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
30 Fire flash'd,-he strained with arm extended far,
And fingers widely spread, greedy to touch
Though but his idol's garment. Useless toil!
Yet still renew'd:--still round and round he goes,
And strains, and snatches,-and with dreadful cries
35 Calls on his boy. Mad frènzy fires him now:
He plants against the wall his feet;—his chain
Grásps;-tugs with giant strength to force away
The deep-driven staple; yells and shrieks with rage,
And, like a desert lion in the snare

40 Raging to break his toils,—to and fro bounds.
But see! the ground is opening :-a blue light
Mounts, gently waving,-noiseless:-thin and cold
It seems, and like a rainbow tint, not flame;
But by its lustre, on the earth outstretch'd,
45 Behold the lifeless child!--his dress is singed,
And o'er his face serene a darken'd line
Points out the lightning's track.

The father saw,

And all his fury fled:-a dead calm fell

50 That instant on him: speechless, fix'd he stood,
And with a look that never wander'd, gazed
Those laughing eyes
Were not yet closed,-and round those ruby lips
The wonted smile return'd.

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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 hear a helpless orphan's tale:
Ah, sure my looks must pity wake-
'Tis want that makes my cheek so pale
Yet I was once a mother's pride,

And my brave father's hope and joy:
But in the Nile's proud fight he died-
And I am now an orphan boy!

2 Poor, foolish child! how pleased was I
When news of Nelson's victory came,
Along the crowded streets to fly,

To see the lighted windows flame!

To force me home home my mother sought-
She could not bear to see my joy,
For with my father's life 'twas bought-
And made me a poor orphan boy!

3 The people's shouts were long and loud!
My mother, shuddering, closed her ears;
"Rejoice! rejoice!" still cried the crowd-
My mother answer'd with her tears!
"Oh! why do tears steal down your cheeks,”
Cried I, "while others shout for joy ?"
She kiss'd me, and in accents weak,
She call'd me her poor orphan boy.

4 "What is an orphan boy ?" I said;
When suddenly she gasp'd for breath,
And her eyes closed; I shriek'd for aid :-
But, ah! her eyes were closed in death!
My hardships since I will not tell :
But now no more a parent's joy;
Ah! lady, I have learn'd too well
What 'tis to be an orphan boy.

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 to leave, and follow thee,
Naked, poor, despised, forsaken-
Thou, from hence, my all shalt be!
Perish every fond ambition-

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-
Come disaster, scorn, and pain;
In thy service, pain is pleasure,
With thy favor, loss is gain;
I have call'd thee Abba Father-
I have set my heart on thee;

Storms may howl, and clouds may gather-
All must work for good to me!

3 Soul! then know thy full salvation-
Rise o'er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station
Something still to do or bear!
Think, what spirit dwells within thee-
Think what heavenly bliss is thine;
Think that Jesus died to save thee-
Child of Heaven-canst thou repine?

4 Haste thee on, from grace to glory,
Arm'd by faith, and wing'd by prayer--.
Heaven's eternal day's before thee—
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission !
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim-days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition-
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

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,
That crawls at evening in the public path;
But he that has humanity, forewarn'd,
Will tread aside, and let the reptile live.
The creeping vermin, loathsome to the sight,
10 And charged perhaps with venom, that intrudes
A visitor unwelcome into scenes

Sacred to neatness and repose, th' alcove,
The chamber, or refectory, may die.

A necessary act incurs no blame.

15 Not so, when held within their proper bounds
And guiltless of offence they range the air,
Or take their pastime in the spacious field.

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.
The sum is this: if man's convenience, health,
Or safety interfere, his rights and claims.
Are paramount, and must extinguish theirs.
25 Else they are all-the meanest things that are,
As free to live and to enjoy that life,

As God was free to form them at the first,
Who in his sovereign wisdom made them all.
Ye, therefore, who love mercy, teach your sonz
30 To love it too. The spring-time of our years
Is soon dishonor'd and defil'd, in most

By budding ills, that ask a prudent hand
To check them. But alas! none sooner shoots,
If unrestrain'd, into luxuriant growth,
35 Than cruelty, most devilish of them all.
Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule
And righteous limitation of its act,

By which Heav'n moves, in pard'ning guilty man:
And he that shows none, being ripe in years,
40 And conscious of the outrage he commits,
Shall seek it, and not find it in his turn!

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.

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Yet with such doctrines and facts did the religion of Jesus make her way through the world. Against the