185

THE SWALLOW AND THE TORTOISE.

A TORTOISE in a garden's bound,

An ancient inmate of the place,

Had left his winter quarters under ground,

And with a sober pace

Was crawling o'er a sunny bed,

And thrusting from his shell his pretty toad-like

head.

Just come from sea, a swallow,

As to and fro he nimbly flew,
Beat out old racer hollow:

At length he stopt direct in view,

And said, "Acquaintance brisk and gay,
How have you fared this many a day?

"Thank you," replied the close housekeeper,

"Since you and I last autumn parted,
I've been a precious sleeper,

And never stirred nor started,
But in my hole I lay as snug
As the cat dozing on the rug;
Nor did I put my head abroad

Till all the snow and ice were thaw'd."

"But I," rejoined the bird,

"Who love cold weather just as well as you,

A di

hustler was analy swall, wed up i lamen simuld not fear acting wit bie doo what he had in his thoughts; 8 Lot zala:kly striking his basket of britt with was the foundation of all k gran leur, he kicked his glasses to a gre distance from him into the street, and bro them into ten thousand pieces.

ADDISON.

Soon as the warning blasts I heard,

Away I flew,

And mounting in the wind,
Left gloomy winter far behind.

Directed by the mid-day sun,

O'er sea and land my venturous course I steered,
Nor was my distant journey done

Till Afric's verdant coast appeared.
There, all the season long,

I chased gay butterflies and gnats,

And gave my negro friends a morning song,
And housed at night among the bats.
Then, at the call of spring,

I northward turn'd my wing,

And here again her joyous message bring." "Pooh! what a deal of needless ranging," Returned the reptile grave,

"For ever hurrying, bustling, changing; As if it were your life to save!

Why need you visit foreign nations?

Rather like me, and some of your relations,

Take out a pleasant half-year's nap,

Secure from trouble and mishap."

"A pleasant nap, indeed," replied the swallow,

"When I can neither see nor fly,

The bright example I may follow;

Till then, in truth, not I!

I only measure time by its employment,
And only value life for life's enjoyment.
As good be buried all at once,

As doze out half one's days like you, you stupid dunce."

EVENINGS AT HOME.

CONCEIT.

If any boys or girls wish to make themselves ridiculous, they could not possibly adopt a better plan than that of showing that they are conceited. It is not easy to keep conceit concealed; and, indeed, those who are conceited do not wish very much to hide their fault, but are rather anxious that they should attract general attention. They suppose that every one admires them, but they are very much mistaken; every body who sees their conceit laughs at it, and takes a pleasure in pointing it out to others who may join in the