dò smell this flower!

"Little sister Jane will What beautiful colours! How sweet it smells!"

James had gone down the bank, close to the edge of the water; and he now called out, "Còme, sisters, come down, and pick up some of these beautiful smooth pebbles on the sand.