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abbatli lleabing. 
OUR BLOSSOM. 
BY ANNA E. STACY. 
GENTLY’ press the white lids down 
On those laughing eyes of blue; 
Smooth and plait the sunny hair. 
Seal the lips so fond and true. 
Robe her as the angels are 
In a robe of snowy white; 
Death hath won a beauteous bride, 
And will bear her from our sight. 
Meekly fold the slender hands 
O'er the still and pulseless breast, 
Crown her with the sweetest flowers 
Ere ye hear her to her rest. 
Sweet darling! oh, how hard it is 
To give thee back so soon,— 
Before thy fresh and sunny day 
Hath half way reached its noon. 
Upon this bright and glorious morn, 
’Mid Autumn’s gorgeous bloom. 
How can we leave thee there alone 
Within the darksome tomb 1 
AJone did’st say ? Ye saddened hearts 
Control vonr bursting sighs: 
Tli|/ Bud of Beauty dwells not here— 
She blooms in Paradise. 
Ithaca, N. Y.. So id., 1871. 
--♦♦♦- 
THOUGHTS FOR THINKERS. 
Oh, send your old troublesome thoughts 
to the wind, not cuddle them close to your 
breast as if they were angels of mercy in¬ 
stead of ministers of evil. Everybody has 
trouble of some kind, ami it is the boundeu 
duty of each to rise above it. The Lord 
sends all kinds of messengers to teach us 
how large and merciful and patient llis love 
is, and it does not matter in what shape they 
come, if our hearts will only let them (lo 
their appointed work.— Afar]/ Amen Aiken. 
The study of the magnet is one of un¬ 
failing interest to grown people as well as to 
children, and it is a matter of surprise that 
so little attention is given to so profitable a 
subject. We can find nothing that teaches 
so forcibly of Christ and his influence upon 
the soul—nothing that could more thorough¬ 
ly convince a skeptic of his own ignorance 
and folly, 
When wo see men who are old and infirm, 
wc sometimes say,— "They look like dis¬ 
branched trees;" but if God were to touch 
our eyes, and reveal to us the companies of 
angels that surround such venerable, waiting 
saints, we should never think that they were 
soli lary, nr impoverished, or to he pitied.— 
Beecher. 
It is strange that the experience of so 
many ages should not make us judge more 
solidly of the present and of the future, so 
as to take proper measures in the one for the 
other. We dote upon this world as if It 
were never to have an end, and we neglect 
the next as if it were never to have a begin- 
ning. 
Alas! if the principles of contentment are 
not within us, the bight of statiou and 
worldly grandeur will as soon add a cubit to 
a man’s stature as to his 1 nippiness.— Sterne. 
Virtue seems to he nothing more than a 
motion consonant to the system of things; 
were a planet to fly from its orbit, it would 
represent a vicious man.— Shenstom. 
If the young would remember that they 
may he old, and the old would remember 
that they have been young, the world would 
he much happier. 
A week filled up with selfishness, and the 
Sal)bath stuffed full of religious exercises,will 
make a good Pharisee but a poor Christian. 
Repentance without amendment is like 
continual pumping in a ship, without stop¬ 
ping the leaks.— Palmer. 
-*-*-*- 
A LIVING DEATH. 
In some few’ sad lives there comes a mo¬ 
ment when the shadow of death passes over 
the soul, and does not touch the body. Af¬ 
ter that we walk along our appointed path 
through the world, and laugh and talk, and 
buy and sell, and marry and are given in 
marriage, maybe; and none of our friends, 
who bold our hands, and wish us Godspeed 
on our way, imagine, when they look into 
our eyes, that we are dead ; that there is no 
more light in the evening sky, nor freshness 
in the morning dew; that in our hearts is 
noil her hope nor fear, regret, remembrance, 
nor delight; only so much of the red heart- 
throb ns keeps up the show of life for other 
needs than our own—only a cold, dull pa¬ 
tience in place of a living soul. 
- +-*-• - 
HUMBLENESS EXALTED. 
I observe that God hath chosen the vine, 
a low plant that creeps upon the helpless 
wall; of ail beasts, the soft and patient lamb; 
of all birds the iplld and guileless dove. 
Christ is the rose of the field and the lily of 
the valley. ’When God appeared to Moses 
it was not in the lofty cedar, nor the sturdy 
oak, nor the spreading palm, but in a bush 
—an humble, slender, abject bush. As if 
He would by these selections check the con¬ 
ceited arrogance of man.— Fdthan. 
ITiVLIAN MOTHER AHTID GETXRXD. 
