good morning, and resumed our walk, leaving him still busy in collecting and collating the fragments of his specimen.

The unpleasant result of our controversy had left a depression on my spirits. For some little distance we proceeded in silence, when Charley was the first to speak.

"Father," said he thoughtfully, "is Dr. Shoveller a wise man?"

"He is clever," I replied, "and is, I believe what you would call a learned man; he reads a great deal, he understands many languages, and is thought quite a philosopher by every

"But is he wise? father."

66

one."

'Why what should you think, my boy, after what I have said but what makes you ask?"

"Because I was thinking, father, of the chapter you read this morning. It says, you know, The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;' and I thought if he feared God, he would'nt have taken his name in vain."

"Then you think he cannot be a wise man without the fear of God? I believe you are right in a certain sense, but I was speaking of his wisdom in other matters. He may know a great deal without being wise in religious things."

"But there's another text, father, which says 'The fear of the Lord is, the beginning of wisdom,' and I don't see how any man can be wise at all, if he does not begin at the beginning."

The idea had never struck me so forcibly before, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt persuaded that this must be the great seminal principle of all true, useful, efficient instruction. Calling to mind my previous conversation on the subject of our little tramper, and viewing it in connection with the chapter we had read this morning, I obtained the first clue to the development of my wife's ideas upon Education. Now, thought I to myself, I have it: the first of your "Three Words is

Had my wife known that I was so deep in thought, she would not just at this crisis have called off my attention. But not being gifted above ordinary mortals, she could not be aware of what was passing within my mind.

"Here we are, Charles," she said, halting at the last stile in our walk, and pointing to the pretty cottage just across the road, "this is Mr. Walkinshaw's!"

I looked up, and perhaps under first impressions, wished that I was Mr. Walkinshaw, for a sweeter little home than that before us, I had never met with, amongst the many sweet homes of our sweet island.

We crossed the stile, and before we came up to the door, were welcomed by Miss Laura Walkinshaw, to "The Lindens” as they called their little dwelling-place.

(To be continued)

"IS THIS GEOGRAPHY?”

H. R. E.

MANY months had passed away since my visit to Mrs. Grant;* and Jane and Mary had been for more than half a year under Mrs. Walters' roof, before I saw them again.

At the end of that time I became, also, a temporary inmate of the pleasant cottage at Oaklands, and was delighted to see my young friends looking well and happy, and that there was evidently a warm affection subsisting between them and their instructress. As we were sitting at breakfast the morning after my arrival, and I was inquiring into the routine for the day, Mary informed me that my predictions were fully realized, and that she now looked forward to her Geography Lesson, as one of the pleasantest of the day.

I was a privileged person at Oaklands, and was allowed to take my work and sit in the school-room whenever I pleased, so I told Mary that I should certainly make my appearance at eleven o'clock, which she informed me was the hour of the geography lesson, as I should very much like to hear what was going on.

"We are going to begin to-day," said Mrs. Walters, "to track St. Paul in his "journeyings oft." I found that some of our party had but an indistinct idea of the different laces which he visited. We have been going through the Acts of the Apostles in our Bible class, and I thought that this would be a suitable supplement to it."

As I was interested in the way in which Mrs. Walters instructed her young people, I have made a few notes of various

See page 215

points which were touched upon, in the hope that they may interest others who, perhaps, have never considered the geographical part of the subject, however often they may have perused the eventful narrative in which those wanderings are recorded. I must premise that each girl had, previously to the lesson, made herself well acquainted with the exact position of the place that was to come under review, and each had had something given her to read, connected with the subject, and on which she was to be questioned; and all were at liberty to ask any questions they pleased. Of course, I merely give a summary of the information elicited, as it would be too tedious to go into all the minute details of the proceedings of the class, seven in The imagination of my readers must supply all

number.

deficiencies.

"I have been wondering," said Mrs. Walters, as they all took their places round a table, “whether we should start from Damascus, where St. Paul is first prominently brought before our notice, or from the place of his birth: What say you, Fanny?” she added, addressing her eldest pupil.

“Why, I thought, as he was at first,‘Saul, of Tarsus

"Yes, you are right; it is certainly the most natural waywith Tarsus, then, we begin. Here it is, you see, in this ancient map-in Cilicia. It was always a celebrated port; its ancient name was Tarshish, after one of the sons of Javan."

