180 MUSIC WAKES THE MEMORY. with "the tongue of angels." The influence of the piety of the Rev. Thomas Scott (the Commentator) was such, at home, that "not a servant could spend any time in his family, and attend to the instructions delivered, without becoming better informed in Christian doctrine, and better instructed in the detail of the duties and proprieties of life, than religious persons in a much superior station are usually found to be." But a great deal of the success of this excellent divine, in securing the piety of his family, is set down to a cause, under God, which the most unlearned may employ. "In very few instances (says his biographer) has a servant, or a young person, or indeed any person, passed any length of time under his roof, without appearing to be brought permanently under the influence of religious principle. And yet it was not so much by preaching directly to them, as by living before them." MUSIC WAKES THE MEMORY. - How often has the lone wanderer, who has strayed for years over the world's wide waste, a victim of vice, pollution and misery, been restored to virtue, happiness and home, by the rehearsal of some song, oft heard in youth, the recital of which called back tender recollections of childhood, endearing ties of home and absent friends, innocent pleasures, the house of prayer, the Sabbath school, and all the friendly admonitions, which now pierce like daggers the guilty soul. Parents, teach your children the songs of Zion. They will remember them for ever. Although, like Israel's captives, their harps may for a time be hung upon the willows, yet their remembrance will be sweet. Some oftrepeated strain may touch a tender chord, which may restore your vagrant child to home and all its sacred ties. -Musical Visitor. KEEP YOUR CHILDREN CLEAN. - We are now in that season of the year when, from excessive heat and the use of various fruits, children are likely to be attacked by a disorder as painful as it is dangerous. We would not advise abstinence from the usual fruits of the season, for if moderately eaten, they contribute greatly to the purification of the blood, and the general health of the system. But in order to guard against the complaints of the season, we would urge upon parents the importance of keeping their children perfectly clean, by frequent ablutions. The distressing complaints so frequent among children during the fruit season, arise more frequently from a want of cleanliness, than from an intemperate use of fruit. Indeed the disorder of the bowels in hot weather, among children whose whole surface is not kept clean by frequent washing and rubbing, will take place whether they eat fruit or not. We believe we speak the opinion of our physicians. Boston Medical Journal. THE YOUNG LADY'S FRIEND. MARGARET DAVIDSON. A memoir of this remarkable girl has recently been published by Lea & Blanchard, of Philadelphia. It contains 359 pages, most beautifully printed and bound. One hundred and fifty pages of the work are occupied by a biography of Miss D., and the remainder by her writings. Margaret was a sister of Lucretia, whose beautiful poetry has been suitably appreciated and admired by numerous readers in England, as well as in this country. Lucretia died in September, 1825, at the age of 16, and Margaret in November, 1838, at the age of 15. We have perused the biography of this highly gifted girl with intense interest, and her writings with astonishment and delight. It seems almost incredible that one so young, could have produced poetry of such a stampevincing in many instances, the talent of mature age. But our inexpressive language can convey no just conception of the admirable talents of Miss D., the charm pervading every page of her biography, or the handsome manner in which her biographer, Washington Irving, has performed his task. The following passage related by the bereaved mother, describes a scene which occurred a short time previous to the death of Margaret. Ed. "On the sixth of July, I once more folded to my heart this cherished object of my solicitude, but O, the change which three short weeks had wrought in her appearance struck me forcibly. I was so wholly unprepared for it that I nearly fainted. After the excitement of the meeting, (which she had evidently summoned all her fortitude to bear with composure) was over, she sat down by me, and passing her thin arm round my waist, said, "O, my dear mother, I am home again at last; I now feel as if I never wanted to leave you again; I have had a delightful visit, my friends were all glad to see me, and have watched over me with all the kindness and care which affection could dictate; but O, there is no place like home, and no care like a mother's care; there is something in the very air of home, and in the sound of your voice, mother, which makes me happier just now, than all the scenes through which I have passed in my little jaunt; O, after all, home is the only place for a person as much out of health as I am.' I strove to support my emotions, while I marked her pale cheek and altered countenance. She fixed her penetrating eyes upon my face, kissed me, and drawing back to take a full survey of the effects which pain and anxiety had wrought in me, kissed me again and again, saying, "she knew I had deeply felt the want of her society, and now once more at home, she should so prize its comforts as to be in no haste to leave it again." She was much wasted, and could hardly walk from one room to another; her cough was very distressing; she had no pain, but a languor and depression of spirits, foreign to her nature. She struggled against this debility, and called up all the energies of her mind to overcome it; her constant reply to inquiries about her health, by the friends who called, was the same as formerly, "Well — mother calls me an invalid, but I fell well.” Yet to me, when alone, she talked more freely of her symptoms, and I thought I could discern from her manner, that she had apprehensions as to the result. I had often endeavored to acquire firmness sufficient to tell her what was her situation, but she seemed so studiously to avoid the disclosure, that my resolution had hitherto been unequal to the task. But I was much surprised one day, not long after her return from New York, by her asking me to tell her without reserve my opinion of her state; the question wrung my very heart. I was wholly unprepared for it, and it was put in so solemn a manner that I could not evade it, were I disposed to do so. I knew with what strong affection she clung to life, and the objects and friends which endeared it to her. I knew how bright the world upon which she was just entering, appeared to her young fancy, and what glowing pictures she had drawn of future usefulness and happiness. I was now called upon at one blow to crush these hopes, to destroy the delightful visions which had