diminutive snake which he had met with in Italy, having a sort of loose skin over the forehead; and on this account he supposes it to be the aspis of the ancients. The beautiful but wicked Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, is said to have destroyed her life by the bite of an asp, rather than allow herself to be taken captive by the Emperor Augustus, who had conquered her husband Antony at the battle of Actium. So pernicious is the bite of this reptile, that there is no possibility of applying any remedy. It causes death within three hours; although no more than the puncture of a needle-point dipped in the poison is necessary for the purpose of destroying life. Lord Bacon says that the asp is the least painful of all the instruments of death; being something like opium, but less disagreeable in its operation, causing deep sleep without any suffering. D. A. ACCOUNT OF HENRY R. LET not any person, from a consciousness of his own deficiencies, despair of being useful; for our Lord Jesus Christ will bless the weakest effort that is made for the good of little children. The writer of this paper had from childhood a wish to keep a little weekly school; and at length a way was prepared, and a few years were spent in that sweet employment. It was among the poor exclusively that those years were passed. Nothing can be re membered of any extraordinary genius that was apparent. Yet a little improvement was perceptible: the dew descends with silent modesty, but its effects are everywhere visible. It was a constant custom to begin and conclude each day with singing and prayer; and the holy Bible was a perpetual source of interest, as well as profit. Several of the children were very engaging, and among others Henry R. had a large share in the affections of his governess. He came first to school in August, 1820. He had never learned anything, not even the alphabet; and before Christmas he could read a chapter in the Bible, reading alternately verse by verse with his Teacher. When they were about to separate at Christmas for a fortnight, he was desired to learn by heart two verses at the beginning of the fifth chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew; and his sister Mary, who was a few years older, was requested to commit to memory four verses of the same chapter; but Henry said, "If she learn four verses, I'll learn five!" However, he learned and repeated correctly nine verses. Soon after Henry had returned to school, he was very poorly, and his affectionate mistress sent his sister home with him, feeling a conviction that the dear child would never come to school again. This was on a Monday: the disorder proved to be the croup; and on Wednesday evening, the 7th of February, 1821, her little favourite departed this life, after much suffering, endured with great patience, aged five years and six days. Beloved Henry, who, in infant prime, Hast left the sorrows of this sickly clime; Nor death nor distance separate us more! M. B. POETRY. MY DAUGHTER'S GRAVE. Here nought affrighting may be heard, The echo of yon mountain-rill A tender requiem o'er thy head. Than moulder in a regal tomb. Till carried to that happier land, Thou never wert content from me: Marske. SOPHIA COOKE ROGERS. SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. No. III. JOSEPH'S COAT OF MANY COLOURS. WE are told, in Gen. xxxvii. 3, that Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colours. For beautiful or favourite children precisely the same thing is done at this day in the East. Crimson, and purple, and other colours are often tastefully sewed together. Sometimes the children of the Mohammedans have their jackets embroidered with gold and silk of various colours. When a child is clothed in a garment of many colours, it is believed that neither evil tongues nor evil spirits will injure him. Children seldom wear them after they are eight years of age; though it must have been the custom among the ancients to wear them longer, as we read of Tamar having a garment of divers colours upon her." (2 Sam. xiii. 18.) 66 People who are too poor to give a beautiful or favourite child a jacket of that description, put a black spot on its forehead, to defend it from evil. -Roberts's Oriental Illustrations. We, in happy England, think that the best defence from evil is trusting in the providence and grace of God; and we hope our young readers will think so too, and will be inclined to make the experiment. If God be for us, who shall be against us? Nothing shall harm us, if we be followers of that which is good. P. H. NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD. "O THAT I may never know was my sister's sympathizing exclamation, on seeing me suffer a trifling disappointment. "Indeed, I am very vexed," cried I, "that my brother has taken away that book, in which I was so much interested; just because he says that it is not at all proper for me to read." "Well, so it is very trying, certainly," replied she, taking me in her arms, and drying away my tears: "I will endeavour to tell you the remainder of the story;" which was related accordingly, with rather more of her usual sweetness; adverting all the while to the "little ladies" of the world, their disobedience, but especially to their grievous folly. But what is the world? Is it the beauty of creation, or the perfection of human art, that we are not to love? Now listen the love of the world comprises just the devotion to those things which alienate our heart from God. The young man who "went away sorrowful, having great possessions," and the poor man who |