He stood in the gate of the temple he had periled his life to save;

And the face of the hero, my children, was the sable face of a slave!

With folded arms he was speaking, in tones that were clear. not loud,

And his eyes, ablaze in their sockets, burnt into the eyes of the crowd:

"You may keep your gold: I scorn it!-but answer me, ye

who can,

If the deed I have done before you be not the deed of a man?"

He stepped but a short space backward; and from all the women and men

There were only sobs for answer; and the mayor called for a pen,

And the great seal of the city, that he might read who ran: And the slave who saved St. Michael's went out from its door, a man.

THE SCHOOLMASTER'S SLEEP.-BEN WOOD DAVIS.

The schoolmaster was weary,
Was weary, old and gray;
And heaviness came o'er him
Upon that summer day,—

A heaviness of spirit

And nameless sense of pain,
He struggled hard to banish,
But struggled all in vain.

The drowsy schoolroom murmur
He heard, and in his trance,
He knew his school were watching
His face with stealthy glance.

He knew, and for a moment,
He aroused himself again,

To battle off the stupor

That crushed his weary brain.

In vain! for with the effort,

His head dropped on his breast,
His breath came faint and fainter,
And soon he sank to rest.

And then arose an uproar.
And boundless was the glee
Among those little scholars,
The schoolmaster to see.

The dunce tried all his antics,
His vacant stare and grin,
To gain one shout of laughter
And multiply the din.

See, now he points his finger
At the master's face so white,
And rolls his eyes and chatters
With ludicrous affright!

And all the little urchins

And maidens shout with joy;
And with the tears of laughter
Cry," What a funny boy!"
An hour now was passing,
But still the master slept;
And greater grew the tumult
These little scholars kept,

Until a little maiden,

Who watched the haggard face,
With grave concern and wonder,
Stole softly from her place,—

Stole softly to the master

And gently touched his head,
And started back in terror-
The schoolmaster was dead!

"HEZ" AND THE LANDLORD.

In a quiet little Ohio village, many years ago, was a tavern where the stages always changed, and the passengers expected to get breakfast. The landlord of the said hotel was noted for his tricks upon travelers, who were allowed to get fairly seated at the table, when the driver would blow his horn (after taking his "horn,") and sing out," Stage ready, gentlemen!"— whereupon the passengers were obliged to hurry out to take their seats, leaving a scarcely-tasted breakfast behind them, for which, however, they had to fork over

fifty cents. One day, when the stage was approaching the house of this obliging landlord, a passenger said that he had often heard of the landlord's trick, and he was afraid they would not be able to eat any breakfast.

"What!-how? No breakfast!" exclaimed the rest. "Exactly so, gents, and you may as well keep your seats and tin."

"Don't they expect passengers to breakfast?"

"Oh, yes! they expect you to it, but not to eat it. I am under the impression that there is an understanding between the landlord and the driver, that for sundry and vari ous drinks, &c., the latter starts before you can scarcely commence eating."

"What on earth air you all talking about? Ef you calkelate I'm goin' to pay four-and-ninepence for my breakfast, and not get the valee on't, yo're mistakin," said a voice from a back seat, the owner of which was one Hezekiah Spaulding -though "tew hum" they call bim "Hez" for short. "I'm goin' to get my breakfast here, and not pay nary red cent till I do."

"Then you'll be left."

"Not as you knows on, I won't."

66

Well, we'll see," said the other, as the stage drove up to the door, and the landlord, ready "to do the hospitable," says

“Breakfast just ready, gents! Take a wash, gents? Here's water, basins, towels, and soap."

After performing the ablutions, they all proceeded to the dining-room, and commenced a fierce onslaught upon the edibles, though Hez took his time. Scarcely had they tasted their coffee, when they heard the unwelcome sound of the horn, and the driver exclaim-"Stage ready!" Up rise eight grumbling passengers, pay their fifty cents, and take their seats.

"All on board, gents?" inquires the host.

"One missing," said they.

Proceeding to the dining-room, the host finds Hez very coolly helping himself to an immense piece of steak, the size of a horse's hip.

"You'll be left, sir! Stage going to start!"

"Well, I hain't nothing to say agin it," drawled out Hez. "Can't wait sir-better take your seat."

"I'll be gall-darned ef I dew, nother, till I've got my breakfast! I paid for it, and I'm goin' to get the valee on't; and ef you calkelate I hain't, you are mistakin."

So the stage did start, and left Hez, who continued his attack upon the edibles. Biscuits, coffee, &c., disappeared before the eyes of the astonished landlord.

Say, squire, them there cakes is 'bout eat-fetch on another grist on 'em. You" (to the waiter,) "'nother cup of that ere coffee. Pass them eggs. Raise your own pork, squire? This is 'mazin' nice ham. Land 'bout here tolerable cheap, squire? Hain't much maple timber in these parts, hev ye? Dew right smart trade, squire, I calkelate?" And thus Hez kept quizzing the landlord until he had made a hearty meal.

Say, squire, now I'm 'bout to conclude paying my devowers to this ere table, but jest give us a bowl of bread and milk to top off with, and I'd be much obleeged tew ye."

So out go the landlord and waiter for the bowl, milk, and bread, and set them before him. "Spoon, tew, ef you please." But no spoon could be found. plenty of silver ones lying on stopped.

Landlord was sure he had

the table when the stage

'Say, dew ye? dew ye think them passengers is goin' to pay ye for break fuss and not get no compensashun?”

66 Ah, what?

them?"

Do you think any of the passengers took

Ef they

"Dew I think? No, I don't think, but I'm sartin. air all as green as yew 'bout here, I'm goin' to locate immediately, and tew wonst.

The landlord rushes out to the stable, and starts a man off after the stage, which had gone about three miles. The man overtakes the stage, and says something to the driver in a low tone. He immediately turns back, and on arriving at the hotel, Hez comes out, takes his seat, and says—

"How air yew, gents? I'm rotted glad to see yew." "Can you point out the man you think has the spoons?"

asked the landlord.

"Pint him out? Sartinly I ken. Say, squire, I paid yew four-and-ninepence for a break fuss, and I calkelate I got the valee on't! You'll find them spoons in the coffee-pot." "Go ahead! All aboard, driver."

The landlord stared.

TRUE SOURCE OF CONTENTMENT.

A man in his carriage was riding along,
A gaily-dressed wife by his side;

In satin and lace she looked like a queen,
And he like a king in his pride.

A wood-sawyer stood on the street as they passed;
The carriage and couple he eyed,

And said, as he worked with his saw on a log,

66

I wish I was rich and could ride."

The man in the carriage remarked to his wife,

"One thing I would do if I could

I'd give all my wealth for the strength and the health
Of the man who is sawing the wood."

A pretty young maid with a bundle of work,
Whose face as the morning was fair,
Went tripping along with a smile of delight,
While humming a love-breathing air.

She looked in the carriage, the lady she saw,
Arrayed in apparel so fine,

And said, in a whisper, "I wish from my heart,
Those satins and laces were mine."

The lady looked out on the maid with her work,
So fair in her calico dress,

And said, "I'd relinquish position and wealth
Her beauty and youth to possess."

Thus it is in this world, whatever our lot,
Our minds and our time we employ

In longing and sighing for what we have not,
Ungrateful for what we enjoy.

We welcome the pleasure for which we have sighed,
The heart has a void in it still,

Growing deeper and wider the longer we live,

That nought but Religion can fill.