[FROM A PAINTING BY HERR SAUCHON, A PUPIL OF THE GREAT DUSSELDORF SCHOOL.] 
ft* jpterarg % 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
HEAL'rn and its Conditions is the title 
of a work by James JIiuton (New York: 
G. P. Putman & Sons,) which it will harm 
no one and benefit many to read. We were 
struck, on opening it with the definition of 
hoalili, said to have been given by a deaf 
and dumb boy. lie defined it to he 11 pleas¬ 
ant life." The author says:—" How to keep 
ourselves vigorous in mind and body so as 
to be always lit for work and ready for en¬ 
joyment—to preserve, unbroken, that, keen 
sense of life which makes it a luxury to draw 
our breath, that exhilarating feeling of self- 
command which makes toil a pleasure, is 
itself a sure augury of success—is a problem 
we should all he glad to solve.” And in our 
judgment, this little book will aid many in 
solving it. _ 
Tiie Hour of Singing: A Book for 
High Schools, Seminaries and the Social 
Circle. By L. O. Emerson and W. S. Til- 
den. (Oliver Ditson & Co.,Boston.) The 
authors, of much reputation as composers 
and teachers, have aimed to make a hook 
that will meet the wants of High Schools, 
and they have grouped together a brief hut 
comprehensive Elementary Department, and 
separate divisions of three and four-part 
Music for Mixed Voices, and three-part 
Music for Female Voices only. Also, for 
Opening and Closing School, and for social 
use, some well-chosen Sacred and Devo¬ 
tional Music. The collection embraces 
many gems from the German, as well as 
fine original compositions. It is a good, 
handsome and cheap book. 
Chatters of Erie and Other Essays, 
by Charles F. Adams, Jr., and Henry 
Adams, (Boston: James R. Osgood & Co.,) 
is the title of a volume embracing historical 
papers on The Erie Railway and its Man¬ 
agement, The New York Gold Conspiracy, 
The Erie Road, The Bank of England Re¬ 
striction, British Finance in 1810, The 
Legal Tender Act, and The Railroad Sys¬ 
tem. These essays contain much informa¬ 
tion of practical value to business men, and 
will repay a perusal by the general reader 
interested in the industries and financial 
prosperity of the country. 
Atlantic Essays.— Under this title Jas. 
R. Osgood & Co., Boston, have just issued a 
handsome 12mo. volume of 341 pages, con¬ 
taining twelve papers originally contributed 
to the Atlantic Monthly by Thomas Went¬ 
worth IIigoinson- The Essays (including 
“A Pica for Culture," ‘‘Literature as an 
Art," and " Americanism in Literature,”) arc 
worthy of the attractive and enduring form 
in which they are now presented,—and their 
ability, and the reputation of Mr. Higgin- 
son, will render them popular with general 
readers. 
TnE Four Gospels in One, According 
to the Authorized Version. (Chicago: R. A. 
Campbell—pp. 284.)—Tn this very handsome 
volume the author has endeavored to so 
group the statements of the Evangelists that 
every fact shall be stated in their own words 
and as nearly as possible in chronological 
order. No com men l is made—for it. is not, 
intended to tench any special doctrine—hut 
complete indexes of subjects and verses ren¬ 
der the book especially useful to Bible class 
teachers, as well as to all who love the words 
of Jescs and the study of His life. 
Nautilus, or Cruising under Canvas, by 
Capt. John N. Maffitt. (U. S. Publishing 
Co., New York, Cincinnati, Chicago and 
St. Louis.) A well written story of the 
cruise of a U. S. Ship of war, abounding in 
incident and spicy (sometimes too spicy) de¬ 
scription and dialogue. Whether such a 
crowd of incidents ever happened, or such 
speeches were made, matters not a bit; 
Young America will he as delighted with 
the book as if it were all true. 
The Judge’s Pets, by E. Johnson, (Hurd 
A Houghton—pp. 200.) is a book which will 
delight and instruct the young folks. It 
comprises a series of pleasant, anecdotes ex¬ 
hibiting the virtues of various domestic ani¬ 
mals—favorite dogs, horses, etc.—and show¬ 
ing that their intelligence and affection are 
often equal to those of at least some speci¬ 
mens of the human race. The moral— 
kindness to dumb animals—is easily de¬ 
rived, and the narrative will enlist the atten¬ 
tion and sympathy of both young and old. 
A Short Hand Legible as the Plain¬ 
est Writing— The author, Rev. W. E. 
Scovil, M. A., claims for his system great 
simplicity, ease of acquirement, legibility 
and rapidity. From such examination ns 
wo have been able to give, we think the 
claims well founded, hut are surprised that 
he should have given such a long list of ab¬ 
breviated rules to he learned, when a page 
or two of examples would show at once 
what was wanted, save bo much time and 
be so much clearer. 
The Clock Maker —Sayings and Doings 
of Samuel Si.ick of Sliekville, by Thomas 
Chandler Haliburton, (New York: Hurd 
& Houghton,) is illustrated by DaRLEY and 
re-issued in attractive form, helps lo revive 
the idioms of Yankee language and the 
peculiarities which are popularly believed to 
belong to Yankee character. It is full of 
fun and a quaint, common-sense philosophy 
which render it most enjoyable, whether wc 
regard it as a typical work or not. 
IIow to Do I.t.—(J ames It. Osgood & Co., 
Boston—pp. 269). A set of gossippy, pleas¬ 
ant papers, by Edward Eyerett Hale, 
teaching IIow to Talk, How to Write, How 
lo Read, How to go into Society, How to 
Travel, with hints as to Life at School, 
in Vacation and Alone; Habits in Church, 
&c., &c. These papers have already amused 
and instructed thousands of readers, and 
may be read with pleasure and profit by all. 
