While Hanson, heavy brow'd, with shoulders bent,
Bent with great lifting of huge stones-for he
A mason and famed builder is-replies

With tongue as sharp and dexterous as his trowel,
And sentences which like his hammer fall,
Bringing the flinty fire at every blow!

5. But soon the approaching parson ends in peace
The wordy combat, and all turn within.
Awhile rough shoes, some with discordant creak,
And voices clearing for the psalm, disturb
The sacred quiet, till, at last, the vail
Of silence wavers, settles, falls; and then
The hymn is given, and all arise and sing.
Then follows prayer, which from the pastor's heart
Flows unpretending, with few words devout
Of humble thanks and askings; not with lungs
Stentorian,' assaulting heaven's high wall,
Compelling grace by virtue of a siege!

This done, with loving care he scans his flock,
And opes the sacred volume at the text.

6. Wide is his brow, and full of honest thought-
Love his vocation, truth is all his stock.
With these he strives to guide, and not perplex
With words sublime and empty, ringing oft
Most musically hōllōw. All his facts

Are simple, broad, sufficient for a world!

He knows them well, teaching but what he knows.
He never strides through metaphysic2 mists,

Or takes false greatness because seen through fogs,
Nor leads 'mid brambles of thick argument
Till all admire the wit which brings them through;
Nor e'er essays, in sermon or in prayer,

To share the hearer's thought; nor strives to make

- Sten to' ri an, extremely loud. Stentor was the Greek name of a man having a very loud voice. Met a phys' ics, the science of the principles and causes of all things existing; the science, or regulated knowledge, of the mind.

THE COUNTRY CHURCH.

The smallest of his congregation lose

One glimpse of heaven, to cast it on the priest.

7. Such simple course, in these ambitious times,
Were worthy imitation; in these days,

When brazen tinsel bears the palm from worth,
And trick and pertness take the sacred desk;
Or some coarse thunderer, arm'd with doctrines new
Aims at our faith a blow to fell an ox-
Swinging his sledge,' regardless where it strikes,
Or what demolishes-well pleased to win
By either blows or noise!—A modern seer,
Crying destruction! and, to prove it true,
Walking abroad, for demolition' arm'd,
And boldly leveling where he can not build!

8. The service done, the congregation rise,

And with a freshness glowing in their hearts,
And quiet strength, the benison of prayer,
And wholesome admonition, hence depart.
Some, lōth to go, within the graveyard loiter,
Walking among the mounds, or on the tombs,
Hanging, like pictured grief beneath a willow,
Bathing the inscriptions with their tears; or here,
Finding the earliest violet, like a drop
Of heaven's anointing blue upon the dead,
Bless it with mournful pleasure; or, perchance,
With careful hands, recall the wandering vine,
And teach it where to creep, and where to bear
Its future epitaph of flowers. And there,
Each with a separate grief, and some with tears,
Ponder the sculptured lines of consolation.

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T. BUCHANAN READ.

1 Sledge, a heavy hammer.- Demolition (dem o lish' un), act of over throwing or destroying; ruin.-Benison (bên' ne zn), benediction; a blessing; reward.

44. THE CYNIC.

THE cynic' is one who never sees a good quality in a man, and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness, and blind to light; mousing for vermin,3 and never seeing noble game. The cynic puts all human actions inte only two classes-openly bad, and secretly bad.

2. All virtue and generosity and disin'terestedness are merely the appearance of good, but selfish at the bottom. He holds that no man does a good thing, except for profit. The effect of his conversation upon your feelings is to chill and sear them; to send you away sour and morose.' His criticisms and innuendoes fall indiscriminately upon every lovely thing, like frost upon flowers.

3. "Mr. A," says some one, "is a religious man." He will answer: "Yes; on Sundays." "Mr. B has just joined the church" "Certainly: the elections are coming on." The minister of the Gospel is called an example of diligence: "It is his trade." Such a man is generous :-" of other men's money.” This man is obliging :—“ to lull suspicion and cheat you." That man is upright :-" because he is green."

