13. In short, there was no use, but the right one, to which he did not put every thing that came in his way. But Uncle Abel was most of all puzzled to know what to do with him on the Sabbath, for on that day Master Edward seemed to exert himself particularly to be entertaining.

14. "Edward, Edward, must not play Sunday," his father would say; and then Edward would shake his curls over his eyes, and walk out of the room as grave as the catechism; but the next moment you might see pussy scampering in all dismay through the "best room," with Edward at her heels, to the manifest discomposure of Aunt Betsey, and all others in authority.

15. At last my uncle came to the conclusion that "it wasn't in natur to teach him any better," and that "he would no more keep Sunday, than the brook down the lot." My poor uncle! he did not know what was the matter with his heart, but certain it was that he lost all faculty of scolding when little Edward was in the case, though he would stand rubbing his spectacles a quarter of an hour longer than common, when Aunt Betsey was detailing his witticisins and clever doings.

16. But in process of time our hero compassed his third year, and arrived at the dignity of going to school. He went illustriously through the spelling-book, and then attacked the catechism; went from "man's chief end" to "the commandments" in a fortnight, and at last came home, inordinately merry, to tell his father he had got to "Amen,"

Uncle Abel and Little Edward-(continued.)

1. AFTER this, he made a regular business of saying over the whole every Sunday evening, standing with his hands folded in front, and his checked apron smoothed down, occasionally giving a glance over his shoulder, to see whether pussy was attending. Being of a very benevolent turn of mind, he made several very commendable efforts to teach Bose the catechism, in which he succeeded as well as could be expected.

2. In short, without further detail, Master Edward bade fair to be a literary wonder. But alas, for poor little Edward! his merry dance was soon over. A day came when

he sickened. Aunt Betsey tried her whole herbarium, but in vain; he grew rapidly worse and worse. His father sickened in heart, but said nothing; he only staid by his bedside day and night, trying all means to save, with affecting pertinacity.

3. "Can't you think of any thing more, doctor?" said he to the physician, when every thing had been tried in vain. "Nothing," answered the physician. A slight convulsion passed over my uncle's face. "Then the Lord's will be

done!" said he.

4. Just at that moment a ray of the setting sun pierced the checked curtains, and gleamed like an angel's smile across the face of the little sufferer. He awoke from disturbed sleep.

5. "Oh dear! oh, I am so sick!" he gasped feebly. His father raised him in his arms; he breathed easier, and looked up with a grateful smile.

6. Just then his old play-mate, the cat, crossed the floor. "There goes pussy," said he. "Oh dear, I shall never play with pussy any more."

7. At that moment a deadly change passed over his face; he looked up to his father with an imploring expression, and put out his hands. There was one moment of agony, and then the sweet features all settled with a smile of peace, and mortality was swallowed up of life."

8. My uncle laid him down, and looked one moment at his beautiful face; and "he lifted up his voice and wept." -The next morning was the Sabbath-the funeral dayand it rose "with breath all incense, and with cheek all bloom." Uncle Abel was as calm and collected as ever, but in his face there was a sorrow-stricken expression that could not be mistaken.

9. I remember him at family prayers, bending over the great Bible, and beginning the psalm, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations." Apparently he was touched by the melancholy splendor of the poetry; for after reading a few verses, he stopped. There was a dead silence, interrupted only by the tick of the clock. He cleared his voice repeatedly, and tried to go on, but in vain. He closed the book, and knelt to prayer.

10. The energy of sorrow broke through his usual formal reverence, and his language flowed forth with a deep and sorrowful pathos, which I have never forgotten. The God

so much reverenced, so much feared, seemed to draw near to him as a friend and comforter, to be his refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."

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11. My uncle arose, and I saw him walk toward the room of the departed one. I followed, and stood with him over the dead. He uncovered the face. It was set with the seal of death, but oh, how surpassingly lovely was the impression! The brilliancy of life was gone, but the face was touched with the mysterious, triumphant brightness, which seems like the dawning of heaven."

12. My uncle looked long and steadily. He felt the beauty of what he gazed on; his heart was softened, but he had no words for his feelings. He left the room unconsciously, and stood in the front door.

13. The bells were ringing for church; the morning was bright, the birds were singing merrily, and the little pet squirrel of little Edward was frolicking about the door. My uncle watched him as he ran, first up one tree, and then another, and then over the fence, whisking his brush, and chattering just as if nothing was the matter,

14. That day the dust was committed to dust, amid the lamentations of all who had known little Edward. Years have passed since then, and my uncle has long been gathered to his fathers; but his just and upright spirit has entered the liberty of the sons of God.

