method was used by other ancient nations; it is mentioned by Homer, and is still practised in the east, as many travellers tell us. The most general way probably was by beating the corn with a flail or staff; see Isa. xxviii. 27.` The floors, or places where the corn was threshed, are mentioned several times; that of Araunah was the place where Solomon's temple was afterwards built. At the floor of Atad, Joseph mourned for Jacob, Gen. 1. 10. These floors were made with some expense and trouble; they were covered at the top, but open at the sides in the daytime, to let the wind blow away the chaff, and to this the destruction of the wicked is compared, Psa. i. 4. They were shut up at night to preserve the corn from being stolen, Ruth iii. 6. The grain was winnowed or separated from the chaff, during the daytime, by turning it over with a shovel, and using a fan to blow away the chaff, Isa. xxx. 24. When the grain was threshed out, it was stored in buildings called garners or granaries, Psa. cxliv. 13. Joel i. 17. Matt. iii. 12. Sometimes the quantity of grain thus laid up was very great; in 1 Chron. xxvii. 25. it is recorded, that David had store-houses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the castles. Pharaoh's treasure cities, Exod. i. 11. were places of this sort. The quantity laid up by Joseph must have been vast indeed, as it supplied the Egyptians and other nations for several years, Gen. xl. 46— 49. xlvii. Sometimes the grain was buried in pits in the fields, both to preserve it, and to keep it from being found by enemies; see Jer. xli. 8. This is still practised in eastern countries. Do not forget.-When your memory begins to leave you, learn to take memoranda. R. What do you think I care about a turtle? Come, come; you little boys are always afraid of hurting something or somebody. You must get over these squeamish notions. S. Think, Robert! What if you were a turtle, and somebody should put you on your back, so that you could not turn over, and then go off and leave you? R. Why, I am not a turtle: that's the difference. S. But suppose you were. Now tell me; would you like to be treated so? R. If I was a turtle, I suppose I should not think much about it. S. But a turtle can feel. Besides you say yourself that you suppose he don't like to lie so. Now tell me, would you like to be treated so? R. I suppose I should not. You may go and turn him right side upwards again, if you choose; İ wont. S. But I am afraid to touch him! R. Afraid to touch him! Why he cant 106 THE RESULT OF IDLENESS. quality of the cork continuing each time to improve as the age of the tree increases. When the bark is taken off, it is singed in the flame of a strong fire; and after being soaked for a considerable time in water, it is placed under heavy weights in order to render it straight. Its extreme lightness, the ease with which it may be compressed, and its elasticity, are properties so peculiar to this substance, that no efficient substitute for it has as yet been discovered. The valuable properties of cork were known to the Greeks and Romans, who employed it for all the purposes to which it is used at present, with the exception of stopples for bottles the ancients mostly employed cement for closing the mouths of bottles or vessels. In modern times, cork was not generally used for stopples to bottles till about the close of the seventeenth century, wax being till then chiefly in use for that purpose. The cork imported into Great Britain is brought principally from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The quantity annually consumed is upwards of five thousand tons. THE RESULT OF IDLENESS. 406 the leaves were torn, the corners doubled down, and they were very far from being clean. Oh! how ashamed he was one day when his minister came in, and took up his Geography, and said to his mother, "Madam, I hope this does not belong to your son; for I am sure it cannot belong to a studious scholar." Mortified as he was, he could not escape from the room-so he sat still until he heard his mother confess that he was the owner of the book, and then he saw a tear tremble in her eye. “I will not grieve my dear mother thus," thought he to himself. "I will study hard, to please her," but the next day he forgot his wise resolution, and his instructer reproved him for neglecting to learn his lessons. Day after day, month after month, year after year stole away, and almost before he thought of it, he was a man, and too old to go to school. He now began to look around for employment; for he knew the little property his mother had, had been much diminished by his expenses at school "I will be a shop-keeper," said he, and so active and intelligent was his appearance that he soon found a place to enter upon that business. For several days he went on quite well, but one eyening as he was about Always learn your lessons before you are called to to shut the shop, his master desired him to recite. Alanson was a lad about ten