A family by the name of Lefevre, lived near the Blue Ridge mountains, many years ago. An Indian, named Tewenissa, frequently called to spend the night, when his journeyings led him past the house of Lefevre. He was always cordially welcomed, and kindly entertained.

One day, when Tewenissa, laden with furs, stopped at the house of his friend, he found no one at home, but an old Negro woman. “Where is my brother?” asked the Indian. “Ah sir,” said the woman, “his little boy Derick, only four years old, the same that you loved to take upon your knee, wandered away into the forest on yesterday, and is lost; and all the neighbors are helping the distressed parents to look for him.”

Tewenissa was grieved when he learned of the sorrow of his friend's family, and the misfortune to his favorite. He sounded the horn, and called in the hunting party; and Then he told Mr. Lefevre that he would find his little boy.

Tewenissa then asked for the shoes and stockings that little Derick had last worn. He next called his faithful dog Oniah, and made him smell them. Taking the house for a centre, he then commenced drawing a circle around it with his stick, making Oniah smell the earth as he went

The circle was not completed before the sagacious dog began to bark. He had discovered the scent, and he commenced to follow the little boy's track, barking as he went. The Indian followed as fast as he could, and so did little Derick's parents, and the rest of the party; but the dog ran so fast that he was soon out of sight.

Half an hour afterwards, they heard Oniah bark again, and soon they saw him returning. He was frisky with joy; so that the Indian knew at once, that he had found the little boy, but whether he was dead or alive could not yet be known. The dog now led the way with Tewenissa following close at his heels, until they came to little Derick lying at the foot of a large tree.

The little boy was alive, but extremely weak and exhausted, so that he could not have lived much longer. Tewenissa took him up in his arms, and carried him to his parents, who were almost overcome with joy. By proper treatment, little Derick was soon as well as ever.

The gratitude of the parents, to the Indian and to his dog, was so great that for a long time they could do nothing but weep, and Tewenissa was almost as much pleased as they were. And the neighbors, when they separated, went to their homes highly delighted with the good Indian, and his wonderful dog.

Some dogs are very fond of playing with little boys, and will take as much pleasure in the game, as any of them. They will run after a ball and bring it back to the one who threw it, and do many other amusing things.

There was a large dog, named Bernard, that belonged to the teacher of a large school of boys in Virginia. Bernard seemed to know as well as any one, when the time approached for play; and when the boys came running out into the yard, he would meet them, ready to take his share in their amusements.

His favorite sport was to take a stick in his mouth and walk towards them, nodding his head at them, as if he was challenging them to catch him and take the stick away. A troop of boys would immediately pursue him, and the game would begin. Bernard would run just fast enough to keep them from catching him. The boys would sometimes surround him, and think they were sure of him; but just as they would grab at him, he would jump between two of them, or dart between their legs, and away he would go. Sometimes they would get near enough to catch at his bushy tail; but he would make a sudden leap and elude them again.

At last, after the chase had been kept up till they were all tired, Bernard would let them have the pleasure of catching him, and taking his stick away; and then they would jump on his back, or do any thing with him that they wished, and he would never hurt them or get angry. Indeed, the boys all considered him one of the best playmates they had.

A lark having made her nest in a wheat-field, the wheat became ripe before the young larks were able to fly. Being afraid that the farmer would cut down his wheat before she had provided another place for her little ones, she directed them, while she was gone to get food for them, to listen to what they might hear the farmer say about beginning his harvest.

The old lark then went out; but; but when she came home again, the little birds ran to her and said, “Oh, mother, take us away from here just as soon as you can; for while you were gone we heard the farmer tell his sons that the wheat was ripe, and that they must go and ask some of his neighbors to come early to-morrow morning and help him to cut it down.”

“If that is what he said, you need not be afraid, my children,” said the old lark. “If the farmer depends upon his neighbors to do his work for him, he will find himself mistaken, and we shall be very safe where we are. So lie down in your nest, and give yourselves no uneasiness.”

The next day, when the old lark was going out, she gave her young ones the same directions. In the evening, when she returned, the little larks told her the neighbors had not come to cut down the wheat; but they begged her to move them immediately; for they said that the farmer had told his sons to go and request his friends and relations to come early the next morning, and assist him.

“We are in no danger yet, my children,” said the old lark; “for as long as he looks to his friends and relations, to do for him what he ought to do for himself, his wheat will go unharvested. So we will make ourselves quiet, and stay in our nest, for we have no cause for anxiety at present.”

The next day the mother-lark again told her young ones to listen to what the farmer might say, and tell her when she came back. In the evenings, when she came home, the little larks told her that the farmer had been there with his sons, but that his friends and relations did not come to assist him. The farmer then told his sons to grind their scythes, and get ready, and that early to-morrow morning, they would begin and harvest the wheat themselves.