It is very handsomely got up. 
THE STEP AT THE GATE. 
THB shades of eve live fiilliiiR 
Atltwurt. tin’. kiipUmi wall, 
The Summer winds 0111110 whlsaorinR b7. 
Anil Hhownrs of rose loaves fall, 
As 1 sit hy 111 y ootta/fo window 
And dream and listen and wait 
For the sound of a well known whistle 
And a welcome stop at the gate. 
The tea-kettle out In Hie kitchen 
Is humming its busiest aotnr; 
“ I’m boiling, 1 say I It’s time to get tea. 
So why don’t you come along /" 
The table is setin the purlor. 
Rut the singing kettle must wait, 
For the tea will spoil If I make It, 
Till I hour the step at the gate. 
Baby sloops in her cradle, 
Dreaming with all her might, 
And over both her blossom blue eyes 
Are drawn tliolr curtains white. 
But her nap Is nearly ovor. 
She seldom sleeps so late; 
She’ll wake In a glow nf gladnoss 
When she lioars the stop at the gate. 
This Is our little kingdom - 
This cottage with vines o’ergrown: 
Papa's the king and mamma's the queen 
And baby’s the heir to the throne. 
Why lingers tlio king, I wonder? 
’Tl? growing so very late! 
Ah, there he comes! Baby, wake up, 
For I hear the step at the gate. 
QO 
dories for ininiliols, 
» Mb 
TOM-BOY AMBITION, 
BY CHARLEY CLIFTON. 
"IIeaven lies about Childhood.” The 
parents of Re Weldon thought so when 
they witnessed Hie wide-awake, whole- 
souled happiness of their third daughter. 
Ke was an anomaly. Her sisters were older 
Ilian herself and her brothers younger; and, 
if it was not nature, it must have been blank 
necessity that made her a “ tom-hoy." She 
had to play with some one, and it was not 
her fault if there were none hut hoys for her 
to play with. 
The Weldons were country people— 
farmers—not wealthy, hut, in the homely 
rustic phrase, well-to-do, lor Brookside Farm 
was one of the best in all that, region. 
In matters intellectual Re received her 
first stimulus in the district school. Hers 
was a wild, willful nature, which would 
brook no restraint. It. would naturally be 
expected that she would hear down opposi¬ 
tion, and she did. Her classmates were 
boys and girls generally older than herself, 
and yet slio continually outstripped them in 
the race. The motto her artist, cousin cut 
in her slate frame was the basis of her intel¬ 
lectual creed— u What is understood cannot 
tie forgotten!” At home she was a "tom¬ 
boy;" on the school playground, the leader 
in every harmless romp; and iu the school¬ 
room, the first, scholar in her classes. And 
thus she budded into womanhood. 
One evening when Re was nearly fifteen, 
she met her father as he was coming in from 
the barn, and looking up into his face as she 
spoke she said, 44 Father, our school term 
closed to-day." 
"Yes, child," said he, “ I know it. Are 
you glad ?” 
"Well—yes—no—I can hardly tell; but, 
father, what am I to do now ?” 
“ Can you not help mother in the kitchen 
and with her sewing?” 
“ Yes, 1 suppose I can,” responded Re 
ruefully; “ but I think if 1 must work 1 
would rather help you plant corn and pitch 
hay, or carry water to the field for the har¬ 
vesters. Father,” she continued, after a 
short pause, “do you know I am through 
Algebra? I finished it to-day, and Mr. 
Clark says I am the best scholar he ever 
taught; Midi I know enough to keep school! 
But 1 don’t want to do that.” 
“ Well, what do you want to do, Re?” 
" 1 was thinking, if I help you as much ns 
I can this summer, may be you could let 1110 
go to Westlake Seminary next year. Do you 
think you could,father? Abbie Wright is 
going and she’s a regular booby.” 
" But you know Abbie’s father is very 
wealthy, and lie wants Ids daughter to be a 
fine lady some day. Does my little girl 
want to he a fine lady, too?” 
“ No, father ; you know I do no not; but 
1 want to be—.” Re hesitated, and then add¬ 
ed, “ I want to know something and to be 
something!" 
They had now reached the kitchen porch 
and the matter was dropped; hut a few even¬ 
ings afterward Mr. Weldon told Re he had 
been thinking about, sending her to West- 
lake, ami Had concluded to do so. I need 
not, tell my readers how she flew into his 
arms and "kissed and called him the very 
best father that ever lived, and all that. If 
I were writing 11 novel, 1 would have to put 
such things into it; but in a sLory ol real 
life they may be omitted. Re was u sensi¬ 
ble girl and did not reserve her manifesta¬ 
tions of affection for such times only as her 
father pleased her particularly well by doing 
Something unusually nice for her. Anil so 
it was decided that Re was to go to West- 
lake. 
It is not necessary for the purpose of this 
story to follow Re through the three years 