"We often read of ships of Tarshish' in the Bible," said Caroline Walters, "but I did not know that they were from

Tarsus?"

"Why," said Mrs. Walters, "that is one of the points on which considerable difference of opinion has prevailed; however, it seems now generally agreed, that from its great trade, the expression, 'ships of Tarshish,' became proverbial, and was afterwards used to express any merchant vessels wherever they might come from."

"There is one thing that puzzles me very much," said Mary Grant, "How could St. Paul be born at Tarsus when he was a Roman, as he said he was in Jerusalem, that time there was such an uproar, and some of the Jews dragged him out of the temple?"

The twenty-second chapter of Acts was referred to, and Jane whispered, "See, Mary, he says himself he was born at Tarsus." "Well," said Mary, "will you please explain how both can be true, for I really don't understand it?

"You are quite right to inquire," said Mrs. Walters," and I will tell you how it arises: Tarsus was raised by the Roman emperors, not only to be the capital of Cilicia; but the privileges of a Roman city were conferred upon it."

"Just as I am English, though I was born in Calcutta," said Anne Dereham.

"Exactly so. The Jews who were a trading people, as you know they continue to be, found it highly advantageous to settle there. That Paul was of Hebrew extraction, and not merely a Jewish proselyte, we learn from himself, when he calls himself a 'Hebrew of Hebrews,' and also informs us of what tribe he was. Tarsus was also a place of considerable learning, and the resort of many learned men.”

"Did Gamaliel live there?" inquired some one.

from his nation at

"No, at Jerusalem; and it would appear that St. Paul was sent there at an early age, for he speaks of his life youth up,' as having been passed among his own Jerusalem. Tarsus is still a considerable town; its present buildings are constructed out of the remains of the old ones; but who ever hears now of the ships of Tarshish? There is something very melancholy in reading of the greatness of any ancient city; the contrast between the past and the present is so striking."

"Except Rome," said Fanny Barker, "its splendour is

undiminished."

Mrs. Walters shook her head. "You have named, perhaps, the most melancholy instance of all," said she; "but I must not begin to talk about it now, we must proceed with the course of the Apostle. We so lately read of all the wonderful circumstances connected with his journey to Damascus, that we need not recapitulate them. Damascus is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Eliezer, of Damascus, is spoken of even in the days of Abraham. I imagine from all that I have ever read of it, that it is impossible to conceive any thing more lovely than

its situation. It is stated that Mahomet, after looking at it from a distance, refused to enter it. He said there was only one Paradise for men, and he did not wish to have his upon earth. It lies in a delicious plain amply watered, and is so embowered among trees as to look like one large garden. It is, indeed, surrounded by gardens, and we are indebted to the Crusaders for having introduced into our own country some of their productions, which, in their names, still retain traces of their origin."

As Mrs. Walters spoke, she pointed to a beautiful bouquet of Damask roses which she had purposely placed in the centre of the table, at the same time remarking that “ Damascenes," a fruit of which they were all so fond, were natives of that region.

"The whole history, short as it is, of St. Paul's arrival at Damascus, his sojourn there, and his flight from it, opens wide fields of thought to us," continued Mrs. Walters.

"I do not wonder, mamma," said her daughter Madelaine, "that Ananias should have been afraid to receive Saul; and yet it showed great want of faith in him to argue the matter, when the Lord himself appeared in a vision to him."

"Yes," rejoined her mother, "and how concisely he was answered: there were no angry upbraidings, but a simple command, which he no longer hesitated to obey. What a lesson of patience is exhibited to us here! Our Saviour, even in heaven, condescending to show us an example of long-suffering and forbearance. It is a trying thing not to be believed when we are speaking in favor of one whom we are convinced is an improved character, but we may err; either the person may deceive us, or we may see his character through a false medium, making it appear as we would wish it to be, rather than as it really is. Now here there was no possibility of error, for it was He who spoke, to whom all the windings of the human heart are known; and yet how gently he deals with his doubting disciple.

"If I might be allowed to make one remark," I said, "it would be this-the term 'Jew' is no longer the word of reproach that it was once. Indeed in many minds there is a kind of romantic interest attaching to their future conversion, and restoration to their own land. But does not the term 'converted Jew' often suggest the ideas of fraud and dissimulation? I speak not of others; but I know in my own case this has too often