The child is father of the man;

And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
W. WORDSWORTH.

A Dog's Affection for his Master.

GENTLEMAN, who had a dog that was very fond of him, was obliged to go a journey once a month, to a place at some distance from his home. His stay was short, and his return very regular, and was always the same every month. The dog always grew uneasy when he first lost his master, and sat moping in a corner; but became more cheerful as the time approached for his return, which he knew to an hour, nay, almost to a minute. When he felt sure that his master was on the road, at no great distance from home, he flew all over the house, and if the street door happened to be shut would suffer no servant to have any rest till it was opened.

The moment he obtained his freedom away he went, and generally met his benefactor about two miles from town. He played and frolicked about him till he had obtained one of his gloves, with which he ran, or rather flew home, entered the house, laid it down in the middle of the room, and danced round it. When he had amused himself enough in this manner, he went out of the house, returned to meet his master, and ran before him, or gambolled by his side, till he arrived with him at home.

This lasted till the old gentleman grew so weak that he was unable to continue his journeys. The dog by this time was also grown old, and became, at length, blind; but his misfortune did not hinder him from fondling his master, whom he knew from every other person, and for whom his affection rather increased than became less.

At last the old gentleman, after a short illness, died. The dog watched the corpse, and did his utmost to prevent the undertaker from fastening the lid of the coffin, and became quite violent when they carried the body out of the house. He then became gloomy and sorrowful, lost his flesh, and was evidently approaching his end. One day he heard a gentleman come into the house, and ran to meet him. His master, being very old and infirm, wore ribbed stockings for warmth. The gentleman had stockings on of the same kind, which the dog perceived, and on this account at first thought his master had returned. He began to fondle the gentleman in a very joyful manner, but finding he was mistaken, the shock was too great for him, and he retired to a corner, where in a short time he died.

The birds sang in the branchés
With sweet familiar tone;
But the voices of the children
Will be heard in dreams alone.

And the boy that walked beside me,
He could not understand

Why closer in mine, ah! closer,
I pressed his warm soft hand.

H. W. LONGFELLOW.

The Young Mouse.

A FABLE.

YOUNG MOUSE lived in a cupboard where sweat

meats were kept.

She dined every day upon biscuit,

sugar, and cheese. Never had any little mouse lived so well. She had often ventured to peep at the family while they sat at supper; nay, she had sometimes stole down on the carpet and picked up the crumbs,

and nobody had hurt her. She would have been quite happy, but that she was sometimes frightened by the cat, and then she ran trembling to the hole behind the wainscot.

66

One day she came running to her mother in great joy. Mother," said she, "the good people of this family have built me a house to live in; it is in the cupboard. I am sure it is for me, for it is just big enough. The bottom is of wood, and it is covered all over with wires; and I dare say they have made it to screen me from that terrible cat, which ran after me so often. There is an entrance just big enough for but puss cannot follow; and they have been so good as to put some toasted cheese, which smells so nice, that I should have run in directly and eaten it, but I thought I would tell you first, that we might go in together and both lodge there to night, for it will hold us both."

me,

"My dear child," said the old mouse, "it is very fortunate that you did not go in, for this house is called a trap; and you would never have come out again, except to be devoured or put to death in some way or other. Though men have not so fierce a look as the cat, they are as much our enemy, and they are still more cunning than she is."

N issuing the second number of the Young Scholar the Editor wishes to remind his young readers of the purpose it is intended to serve. It will contain reading suitable for young scholars, and will endeavour to improve them by setting papers which they can answer. The answers to these papers should be short, neatly written, and well composed; and the name of the writer should be placed at the end of each answer. The Editor will be glad to devote more pages to the mutual improvement of his readers, as he sees from time to time that this feature of the Young Scholar is valued by them.

Original papers on interesting subjects, written by young scholars or their friends, will be carefully perused by the Editor, and, if suitable, inserted. The Editor cannot under

take to return them if they are not required, so the writers should keep copies by them if they wish to preserve them.

No payments will be made to any such writers, the large size of the magazine and the low price at which it is issued not admitting of such payment.

The Editor confidently appeals to his young friends to work heartily with him in extending the circulation of the Young Scholar. Every boy or girl can do something, and it is only right that while he is trying to help them, they should endeavour to assist him in this way. We want the Young Scholar to obtain such a firm position in the next few months that its future career will be triumphant. Such a magazine can only be successful by attaining a very large circulation. A teacher writes to us expressing his opinion that in a short time the Young Scholar will be an institution in our schools. No efforts on our part shall be wanting to make it worthy of such a high mission, and with the assistance of such a large and industrious body of readers it will not be difficult to attain this position. Every month we shall make more and more progress in cutting out a path for ourselves where there has been hitherto no road. We do not interfere with the many picture magazines that are at present issued: we found that a useful and interesting magazine for scholars was wanted, and the Young Scholar appears to supply the want.

Every boy or girl who answers the questions set in the Young Scholar would, of course, be glad to see his or her paper inserted. We are only able to print one or two, and so of necessity many must be disappointed. There are, however, few things good or great done in the world without repeated attempts. Each scholar who answers a question in this Magazine is going the best way to improve himself, though his paper never appears in print. The more times we try, and the more pains we take each time, the better we shall get on in our studies. The scholar who is soon discouraged has but little mettle in him. Those victories are prized most highly that are won after repeated failures.