ed deliberately the loss and gain of practicing it; but fear of detection, the prospect of rising in the firm, and a conscience that might destroy his peace, have decided him to act in such a manner as to exclude the only element of honesty in the act, viz., a regard to the law of Heaven?

5. When a certain young man in Egypt was tempted to violate the rights of his master's household, he did not stop to calculate the policy of the fraud, or balance the loss or gain which might result. His eye flashed up to heaven, and he asked the fair temptress. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

QUESTIONS.-1. How might a dishonest clerk reason with himself, when the chance of defrauding his employer is offered? 2. Is a young man who refrains from fraud only from fear of detection, to be considered honest? 3. What alone is needed to make such a young man show his dishonesty in acts? 4. What alone makes him cling to fidelity? 5. What did a certain young man in Egypt say, when tempted to sin? 6. Who was this young man? See Genesis, 39th chap. 9th verse.

LESSON XXV.

SPELL AND DEFINE.-1. CON' FINES, borders; boundaries. 2. IN AUJESS' I BLE, that can not be approached. 3. DER' VISE, a Turkish priest or monk. 4. AUS TER I TY, severity; rigor of life. 5. STER'ILE, barren; unfruitful; not fertile. 6. SLAK ED, quenched; extinguished. 7. MAG NIE I CENT, grand; splendid. 8. MOSQUE, a Mohammedan temple. 9. SORU' PU LOUS LY, carefully; cautiously. 10. HY POO' RI SY, dissimulation; false pretense. 11. A BAN' DON ED, quitted; relinquished. 12. AN' CHOR ITE, a hermit; a monk. SANO' TI TY, holiness; piety. 14. STANCH, to stop the flow of. 15. CIM' E TER, a Turkish short sword. 16. IM MOR TAL I TY, the state of being exempt from death. 17. EN CUM' BER ED, clogged; impeded. 18. DIS BAND', to dismiss from service; to disperse.

13.

1. MO HAM' ME DAN, pertaining to the religion of Mohammed, a famous false prophet, who was born about the year of our Lord,

500.

2. BED' OU IN, (Bed ou een.) The Bedouins, that is, dwellers in the desert, are a numerous, wandering, Mohammedan race, dwelling in the deserts of Arabia, Egypt, and Northern Africa. They live at a distance from cities, occupying tents, huts, caverns, and ruins.

THE THREE HEAVY STONES.

ANON.

1. It was on the confines of the desert, amid barren and almost inaccessible rocks, that Ben Achmet, the Dervise, led a life of austerity and devotion. A cave in the rock was his dwelling. Roots and fruits, the scanty products of the sterile region he inhabited, satisfied his hunger, and the fountain that bubbled up from the lower part of a neighboring cliff, slaked his thirst.

2. He had formerly been a priest in a magnificent mosque, and scrupulously conducted the ceremonies of the 'Mohammedan faith; but, disgusted with the hypocrisy and injustice of those around him, he abandoned the mosque, and his authority as a priest, betaking himself to the desert, to spend his days as an anchorite, in self-denial and devotion.

3. Years rolled over the head of Ben Achmet, and the fame of his sanctity spread abroad. He often supplied the traveler of the desert with water from his little well. In times of pestilence he left his solitary abode to attend to the sick and comfort the dying in the villages that were scattered around, and often did he stanch the blood of the wounded Arab, and heal him of his wounds. His fame was spread abroad'; his name inspired veneration, and the plundering 'Bedouin gave up his booty at the command of Ben Achmet, the Dervise.

4. Akaba was an Arabian robber; he had a band of lawless men under his command, ready to do his -bidding. He had a treasure-house stored with illgotten wealth and a large number of prisoners. Th sanctity of Ben Achmet arrested his attention; his conscience smote him on account of his guilt, and he longed to be as famed for his devotion as he had been for his crimes.

5. He sought the abode of the Dervise, and told him his desires. "Ben Achmet," said he, "I have five hundred cimeters ready to obey me, numbers of

slaves at my command, and a goodly treasure-house filled with riches; tell me how to add to these the hope of a happy immortality?"

6. Ben Achmet led him to a neighboring cliff that was steep, rugged, and high, and pointing to three large stones that lay near together, he told him to lift them from the ground, and to follow him up the cliff. Akaba laden with the stones, could scarcely move; to ascend the cliff with them, was impossible. "I can not follow thee, Ben Achmet," said he, "with these burdens." "Then cast down one of the stones," replied the Dervise, "and hasten after me." Akaba dropped one of the stones, but still found himself too heavily encumbered to proceed.

7. "I tell thee it is impossible," cried the robber chieftain; "thou thyself couldst not proceed a step with such a load." "Let go another stone, then," said Ben Achmet.

