go to roost with the others at night, unless driven by main force; and when in the morning they were turned into the field, she refused to go thither, and bent her course towards the yard gate, where she sat all day watching the dog.

The proprietor at length finding it in vain to attempt keeping these animals apart, gave orders that the goose should be no longer interfered with, but left entirely to the freedom of her own will. Being thus left at liberty to pursue her own inclinations, she ran about the yard with him all night, and when the dog went to the village, she never failed to accompany him, and contrived to keep pace with his more rapid movements by the assistance of her wings, and in this way, betwixt running and flying, accompanied him all over the parish. This extraordinary affection is supposed to have originated in the dog having rescued her from a fox in the very moment of distress. It continued for two years, and only terminated with the death of the goose.

Now is not this a good story? and it is all about a goose, that people call a foolish bird. But here is another story, quite as good as any I have told.

"An old goose," says an English writer, "that had been for a fortnight hatching in a farmer's kitchen, was perceived on a sudden to be taken violently ill. She soon after left the nest, and repaired to an outhouse where there was a young goose of the first year, which she brought with her into the kitchen. The young one immediately scrambled into the old one's nest, sat, hatched, and afterwards brought up the brood. The old goose, as soon as the young one had taken her place, sat down by the side of the nest, and shortly after died. As the young goose had never been in the habit of entering the kitchen before, I know of no way of accounting for this fact, but by supposing that the old one had some

way of communicating her thoughts and anxieties, which the other was perfectly able to understand. A sister of mine, who witnessed the transaction, gave me the information in the evening of the day it happened."

Now I begun this chapter by talking about eagles, and I have been rambling on about geese-but I have an object in all this. I wish to show my readers that we have taken certain notions, in regard to animals, from the ancients, which are erroneous; and which have a bad influence upon us. Many a time has a poor ass got a kick, just because of a prejudice that has been handed down from age to age. People scarcely think it wrong to abuse a creature that is called stupid! Now the ass is not stupid; and it is too bad, wrongfully to give him a hard name, and then to kick him for it!

And it is much the same with dogs. How much have these poor creatures suffered, in their day and generation, just because the ancients called them hard names, and thus transmitted, even to our time, a prejudice! And the tranquil, quiet, harmless, goose-how often has a boy hurled a stone at one, and scarcely thought it wrong to wound a creature that is regarded as the emblem of folly!

Now, as I said, we ought to reflect upon these things; we ought not to allow such prejudices to influence us, and to make us really cruel to brute beasts, who are but as God made them, and who fulfil His design in their creation, more perfectly, I suspect, than some other beings I could name, who think pretty well of themselves!

And one observation more is to be made here. The facts we have stated show what erroneous notions the ancients had of virtue. They called the lion and eagle noble, only because they are powerful; they called the dog mean, though he is a pattern of fidelity; they called the ass stupid, though he is pa

THIS month derives its name from the Latin word Aperio, to open, because at this period the earth is opened by the sower and the planter, to receive the seed. In the southern parts of the United States, it is a very warm, pleasant season, and so it is in Italy, and Spain. In Carolina, the weather is so warm in April, that the people put on their thin clothes, the forests are in leaf, the appletrees are in bloom, or perchance already the blossoms are past.

But with us at the north, April is still a windy, chilly, capricious season. Not a green leaf, not an opening flower is to be seen. A few solitary birds are with

us, and now and then we have a warm day. The grass begins to look a little green, where the soil is rich and the land slopes to the south.

But still, April is a month in which we all take delight, for, at this time we begin to work in the garden, and there is a promise of spring around us. The snow is gone, the ice has fled, jack-frost comes not, the hens in the barn-yard make a cheerful cackle, the geese at the brook keep up a jolly gobble, the boys play at ball on the green, the lambs frisk on the hill-sides, the plough is in the furrow; winter is gone-summer is coming!

JEREMIAH was one of the most cele brated of the Jewish prophets. He lived about six hundred years before Christ, and prophesied about seventy years after Isaiah. He began his career, by divine command, at an early age. He was a man of great piety, and a sincere lover of his country. He foresaw the evils which his sinful countrymen would bring upon themselves by their idolatries, and while he warned them of the wrath to come, he seems to have done it with an almost breaking heart.

It became his duty, in obedience to the instruction of God, to predict the downfall of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the temple. Zedekiah was then king of Judah, and the fearful prophecy no doubt grated harshly on his ear. The people, too, who cared not for the truth, but only desired a prophet who would prophesy smooth things, took Jeremiah, and were near putting him

to death, only on account of his fidelity.

In the 21st chapter of the prophecies of Jeremiah, we see his prediction of the fate that awaited Jerusalem, and in the 52d chapter, we see how this sad and fearful warning was fulfilled.

After the destruction of Jerusalem,-he himself witnessing the completion of this prophecy, he was carried into Egypt with a remnant of the Jews, and, according to tradition, was murdered by his countrymen, for warning them against their idolatrous practices.

The book of Lamentations is a melancholy and pathetic poem, written by Jeremiah, in commemoration of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. It is exceedingly affecting, and it is impossible to read it without deeply sympathizing with the afflicted prophet. Some parts are very beautiful, and the whole being imbued with a religious spirit

and feeling, it is calculated, in a peculiar degree, to soften, purify, and sanctify the heart of the Christian.

The Siberian Sable-Hunter.

CHAPTER VIII.

