Lay a great wolf, all torn and dead,- Ah! what was then Llewellyn's pain, Vain, vain was all Llewellyn's woe,- The frantic deed which laid thee low And now a gallant tomb they raise, Here never could the spearman pass, Here oft the tear-besprinkled grass And here he hung his horn and spear; In fancy's piercing sound would hear Spencer. THE CAPTIVE WOODCHUCK. wood'-chuck, an American animal | por'-tion, a part coun'-sel (n.), one who pleads for ar'-gue, to give reasons for a thing cap'-ture, the act of taking prisoner wa'-ry, cautious prac'-ti-cal, relating to practice or action dumb, unable to speak boun'-ty, goodness vi'-o-late, to break in'-stinct, the natural knowledge self'-ish, thinking only of one's In New Hampshire, America, dwelt a farmer named Webster. He had two sons, Ezekiel and Daniel. Ezekiel had set a trap for a woodchuck, and caught him. Now, we'll kill the thief,' cried Ezekiel; 'you've done mischief enough to die, Mr. Woodchuck, and you shall die." 6 No, do n't,' begged his brother, pitying the poor captive, take him into the woods, and let him go.' The boys could not agree, so they carried the case to their father. 6 6 There is the prisoner,' said the farmer; you shall be the counsel, one for, and the other against his life, and plead the case before me. judge.' I will be the Ezekiel opened it, arguing against the mischievous disposition of the prisoner, and the harm he had already done in the garden. He spoke of the time and labour spent in capturing him, and how, if allowed to live and go at large, he would surely take to his evil habits again, and be wary enough not to be caught a second time; therefore he ought to die. If killed, his skin might be of some value: but making the most of that, it would not pay for the damage he had done. A pretty practical argument, and calculated to weigh on the old farmer's practical mind! But he turned to his other son, and said, 'I'll hear now what you have to say on the other side, Daniel.' Poor Daniel was afraid his brother had the best of the case; but when he turned his large dark eyes on the poor woodchuck, trembling with fear in the grating of its narrow prison, his breast swelled with pity, he took courage, and, looking the judge in the face, poured forth his plea in its behalf. "God,' said he, has made the woodchuck. He made him to live, to enjoy the bright sunshine, the pure air, the free fields and woods. God has not made him nor anything, in vain. The woodchuck has as much right to enjoy life as any living thing. He is not a destructive animal, as the fox or wolf is; he simply eats a few common vegetables, of which we have plenty, and can well spare a part. He destroys nothing except the little food he needs to sustain his humble life; and that little food is as sweet to him, as is to us the food on our mother's table. God has furnished our food; He gives us all we possess; and shall we not spare a little for this dumb creature, who really has as much right to his small share of God's bounty, as we ourselves have to our portion? Yea, more, the animal has never violated the laws of his nature or the laws of God, as man often does, but strictly follows the simple instincts he has received from the hand of the Creator of all things. Created by God's hand, he has a right to life, to food, to liberty; and we have no right to deprive him of either. Look,' he continued, at the mute but earnest pleadings of the little creature for life, as sweet and dear to him as ours to us; and what may not God's judgment be on us, if, in selfish cruelty and with cold hearts, 6 we take that life which can never be given back again?' Daniel saw the tears start in his father's eyes, and run down his sunburnt cheeks. This appeal to his mercy was too much for him; forgetting the judge, he sprang from his chair, exclaiming, Zeke, Zeke, you let that woodchuck go!' This is said to have been Daniel Webster-the great American lawyer and statesman's, first case, when he was only ten years old. It is certainly creditable both to his head and heart. And I hope every boy who reads it will think over the drift of his argument; and if he finds within him a disposition to torment, terrify, or kill God's humbler creatures, will remember Daniel Webster's first case, recall his words of mercy, and let the woodchuck go.'-Child's Paper. 6 THE CHILD AND THE HIND. hind, a female deer Wies-ba'-den, capital of Nassau Nas-sau', a German state deck (v.), to ornament en-twi'-ned, twisted round me-an'-der, to wind about as-cen'-sion, the going up of our kith, relations Saviour into heaven glad'-some, full of gladness for-lorn', forsaken a-ban'-don-ed, given up ar-ti-san', a skilled workman cher-u-bim, plural of cherub, an hap'-ly, by chance angel Come, maids and matrons, to caress And, smiling, deck its glossy neck The deer-park's pleasant ground. Here came a twelve years' married pair- Their Wilhelm, little innocent! By turns he gave his hand, so dear, To parent, sister, brother, And each, that he was safe and near, Confided in the other. But Wilhelm loved the field-flowers bright, And culled them with as keen delight |