ther heard us, and told us, he could put us in a way to do so.

Frank. What was that?

George. He told me to make a small box, with a hole in the top, and a sliding bottom to i; and he said if Peggy and I would drop all the cents we got into the box, instead of buying cakes, and marbles with them, and not open the box until the end of the year, he was sure there would be more than twenty-five cents in it; and that is the price of the subscription.

Frank. And were there more?

George. Jane and Robert said, they wished to put in too; and we agreed to divide equally, all that would be in the box, more than the price of the book.

Frank. But would that be fair? One might put in more cents than the rest.

George. Grandfather said it would be fair, if we agreed to do it; but that each one, who was really honest, would tell when they spent a cent for themselves, instead of putting it into the box; and if many were spent

G

in that way by one, then that one ought not to ask for an equal share.

Robert. Now, George, you should not tell of me.

George. I did not intend to, Robert.

Robert. I only did so one year; but I like best now, to put into the box, and share the money.

Frank. How much have you at the end of the year?

George. Last year, we opened the box on new year's day, and a merry time we had; Grandfather counted the cents, and there were a hundred; that was as much as a dollar you know. When the cents were equally divided, we each had twenty-five: we gave six and a quarter a piece, which made the twentyfive, to pay for "The Youth's Friend."

Frank. And what did you do with the rest? George. We thought of a great many ways of spending them, but at last agreed, that Grandfather should tell us what he thought we had best do.

Frank. And did he?

George. Yes; he said that it was owning

and reading the Bible, had made father and mother know how to take good care of us, and have us taught the way to please God, and gain his blessing; and that we might pay for at least one Bible, for some poor family that could not buy one.

Frank. And did you?

George. Yes; we each paid twelve and a half cents, and that made fifty, which is a subscription to one of the Bible Societies. Not long after, mother went to see a poor family, that had no Bible, and we got one from the society for them; and Peggy goes now every week, and reads in it to the old grandmother, who is blind; and Peggy, says, she would not have thought, that fifty cents could do so much good. The old woman keeps the Bible where she can reach it, and it seems to make her comfortable to hold it in her hands; and Peggy always comes home from reading to her, with a light heart; for, she says, the old woman is so thankful for the book, and seems so happy when she reads it to her.

Frank. You had six cents left.

George. Yes; I do not know what the

others did with theirs; I have mine yet, to add to what I get from the box this year.

The boys were now in sight of the Schuylkill, and they stopped to view the fine scene that was before them. The tide was up, and the river looked deep and clear. On the opposite side of it, the bank was shaded with trees, whose changing leaves showed as great a variety, as was in "Joseph's coat of many colours." The ground gradually rose beyond the shore, and a beautiful landscape was given, in the fields of a well cultivated farm, and the houses which form a part of the villages of Mantua and Hamilton. Two handsome bridges were in sight;-George directed the attention of Frank to the upper one, and said, "look there, my boy, did you ever see such an arch as that, from one side of the river to the other?"

do

Frank. It is large indeed: how long, uncle, you think it is?

Mr. Hilton. I have heard, about three hundred and fifty feet.

George. I have heard that it is the largest arch in the world.

Frank. I suppose you will say, that the dam you talk so much about, is the largest in the world; and there may be beaver dams as large, for all you know.

George. Did you ever see a beaver dam?

Frank. No; but my father has a brother, who has been in the state of Missouri, and he staid a week at our house last winter, and in the evenings told us about what he had seen out there; and from him I heard of the beaver dams.

George. Did he tell you what beavers are like?

Frank. Yes; he said a beaver looks like a rat, only larger; it is about two feet long, with a thick body, short neck, almost flat head, and small round ears. It has a tail very broad and flat, ten inches long, a small part of it, next the body, has hair on it, and the rest is covered with scales.

George. What do they make dams for?

Frank. To make the water so deep that it will not freeze to the bottom in winter, and then they build their houses in it.

G 2