hovered around her from her cradle until this very period. It would be cruel and wrong to deceive her. In vain I attempted a reply to her direct and solemn appeal, and my voice grew husky. Several times I essayed to. speak, but the words died away on my lips. I could only fold her to my heart in silence, imprint a kiss upon her forehead, and leave the room to avoid agitating her with feelings I had no power to repress. The following was written by Margaret at the age of 12 years. It is certainly a remarkable production for a child at that age. INVOCATION TO SPRING. Bend down from thy chariot, O, beautiful Spring, Unfold like a standard thy radiant wing, And beauty and joy in thy rosy path bring! We long for thy coming, sweet goddess of love, We watch for thy smile in the pure sky above, And we sigh for the hour when the wood birds shall sing, And nature shall welcome thee, beautiful Spring! How the lone heart will bound as thy presence draws near, But tread with thy foot on the snow-covered plain, TREES OF PALESTINE. O, Spring! lovely goddess! what form can compare Thy cheek, like the pale blush of evening doth glow; And the zephyr's light wing gently plays round thy head. Methinks, I behold thee! I hear thy soft voice! But the cold wind is moaning, the drear snow doth fall, 183 TREES OF PALESTINE. The sycamore tree, which abounded in the plain of Jericho, bore a fruit similar to a fig, while its leaves resembled the mulberry; hence its name, which is compounded of "syca, a fig tree, and moros, a mulberry tree." You will remember, that it was into a sycamore tree that Zaccheus climbed to see Jesus, amid the crowd in the neighborhood of Jericho. Amos also refers to it, saying, "I was a herdman, a gatherer of sycamore fruit." This fruit will not ripen until it is rubbed or cut with an iron comb or spike; this, probably, was the business of Amos. The wood is nearly incorruptible, and hence the Egyptians used it for coffins. But the vine is the chief glory of Palestine: the clusters of Eschol were borne between two men to the camp at Kadesh-barnea. We are told that such wonderful grapes are still found in that part, the south of Palestine; the weight of the clusters being sometimes as much as ten or twelve pounds. We are also informed, that, "beside the large quantities of grapes and raisins which are daily sent to the markets of Jerusalem, and other places, Hebron alone, in the first half of the eighteenth century, annually sent three hundred camel loads, that is, nearly 30,000 lbs. of grape juice, or honey of raisins, to Egypt." Travellers remark the great size and strength of the vines, which will enable you to comprehend the figurative language of Jacob's blessing upon Judah, in whose portion both Eschol and Hebron were situated, "Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice, vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes." The most beautiful of all the fruit trees of Palestine, were the almond, the pomegranate, with its bright scarlet flowers and fruit, and the golden citron, (mistranslated, apple tree, in Canticles.) It is supposed Solomon referred to the citron, under the name of apples of gold, in his elegant proverb, "a word fitly spoken, is like apples of gold, in pictures of silver;" that is, network or baskets of silver; for the first fruits, among which was the citron, were often carried by the richer Jews, in silver baskets to the temple. Evening Recreations. 2 184 AN AFFECTING INCIDENT. The following affecting relation appeared originally in the Christian Advocate and Journal of New York city. It shows the great utility of Sabbath schools, and the transcendent value of the word of God in time of affliction.-ED. Some time ago, while attending an eminent surgeon, for the purpose of having an operationperformed on one of my eyes, I met with the following case: One morning a friend of mine led into the same room a fine looking young woman, who was completely blind and completely deaf. This sad condition had been brought on suddenly by a violent pain in the head. Her case was examined by a number of surgeons then present, all of whom pronounced it incurable. She was led back to the house of my friend, when she eagerly inquired what the doctor said about her case, and whether he could afford her any relief. The only method by which her inquiries could be answered was by tapping her hand, which signified "No," and by squeezing it, which signified "Yes;" for she could not hear the loudest noise, or distinguish day from night. She had to receive for her answer on this occasion, the unwelcome tap, "No." She burst into tears, and wept aloud in all the bitterness of despair. "What," said she, "shall I never again see the light of day, nor hear a human voice? Must I remain incapable of all social intercourse -shut up in silence and darkness while I live?" Again she wept. The scene was truly affecting. Had she been able to see, she might have been pointed to the Bible as a source of comfort. Had she been able to hear, words of consolation might have been spoken; but alas! these avenues to the mind were closed, to be opened no more in this world. Her friends could pity, but they could not relieve; and what made her case still more deplorable, she was an orphan, and had no father or mother, or brother or sister, to pity and care for her. She was entirely dependant upon a few pious friends for her support. This she felt, and continued to weep, till my friend, with great presence of mind, took up the Bible and placed it to her breast. She felt it and said, "Is this the Bible?" She was answered that it was. She held it to her bosom and said, "This is the only comfort I have left, though I shall never be able to read it any more.” She then began to repeat some of its promises, such as "Cast thy burden on the Lord, and he will sustain thee." "As thy day, so shall thy strength be," "Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee." "My grace is sufficient for thee," &c. In a moment she dried her tears, and became one of the happiest persons I ever saw. She never seemed to deplore her condition afterward. I have many times heard her tell of the strong consolations she felt. She appeared to enjoy uninterrupted communion with her Heavenly Father. Happily for this young woman, she had been taken, when a very little girl, to a Sabbath school, where she enjoyed the only opportunity she ever had of learning to read the Bible, and where she had committed to memory those passages of scripture which now became her solace and the food of her spirit. With what gratitude she used to speak of her teachers, who, she said, not only taught her to read, but took pains to instruct her in the things which belonged to her eternal peace! "What would have become of me had I not then been taught the way of salvation? for now I am deprived of all outward means;" was her constant language. |