“We must now prepare to leave immediately,” said the old lark; “for when a man resolves to do his work himself, and to depend upon nobody else, the work is pretty sure to be done; but as long as he depends on friends or neighbors, he is almost sure to effect nothing.” So the old lark moved the little birds that same evening, into another field; and sure enough, the next morning the farmer and his sons came, and cut down the wheat.

This fable teaches us to do our work ourselves, and not rely on others to do it for us. If we trust to others, they will often disappoint us; and it will also produce habits of laziness and dependence, which will prevent us from ever being prosperous or useful.

Some dogs are so vicious that it is not safe to let them run at large. They are kept chained in the day time, and only turned loose at night for the purpose of guarding their owners' houses and other property, from thieves and robbers. Sometimes they get loose during the day, and do much mischief.

A drayman's horse once escaped from him in a certain city, and commenced to gallop up the street. The drayman man started after him, and called to the people whom he saw, to stop the horse, and help him to catch him again.

A number of persons ran out into the street to head the horse, and with them there went a bull-dog, which is one of the fiercest kinds of dogs. The bull-dog instantly sprang at the horse, and seized him by the upper lip.

This frightened the horse so much, and gave him so much pain, that he became frantic. So he ran along several streets with all his might, the bull-dog hanging to his lip all the time. At length a crowd got in front of the horse, and stopped him; but he was so wild with pain and fear, that he ran through a hardware store, and into a parlor where the family were at tea.

The family were not expecting such a visitor as that. They had not invited a horse to take supper with them, with a bulldog hanging to his lip. But they had not much time to ask questions; for the horse upset their table, and broke their china, and spoiled their supper, before they knew what was the matter.

A number of men now seized the horse, and held him, while others tried to beat off the savage dog. But all their efforts were in vain; for the bull-dog hung on to the horse's lip, with merciless and unyeilding grip. At last one of the company had to take a knife and cut the dog's throat, in order to relieve the horse. It might perhaps have been done by taking a stick, and prizing open the dog's mouth.

If ever you see a horse frantic with fright, you must be very watchful, or he may run over you; for horses in that state, will dash into a house or against a tree, or butt their brains out against a wall, without seeming to know or care what they are doing.

A nobleman once had a beautiful blooded colt, and also a mule-colt. He gave the young horse to his neighbor, Mr. Scamper, while the little mule went to a very poor man, who made his living by cutting wood.

Mr. Scamper was greatly delighted with his fine colt; and Indeed, as he grew up, he became still handsomer. His color was bright bay, with a white star in his forehead, and his hair was fine and smooth, and as glossy as silk.

Mr. Scamper was to train him up for a race-horse; For he was too fine a horse to be put to any useful purpose. So he was kept in a warm stable, and fed with the best of corn and hay, and was duly curried and rubbed, and regularly exercised. Indeed, Mr. Scamper treated him with as much care and tenderness, as he did his own children.

When this fine horse was three years old, Mr. Scamper sent him away to be trained for the race-course. The expense of this, was greater than Mr. Scamper could afford; so he had to take his children from the good school to which they were going, and send them to an inferior because it was cheaper.

The next year the young racer was placed upon the turf. He was beaten the first race; but he came out second. In the next race, he was successful; and Mr. Scamper was almost crazy with joy. Mr. Scamper now gave his whole attention to racing; and at last he became so excited, that he made up a race in which he bet all he was worth on his horse. The race was lost, and Mr. Scamper was broken up and ruined.

The little mule, meanwhile, had grown up also, but through a great deal of hardship. He had to live on what he could find in the lanes and among the bushes; and in winter, he had no stable to shelter in. As soon as he was big enough to ride, two or three of the children would mount him at a time, and beat him along with sticks. But he grew up healthy and strong.

His owner then set him to hauling wood to market, and in this way the mule was very profitable to him. He soon made enough money, to buy a plenty of food for his mule, which thus became fat and greatly improved. After awhile, he was able, out of the earnings of his mule, to buy a horse and cow; and he soon became quite a farmer, and grew rich. So that while Mr. Scamper's present ruined him, because his horse was thought too fine for service, the mule made the wood-cutter's fortune, because he put him to a good use.

It was four thousand and four years before the coming of Christ, or nearly six thousand years ago, when this earth was first inhabited by men.

There are now five varieties or races of men found on the earth. They are distinguished from each other partly by their different colors. There are the White race, the Yellow race, the Red race, the Brown race, and the Black race.

The White people live chiefly in Europe, and they came thence to America. The Yellow and the Brown people, live chiefly in Asia, and the great Islands near Asia. The Black people live in Africa, or came from there. The Red people, called Indians, live in America.

America was not known to White people, until nearly four hundred years ago. A brave man, named Christopher Columbus, was the first to discover it. After sailing, for many months and days, across the dark waters of the ocean, where nobody had ventured before, he came in sight of America on the 11th October, in the year 1492.