A weary journey.-Meeting with Tungusees.Grand attack of wolves.-The first sables killed.

AFTER Securing the skin of the bear, the travellers proceeded on their journey, the weather still continuing clear, but intensely cold. They were, however, well secured by furs, and they plodded cheerfully on, over the snowcrust. There was little variety, for the country was generally level, and often they marched on for hours without meeting a single object of the least interest. No villages were to be seen over the wide wastes; not a human being met the view; not a bird, not a living thing, enlivened the prospect. And it was as still as it was desolate; for, save when the wind sighed over the snow, not a sound was to be heard. It seemed as if nature was in a repose so profound as to resemble death itself.

It is not remarkable, that, after several days of weary travel over a country like this, our adventurers at last rejoiced to meet with a small settlement of Tungusees. This was situated in a little valley; and so low were the houses, that the travellers had come close upon them before they perceived them. Their approach was announced by the barking of three or four shaggy wolf-dogs, who seemed to exert their lungs to the utmost upon the occasion.

The party was stared at in silence by the inhabitants for a short time, but Linsk soon announced himself and friends as hunters, and as he spoke in

the Tungusian language, the little party were at once made welcome. Alexis was amused at the whole scene. The houses were made of stakes set in a circle, covered with mud, over which there was now a mantle of snow. The entrances were so low that it was necessary to creep in upon the hands and knees. There was no light within, except the few rays that struggled in at the door, or were emitted by a smouldering fire, the smoke of which was let out at a hole in the top.

Each hut consisted of one apartment, and here the family all slept, cooked, and ate. The beds consisted of the skins of wolves and bears; the articles of furniture were few, as the people sat on the ground, and most of the cooking was performed by simple boiling or roasting before the fire.

Supper was soon provided, for it was evening when the travellers arrived. This consisted of a piece of bear's flesh, which was very juicy, and resembled pork. It seemed to be esteemed a great delicacy by the people themselves, and a number of persons came into the hut where our adventurers were entertained, and, somewhat unceremoniously, helped themselves with their fingers to a portion of the coveted viands.

Our travellers had before seen something of Tungusian life and manners; but their admiration was excited anew by the greediness which they all displayed upon the present occasion-men, women, and children. Their hands were daubed in grease up to the wrists, and a very considerable portion of their faces was also anointed in the same way. They tore the flesh from the bones like dogs, and if a piece of meat fell upon the floor, however it might be powdered with dirt, it was carried to the mouth without scruple or inspection. The children lay down upon the floor, and, driving the dogs away, licked up

the puddles of fat that were spilled in the greedy scramble. But there was withal much good nature and merriment among the party, and though the speech was often rough and the manner uncouth, good humor seemed to pervade the whole

scene.

After the meal was done, brandy was brought in and circulated freely among the men of the company. Some of the women contrived to get a little for themselves through the influence of their admirers. The party soon grew merry, then boisterous, and at last quarrelsome. There was some scuffling and many hard words. Late at night the revel broke up, and the party separated.

It was late the next day, when Alexis and his two young companions were called by Linsk from their repose. They took an ample breakfast, and the party set forward upon their journey. For several days they proceeded without any occurrence worthy of note. At last they came to a little forest of evergreen trees, in which they found two or three small huts, but now deserted by their inhabitants. And here, as it was evening, they concluded to spend the night. Having slightly closed the door with a few pieces of bark to exclude the cold, they built a fire, and had sat down to their frugal supper of dried deer's flesh, when the ever-watchful ear of Linsk caught certain sounds from without, which arrested his attention. He had listened but a moment, when the fragments at the door were pushed aside, and a wolf thrust his head in at the opening, and gazed intently upon the party. They were all so taken by surprise, that, for a moment, they neither spoke nor moved. It was not long, how ever, before Linsk arose, seized his gun, and was on the point of discharging it at the wolf, when the latter suddenly withdrew. The whole party followed nim out, but what was their astonish

ment to see around them a pack of at least forty wolves, now ready to make a united attack upon them! It was night, and their glaring eyeballs seemed like sparks of fire, and their teeth were laid bare, as if to rend their victims in pieces. At the same time the barking, yelping, and howling of the savage animals, apparently driven to desperation by hunger, were terrific. The whole scene was indeed so unexpected and so startling, that Alexis and his two young companions immediately slunk back into the hut. Linsk followed, but at least a dozen of the assailants were snapping at his heels, as he drew them in through the door. The old hunter saw in an instant that there was but one mode of warfare which offered the least chance of safety, and this was, to face the enemy at the opening, and prevent them, at all hazards, from effecting an entrance. Getting down upon his knees, therefore, he turned round and looked his furious assailants full in the face. His gun was in his hand, and his knife ready in the belt. Fixing his eye intently upon the wolves, so as to watch every motion, he spoke rapidly to the young men behind him,-"Steady, boys, steady; don't be afraid. Draw up close and keep your guns ready. What an ill-mannered set they are! I'll give 'em a dose directly. -Now!"

At this instant, the old hunter fired his gun, and a yell of terror and anguish burst from the pack, who at the moment were jammed into the entrance of the hut. Two or three of them were killed, and several were wounded; but others rushed into their places, and in the space of a few seconds Linsk was again threatened with a mass of heads struggling for entrance at the door. He soon gave them another shot, and finally a third, and the disheartened beasts, leaving eight or ten of their companions dead or mortally wounded on the scene