90 
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

A VOICE FROM THE CHURCH BELLS. 

How sweet and solemn sounds the old Church 
bell! 
We in its measured notes may often scan 
Some passing scene of which it seems to tell— 
Some tale which marks the destiny of man. 
Hark! how its merry, noisy, gladsome notes 
Are chiming forth in peals both loud and wild, 
Wakening the echoes ; it to all denotes 
A hearty welcome to the new-born child. 
Again its cheerful sound falls on the ear, 
And ushers in the happy bridal morn— 
Tells of fond hearts (to form a tie most dear 
Now from all earlier ties for ever torn.) 
Sweet sound the Church bells on the Sabbath day, 
There seems a sweetness in the Sabbath air,— 
Watting their melody, it seems to say, 
“For the great Sabbath of thy soul prepare!” 
Forth from the old grey tower again ascends, 
In altered note, the slow funereal toll !— 
The mournful sound which tells of severed friends, 
And of the solemn exit of a soul! 
4 po 
JUDGMENT APPLIED TO EDUCATION. 

MAnyY A MAN, by crossing his child’s natu- 
ral disposition, has caused himself an aching 
heart ; besides contributing largely to his 
child’s unhappiness. 
The first step in early education should be, 
a consideration of what a pupil is really 
fitted for. The human head is so formed, 
that the point may not be so difficult to ascer- 
tain as some imagine. The natural inclination, 
too, develops itself at a tender age. 
If we would have our children to excel, 
we must work by rule. Excellence, as a 
sensible writer remarks, no matter in what 
department, must be the child of an ardent 
general predilection. It can never be the 
ofispring of qualities, however eminent, con- 
strained from their native bias. We must all 
admit this. 
It is laudable, therefore, to encourage, as 
far as may be, the eccentricity which forms 
the principal virtue of the human character. 
There is propriety in fanning the vital spark 
of originality into flame; and watching and 
guarding it, until it warms and invigorates 
its whole neigborhood. It is judicious to 
remove every obstruction to the well-being of 
those kindly indications of future and novel 
splendor, which are capable of charming, even 
in their infantine state. 
It is well done of the father, when arrang- 
ing the entrance of his children on the stage 
of life, carefully to consult their sentiments 
as to what are the desirable situations of its 
eventful drama. Should he exert his au- 
thority in direct opposition to theiz wishes, 
the result, it may be safely predicted, will 
be shame to them, and sorrow to himself. 
But should he adopt their ideas, and make 
them the partners of his own thoughts and 
hopes; should he resolve to give assistance 
to the ardent conceptions of youth,—he will 
in all probability experience the rare happiness 
of witnessing in his family the felicitous union 
of rectitude, prosperity, and genius. 
The scheme of our lives is drawn by a 
celestial artist. It is our part to see it exe- 
cuted. A heavy responsibility attaches to 
those who show neglect in this important 
matter. 
LIFE’S PAINFUL REALITIES— 
A SCENE AT NIAGARA. 
WE ARE TOO OFTEN DOOMED—once at 
least in the course of our lives—to witness 
some painful scene, the impression caused 
by which never can be efiaced from the 
memory. We have ourself beheld scenes 
from which even now the mind recoils with 
horror. 
Of all the recorded casualties of life, how- 
ever, none surely can exceed in the intensity 
of interest it excites in the perusal, the fol- 
lowing. Itisa carefully condensed history 
of a scene which recently was witnessed at 
Niagara. We register it here, with a view 
of showing on what a slender thread our life 
sometimes hangs :— 
Three men recently went boating on the river. 
* * * The boat was swept towards the “falls,” 
overturned, and two of the party were whirled 
into the boiling surge. 
The third, aman named Avery, caught on some 
rocks not far from the dreadful precipice of foam. 
A log of wood, apparently wedged tightly between 
the rocks, and crossed by another, still higher out 
of the water, was his resting-place. Here he 
remained, half clinging to and half perching upon 
the log, from which he would occasionally slip 
down and walk a little on the rocks, which were 
only a short distance under water. 
A few feet in advance was a small fall of about 
four or five feet, and here and on each side of him 
the waters rushed wildly on, at a speed of about 
forty miles an hour. A raft was constructed, 
formed of crossed timbers, strongly fastened in a 
square form, a hogshead being placed in the centre. 
The raft was strongly secured with ropes on each 
side, and was floated down to the rocks upon which 
Avery was stationed. As it approached the spot 
where he stood, the rope got fast in the rocks; and 
the raft became immoveable. Avery then appeared 
to muster strength and courage, and descending 
from the log, walked over the rocks to the place 
where the rope had caught, and labored long and 
hard to disengage it from the rocks. 
After some time he succeeded ; and then, with 
renewed energy, inspired by the hope of rescue, 
he pulled manfully at the rope, until he succeeded 
in bringing the raft from the current towards his 
fearful resting-place. Avery now got on to the 
raft, making himself fast thereto by means of ropes, 



