THE OLD MAN AND HIS SONS.-Esop. AN old man had a number of sons who were often falling out with one another, and nothing their father could do or say seemed to make things better. At last he called them all before him, and showed them a number of rods he had caused to be gathered. Asking one of the lads if he could break one of them, the young man snapped it in two over his knee in a moment. He then got them to tie them all into a firm bundle, and asked the lads if they could break them now; but though each tried his best none of them could break them, or even bend them. "Now," said the father, "you see what it is to be one, and what it is to be divided. If you live as you do any one can get the advantage of you; but F if you only live in firm and loving friendship, so that you shall be like one, nobody will be able to do you any harm, for each will protect the other. Use this fable for a dictation lesson. QUESTIONS.-Were the old man's sons united and loving? What did he get as a lesson for them? What did he do and say first? How did he make the rods so that they could not be broken? What should this teach? TEA.-What is Tea? OBJECT LESSON. The leaf of an evergreen By gathering the leaves and slowly drying them over small furnaces. What is done next? While still hot they are heaped on mats, and rolled in the hand to make them curl, as when we see them. Is this done more than once? Yes, twice or thrice, till the leaves are dry and firmly rolled together. They are then packed in chests and sent abroad. How is tea sent to Russia? It is made into bricks and sent overland on horse or mule-back, in caravans. When was tea first brought to Europe? By the Dutch in A.D. 1610. It was introduced into England in A.D. 1666-the year of the Great Fire, and the year after the Great Plague. What is COFFEE? The berry of the coffeetree, a native of Arabia. Where else does it grow? In the West Indies, in Persia, the East Indies, and most very warm countries. Are coffee and tea of any benefit? Yes. They prevent the waste of the system to some extent, and they are very refreshing. Give, spell, and explain other words like the following in sound-choose, clime, cause, cord, serial, creek, cask, crews, clue, dough, days, dear, done, dost, you, faint, fain, furs, Philip, fowl, four, feet, freeze, flew, fare. FIDELITY.-Samuel Butler (1612-1680). "True as the dial to the sun Although it be not shined upon." SONG.-R. Herrick (1591-1674). GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a flying; And this same flower that smiles to-day, To-morrow will be The glorious Lamp of Heaven, the Sun, The higher he's a getting The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first, When youth and blood are warmer; But being spent, the worse and worst OBJECT LESSON. GLASS. Of what is glass made? It is obtained by passing water through wood ashes, and boiling the water off till the potash alone remains. How long is it since glass was invented? We do not know how long it is, but the Egyptians had it in Abraham's day, and could colour it beautifully. When did England first use glass for windows? About the year 1180. When did glass bottles begin to be made in England? In 1557 they were first made in London. When were glass mirrors first made in England? In 1673, at Lambeth. Of what substance were the mir rors mentioned in the Bible made? They were made of polished metal. IRON. Is Iron of great value to man? Yes; without it we could not have one of the greatest blessings of civilisationmachinery; and it is of the highest value in ten thousand other applications. Is it a common metal ? Yes; the commonest of al. There are some mountains all of iron, and it forms part of all earths, many rocks. and even of the structure of plants, animals, and men. Has it been long known? Since before history began. Is it generally found pure? No; it is commonly found in stone, from which it is obtained by melting it out in furnaces. ANECDOTE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT'S SCHOOL DAYS.--Sir Walter Scott. * Ir is well known in the South that there is little or no boxing at the Scottish schools. About forty or fifty years ago, however, a far more dangerous mode of fighting, in parties or factions, was permitted in the streets of Edinburgh, to the great disgrace of the police, and danger of the parties About A.D. 1780 or 1790. concerned. These parties were generally formed from the quarters of the town in which the com- . batants resided, those of a particular square or district fighting against those of an adjoining one. Hence it happened that the children of the higher classes were often pitted against those of the lower, each taking their side according to the residence of their friends. So far as I recollect, however, it was unmingled either with feelings of democracy or aristocracy, or indeed with malice or ill-will of any kind towards the opposite party. In fact, it was only a rough mode of play. Such contests were, however, maintained with great vigour with stones, and sticks and fisticuffs, when one party dared to charge, and the other stood their ground. Of course, mischief sometimes happened: boys are said to have been killed at these Bickers, as they were called, and serious accidents certainly took place, as many contemporaries can bear witness. The Author's father residing in George Square, in the southern side of Edinburgh, the boys belonging to that family, with others in the square, were arranged into a sort of company, to which a lady of distinction presented a handsome set of colours. Now this company or regiment, as a matter of course, was engaged in weekly warfare with the boys inhabiting the neighbouring suburbs. These last were chiefly of the lower rank, but hardy loons, who threw stones to a hair's-breadth, and were very rugged antagonists at close quarters. The skirmish sometimes lasted for a whole evening, until one party or the other was victorious, when, |