Glanced through his thoughts, what deep and cureles wound Fate had already given.-Where, man of woe! 20 Where, wretched father! is thy boy? Thou call'st His name in vain :-he cannot answer thee. Loudly the father call'd upon his child:No voice replied. Trembling and anxiously He search'd their couch of straw:—with headlong haste 25 Trod round his stinted limits, and, low bent, Groped darkling on the earth: no child was there. Again he call'd :—again, at farthest stretch Of his accursed fetters,-till the blood Seem'd bursting from his ears, and from his eyes 40 Raging to break his toils,—to and fro bounds. The father saw, And all his fury fled:-a dead calm fell 50 That instant on him: speechless, fix'd he stood, 55 Intensely on the corse. Silent and pale The father stands :--no tear is in his eye : The thunders bellow-but he hears them nót ; The ground lifts like a sea:-he knows it nót:The strong walls grind and gape :-the vaulted roof 60 Takes shapes like bubbles tossing in the wind:See! he looks up and smiles ;-for death to him Is happiness. Yet could one last embrace Be given, 'twere still a swècter thing to die. It will be given. Look! how the rolling ground, 65 At every swell, nearer and still more near Moves towards the father's outstretch'd arm his boy Once he has touch'd his gàrment;-how his eye Lightens with love-and hope-and anxious fears. Ha! see! he has him now!—he clasps him round70 Kisses his face ;-puts back the curling locks, That shaded his fine brow-looks in his eyes--Grasps in his own those little dimpled handsThen folds him to his breast, as he was wont To lie when sleeping-and resign'd awaits 75 Undreaded death. And pangless. And death came soon, and swift, The huge pile sunk down at once Into the opening earth. () Walls-arches-roof30 And deep foundation stones-all.. mingling.. fell! EXERCISE 87. The Orphan Boy.-MRS. OPIE. 1 Stay, lady--stay, for mercy's sake! And my brave father's hope and joy: 2 Poor, foolish child! how pleased was I To see the lighted windows flame! To force me home home my mother sought- 3 The people's shouts were long and loud! 4 "What is an orphan boy ?" I said; EXERCISE 88. Christian Consolation.—ANONYMOUS. [The annexed feeling and beautiful lines, are said to have been written a young English lady, who had experienced much affliction.] 1 Jesus-I my cross have taken, All I've sought, or hoped, or known, Yet how rich is my condition God and Heaven are all my own! 2 Go, then, earthly fame and treasure- Storms may howl, and clouds may gather- 3 Soul! then know thy full salvation- 4 Haste thee on, from grace to glory, EXERCISE 89. Cruelty to Animals.-CowPER. I would not enter on my list of friends, (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting sensibility,) the man Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm. ♪ An inadvertent step may crush the snail, Sacred to neatness and repose, th' alcove, A necessary act incurs no blame. 15 Not so, when held within their proper bounds There they are privileged. And he that hurts Or harms them there, is guilty of a wrong; 20 Disturbs the economy of nature's realm, Who when she form'd, designed them an abode. As God was free to form them at the first, By budding ills, that ask a prudent hand By which Heav'n moves, in pard'ning guilty man: EXERCISE 90. Christianity.-MASON. The cardinal fact of Christianity, without which all her other facts lose their importance, is the resurrection, from the dead, of a crucified Saviour, as the prelude, the pat tern, and the pledge of the resurrection of his followers 5 to eternal life. Against this great fact the "children of disobedience," have leveled their batteries. One assails its proof; another its reasonableness; all, its truth. When Paul asserted it before an audience of Athenian philoso phers, some mocked"-a short method of refuting the 10 Gospel; and likely, from its convenience, to continue in favor and in fashion. 66 Yet with such doctrines and facts did the religion of Jesus make her way through the world. Against the |