A SONG OVER THE WATERS.-(German) Anon.

THERE is a great country far over the seas, and any one who goes there must sail day after day without seeing anything but the sky and the water. Two peasants set out for it one summer, not being able to get work enough at home. And now, they had been a whole week on the broad ocean, where one sees no green woods, or yellow fields, and no bird sings in the mornings, and no shepherd blows his horn at noon, and if any bird show itself it is not the swallow which tells that summer is coming, nor the lark that makes one sing when out in the meadow in the golden sunshine, but a bird cf the storm, which tells that rough and blustering weather is near. Nor is there any firm ground there under the feet, as there is behind the plough, but the wide plain of the sea heaves high and sinks low, night and day, for ever, till one's heart gets sad and sick at the sight. So it is, day after day; over you is nothing but the boundless sky, and round you only the wide, shoreless ocean, and the sun has no dry place where at night he can lie down to rest, but sinks into the sea to bed, and rises out of it in the morning.

The wonders of the ocean pleased the countrymen greatly at first, for all that is new attracts and excites us. But when it was the same day after day, and there seemed no end or change, their spirits were less lively. And they often sat down together on the ship's deck and looked with weary eyes at the sea round them, and away along the track the ship had made in it.

They were sitting thus together on a Sabbath morning on the forecastle, when the one said to the other"It is Sunday now in our old village at home, as well as here! It is nine by the clock, and the bells are tolling to church, and all the people are going to it, and our minister has his gown on, and the schoolmaster is sitting at the organ." The other looked at him. "I could not have thought till to-day that I should ever feel so dull on a Sunday, and so low-spirited, as I feel now," said he. The two now sat silent and thought about home, and their village rose in their memory before them, with the blue hills stretching far away, and the green woods and fields, and here and there the church bells tolled, and the people were going to church through the meadows and hedges. And then they thought that all was still, only the shepherds and the flocks and the birds were left, and the sun shone calmly above.

All this passed through the thoughts of both of them. But below them the waves rushed and splashed against the sides of the ship. And as they dwelt on these things in their hearts, they felt moved almost to tears.

Then the one rose, and going to his chest, opened it and took out his Bible and his hymn-book, and came back to his comrade. Then he read the Epistle of the day and the Gospel, and repeated the Creed, and after that he opened the hymn-book and sang loud and clear, to the old tune, the hymn

"He only who has made God his,

And hopes upon Him all day long,
Will He in all his cares sustain,
And be his heritage and song."

It happened that there were others from the same land on board, and when they heard the church melody they had known from childhood rising in the midst of the sea, their hearts were touched as well, and they came and made a circle round the singers, uncovered their heads, and joined with them. And the hymn rose ever more and more from their hearts, and sounded far over the waves, which rolled their voices to the music like a great organ. And the two peasants and those around them sang the heaviness out of their hearts, and they felt as joyful as if they were in their dear fatherland.

DICTATION. The country over the sea is America. The peasants had not seen the sea or ocean before, and first wondered at it, then grew sad at the boundless sky and shoreless waters, and their home rose in their memory. When they sang a hymn on the forecastle their countrymen clustered round them, and the heaviness left their hearts.

QUESTIONS.-What country is over the sea? What is the sea like? Of what did the peasants think? What did they do? What day was it? What would the people be doing at home? Give the meaning of the spelling words.

A COUNTRY life is sweet!

In moderate cold and heat;

To walk in the air, how pleasant and fair,
In every field of wheat;

The fairest of flowers adorning the bowers,
And every meadow's brow.

So that I say, no courtier may

Compare with them who clothe in grey

And follow the useful plough.

They rise with the morning lark,

And labour till almost dark;

Then, folding their sheep, they hasten to sleep;

While every pleasant park

Next morning is ringing with birds that are singing On each green, tender bough.

With what content and merriment

Their days are spent, whose minds are bent

To follow the useful plough!

DICTATION. To live in the country is sweet, when it is neither too hot nor too cold. The fairest flowers adorn the meadows, and the fields of wheat are lovely. Those who follow the plough rise with the lark. But they should not have to labour all their waking hours, and then they would have more content and merriment.

A BEAR, climbing over the fence into a garden where bees were kept, began to smell round the hives, to see if he could get any of the honey. Some of the bees seeing him, forthwith flew at him, and stung his ears and his nose, not wishing him to disturb or rob them. But the foolish bear, feeling the pain of the stings, got into a great passion, and ran at the hives, and knocked them over in revenge. He had better have kept his temper, for the bees instantly flew on him in a body, and stung him till he roared with pain, and fest rolled