call it mean and miserly? Was that it? What is mean and miserly? Do you know what those terms signify?'

'Something very horrid, I am sure; and what everybody hates, and what you are not, I am certain, papa; for everybody loves you.'

'That's very good of everybody, I am sure, when a man wears a shabby hat. I did not think there had been so much goodness in the world. So it's mean and miserly in me, is it, Lucy?'

'So they say, and I cannot bear to hear it. Do, pray, papa, get a new hat.'

6. A mean person,' Mr. Lovel went on, bending his serious eyes upon his daughter's face, 'is one who spares his money by taking advantages of others; who endeavours to obtain services unrecompensed, and to discharge duties-the duties of hospitality, liberality, and generosity-by halves, in order to save the appearance and spare the cost. Do you understand me, my daughter?

'Yes, papa, I do.'

7. A miser is one,' Mr. Lovel continued, 'who hoards his money for no purpose but to gratify the base desire of mere possession-the sin of covetousness. Now, Lucy, though it does not become a man. to speak up for himself, this once I must do it. I am not mean, for the money I save is not intended to be hoarded. Child, we are very poor people, you and I, and it is difficult for the poor to walk uprightly, and honourably, and liberally, and generously; and it is most especially difficult to avoid false shame. But, my dear, we must be all these things, and we must defy false shame, if we would acquit ourselves to God

and to our consciences. You understand me, I see you do,' he went on; for the expressive eyes of the little girl showed that she did. And now I will tell you why I have not had a new hat. There is a man in this city who has fallen into great poverty, by no fault of his own, and his children are crying for bread. He is not a beggar; he cannot take refuge in the workhouse with his children; he would rather lie down and die than do that. He once, when my father was in difficulties, gave him money; I must now give him money. What I have he shall have. It would cost me a guinea to buy a new hat: I choose to give it to this man to buy bread for his children, Lucy, and I will wear a shabby hat, call me mean and miserly who may. Shall you be ashamed to walk with me now, Lucy?'

8. She made no answer; she still held the hat. Presently, she began to press it to her bosom and to cover it with kisses-with tears. She slid down from her father's knee, carrying the hat with her. Oh! how she and Mrs. Alworthy brushed and smoothed that hat, to improve its appearance! And they so succeeded that when Mr. Lovel put it upon his benevolent head, he declared that he did not know his own hat again!

1 Benevolent, wishing well to others, kind-hearted.

THE MEETING OF THE WATERS.

1. THERE is not in the wide world a valley so sweet As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters

meet;

Oh! the last rays of feeling and life must depart, Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my

heart.

2. Yet it was not that Nature had shed o'er the scene Her purest of crystal and brightest of green;

'Twas not her soft magic of streamlet or hill,

Oh! no-it was something more exquisite 1 still.

3. 'Twas that friends, the beloved of my bosom, were

near,

Who made every scene of enchantment more dear, And who felt how the best charms of nature improve,

When we see them reflected from looks that we love.

4. Sweet vale of Avoca! how calm could I rest

In thy bosom of shade, with the friends I love best; Where the storms that we feel in this cold world should cease,

And our hearts, like thy waters, be mingled in peace.

MOORE.

'Exquisite, extremely pleasing.

THE SINKING OF THE 'BIRKENHEAD.'

I. No English boy should have to confess that he never heard tell of the wreck of the 'Birkenhead.' Nor any English girl either, for every English girl ought to know how her countrymen behave to women and children in the hour of danger. We had a little war with the Kaffirs some years ago, and the 'Birkenhead' was a large troopship carrying soldiers out to Africa to fight these Kaffirs. She had about 650 souls on board of her. Most of them, of course, were soldiers, but there were, besides them, many women and some children.

2. Now just below a cape called, as it may well be called, Cape Danger, a reef of rocks runs out a long way from the coast under the sea. But the captain knew Cape Danger well, and where the sunken reef was, and all about them. It was the middle of the night, but the night was clear, and they were in a hurry to get to Kaffirland. And so the great ship went steaming along full speed within sight of the shore. All but the men and officers on the watch were fast asleep, but there was a sailor busy at work, on the paddle-box. He was heaving the lead with a long cord to the bottom of the sea, and hauling it up again. That was to find out whether the water was deep enough for the steamer to get along. He had just cried out fourteen fathoms,' when, in an instant, the ship struck with terrific force upon a sunken rock belonging to the reef.

3. The 'Birkenhead' was built of iron plates, but the rock was sharp, so it tore a great hole in the bottom

of the vessel, through which the sea came rushing in. All started from sleep when they heard the crash, but a great many poor people were drowned in their hammocks in the cabins. And now the roll of the drum called up the soldiers to arms. They fell into their ranks in close order on the deck of the sinking ship, just as if they were being mustered for parade in the barrack-yard on shore. Then the commander of the troops, Colonel Seaton, of the 74th Highlanders, called the officers round him. He told them to see that the men kept silence and discipline, and carried out whatever orders the captain of the ship might give. Sixty soldiers were sent to the pumps, to try and pump out the water. Sixty more were sent to get out the big life-boat and the other boats into the sea. All the rest, officers and men, were ordered to stand at ease, while the boats were lowered, and the women and children were helped into them. All these orders were quietly and promptly obeyed.

4. The funnel had fallen at the first shock. The biggest boat, which would have held 150 or more, got jammed under the funnel, and stuck fast. But they managed to get out two smaller ones, and lower them safely. The night, you know, was clear, and they could see the shore from the ship. But a heavy sea was running, and the boats tossed about in some danger on the waves. When each boat was as full as it was safe to fill it, the sailors pushed off from the Birkenhead' and made for the shore.

5. The first cargo was soon safely landed on the beach, and then the boat came back to the ship.