throats are indeed narrow but all kinds of animals when it susceptible of a great dilation, have killed some animal and shattered his bones, so as that nothing appears more than a shapeless mass, they begin by stretching it out with the tongue as much as possible, and, by licking, to smooth and polish it as well as they can, down the hair. They afterwards besmear the whole skin with a glutinous saliva, then lay hold of him by the head, and at last swallow him quite entire by strong and oftrepeated suctions; but they sometimes take up two days, and even more, in going through this work, according to the size of the animal. After this the serpent, gorged with so great a quantity of food, becomes incapable of attacking, or even defending himself; and the country-people and hunters, without incurring any danger, throw a rope about his neck and strangle him with it, or sometimes even strike him dead with clubs. Having afterwards cut him up in pieces, they sell his flesh, which is reckoned very delicious food; but they separate the head, being persuaded that the teeth of the upper jaw are surrounded with little bladders, filled with a venomous liquor, which, bursting at the time of biting, infuse their poison into the wound; and this poison, soon mixing with the mass of blood, occasions certain death in reaches the heart.-Letter from a Gentleman in Batavia. one ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN. HENRY CLAY, in giving advice to young men, said, “I owe my success in life chiefly to single fact, viz., that at the age of twenty-seven I commenced, and continued for years, the process of daily reading, and speaking upon, the contents of some historical or scientific book. These off-hand efforts were made sometimes in a corn-field, at others in the forest, and not unfrequently in some distant barn, with the horse and ox for my auditors. It is to this early practice of the art of all arts that I am indebted for the primary and leading impulses that stimulated me forward, and have shaped and moulded my whole subsequent destiny." Its path is serenity and peace. It is acceptable to God, and will be rewarded in heaven. Blessed are the pure in heart! INDUSTRY. W. L. possessing a sound mind in a sound body. Sloth is an enemy to health and happiness; it undermines all that is stable and flourishing. It not only saps the foundation of every virtue, but pours upon us a deluge of crimes and evils. It is like water, which first putrefies by stagnation, and then by its noxious vapours fills the air with death. W. L. INDUSTRY is the foundation of pleasure. Nothing is so opposite to the true enjoyment of life as the relaxed and feeble state of an indolent mind. He who is a stranger to industry may possess, but he cannot enjoy. It is labour only that gives the relish to pleaIt is the appointed vehicle of every good to man. It is the indispensable condition of our advantage of another. sure. GENTILITY consists not in birth, wealth, manners, or fashion; but in a high sense of honour, a determination never to take undue MISCELLANEA. A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO BOYS. "JAMES," said a little boy, “how much have you collected for the Missionary cause this year?" "For the Missionary cause?" replied the other, whose name was Thomas. "None, nor do I either intend; for I have enough to do with my leisure-time. Besides, there are those who are more qualified for this than I am; and I have no money to spare myself." "I think, for my own part, you can spare one penny a-week. You have more to spare than I have, and I can afford to give that weekly." "But what good is a penny? What can a penny do ?" "Just hearken. You have heard of that good man, Mr. Williams, who, when in England, translated 4000 farthing books into the South Sea Islander's language; and who knows the good that would result from those little books? and a penny will purchase four of them. A penny will purchase four tracts; and one single tract has been known to convert a soul to God. You must know that it is pence and half-pence that cause our vast missionary machine to work in Canada and Ireland. Schools Govern the passions. envy, malice, covetousness, are venomous serpents, which bite like the adder, and expand until there is no resting-place Our friends who were present were pleased, and the children who attend the Sabbath-school left there for love, joy, and were much interested. The fol- peace. OUR CHILDREN'S PORTION. A SERMON FOR CHILDREN. 2. It does not mean that we are to be such selfish creatures as, having many of God's gifts, we should enjoy them all ourselves, and give to none, however wretched or however poor, for the Bible says again, "To do good and to communicate, forget not," Heb. xiii. 16. "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."—Matt. v. 42. I HAVE heard a story, whether our thoughts are to be taken up true or false I cannot tell, about about our own affairs, so that we a man who was always doing his can never cast a thought on neighbour's work, but quite for- others, for the Bible says, "Look getful of his own. Thus, if they not every man upon his own had errands to run, away he went; things, but every man upon the if they had potatoes to set, he things of others."-Phil. ii. 4. was there the busiest of the busy; if they had fields to plough, be came to their assistance; if they had a house to thatch, he was as merry as a lark upon their roof. Everybody's work was thus done, but alas for his own! His errands were neglected; his potatoes unset; his fields unploughed, or ploughed most slovenly; his house only half-thatched, and letting through the rain at every shower; and all this, you see, because he forgot my text, "Look to yourselves." There is an old saying you and I must always remember, Charity begins at home;" and we shall all find out that, if we do not so begin, we shall be losers in the end. "Look to yourselves." 3. Neither does it mean that we are to be such spiritual misers that, after knowing the gospel ourselves, and enjoying its privileges, we would hoard up its blessings and refuse to let those in the distant parts of the globe have them; for we read again, Go ye out into all the world and preach the 66 I. What is meant by looking to gospel to every creature."-Mark ourselves? II. How it is to be done? and, I. What is meant by looking to ourselves? xvi. 15. "Freely ye have received, freely give."-Matt. x. 8. But it means 4. That while we are to be all anxiety to bless our fellow-men, 1. It does not mean that all and are most concerned about You must look to yourselves; and," To be good is to be happy." The II. How? 1. By remembering that you have an immortal soul as well as they, which must be for ever either the bright saint in bliss or the blighted spirit in hell. Are the souls of the little boys and girls in Canada, Ireland, and other places precious? So is yours just as precious; and you must look to yourselves by remembering that. 2. By believing the same gospel that you send abroad. That gospel tells you of a Saviour Jesus Christ, who died for you on Calvary, and who, if you cast your guilty, hell-deserving soul upon his finished sacrifice, will save and bless you for ever. Look to yourselves that you are doing that, or else you will be lost for ever. 3. By obeying all the holy principles the Bible gives, and which you want the world to know. The Bible is meant to make you holy, and if it does not, no matter how holy it makes others to whom you angels in heaven are all so happy! because they are all so good. The gospel makes us happy by making us good; and the more we know of its precepts, and the more we love and practise them, the holier and happier we shall grow. 3. That you may be useful. The better you look to your own soul the better you will look to others. The more you love Christ yourselves the more anxious will you be to get others to love him too; and then the more successful you will be. You will then pray, and pray aright, and God will hear and bless your efforts. I believe more good will come out of one good child's penny out of twenty children's pence who neither care for their own souls, nor love the Saviour, nor pray to God. To the wicked God saith, "What has thou to do to lay hold of my covenant? Ps. i. 16. than And now why, dear children have I written you this sermon |