15. Yes, the good man may have opinions which the philosophical scorn, weaknesses at which the thoughtless smile; but death shall change him into all that is enlightened, wise, and refined. "He shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars forever and ever."

LESSON LXII.

Migration of Birds.

[Migration, the act of removing from one country to another, for the purpose of residence.]

1. THE whole feathered family is more or less organized for flight. But we shall find a marked organic difference* between those destined to emigration, and far and frequent

*

Organic difference, difference in the organs, that is, in the size, shape, &c., of the bones, and other parts of the body.

flights, and those which are seldom disposed to quit the ground, and soar towards the clouds. If we carefully scru tinize the structure of the former, we shall find their bones slender, hollow, and deprived of marrow.

2. We shall discover skilfully contrived cavities communicating with the lungs, by means of which they are inflated* with warm and rarefied air,† which increases their lightness. They are universally penetrated with these cavities, all capable of voluntary dilatation; ‡ and by these means they become almost capable of rising in the air, like balloons. Such is the admirable structure of the eagle and the lark.

3. They thus escape bondage to man, to whom they would have been useless; while the birds that subserve our necessities, such as the turkey and the domestic fowls, have large bones, with no uncommon cavity, and seem constrained to sojourn with us, even by the necessity of their organi-. zation.

4. The most interesting phenomenon in the history of birds, is their migration. Naturalists have puzzled themselves in attempting to account for the restlessness which impels these aërial travellers to commence these distant journeys. Unable to explain the fact, some have denied it. Others have believed, that the swallows sleep out the winter with the fishes, at the bottoms of the lakes and rivers.

5. Dr. Mather, in a number of the "Philosophical Transactions" of England, seriously maintains, that these travelling birds retire, during the winter, into a satellite|| of our earth, which, though not far distant, is as yet unknown to us. These conjectures are well known to be the mere coinage of the imagination, having been entirely refuted by more accurate observation. There are few travellers who have not noted the migrating birds, in the intermediate stages of their journey, over the midst of the seas, or on foreign plains.

6. Our own vast country, which embraces two climates, furnishes ample demonstrations of this sort. The hectic invalid, who departs from the remote north of our republic, with the first menace of winter, to breathe the milder air of the south, finds that the robin and the oriole of his native

*Inflated, swelled out. + Rarefied air, air made lighter by heat. Dilatation, expansion, swelling out.

§ Aerial travellers, travellers in the air.

Satellite, a small planet that revolves round a larger; the moon is satellite to the earth.

orchards have emigrated before him. Their note in these far countries is the note of a stranger; for they sing their real domestic songs only in the regions where they reared their young.

7. Who teaches the birds of the north when the figs of the south ripen? How do they divine the prevalent winds, and the vicissitudes of the seasons in distant countries? Who teaches them to fly from region to region, and from harvest to harvest, every where to levy a tribute upon the labors of man, or the bounties of nature, and thus keep pace with spring, or harvest, over the whole globe? But though the earth is their country, we find that one consecrated nook in it, is the place of their songs, their domestic bowers, and their loves.

8. Reckless as they seem, and the plunderers of all harvests, these Arabs of the air still have their home. Obeying the intimation of Providence, they execute their great voyages at the return of the equinoxes,* when unvarying winds prevail with great force in the direction of their migration. They sail upon the winds over mountains, rivers, and seas, as if these aërial currents had no other purpose than to convey them from one country to another.

9. There is not another more striking proof of the infinite intelligence of Providence, than this apparent understanding between the order of nature, and the wants of all animals, by which they are enabled to avail themselves of its powers.

10. At the return of spring, when the re-animated earth decks itself anew with flowers, Providence awakens a gentle breeze upon the shores of Asia and Africa. It blows steadily westward, and becomes a zephyr upon the isles of the ocean. The battalions of emigrating birds, attentive to the mysterious signal, assemble upon the ruins of Thebes and Memphis, form in martial phalanxes, or long triangles, the more easily to traverse the plains of the air, and gaily commence their voyage.

11. In no part of the globe are these migrations more marked with beautiful regularity, than in our American cliThe meadows of New England, desolate and iceclad during the long winter, scarcely put forth the yellow

mate.

*

Equinox, from two Latin words which mean equal night; a point which the earth reaches in its annual course round the sun, when the days and nights are of equal length. It occurs twice in the year— about the 20th of March and of September.