ball, its head and feet being quite hidden, and is often attacked by a dog in that posture, without ven'tu-ring to put its head out. Those an'i-mals which attempt to bite it more frequently receive a wound than give one. It sleeps by day, and makes a noise in the night, not much unlike a child that cannot speak. It is accused of sucking cows, and many parish of'fi-cers pay four-pence for every one brought to them; but this is a mistake, its mouth being so small as to free it from the charge. Buffon, a well-known writer on nat'u-ral his'tor-y, kept them in his garden, and says they were very harmless, and at the same time useful in eating insects and worms.

QUESTIONS.

What have you been told that the hedge-hog will do? How is it found when attacked by an enemy? What about those animals which attempt to bite it? Of what has it been accused? What frees it from this charge? Who says they are harmless?

VEGETABLES.

You have never known," I said to Henry that every thing you behold here in the garden is full of life; though it is not con'scious of feeling, as you and I arc. This plant, this herb, this bush this flower, this tree, all contain a living prin' ci-ple. The earth is the common parent of them all; and the roots of each, growing out of it, prove

the stock from whence they spring. Every one of them has a distinct seed, to mark its nature from another; so that they must always produce one and the same, according to their kind. The sun, and air, and water, are the food by which they live These different powers convey to the seed or plant of each their life-giving strength, which, being nourished at the same time within the bosom of the earth, pro-duce' all that we behold of the dif fer-ent degrees in the life, and strength, and health, and fruit'ful-ness of each.

This, according to the best writers on the subject, is a true account of vegetable life. And this explains to us, how it is that every plant, and shrub, and flower, hath, and must have, its own par-tic'u-lar shape, and form, and prop'er-ty.

You know, Henry, very well the differ-ence in colour, form, and taste between the cherry and the apple. Well then, this differ-ence is made from the distinct prop'er-ties of each; cast into the common earth, in which each lives, and is alike nourished, from one and the same principle, according to the re-spec'tive class assigned to each by the great Author of Nature. Hence it is, that though the mother Earth receives all into her bosom, and is, indeed, the common mother of all; and though one and the same sun, the same air, the same water, alike con-trib'ute to give life and support to all; yet, by the Almighty Maker's first ap-point'ment, each preserves its own distinct na

ture and prop'er-ties. One plant hath an oily na ture another is watery; one flower is of a red colour, another is green or yellow; and some of both. One fruit is sweet, another is bitter; one shrub is prickly, another smooth; one root is wholesome, another poisonous; one tree lofty, another low. And thus is proved to us both the wisdom and goodness of God the Almighty Author; so that we may truly say, O Lord! how man'i-fold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.

QUESTIONS.

What is the common parent of all plants and herbs? What is it every one of them has? What are the food by which they live? What do these different powers do? What makes the difference between the cherry and the apple? What distinguishes one plant from another? One flower, one fruit, &c.?

PSALMS.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the riv'ers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not with'er, and whatsoever he doth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the

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chaff which the wind dri'veth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

O Lord our Lord, how ex'cel-lent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine en'emies, that thou mightest still the en'e-my and the a-ven'ger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou vis'it-est him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou ma'dest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and ox'en, yea, and the beasts of the field: The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He re-sto'reth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou pre-pa'rest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou a-nointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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QUESTIONS.

Who are the blessed? In what does the good man delight? To what is he compared? To what are the ungodly compared? Where shall the ungodly not stand?

Where is the Lord's name excellent? Above what is the glory of the Lord set? Who is made a little lower than the angels? With what is man crowned? Over what has man dominion?

To whom is the Lord a shepherd? Where does the Lord make his flock to lie down? What is it that delivers the people of God from fear when walking through the valley of the shadow of death? What is it that shall follow good men all the days of their life? And where shall they dwell?