11. THE SCHOOLBOY AND THE ORCHARD.

A

YOUNGSTER at school, more sedate than the rest,

Had once his integrity put to the test:

His comrades had plotted an orchard to rob,
And ask'd him to go and assist in the job.

He was shock'd and annoy'd, and answer'd-"Oh no!
What rob our poor neighbour! I pray you don't go;
Besides the man's poor, his orchard's his bread;
Then think of his children, for they must be fed."
"You speak very fine, and you look very grave,
But apples we want, and apples we'll have;
will go with us, we'll give you a share,
If not, you shall have neither apple nor pear.'

If you

They spoke, and Tom ponder'd-"I see they will go;
Poor man! what a pity to injure him so!

Poor man! I would save him his fruit if I could,
But staying behind will do him no good.

"If the matter depended alone upon me,

His apples might hang till they dropp'd from the

tree;

But since they will take them, I think I'll go too; He will lose none by me, though I get a few."

His scruples thus silenced, Tom felt more at ease, And went with his comrades the apples to seize; He blamed and protested, but join'd in the plan; He shared in the plunder, but pitied the man.

COWPER.

T

12. THE HEAVENLY CANAAN.

HERE is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign;
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.

There everlasting spring abides,
And never-withering flowers:
Death, like a narrow sea, divides
That heavenly land from ours.
Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
Stand dress'd in living green;
So to the Jews old Canaan stood,
While Jordan roll'd between.

But timorous mortals start and shrink
To cross this narrow sea;
And linger shivering at the brink,
And fear to launch away.

Oh! could we all our doubts remove,
Those gloomy doubts that rise;
And see the Canaan that we love,
With faith's unclouded eyes;

Could we but climb where Moses stood,
And view the landscape o'er,

Not Jordan's streani, nor death's cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore.

DR. WATTS.

13. THE CHAMELEON.

FT has it been my lot to mark

A proud, conceited, talking spark, With eyes that hardly serv'd at most To guard their master 'gainst a post; Yet round the world the blade had been To see whatever could be seen; Returning from his finish'd tour, Grown ten times perter than before. Whatever words you chance to drop, The travell'd fool your mouth will stop "Sir, if my judgment you'll allow, I've seen, and sure I ought to know." So begs you'll pay a due submission, And acquiesce in his decision.

Two travellers of such a cast, As o'er Arabian wilds they pass'd, And on their way, in friendly chat, Now talk'd of this, and then of that, Discoursed awhile, 'mongst other matter, Of the Chameleon's form and nature. "A stranger animal," cries one, "Sure never lived beneath the sun! A lizard's body, lean and long, A fish's head, a serpent's tongue, Its foot with tripled claw disjoin'd; And what a length of tail behind! How slow its pace! and then its hue— Who ever saw so fine a blue!"

"Hold there!" the other quick replies, ""Tis green—I saw it with these eyes, As late with open mouth it lay, And warm'd it in the sunny ray; Stretch'd at its ease, the beast I view'd, And saw it eat the air for food." "I've seen it, sir, as well as you, And must again affirm it blue; At leisure I the beast survey'd, Extended in the cooling shade."

"'Tis green, 'tis green, sir, I assure ye." "Green!" cries the other in a fury; "Why, sir-d'ye think I've lost my eyes?" ""Twere no great loss," the friend replies. "For, if they always serve you thus, You'll find 'em but of little use!"

So high at last the contest rose, From words they almost came to blows; When luckily came by a third: To him the question they referr'd; And begged he'd tell 'em if he knew Whether the thing was green or blue. "Sirs," cries the umpire, "cease your pother; The creature's neither one nor t'other. I caught the animal last night, And view'd it o'er by candle light; I mark'd it well-'twas black as jetYou stare-but, sirs, I've got it yet, And can produce it."- "Pray, sir, do: I'll lay my life the thing is blue." "And I'll be sworn, that when you've seen The reptile, you'll pronounce him green."

"Well then, at once to end the doubt,' Replies the man, "I'll turn him out; And when before your eyes I've set him, If you don't find him black, I'll eat him." He said; then full before their sight Produced the beast, and lo!-'twas white! Both stared-the man look'd wondrous wise'My children," the Chameleon cried,

66

(Then first the creature found a tongue,)
"You all are right, and all are wrong!
When next you speak of what you view,
Think others see, as well as you:
Nor wonder if you find that none
your eye-sight to their own!"

Prefer

MERRICK.

14. THE USE OF FLOWERS.

GOD might have bade the earth bring forth

Enough for great and small,

The oak-tree and the cedar-tree,

Without a flower at all.

We might have had enough, enough
For every want of ours,

For luxury, medicine, and toil,

And yet have had no flowers.

The ore within the mountain mine
Requireth none to grow;

Nor doth it need the lotus-flower

To make the river flow.