made of?" "I think, mother," said Mary, "you once told me it was made of cotton. Does cotton grow like flax in the fields?"

"Cotton," said Mrs. Thompson, "grows in those parts of the world where the climate is warm, and when it is growing and ready to be picked it looks something like wool. It is sometimes called cottonwool. Large quantities of it are raised in the southern parts of the United States."

"Is cotton spun into thread, the same as flax is, mother?" said Mary.

"Yes, my dear," said her mother, "and it is woven in the same way as flax, and made into calico, such as your frock. But now we must think of going home, for the sun is set, and it will soon be quite dark, and besides, your father will want his supper." "Well," said Mary, "I am glad I know what flax is, and what cotton is." And away she tripped home, and her mother soon followed her across the fields.

LESSON XL.

THE DULL GIRL.

I KNEW a little girl called Nancy Simpkins. Though she was eight years old, she never took When she

any notice of the pretty things she saw. walked out of doors, she held her head down, and never looked up at the bright blue sky above her.

She felt warm and nice, but she did not know that it was the sun that warmed her. Sometimes when she went to bed, the moon shone quite bright

into her room, and she saw the light, but I do not believe she knew that it was the moon that gave the light, nor did this dull girl ever look at the shining stars.

Every day she carried some dinner to her father, who worked upon the road some way off. She passed through some pretty fields, and as I told you, she always walked with her head hanging down towards the ground, and yet do you know, she never took notice how fresh and green the grass looked that she walked upon, nor how it was covered with flowers; and she did not see the trees and the hedges, nor the cows and sheep that were lying under the trees, nor the little birds that were perched upon the branches, or flying about in the air.

She saw people catching fish sometimes, as she walked by the side of a little brook that ran through the meadows, but though she had looked at the fish, I believe she never thought whether they came out of the water, or whether they lived upon the dry ground. Such a dull thoughtless little girl was Nancy Simpkins. But now you must not blame her, for she had never been taught any thing, and she had never been to school.

You who have been taught, and who come to school, will do better than Nancy Simpkins, I hope. You will look at all the things that God has made, and think that it was very good of God to make them.

The birds and the insects are happy and gay,

The beasts of the field they are glad and rejoice;
And we will be thankful to God every day,

And praise His great name with a cheerful voice.

KATE

LESSON XLI.

EYES AND EARS.

ATE WILLIS was a poor blind girl; she had never seen the beautiful things that we all see; she did not know when it was light or when it was dark; she could not learn to read as you can; nor could she run about out of doors, nor play with her brothers and sisters.

When she went out to walk, one of them led her by the hand that she might not fall into a ditch, or run against any thing, or hurt herself. Kate was a very good patient girl, and she knew that it would be wrong to complain or fret, because God had not given her the blessing of sight; she tried to be happy and contented, and to do as much for herself as she could.

She could knit very well indeed, and she could

plait straw, and make bobbin, so that she was never idle, as many children who can see often are; and she learnt a great many hymns, by hearing other children say them; and knew more than most of those who went to school, because she tried very much to remember what she heard; and she often said, "I am very thankful to God, that he gave me ears to hear with."

You may be sure poor Kate made a better use of her ears than most people; she was very happy when one of her brothers had time to read to her, or to teach her something new; but she was most happy when church time came, and she never would have missed going to church, for she was always wishing to go; and as she walked with her brothers and sisters, who led her by turns, she asked them to tell her about the beautiful things they saw; and they looked about for flowers which they thought she would like to smell.

But very often they were sad to think that Kate could not see the blue sky, and the green grass, and the bright sunshine, and the pretty birds and butterflies. Then Kate said, "Never mind, I must learn to bear my misfortune, and I thank God that you can all see, and I hope that you will make good use of your eyes."

"Yes, Kate," said her eldest brother, "I am sure we ought not to be idle, as you are never idle, and we can learn from you too, how to make a good use of our ears."

LESSON XLII.

MONTHS.

"FATHER," said William Toms, "when my teacher was speaking to you the other day, he said, this time twelvemonth I should be old enough to do something useful; what did he mean by this time twelvemonth?"

"He meant," answered his father, "in one year from this time. This month we are now in is January, and in a year from this, twelve months will have gone by, so that a year is sometimes called a twelvemonth. You are just eight years old, William; how many years are gone by since you were born? "Eight years," said William. "And how old will you be this time twelvemonth?" said his father. "Nine years old," answered William, "for one more year will have gone by." "In what month was your little sister born?" asked his father.

"She was born last summer, in the month of July," said William. "Then she is six months old, that is half a year. When summer comes again, your little sister will begin to walk a little. Some children can walk when they are one year old, but they do not often walk very stoutly till they are nearly two years old. But where did you get that pretty knife, William, with which you are cutting your bread ?",

"My grandmother gave it to me," said William,