years old, and he was very active and cheerful. Whereever he went, he was always welcome, because he always had a smile upon his face, and knew how to make more fun than any other boy in town. Alanson dearly loved play, and sorry was he when the school bell rang, and he was obliged to put away his play things, and take his seat in ⚫the school-room. Could you see his books you would know he did not love study; for assist in casting up a long line of figures, and in closing the accounts for the day. His ignorance now appeared, and the next morning he was dismissed. "What shall I do now," said he, "I cannot be a minister, a doctor, a lawyer, or a school-master, and yet I wish to be a geotleman. I will get an office in a bank." But here he found he was worse off than before. "Well," said he, "as he descended the steps of the fourth bank at which he had called, I will see what I can do by building 407 Has it houses to sell or to let. I need not labor myself. Money is necessary to begin with, and I will borrow a few thousands, which I can easily repay when I sell my first house." Accordingly he applied to a number of rich men for money to be loaned to him on interest, but they, knowing his igno-` rance, did not choose to trust him. He tried several other kinds of business, but was equally unsuccessful in all; and at last, he exclaimed, in the bitterness of his disappointment, "Oh! what shall I do I cannot now learn a trade. I am too old. come to this, that I must be a day-laborer." Suddenly it occurred to him that he could be a farmer, and away he went into the country to get a farm. Finding one which promised a rich harvest, he hired it, and sent for his mother to come and conduct the affairs of the household. Things went on happily, though not properly, for a year, and then his bills were to be paid, and for want of timely calculation, he was unable to meet them. His creditors were displeased and immediately sent him away to jail. Here he had time for reflection. "Alas," said he, "had I followed the advice of my mother and teachers, nay, of my own conscience, I should never have been brought to this place. I neglected my studies, and now am reaping the fruit of my own folly." Some of his mother's friends, at her request, paid his debts, and released him from jail, but he could never find any employment that was suited to his small degree of knowledge, except that of a day-laborer; and now, you may often see him sawing wood for people who made better use of their time when they went to school. I hope none of you will do as Alanson did. Always learn.your lesson well, before you are called to recite. SPRING. The cool, refreshing winds are blowing. And through the deep, blue, sunny sky, Up and be Doing. The folly of delaying what we wish to be done is a great and punishing weakness. THE KINGFISHER AND THE NIGHINGALE. Once on a time a meeting took place between a Nightingale and a Kingfisher. The Nightingale was somewhat humbled at sight of the green and gilded plumage of this dazzling bird, so much superior to that of his own humble color; and the Kingfisher, vain of its outward beauty, treated the Nightingale with such airs of pride, as forced from that gentle bird the following reflection :-"I grant, my friend, that the splendor of your plumage is far above my humble appearance, and I must, of course, grant you the claim to the admiration of all beholders. But let it be, at the same time, remembered, that your powers of captivating attract the eye alone, and that your mere skin, when taken off and stuffed with tow, is as amply gratifying to all who see it, as it was when occupied by your living self; as in that consisted all your vaunted importance. "But I, as a compensation for my plain and humble garb, can give notes of such sweet melody, that all who can hear, desire earnestly to retain me as their companion, and ever listen to my song with new delight, and would regret my death as a diminution of their pleasure." It is not the form or the features alone, that will delight for any length of time, but the lustre of the mind which animates and shines through them. Personal charms are of brief duration; sickness may deface them, accident may mar them, and time will destroy them; but virtue is enduring and triumphant. Even death cannot dim its brightness, but opens to it the gate to a purer world, where it may go on gathering light and glory for ever. HOW TO GET A TIGHT RING OFF A FINGER. Thread a needle flat in the eye with strong thread: and pull the thread through a few inches towards the pass the head of the needle, with care, under the ring. hand; wrap the long end of the thread tightly round the finger, regularly, all down to the nail, to reduce its size. Then lay hold of the short end of the thread, and unwind it. The thread pressing against the ring, will gradually remove it from the finger. This never-failing method will remove the tightest ring without difficulty, however much swollen the finger may be. |