TO AN ABSENT CHILD. 155 ished. Attend to it with your whole heart. Let nothing, however important, unless indeed it were some unforeseen accident, interfere to prevent the child from doing what you undertake to have him do. At the same time, if possible, avoid scolding him, or presenting any thing of a painful character to his mind. If there are any children in the world who cannot be led in this way to a prompt and decisive and habitual obedience to the parent, I am sure the number must be very few. One caution is however necessary while the work is going on; which is, that no other person, not even the other parent, attempt to interfere, or even to repeat the experiment. Nothing is so destructive of obedience, in these cases, as too many masters. It will be enough, at first, to secure implicit and unconditional and prompt obedience to one person; after which the authority may be extended with care and safety, to the other parent, and perhaps to teachers. 156 THE TRANQUIL MIND. CONSISTENCY IN THE FAMILY.-Let a father be particularly on his guard against his faults and weaknesses when in the bosom of his family. The reverse is not seldom the case. The circumspection and restraint practised abroad, are often greatly relaxed at home. Here liberties and self-indulgences are thought more allowable; wrong tempers are not instantly repressed in the bosom, and are suffered to deform the countenance, and also sometimes to break out in unchristian tones, expression and conduct. We must all have observed this in others; and few of us, I conceive, are unconscious of having been sometimes taken by surprise on the entrance of a friend, of having felt that it was necessary to recall both the mind and the face to greater serenity and benignity, in order to receive him properly. Now can we seriously think, that a heart and a countenance unfit for our friend, was fit for our children, who surrounded us before his arrival? Can we estimate the mischief which such moral deformity, placed before their eyes in the person of their father, may produce? A Christian certainly ought, if possible, to be more a Christian before his family, where his influence is greatest, and the effects of his example the most important, than in any other situation.- London Christian Observer. PARENTS RUining their Children. "I have seldom known a man," said a distinguished observer, "spend his days in selling ardent spirit, and bring up his children under that influence, without having one or more of them die drunkards." And the cases are numerous, in which the parents and all the children, under the righteous government of God, and as monuments of his displeasure, have been swept into the drunkard's grave. Not long ago I passed a stranger, who, from his countenance appeared to be on the brink of ruin. "The father of that man," said a fellow passenger, "made a great estate by selling rum. He died, and left it to his children, and five out of six of them are now drunkards; and that is one of them." As it is contrary to the will of God that men should make money by an employment which tends to ruin their fellow men, they cannot expect that, under his government, it will be likely, on the whole, to benefit their children; but they have great reason to fear that it will ruin them for ever. Dr. Edwards. Clouds of affection from our younger eyes Lets in new light, through chinks which time has made. Leaving the old, both worlds at once they view, Waller. THE YOUNG LADY'S FRIEND. Written for the Young Lady's Friend. DAY. How interesting is that division of time styled day. How well adapted is each of its parts to form a whole; and how admirably fitted is that whole to answer the design of its formation. Night is the season for repose; and it so well answers the purpose intended, as to lose nothing in comparison, even with the morning; yet, how readily, after this term of darkness and comparative inactivity, does the eye catch the first faint beam of rosy light. Ray succeeds ray, brightening and increasing, as if conscious of the importance of their mission, at once harbingers of the morning, and pioneers to the glorious king of day. How rapidly widens and expands that faint line of light just now scarcely visible. Now the whole eastern horizon sparkles and glows as a vale embedded with diamonds. But even these are borrowed glories, for yonder comes the sun, "rejoicing in his strength." Grasping the diamonds and pearls, and placing them in his coronet, he appears in the firmament "the father of lights." What a change now passes over the whole face of nature. An hour since, all seemed hushed in dreary forgetfulness. Nothing essayed to break the deep silence of the moment. But, at the dawn of morning, all animated nature is aroused to active existence. Man realizes more fully this change in proportion to the place he occupies in the scale of being. His faculties and energies, so lately paralyzed by slumber, now return with two-fold clearness and force. That fountain of reason and consciousness lately pent up in the depths of his soul, now becomes a torrent, leaping and bounding in its freedom. This is the time when high purposes are conceived and lofty designs accomplished. Man goes forth to his toil, where both body and mind are destined to bear heavy burdens. A bustling scene is presented. Myriads of intelligent beings walk the earth, or stem the current of the mighty deep, with motives and designs as different as their individual aspect; each, however, intent on the accomplishment of his own purposes. Onward and still onward rushes the mighty tide of