When America was discovered, it was grown up in forests. There were no cities, or towns, or houses, such as we have now; and no farms and meadows, and no ships and steamboats on the rivers. The woods were filled with all sorts of wild animals, and the Indians lived chiefly by hunting them with their bows and arrows.

When the White men first came here, the Indians thought that they and their ships, had dropped down from the sky. The supposed that they were superior beings, and were very much afraid of them, and treated them generally with great kindness.

It was not long, however, before the White people began to oppress them; and then there arose war and fighting, in which the Indians behaved very cruelly, but were always vanquished, and a great many of them were destroyed; so that there are very few Indians now, compared with the number that were here when Columbus discovered America.

The rose is sweet, but it is surrounded with thorns; the spring is pleasant, but it is soon past; the rainbow is glorious, but it vanisheth away; life is good, but it is quickly swallowed up in death.

There is a place of rest for the righteous; in that land there is light without any cloud, and flowers that never fade. Myriads of happy souls are there, singing praises to God.

That country is Heaven: it is the country of those that are good; and nothing that is wicked must inhabit there. This earth is pleasant, for it is God's earth, and it is filled with delightful things.

But that country is better: there we shall not grieve any more, nor be sick any more, nor do wrong any more. In that country there are no quarrels; all love one another with dear love.

When our friends die, and are laid in the cold ground, we see them here no more; but there we shall embrace them, and never be parted from them again. There we shall see all the good men whom we read of.

There we shall see Jesus, who is gone before us to that happy Place; there we shall behold the glory of the high God.

Who is this beautiful maiden that approaches, clothed in a robe of green light? She has a garland of flowers on her head, and flowers spring up wherever she sets her foot. The snow which covered the fields, and the ice which was on the rivers, melt away when she breathes upon them.

The young lambs frisk about her, and the birds warble to welcome her coming. When they see her, they begin to choose their mates, and to build their nests. Youths and maidens, have ye seen this beautiful virgin? If ye have, tell me who she is, and what is her name.

Who is this that cometh from the south, thinly clad in a light, transparent garment? Her breath is hot and sultry. She seeks the clear streams, the crystal brooks, to bathe her languid limbs. The brooks and rivulets fly from her, and are dried up at her approach. She cools her parched lips with berries, and the grateful acids of fruits. The tanned haymakers welcome her coming; and the sheep-shearer, who clips the fleeces off his flock with his sounding shears.

When she cometh, let me lie under the thick shade of a spreading beech-tree,—let me walk with her in the early morning, when the dew is yet upon the grass,—let me wander with her in the soft twilight, when the shepherd shuts his fold, and the star of the evening appears. Who is she that cometh from the south? Youth and maidens, tell me, if ye know, who she is, and what is her name.

Who is he that cometh with sober pace, stealing upon us unawares? His garments are red with the blood of the grape, and his temples are bound with a sheaf of ripe wheat. His hair is thin, and begins to fall, and the auburn is mixed with mourning gray. He shakes the brown nuts from the tree. He winds the horn, and calls the hunters to their sport. The gun sounds. The trembling partridge and the beautiful pheasant flutter bleeding in the air, and fall dead at the sportsman's feet. Youth and maidens, tell me, if ye know, who he is, and what is his name.

Who is he that cometh from the north, in furs and warm wool? He wraps his cloak close about him. His head is bald; his beard is made of sharp icicles. He loves the blazing fire high piled upon the hearth, and the wine sparkling in the glass. He binds skates to his feet, and skims over the frozen lakes. His breath is piercing and cold, and no little flower dares to peep above the surface of the ground when he is by. whatever he touches, turns to ice. Youth and maidens, do you see him? He is coming upon us, and soon will be here. tell me, if ye know, who he is, and what is his name.

Come, and I will show you what is beautiful. It is a rose fully blown. See how she sits upon her mossy stem, like the queen of all the flowers! Her leaves glow like fire; the air is filled with her sweet odor; she is the delight of every eye.

She is beautiful, but there is a fairer than she. He that made the rose, is more beautiful than the rose: He is all lovely: He is the delight of every heart.

I will show you what is strong. The lion is strong. When he raiseth himself from his lair, when he shaketh his mane, when the voice of hiss roaring is heard, the cattle of the field fly, and the wild beasts of the desert hide themselves, for he is very terrible.

The lion is strong, but He that made the lion is stronger than he. His anger is terrible: He could make us die in a moment, and no one could save us from His hand.

I will show you what is glorious. The sun is glorious. When he shineth in the clear sky, and is seen all over the earth, he is the most glorious object the eye can behold.

The sun is glorious, but He that made the sun is more glorious than he. The eye beholdeth Him not, for His brightness is more dazzling than we could bear. He seeth in all dark places, by night as well as by day, and the light of His countenance is over all His works.

