room, though he was then well able to walk alone. Mark often said in those days, "My dear father, you shall never have cause to repent of your goodness to us. I hope you will always do as you please in this house, just as if you still called it your own." "I have no fear, my son," answered the old gentleman, "about the future: I am sure you and your dear wife will never be less kind to me." "We shall see," thought the old friends. Time passed on, and in half year things were changed. Two favourite faithful servants were turned away, though Mr. Titus could not find that they had done anything wrong; and the lady persuaded her husband that it was very disagreeable to have his father always with their company. "He has a foolish way," she said, "of fingering things, and stirring the fire with the bright poker, and putting his feet on the polished fender, to warm them; and he makes remarks that nobody wants to hear. I wish you would ask him to stay in the little sitting-room upstairs, at any rate when we have company." Mark felt ashamed to propose such a thing; but his wife teased him very much, and at length he said a few words about it which went to the old gentleman's heart, and he answered, "I will sit in the little room, my son; but I hope your love for me will lead you to spend part of every day there. I care nothing about being with the company; for the people who come now are not like the nice old friends who used to visit us before you were married." Indeed by this time their guests were As very grand ladies and gentlemen, who talked a great deal about what was the fashion, despising those who were not rich and great like themselves; and they quite looked down upon the three old friends I mentioned before. Even Mark and his wife no longer seemed glad to see their honest faces; and it grieved their kind hearts to observe how sadly things were altered. Mr. Titus did not speak one word against his son or daughter-in-law, they did not talk to him on the subject; but they said to one another, "Our dear friend seems like a stranger in that house: so of course we can never feel at home there; we will not go again." He knew well, in his own mind, the reason of their absence, and longed to send for them; but he saw they were not now admired by the lady, and he began to feel afraid of displeasing her. It was now winter, and Mr. Titus had for some years been confined to the house in cold weather. As he sat alone evening after evening, how he missed his old friends! I am sorry to tell you that Mark and his wife went but seldom into their father's room; and though he had proper food, and clothes, and fire, he used to sigh, and say to himself, "The cheerful looks and kind words of my three worthy old friends would do me more good than all these things. O that I had followed their advice!" After a time, an event happened which proved of great importance to this good old gentleman : the lady had a little boy, who was, you know, his grandson: they baptized him Tommy. My dear little readers, you will be very glad to hear that the baby's nurse was a pious woman, who greatly respected Mr. Titus, and did much for his comfort, when the servants forgot, or seemed to forget, to wait upon him. While he was confined to his chamber for a fortnight, soon after Tommy's birth, they used the little sitting-room as a nursery. When Mark began to make some excuse, and to say he was very sorry, Mr. Titus stopped him with, “It will be a pleasure to me to see that sweet infant in my room, and I have but few pleasures now.' Mark again felt ashamed of his conduct; but he went into the drawing-room to receive some grand visiters, and soon forgot his shame. (To be continued.) ANCIENT SHIP. To whom the world is indebted for the invention of ships, is uncertain. A very small portion of art was seen in the first attempts of this kind. They were neither strong nor durable, but consisted only of a few planks laid together, without beauty or ornament, and just built so as to keep out the water. In some places they were merely the trunks of trees, hollowed, and then consisted of but one piece of timber. But as the other arts extended their influence, 1 ship-building began to improve; and the appearance of those floating citadels of unusual form, full of living men, flying with seemingly expanded wings over the surface of the ocean, struck the ignorant people with terror and astonishment. Nor does there appear any other foundation for the stories of griffins, or of ships transformed into birds and fishes, which are so often met with in the ancient poets. It was usual to beautify the prow with gold, and paint of various colours: frequently, the forms of plants, birds, and beasts, were added as ornaments, and gave the name to the ship. The hindmost part of the vessel was often called the "tail," and was decorated accordingly. Sometimes a little mast was erected whereon to hang ribands of different colours, which served instead of a flag to distinguish the ship; and a weather-vane to signify the part from whence the wind blew. The whole fabric being completed, it was fortified with pitch and resin, to secure the wood from the water. After which, being decked out with garlands and flowers, the mariners also adorned with crowns, she was launched into the sea with loud acclamations and other expressions of joy.-Encyclopædia Britannica. PASSING AWAY. 'Tis written on spring's first and fairest flowers, And on the joys of childhood's sunny hours; 'Tis written on the summer rose's bloom, 66 'Passing away! passing away!" 'Tis deeper graved on many a loved one's tomb; Who, like a summer flower, fadeth away. 'Tis written on whate'er is lovely here, Passing away! passing away!" And all on earth we hold so fondly dear, Soon, soon shall melt, like evening's tints, away. |