life, bearing on its bosom the adventurers of a day. But, long before the plans of that day are executed, night casts over them his sable pall, and leaves them to grope in the recesses of darkness and gloom. How properly may the brief time of our earthly existence be likened to a day. The morning of life is gladdened by the glorious sun of hope, and though at the meridian we know its rays have been deceitful, yet, on we go, redoubling our efforts and still hoping for success, until the twilight of age teaches us that life's day is one subject to changes and disappointments that clouds may overcast the clearest sky, and veil the sun, even in his meridian glory. Man sinks in the darkness of the tomb, with but half his early schemes accomplished, and with few of his numerous wishes gratified. The sod closes over him, and he has "no more any part in all which is done under the sun." Happy he, who, from this moment, inherits joys superior to any which earth can give; he surely shall find no cause to regret the brevity of his mortal existence. What though, for a time, the bodies of the saints repose in the tomb? They nevertheless rest in hope. For, yet a little while, and Jehovah in his strength shall utter, "Arise ye dead, and come to judgment!" Earth from its inmost recesses trembles at the voice; ocean, in its awful depths, pauses to listen, and from its rockbound sides sends back the thrilling echo-" and come to judgment.' Blessed, for ever blessed, they "who have part in the first resurrection, upon whom the second death shall have no power." June, 1841. GERTRUDE. EARLY RISING. · A single dew-drop, however small, furnishes in turn gems of all imaginable colors. In one light it is a sapphire; shifting the eye a little, it becomes an emerald; then a ruby; and lastly, when viewed so as to reflect the light without refracting it, it has all the splendor of a diamond. But to obtain this beautiful display of natural colors, it is necessary to take advantage of the morning, when the beams of the newly-risen sun are nearly level with the surface of the earth; and this is the time when the morning birds are in their finest song, when the air and the earth are in their greatest freshness, and when all nature mingles in one common morning song of gratitude. There is something peculiarly arousing and strengthening, both to the body and the mind, in this early time of the morning; and were we always wise enough to avail ourselves of it, it is almost incredible with what ease and pleasure the labors of the most diligent life might be performed. There is an awakening in the morning, which cannot be obtained at any other time of the day; and they who miss this go heavily about their employments, and an hour of their drawling day is not equal to half an hour of the energetic day of one who sees the sun rise. When, too, we take the day by the beginning, we can regulate the length of it according to our necessities; and whatever may be our professional avocations, we have time to perform them, to cultivate our minds, and to worship our Maker, without one duty in the least interfering with another. Robert Mudie. CUSTOMS IN BURMAH. 159 Women are fond of rendering their complexions more fair, and at the same time fragrant, by rubbing over the face a delicate yellow powder, which is also found a great relief in cutaneous eruptions, and is often used for this purpose by the missionary, with success. They occasionally stain the nails of their fingers and toes with a scarlet pigment. Bathing is a daily habit of all who live in the vicinity of convenient water. I was often reminded, while sitting in their houses in the dusk of the evening, of our Savior's remark, John xiii. 10. "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." The men, having finished their labor, bathe, and clean themselves at the river, or tank; but walking up with wet feet defiles them again, so that they cannot with propriety come and take their place on the mat or bed. Taking up some water, therefore, in a coco-nut dipper, out of a large jar which stands at the door of every house, they easily rinse their feet as they stand on the step, and "are clean every whit." The mode of kissing is curious, though natural. Instead of a slight touch of the lips, as with us, they apply the mouth and nose closely to the person's cheek, and draw in the breath strongly, as if smelling a delightful perfume. Hence, instead of saying, "Give me a kiss," they say, "Give me a smell." There is no word in the language which translates our word kiss. The custom of blacking the teeth is almost universal. The person first chews alum or sour vegetables several hours, after which a mixture of oil, lamp-black, and perhaps other ingredients, is applied with a hot iron. When done by the regular professors of the art, it is indelible. At the metropolis, the practice is getting into disrepute, and still more so in the British provinces, and as intercourse with foreigners increases, it may become obsolete. Whenever I asked the reason of this custom, the only answer was, "What! should we have white teeth, like a dog, or a monkey?" Almost every one, male or female, chews the singular mixture called coon; and the lackered or gilded box containing the ingredients is borne about on all occasions. The quid consists of a slice of areca-nut, a small piece of cutch, and some tobacco, rolled up in a leaf of betel pepper, on which has been smeared a little tempered quicklime. It creates profuse saliva, and so fills up the mouth that they seem to be chewing food. It colors the mouth deep red; and |