8. Akaba readily dropped another stone, and with great difficulty clambered the cliff for awhile, till, exhausted with the effort, he again cried out that he could come no further. Ben Achmet directed him to drop the last stone, and no sooner had he done this, than he mounted with ease, and soon stood with his conductor on the summit of the cliff.

9. "Son," said Ben Achmet, "thou hast three burdens which hinder thee in thy way to a better world. Disband thy troops of lawless plunderers, set thy prisoners at liberty, and restore thy ill-gotten wealth to its owners; it is easier for Akaba to ascend this cliff with the stones that lie at its foot, than for him to journey onward to a better world, with power, pleasure, and riches in his possession.'

QUESTIONS.-1. Who was Ben Achmet? 2. Why did he abandon the Mohammedan faith? 3. Where did he betake himself? 4. In what acts of kindness and charity did he spend much of his time? 5. How did the Bedouins regard him? 6. How was Akaba, the robber, affected by the character of Ben Achmet? 7. What advice did Ben Achmet give to Akaba? 8. How did he show the robber the difficulty of journeying to a better world with the burden of sin on his shoulders?

LESSON XXVI

SFELL AND DEFINE.-1. EN' VY, to hate one for his excellence; to grudge. 2. CON TRA DICT' ORY, Opposite; contrary. 3. CON SUMES', absorbs; uses up. 4. RE PRESS', restrain; subdue. 5. CON TEMPT', disdain; scorn. 6. O VER RATING, placing too high a value on. 7. PER FEC TIONS, excellencies. 8. AD VAN TA' GEOUS, profitable; useful. 9. DE FEND', protect; advocate. 10. IN' NO CENCE, freedom from guilt purity. 11 VAL OR, courage; bravery. 12. DIS COURS' ING, talking, or speaking. 13. MER' IT, desert.

THE CURE OF ENVY.

SIR GEORGE MACKENZIE.

1. We may cure envy in ourselves, either by considering how useless or how ill those things are, for which we envy our neighbors; or else how we possess as many or as good things. If I envy his greatness, I consider that he wants my quiet; as also I consider that he possibly envies me as much as I do him; and that when I begun to examine exactly his perfections, and to balance them with my own, I found myself as happy as he was.

2. And though many envy others, yet very few would change their condition even with those whom they envy, all being considered. And I have often wondered why we have suffered ourselves to be so cheated by contradictory vices, as to contemn this day him whom we envied the last; or why we envy so many, since there are so few whom we think to deserve as much as we do.

3. Another great help against envy is, that we ought to consider how much the thing envied costs him whom we envy, and if we would take it at the price. Thus, when I envy a man for being learned, I consider how much of his health and time that learning consumes; if for being great, how he must flatter and serve for it; and if I would not pay his price, there is no reason why I ought to have what he possesses.

4. Sometimes, also, I consider that there is no reason for my envy; he whom I envy deserves more than he has, and I less than I possess. And by think

ing much of these, I repress their envy, which grows still from the contempt of our neighbor and the overrating of ourselves. As also I consider that the perfections envied by me, may be advantageous to me; and thus I check myself for envying a great pleader, but am rather glad that there is such a man, who may defend my innocence; or to envy a great soldier, because his valor may defend my estate or country.

5. And when any of my countrymen begin to raise envy in me, I alter the scene, and begin to be glad that my own country can boast of so fine a man; and I remember, that though now I am angry at him when I compare him with myself, yet if I were discoursing of my nation abroad, I would be glad of that merit in him which now displeases me.

6. Nothing is envied but what appears beautiful and charming; and it is strange that I should be troubled at the sight of what is pleasant. I endeavor, also, to make such my friends as deserve my envy; and no man is so base as to envy his friend. Thus, while others look on the angry side of merit, and thereby trouble themselves, I am pleased in admiring the beauties and charms which burn them as a fire, while they warm me as the sun.

QUESTIONS.-1. How may we cure envy in ourselves? 2. Can you mention the different ways suggested by the author of this piece!

What sound has x in examine, exactly? What difference in the sound of th in thinking and these? See p. 12.

LESSON XXVII.

SPELL AND DEFINE.-1. SO LIL' O QUY, a talking to one's self. 2 SOLITUDE, loneliness. 3. DE SPAIR', to give up hope. 4. DUN' GEON, a close, dark prison. 5. PEER, to come up just in sight; to peep. 6. PET AL, à flower leaf. 7. DI VERGE', to tend or shoot in various ways. 8. Fo' cus, the converging point where rays of light meet. 9. É MERGE shoot forth; issue from. 10. CRO' CUS, a kind of flower. 11. AR RAY ED, decked; dressed. 12. SE RENE', calm; placil. 13. DIS' MAL, gloomy; sad.

Avoid saying heow for how, deown for down, freown for frown, &c.