knew the Scythians were too strong for their little company, and if they pleased could destroy them: then, too, they knew that if they should do this, and Darius should, after all, make his escape, they should be well punished for deserting their post, notwithstanding the agreement. So they were quite in a puzzle to know what to do: at last, Hystæius, the principal commander, promised the Scythians he would break down the bridge, and actually began, on the Scythian side, to do it. The Scythians had no idea that he would deceive them, and as soon as they saw the work commenced, they ran off to meet and fight with Darius, thinking they had him safe in their power. But it happened that he had taken another road, and come to the bridge in the night, when lo! it was gone; and what should he do? However, he thought it possible the Ionians might still be about there, and he ordered all his army to call out the name of Hystæius as loud they could. And now, Jane, if you want a riddle, guess how the old woods and mountains rung and echoed.

H. Oh! I'd give anything to hear such a racket; it would exactly suit me; why mama, you think you are almost crazy, when only we children all get talking at once; and what would you think if you had heard

Darius' army? Oh it was worth hearing, I know. But papa, did the Ionians hear it?

Mr H. Yes, easily enough; they were only on the opposite side of the river, and they went to work and repaired the bridge, and Darius and his army got safe into Thrace, and then over the Bosphorus, (or the stream which runs from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean,) and spent the winter and a great part of the next year in Sardis, to recruit his almost worn out army. After he was gone, the Scythians, out of revenge, crossed the Danube, and ravaged all the country between that river and the Bosphorus, and then away they ran into their own wild country again, leaving the Thracians to return to their allegiance to the Persians.

J. Well; now I should think Darius would be contented to stay at home.

H. I suspect he will wish to do something to make up for his late disappoint

ment.

Mr H. Yes: he undertook, and accomplished, the conquest of India, which it seems had revolted since the time of Cyrus, or else had never been really under the power of the Persians, but merely an ally.

J. Now you will have some good stories to tell us about Darius, I am sure, papa.

Mr H. Not one. There is nothing transmitted to us of this transaction, except that it was done, and that the revenue of this province alone, amounted to more than 2,000,000 of dollars. I can tell you one thing, however, which shows that Darius had learned some prudence, by his Scythian expedition. Before he invaded India, he sent Scylax, a Grecian mariner, to build a fleet of ships on the river Indus, and sail down that river, making all the discoveries he possibly could, of the country, on both sides of it. Scylax was gone two years and a half, and returned to Persia by the way of the Red Sea; and the information he acquired, was of very great service to Darius in forming his plans for the conquest of India.

But even this did not satisfy the ambition of Darius, for he began to make great preparations for the conquest of Greece,

J. Oh papa, will he never stop fighting

when he has no need of it?

Mr H. Yes, Jane, very soon too; for death, the conquorer of all, arrested him before he had conquered Greece; and with this remark I think we will close for the night.

13*

CHAPTER VII.

HISTORY OF THE GRECIANS.

'I wonder if mama will tell us about the Grecians to day;' said Henry Harrison to to his sisters, as he stood by the fire the next morning, whittling a bit of shingle into the shape of a sword for George; for my part, I quite like to study history in this storytelling way; don't you, Fanny?' And you seem to like warlike preparations too;' said his mother, smiling, as she entered the room at the moment; it is hardly sunrise yet, and you have already nearly made a sword, I see.' Yes mama, and I am going to make George a bow and arrow, if I get my lesson done early enough; and Jane is going to make him a cap, and we are going to get papa to cut that old tin pail to pieces, and that we shall tie around him for his armor; and if we could have a shield; mama, would you be so good as to show Fanny how to make it, if I can find some pieces of leather?' Oh, nonsense, Henry, what is all that for? surely you are too old for such playthings;' said Mrs Harrison, almost impatiently. But, mother, it is not for me; it

is for George; George is a little boy, I am sure, and will be pleased enough with it. Men make playthings, and why may not I? and tomorrow George is five years old, and we mean to make him look like a Persian soldier. I tell you mama it will suit him to the very top; now we may, mayn't we?' 'Yes,

yes,' said рара, 'better be pleasing each other in this way, than running off with bad boys and learning mischief." How much oftener would home be the best place to boys, if they were not driven away because they were boys and not men. Children must be allowed to interest themselves in children's things. It is as useless to expect their minds to be occupied with men's thoughts and pursuits, as to wish to dress their bodies in men's clothes: and usually they appear about as well in the one as the other. Their plays, as well as their books, must be within the reach of their minds, or neither will be of any use. I trust my young readers will excuse this digression, as it accords so well with their generally received opinions. But now we will commence upon the history of the Grecians, as it was taught in the afternoon lesson.

Mrs H. We have now come to a time, when a few small difficulties occasioned wars of great length and importance, be