brother, was a shilling. You see it is worth twelve of us; and that, indeed, is why we are all arranged in heaps of twelve, each heap counting one shilling.' 'But I see white coins bigger than shillings. What are they?? 'One is the florin, worth two of the shillings, so that it takes twenty-four of us to equal it. The florins are quite a new branch of the family, and very proud they are, perhaps, because on them the Queen wears her crown. They are fast pushing their way in the world, and, I am told, are likely soon to usurp the place of their two elder brothers, and drive them into obscurity.' 'Who are those two elder brothers?' 'The one is not very much richer than the florin, being worth only six pennies more, that is, thirty in all. His name is half-crown. Then the biggest of all is called the crown. Just imagine what the crown is worth. Why, it is equal to five shillings; and, dear me, would buy as much as sixty of us.' My old friend sighed, and I began to fall very much in my own estimation. To think that that one coinand I did not consider it so very much bigger than myself after all-was worth sixty such as I! Neither of us spoke for some time. Then I sought for something to heal my wounded pride. 'But, brother,' I cried eagerly; 'have we no poor relations?' 'O yes,' he replied, 'we have two. friend the halfpenny. His name tells buy only half as much as we can. that little brown thing, the farthing. of them.' There is first our you that he can And then there is We are worth four 'Then, brother,' said I-and I am now ashamed to confess that I said it, for the feeling was a wrong one'when the florins, and the shillings, and all our other white relations despise us, we can turn round, and, in our turn, despise these paltry halfpennies and farthings.' Just then a man entered the bank with a strong canvas bag in his hand. 'Listen, my brother,' said my old friend; 'I fear your time has come, and we cannot remain long together. I have yet said nothing of the yellow family, and I must be brief. There are two branches of them, and you may occasionally find yourself in their society; bright yellow gold coins they are, and richer than the richest of our silver relations. The smaller one, somewhat like a sixpence in size, is the half-sovereign, worth ten shillings. The larger, about the size of a shilling, is the sovereign, and is worth ' But the heap on which I lay was lifted as he spoke. While I was being borne off I heard him say: 'Count and see.' The man dropped us into his bag, saying, as he did so, 'One shilling.' Then there fell on us a heap of pennies similar to the first. The man said 'two shillings,' and so on he went. I was at the bottom of the bag, and after a time could hardly hear for all the crowd of pennies above me. But by listening attentively I made out eighteen shillings,' nineteen shillings,' and then, when the twentieth heap dropped among us, I thought I heard him say 'One Pound.' The bag was tied, and we were carried off. I have been in queer places, and seen many strange things since then; but, whether a pound and a sovereign are the same thing, and, if they are, how many pennies go to make a pound, I could never learn. Can any boy or girl inform me? 3. The kingfisher came back again, To view thy fairy place; As if thy home to grace. 4. But soon the mountain flood came down, g. Hadst thou no fear, as night came down Upon thy watery way, Of enemies, and dangers dire That round about thee lay? 10. Didst thou not see the falcon grim 11. The eagle's scream came wildly near, Nor man, who seeing thee, weak thing, 12. And down the foaming waterfall, As thou wast borne along, Hadst thou no dread? O daring bird, Thou hadst a spirit strong! 13. Yes, thou hadst fear! But He who sees The sparrows when they fall; He saw thee, bird, and gave thee strength. To brave thy perils all. 14. He kept thy little ark afloat; He watched o'er thine and thee; And safely through the foaming flood Hath brought thee to the sea! |