Who is this great name, and what is he called, that my lips may praise him?

This great name is God. He made all things, but He is himself more excellent than they. They are beautiful, but He is beauty; they are strong, but He is strength, they are perfect, but He is perfection.

And God spake all these words, saying:

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth:

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generations of them that hate me;

And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

IV. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work:

But the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates.

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it.

V. Honor thy father and mother; that thy days may be long upon the had which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

VI. Thou shalt not kill.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VIII. Thou shalt not steal

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking.

There was once an Eastern traveller, who always said that what God allowed to be done, was all for the best.

One day, he was wandering through a barren country, and as night approached, he found himself very weary and hungry. The clouds, too, were growing black, as if a storm was coming. At last, he saw a village and rode up to it, and asked for shelter and lodging for the night. But the men all refused, and drove him away; and he was obliged to go to the woods near by.

The poor traveller thought it was very hard that the people of the village should be so inhospitable to him; but he said God is just, and it is all for the best.

He turned his horse loose, so that he might eat some grass. He then lighted his lamp, and sat down under a tree, and began to read the book of the law. He had not read more than one chapter, when the storm burst upon him, and extinguished his lamp. He was very sorry that he had to stop reading, and to sit there in the dark without any thing to interest him. But he still said that it was all for the best.

After awhile, he stretched himself on the ground, with his faithful dog watching over him, and tried to go to sleep. But he had hardly closed his eyes, when a great wolf came, and killed his dog. “Alas,” he said, “who will henceforth watch over me when I sleep! My trusty dog is gone! But, no doubt, it is all for the best.”

Soon after he had said this, a lion came and devoured his horse. “What am I to do now?” said the poor man. “My lamp is out, and my dog is gone; and now my horse, too, is taken from me. But God knows what is best for us, poor mortals. It is all for the best.”

He passed a sleepless night, and early next morning, went to the village to see if he could buy another horse, that he might pursue his journey. But what was his surprise, when he found that there was not a live person in the whole village! A band of robbers had come during he night, and killed all the people, and plundered their houses.

The traveller raised his voice in thanks to God, for having preserved him from the danger into which he was so near falling. “Now I know truly,” he said, “that men are shortsighted and blind; often considering those things as evils, which God designs for their good. If the people had not been unkind to me, and driven me away from their village, I, too, should have been murdered by the robbers. If the wind had not put out my lamp, they would have found me under the tree, and killed me. And if my dog and my horse had not been taken from me, their noise would have attracted the attention of the robbers, and guided them to me. Blessed be the name of the Lord, all is for the best.”

The good boy loves his parents very dearly. He always minds what they say to him, and tries to please them. If they desire him not to do a thing, he does it not: if they desire him to do a thing, he does it cheerfully.

When they deny him what he wishes for, he does not grumble, or pout out his lips, or look angry: but he thinks, that his parents know what is proper for him better than he does, because they are wiser than he is.

He loves his teachers, and all who tell him what is good. He likes to read, and to write, and to learn something new every day. He hopes that if he shall live to be a man, he shall know a great many things, and be very wise and good.

He is kind to his brothers and sisters, and all his little play-fellows. He never fights them, nor quarrels with them, nor calls them names. When he sees them do wrong, he is sorry, and tries to persuade them to do better.

He does not speak rudely to any body. If he sees any persons who are lame, or crooked, or very old, he does not laugh at them, nor mock them; but he is glad when he can do them any service.

He is kind even to dumb creatures: for he knows that though they cannot speak, they can feel as well as we. Even those animals which he does not think pretty, he takes care not to hurt.

He likes very much to see the birds pick up bits of hay, and moss, and wool, to build their nests with; and he likes to see the hen sitting on her nest, or feeding her young ones; and to see the little birds in their nest, and hear them chirp.

Sometimes he looks about in the bushes, and in the trees, and amongst the strawberry plants, to find nests: but when he has found them, he only peeps at them; he would rather not see the little birds, than frighten them, or do them any harm.

He never takes any thing that does not belong to him, or meddles with it without leave. When he walks in his father's garden, he does not pull flowers, or gather fruit, unless he is told that he may do so.

He never tells a lie. If he has done any mischief, he confesses it, and says he is very sorry, and will try to do so no more.

When he lies down at night, he tries to remember all he has been doing and learning in the day. If he has done wrong, he is sorry, and hopes he shall do so no more; and that God, who is so good, will love and bless him. He loves to pray to God, and to hear and read about Him; and to go with his parents and friends to worship Him.

Every body that knows this good boy loves him, and speaks well of him, and is kind to him; and he is very happy.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.

And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was one of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, To shine it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted Jesus, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou?

And he, answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

And Jesus, answering, said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, w