O tired feet, that onward press O tear-blind eyes, that weeping gaze, O weary, aching, throbbing brain! O heart with doubt and sorrow riven! There is no toil, no love in vain, In that blest home that Christ has given, Not earth, but heaven! B ON THE USE OF BIOGRAPHY. IOGRAPHIES form a class of books much neglected by the young; and their objection to them is often not to, be wondered at. When biographies are written by relatives, I am free to admit they are too generally partial; that they are very imperfect in what they profess to give us the record of the life of which they treat. They exhibit only the good side of a man's character, and by suppressing all account of his faults and foibles - of his weakness and his waywardness -lead one to feel that he could have had but little in common with us. From such a life we rise with somewhat of a depressing effect; for, if we are true to ourselves, we must feel that we are a very long way from the attainment of such a character as that. We feel how desirable it would be to reach the goal to which he attained; and when we are conscious how great the distance that separates us, we may well be disheartened. But then we are not told of the false steps and the falls by the way,—we are not introduced to the failures that accompanied him in his course; and could the man himself revise his own life, he would add many a dark line, he would insert many a black page, and tone down many a highly-coloured sentence. Making all allowance for the partiality of friends, and for the general feeling that nothing but a man's virtues should be recorded after his death, I would earnestly commend the study of biography, especially of good and great men,-of men who have made history, and have taken part in measures the advantage of which we are now reaping. We not only get information and instruction, not only do we see how the England of to-day comes to be what she is, and so learn to thank God more and more for the steps by which He has led this nation, and for the inheritance which we now enjoy through the lives and labours of preceding generations, but we also get an insight into those qualities of mind and heart which made our fathers great and useful,—qualities which we may all possess, though such opportunities for their development may never occur to us. country furnishes so many examples of men who have risen to eminence, in varied pursuits and callings, from the humblest walks of life. storý of their lives shows us the habits of mind most essential for getting on, and enforces them, not by dry precepts, but by living and interesting examples. No The Without indulging in any highflown expectation of equalling those whose lives you read, and without experiencing any depressing effect in realizing that you are only an ordinary individual, the perusal of such lives cannot but be stimulative and useful. Then, the insight and information they afford are most valuable and interesting. They trace the rise and progress of great inventions and discoveries from very humble origin, and, by the recital of what has been done, under the most adverse circumstances, by persons of | make the best of what we have got, lowly birth and defective education, and to feel that we all have powers -by those without money and with- that may be vastly improved. out friends- -we are stimulated to B. C. OUR PRIZE CALENDAR. April. WRITTEN BY H. W. ABLE, HAMMERSMITH. 2nd. Battle of Copenhagen, 1801. This action closed after five hours' duration; and was, by Lord Nelson's own account, the most dreadful he had ever witnessed. The whole of the Danish line, which amounted to seventeen sail, were either sunk, burned, or taken. He 5th.-Oliver Goldsmith died, 1774. He was born at Roscommon. subsisted chiefly by his pen; by turns, poet, historian, and natural philosopher. But poetry was his forte, and his "Deserted Village" must ever secure our admiration. 7th.-Capture of Badajoz, 1812. After a long siege, Lord Wellington gained possession of Badajoz, which at the beginning of the siege contained 5,000 men, but 1,200 were killed or wounded. 9th.—Edward IV. died, 1483. History informs us that he was brave, though cruel, addicted to pleasure, though capable of activity in great emergencies, and less fitted to prevent ills by wise precautions than to remedy them after they had taken place, by his vigour and enterprise. 10th.- Battle of Toulouse, 1814. The allied armies, after a long contest, established themselves on three of the sides of Toulouse, and having turned the French army, compelled them to retreat, leaving three generals and 1,600 men prisoners. 11th.-Rev. Rowland Hill died, 1833. He was born in Hawkstone, Shropshire, and educated at Eton College. He drew large congregations to Surrey Chapel, which he built, and where he preached to the end of his life. 12th.-Admiral Rodney's victory, 1782. This engagement, which took place off Guadaloupe, West Indies, lasted from seven in the morning till late in the evening, and resulted in the total defeat of the French. For this Rodney received an English peerage. 15th.- Mutiny at Spithead, 1797. It arose from the irregularity of pay, and the inferiority of food supplied to the sailors; it was not subdued until some of the ringleaders were hung, but the majority of the mutineers were pardoned. 16th.-Battle of Culloden, 1746. Charles, the young Pretender, grandson of James II., arrived in Scotland, and after gaining several victories in England, was defeated by the royalists at Culloden: after encountering many difficulties he escaped to France. 17th.--Benjamin Franklin died, 1790. This philosopher and politician arose from obscurity and poverty, by unwavering industry and energy, to become the American ambassador at the French court. 19th.-Lord Byron died, 1824. "Childe Harolde" is well known as one of the first productions of this poet. By the decease of his granduncle he succeeded to a peerage, and after living a life of profligacy h› went to Greece, where he died. 20th.-Spanish fleet destroyed, 1656. This battle was fought under the command of Admiral Blake, off Vera Cruz. The Spaniards deserted their ships and set them on fire. 21st.-Bishop Heber died, 1783. He entered Brasenose College at the age of seventeen. In his twentieth year his poem, "Palestine," gained the prize for "English Poetical Composition." He afterwards became Bishop of Calcutta. 26th.-Great Plague of London, 1665. This plagne ravaged London, and destroyed upwards of 100,000 persons. Rows of houses became tenantless. 28th.- Battle of Dunbar, 1296. This battle was fought between John of Scotland and Edward III. Edward laid siege to Dunbar, which after a severe battle surrendered, with a loss of 20,000 mén. 30th.-Battle of Fontenoy, 1745. The allies lost about 12,000 men during this battle, which was fought with great obstinacy. The victory cost the French almost an equal number of lives. Certificates of Merit are awarded to H. C. P.-Emily C. D.-K. M. H. -and H. C. T. Honourable mention: Thomas C.-J. F. H.-T. W., Jun.-Alex. C.Nannette G. J.-H. W. H.-W. M. F.-Abel H.-H. J. F.—A. H. L Lizzie G. W.-J. C. de V. 42 Competitors. Many "Calendars" not 'mentioned above would have received honourable notice, but that others were better still. No Competitor can receive more than one "Calendar Prize" in the same year. CHARADE. (No. 2.) My first is a verb which, if you will think, Than those who have all, and yet me are not. MARY. |