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and king of Spain, was also in the habit of wearing very plain clothes, as was Louis XI. of France, in whose accountbooks we find two shillings entered for fustian to make new sleeves for his old doublet, and three-halfpence for liquor to grease his boots. Yet all these great sovereigns were men who never grudged a large expense on proper occasions.

A FRUGAL FAMILY.

Children should learn to be careful of everything-not for their own use, for that may lead to selfishness, but for some use. It is generous in them to share what they have with their playmates, but they should never destroy anything. I once visited a family where the most exact economy was observed; yet nothing was mean or uncomfortable. From following a true economy, they were as comfortable with little as others could be with much. In this family, when the father brought home a package, the older children would of their own accord put away the paper and twine neatly, instead of throwing them into the fire, or tearing them to picccs. If the little ones wanted a piece of twine to play scratch-cradle, or spin a top, there it was in readiness; and when they threw it upon the floor, the older children had no need to be told to put it again in its place.

HALF-A-CROWN'S WORTH.

Valentine was in his thirteenth year, and a scholar in one of our great schools. He was a well-disposed boy, but could not help envying a little some of his companions who had a larger allowance of money than himself. He ventured in a letter to sound his father on the subject, not directly asking for a particular sum, but mentioning that many of the boys in his class had half-a-crown a-week for pocketmoney.

His father, who did not choose to comply with his wishes, for various reasons, nor yet to refuse him in a mortifying manner, wrote an answer, the chief purpose of which was to make him sensible what sort of a sum half-a-crown a-week was, and to how many more important uses it might be put, than to provide a schoolboy with things superfluous to him.

"Where potatoes are much cultivated, two bushels, weighing eighty pounds a-piece, may be purchased for half-acrown. Here are one hundred and sixty pounds of solid food, of which, allowing for the waste in dressing, you may reckon two pounds and a-half sufficient for the sole daily nourishment of one person. At this rate nine people might be fed a week for half-a-crown; poorly indeed, but so as many thousands are fed, with the addition of a little salt or buttermilk.

Many of the cottagers round us would receive with great thankfulness a sixpenny loaf per week, and reckon it a very material addition to their children's bread. For half-a-crown, therefore, you might purchase the weekly blessings of five poor families.

Many a cottage in the country, inhabited by a large family is let for forty shillings a-year. Half-a-crown a-week would pay the full rent of three such cottages, and allow somewhat over for repairs.

The usual price for schooling at a dame-school in a village is twopence a-week. You might therefore get fifteen children instructed in reading, and the girls in sewing, for half-a-crown weekly. But even in a town you might get them taught reading, writing, and accounts, and so fitted for any common trade, for five shillings a-quarter; and therefore half-a-crown a-week would keep six children at such a school, and provide them with books besides.

All these are ways in which half-a-crown a-weck might be made to do a great deal of good to others. I shall now just mention one or two ways of laying it out with advantage to yourself.

I know you are very fond of coloured plates of plants, and other objects of natural history. There are now several works of this sort publishing in monthly numbers. Halfa-crown a-week would reach the purchase of the best of these.

The same sum laid out in the old bookshops in London would buy you more classics, and pretty editions too, in one year, than you could read in five.

Now, I do not grudge laying out half-a-crown a-week upon you; but when so many good things for yourself and

others may be done with it, I am unwilling you should squander it away like your schoolfellows in tarts and trinkets."

Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather

UP THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN, THAT NOTHING BE LOST.John, vi. 11, 12.

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BENEVOLENCE.

THOUGH it is intended that every person should depend chiefly on himself for what he needs or desires, yet all mankind are connected by various common ties, and it is necessary that they should wish well to each other, and be disposed to serve and help each other, on all fitting occasions.

By wishing well to each other, we are induced to look with kindness on what our fellow-creatures are doing for themselves, and to address them in a friendly manner. The good words we use cause those we address to feel kindly to others, and thus an agreeable state of feeling is sent abroad throughout society, and the total amount of human happiness is much increased. If, on the contrary, men were not to wish well to each other, there would be a general sulkiness amongst them, and no one would feel happy.

There are many evils in the world from which no one can be sure of escaping, however careful he may be. We may be sick or hurt; our best schemes may fail; poverty and want may beset us. It is proper, when any suffer from these evils, that the rest should do what is in their power to console, help, and restore them. By these means the unfortunate are saved from extreme or great hardship, and the rest are made happier; for it is delightful to be able to lessen the sufferings of our fellow-creatures.

Men are also differently endowed by nature. Some are strong in body and mind, others weak. Some are little tempted to err, others are much tempted. Some get wealth and good education from their parents, others get neither. Different nations have lots not less unequal; some being enlightened, while others are sunk in barbarism. It is therefore necessary that we should all, both as individuals and as nations, take an interest in each other-the strong to help the weak, the good to correct and improve the bad, the rich to help the needy, and the enlightened to impart their knowledge to the ignorant.

Our Almighty Creator has given us the sentiment of benevolence, that we may use it for these purposes, and he has further, in the Scriptures, laid upon us his direct commands to love each his neighbour, to succour the poor, to visit the widow and fatherless, and to exhort and instruct one another.

In all these things we must use prudence. Where our gifts would encourage idleness, or minister to vice, it were better to withhold them. We must take care that our gifts are sure to relieve real suffering, and that they will do good, and not harm, to those who receive them. It is generally best to help a needy person in such a way as to enable him to help himself. We must also take care that what we give can be well spared, and that our giving it will not prevent us from paying what we owe to others. If we give what is not our own, or what ought to pay our own debts, we may be said rather to act as robbers than as givers.

HOWARD THE PHILANTHROPIST.

John Howard, an English gentleman of fortune, is famous for the exertions he made to lessen human suffering. On a voyage to Lisbon when a young man, he was taken by the French, and thrown into a wretched dungeon at Brest, where he and his companions had to lie for several nights on a stone floor, and were nearly starved. The hardships which he suffered, and saw others suffering, on this

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occasion, made a great impression on his mind, and when he returned to his country, he so exerted himself with the British government, that a complaint was made, and the French were induced to treat English prisoners with more humanity.

For some years afterwards, he lived at his estate at Cardington, near Bedford, diffusing happiness all around him. He settled a number of worthy and industrious persons in little cottages on his ground, and watched over their comfort with the greatest care. He built schools, where children were taught to read gratuitously; and he distributed a large portion of his income in charity, living, for his own part, on a very moderate sum. At length, about the year 1773, his attention was called to the state of the jails in his native county. He found them to be, as jails then were everywhere, dens of misery, where health was lost, and vice rather increased than punished. By great exertions he was able to effect some improvement in the prisons near his own residence. Then he was led to inquire into the condition of more distant jails. In time he visited every large prison in England, and many of those in Scotland and Ireland. Being able to describe their condition to persons in authority, he proved the means of causing two acts of parliament to be passed, one for lessening the fees to acquitted prisoners, and the other for preserving the health of prisoners. Having thus done some good in his own country, he resolved to extend his benevolent exertions abroad. In 1775, he commenced a series of tours on the continent, which were only concluded by his death sixteen years afterwards. He visited the prisons of every country in Europe, ascertaining their condition, and exerting himself with the various governments to get them improved. Everywhere he lived frugally, and devoted his superfluous fortune to the relief of the miserable. From time to time, in the course of his travels, he published his observations, with suggestions for a better system of prison discipline; and by these means, as well as by the interest felt in his own singular benevolence, he so effectually fixed public attention on the subject, that much improvement was the consequence. In 1784; he found