4. Thus, his eye strains out every good quality, and takes in only the bad. To him, religion is hypocrisy," honesty a preparation for fraud," virtue only want of opportunity, and undeniable purity asceticism." The live-long day he will sit with sneer ing lip, uttering sharp speeches in the quietest manner, and in

'Cyn' ic, a surly, snarling man. The Cynics were a sect of philosophers in ancient Greece, who affected to despise all the refinements of life. The sect was founded by Antisthenes, and supported by Diogenes. The name is derived from the Greek word for "dog," because they lived more like dogs than men. Hence, any ill-natured person, despising the common courtesies of life, is called a cynic.-2 Vig'ilant, watchful.* Ver' min, noxious animals, as rats, mice, worms, &c.— Game, animals that are hunted. Dis in' ter est ed ness, fairness; not favoring one's self.- Sear, burn; harden.- Mo rose', sour; peevish. In nu ên' do, a hint carefully given; a sly suggestion. In dis crim' i nate ly, without distinction.-10 Hy poc' ri sy, the putting on of an appearance of virtue, or goodness, which one does not possess." Fraud, deceit; dishonesty. As cet' i cism, the practice of undue severity and selfdenial.

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12

EPITAPH ON A CANDLE.

125

polished phrase transfixing every character which is presented. "His words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords."

5. All this, to the young, seems a wonderful knowledge of human nature; they honor a man who appears to have found out mankind. They begin to indulge theraselves in flippant sneers; and with supercilious brow, and impudent tongue, wag. ging to an empty brain, call to naught the wise, the long-tried, and the venerable.

6. I do believe, that man is corrupt enough; but something of good has survived his wreck; something of evil, religion has restrained, and something partially restored; yet, I look upon the human heart as a mountain of fire. I dread its crater. I tremble when I see its lāva3 roll the fiery stream.

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7. Therefore, I am the more glad, if upon the old crust of past eruptions, I can find a single flower springing up. So far from rejecting appearances of virtue in the corrupt heart of a depraved race, I am eager to see their light, as ever măriner was to see a star in a stormy night.

8. Moss will grow upon gravestones; the ivy will cling to the moldering pile; the mistletoe' springs from the dying branch; and, God be praised, something green, something fair to the sight and grateful to the heart, will yet twine around and grow out of the seams and cracks of the desolate temple of the human heart!

H. W. BEECHER.

'Trans fix' ing, piercing through; stabbing.- Flip' pant, smooth easily spoken; pert.-3 Su per cil' ious, scowling; proud; haughty.'Cra' ter, the cup, mouth, or hollow top of a volcano.- Là' va, melte matter from a volcano.-Erůp' tions, outpourings; burstings out.'Mistletoe (miz' zl tỏ), a plant that grows on trees.- Wick' ed, having a wick. The reader will notice that every stanza of this piece contains a věry happy play on words.

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2. He once was fat, but now, indeed,
He's thin as any griever;

He died, the doctors all agreed,
Of a most burning fever.

3. One thing of him is said with truth,
With which I'm much amused;
It is that when he stood, forsooth,
A stick he always used.

Now winding-sheets' he sometimes made;
But this was not enough,
For, finding it a poorish trade,
He also dealt in snuff.

5. If e'er you said, "Go out, I pray,"
He much ill nature show'd;
On such occasions, he would say,
66 Vy,
if I do, I'm blow'd."

6. In this his friends do all agree,

Although you'll think I'm joking,
When going out, 'tis said that he
Was very fond of smoking.

7. Since all religion he despised,
Let these few words suffice,

Before he ever was baptized,

They dipp'd him once or twice.

PUNCH.

46. COMPARISON OF WATCHES.

THEN Griselda thought that her husband had long enough. enjoyed his new existence, and that there was danger of his forgetting the taste of sorrow, she changed her tone.-One day, when he had not returned home exactly at the appointed minute,

'Wind' ing-sheets, melted tallow, that runs down and hardens around a candle.