he whisper to himself; "ob, innocent days! days, wherein I tasted true joys without danger; days, since which I never saw one so pleasant, shall I not see you any more? He who has deprived me of you, by making me thus great, has utterly undone me.' 12. Alibeg, after a long absence, revisited his native village. Here he gazed with fondness on those places where he had formerly danced, sung, and tuned his pipe with his fellow-swains. He made presents to all his friends and relations; but advised them, as they valued their peace of mind, never to resign their rural pleasures, never to expose themselves to the anxieties and misfortunes of a court. Alibeg felt the weight of those misfortunes, soon after the death of his good master Sha-Abbas. 13. Sha-Sephi succeeded his father. Some envious, artful courtiers found means to prejudice the young prince against him. "He has," said they, "betrayed the trust reposed in him by the late king. He has hoarded up immense treasures, and embezzled" valuable effects." 14. Sha-Sephi was young, and a monarch; which was more than sufficient to make him credulous" and inconsiderate. He had, besides, the vanity to think himself qualified to reform his father's acts, and to judge of things better than the latter had done. To have some plea for removing Alibeg from his post, he commanded him to produce the cimeter, set with diamonds of an immense value, which his royal grandsire used to wear in battle. Sha-Abbas had formerly ordered these to be taken off; and Alibeg brought witnesses to prove that they were so removed long before his promotion. 15. When Alibeg's enemies found this scheme too weak to effect his ruin, they prevailed on Sha-Sephi to give him strict orders to produce an exact inventory of all the rich furniture intrusted to his care. Alibeg opened the doors, and showed every thing committed to his charge. No one article was missing: each was in its proper place, and preserved with great care. 16. The king, surprised to see such order every where observed, began to entertain a favorable opinion of Alibeg, till he espied, at the end of a long gallery, an iron door, with three strong locks. "There it is," whispered the envious courtiers in his ear, "that Alibeg has concealed all the valuable effects which he has purloined." The king now angrily exclaimed, "I will see what is in that room. What have you concealed there? Show it me." Alibeg fell prostrate at his feet, beseeching him not to take from him all that he now held valuable upon earth. 17. Sha-Sephi now took it for granted that Alibeg's illgotten treasure lay concealed within. He commanded the door to be opened. Alibeg, who had the keys in his pocket, unlocked the door. Nothing, however, was found there, but his crook, his pipe, and the shepherd's dress which he wore in his youth. 18. “Behold, great sir," said he, "the remains of my former felicity;s which neither fortune nor your majesty have taken from me. Behold my treasure, which I reserve to make me rich, when you shall think proper to make me poor. Take back every thing besides; but leave me these dear pledges of my ruralt station. These are my substantial riches, which will never fail me. 19. "These, O king! are the precious, yet innocent possessions of those who can live contented with the necessaries of life, without tormenting themselves about superfluous" enjoyments. These are riches which are possessed with liberty and safety; riches which never give me one moment's disquiet. Oh, ye dear implements of a plain, but happy life! I value none but you; with you I will live, and with you die. I here resign, great sir, the many favors which your royal bounty has bestowed upon me." 20. The king, convinced of Alibeg's innocence, instantly banished his accusers from court. Alibeg became his prime minister, and was intrusted with the most important secrets. He visited, however, every day, his crook, his pipe, and rural habit, that he might remember them, should fickle fortune deprive him of a monarch's favor. He died in a good old age, without wishing to have his enemies punished, or to increase his possessions; and left his relations no more than what would maintain them in the station of shepherds, which he always thought the safest and most happy. RET-I-NUE, a train of attendants. AD-JA'-CENT, near by; adjoining. h EF-FEM'-I-NATE, feminine; delicate. FENELON. m €ŌURT'-IERS, those who frequent courts. P CIM-E-TER, a short Turkish sword. • FE-LIC'-I-TY, happiness. tRU-RAL, pertaining to the country. [This story of "The Young Shepherd" is one of a number written by Archbishop Fenelon, for the amusement and instruction of the young dauphin, grandson of Louis XIV. of France, whose education had been intrusted to Fenelon's charge. The design of the writer in thus setting forth the natural credulity of a youthful king; the jealousy, envy, and wickedness of courtiers; and the final triumph of steadfast integrity, was to impress upon the young prince, who was looking forward to the throne, the truth that the highest worth is often found in lowly stations in life; and that it is one of the noblest virtues in a king to seek out merit, and to reward it, wherever it may be found. The story also teaches those who would leave an humble position to seek for honors and preferment, that high station is surrounded with dangers; and that security, and real happiness, are more likely to be found in a cottage than in a palace.] A STORY WITH A MORAL. THREE German robbers found a bag of gold. He thought, "I will poison the bread I buy, And seize the treasure when my comrades die." But they, too, thought, "When back his feet have hied, We will destroy him, and the gold divide." They killed him, and, partaking of the bread, In a few moments all were lying dead! O world'! behold what here thy goods have done'! MORAL.-A Society composed of none but the wicked, could not exist. It contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction, and, without a flood, would be swept from the earth by the deluge of its own iniquity. The moral cement of all society is virtue: it unites and preserves, while vice separates and destroys. Nothing is so blind and suicidal as the selfishness of vice. 1. UNDER the blue New England skies, Its meadows are greenest ever seen; Its harvest fields have the brightest sheen:a 2. I love, oh! better than words can tell, Above, the clear springs gurgle out, The oak-trees clasped in its crystal deeps. 3. Sheer twenty feet the water falls |