IMPROVE THE MINUTES. 35 to and fro, and be increased in the land; but we are alarmed at the influence of British literature, and its cheap, rapid diffusion among us, unless society will refuse to buy papers that deal out poison. The art of writing has reached an amazing pitch of perfection in England. The number of able and skillful authors there is great. Many of them are not nice as to the means of getting bread or fame. They are willing to dabble in putrescence, if they can profit by it. The relish of the age abroad is for romance, and if seasoned with vice, so much the better. The standard of morality, nay, of decency, there, is exceedingly low. And the legends, tales, and romances, adapted to such taste and such times, are setting in upon us like a tide. Many of them are wrought up with vast power; the genius displayed in some of these nouvelettes is worthy of a better cause. They are written to be read; they are set with all the skillful and earnest snaring of the spider, to catch victims. The authors of England are running a race with each other for readers, and they care little as to moral results. We are now in this current. Shall we yield to it, or shall we stem it? This is a question for mothers. Let them take this matter in hand. Let them discriminate between good and bad publications. Let them encourage the good; for in this reading age, young people will have books and papers. Let parents, by diligence and vigilance, keep their children from a danger that may be fatal to happiness here and hereafter. The rule to be applied is this:— If a paper ever introduces any thing vicious into its columns; any thing of evil example or of evil influence, let it be kept out of the house as carefully as is a poisonous reptile, or an offensive beast. No parent who deals honestly with his children can violate this rule. In this way let our houses be kept from impurity, and let the lesson be taught to the managers of the press, that they shall not profit by the dissemination of vice, and the promotion of crime in society. IMPROVE THE MINUTES.- Few parents realize how much their children may be taught at home by devoting a few minutes to their instruction every day. Let a parent make the experiment with his son of ten years old, for a single week, and only during the hours which are not spent in 'school. Let him make a companion of his child-converse with him familiarly - put to him questions answer inquiries - communicate facts, the result of his reading or observation — awaken his curiosity — explain difficulties — the meaning of things and the reason of things—and all this in an easy, playful manner, without seeming to impose a task - and he will himself be astonished at the progress which will be made. - 36 NURSERY MAXIMS. NURSERY SONG. NURSERY MAXIMS.-Judicious mothers will always keep in mind that they are the first book read and the last book laid aside, in every child's library. Every look, word, and gesture, nay, every dress, makes an im pression. Remember that children are men in miniature, and although they are childish, and should be allowed to act as children -- still, all our dealings with them should be manly, not morose. Be always kind and cheerful in their presence: playful, but never light — communicative, but never extravagant in statements, nor vulgar in language or gestures. Before a year old, entire submission should be secured. This may often be won by kindness, but must sometimes be exacted by the rod, though one chastisement I consider enough to secure the object. If not, the parent must tax himself for the failure, and not the perverseness of the child. After one conquest, watchfulness, kindness, and perseverance, will secure obedience. Never trifle with a child, nor speak beseechingly to it when it is doing any improper thing, or when it has been watching an opportunity to do so. Never break a promise to a child, or if you do, give your reasons, and if in fault, own it, and ask pardon if necessary. Never trifle with a child's feelings while under discipline. Children ought never to be governed by fear of the rod, or private chastisement, or of dark rooms. Correcting a child on suspicion, or without understanding the whole matter, is a way to make him hide his faults by equivocation or a lie, to justify himself. or to disregard you altogether, because he sees that you do not understand the case, and are in the wrong. Religious Magazine. PROMPTITUDE. — A MOTHER'S TENDERNESS. 37 PROMPTITUDE AND STRICT PUNCTUALITY. BY DR. HUMPHREY. You will observe some children, in families where you visit, if not in your own, who are never ready to go at the first bidding. They must be requested or commanded to do some little thing, twice, perhaps three or four times, before they can be induced to move. They do not mean to break the fifth commandment, but on the contrary to honor and obey their parents, in all things. They are not quite ready, however, and they are sure it makes no difference, whether they go this minute or the next. They want to read to the next paragraph, or to hear a story through, or to warm themselves a little longer, or to be indulged in some other equally frivolous excuse for lingering. Now this is a very bad habit, which ought never to be winked at, and which indeed is never formed, but under mistaken parental indulgence. If your child does not hear and obey you the first time, how can you be sure that he will the second, or even the third, unless the loud and altered tone of your voice should convince him, that you are quite out of patience, and that it will not do to linger any longer? How often do children, when they have no thought of disobeying, wait till the chore is forgotten, or the parent is obliged to do it himself, of which, however, he has no right to complain, as it is his own fault. But the injury to them is very great, in thus early allowing them to form habits of procrastination, which they will be very apt to carry along with them through life; and which, I need not say, will be extremely inconvenient both to themselves and their friends. "Samuel, my son, such a thing is wanted, will you attend to it?" "Yes, sir," and then reads on. "Samuel, did you hear me? The fire is getting low, or your mother wants your assistance." Still the boy is not quite ready to start. Then start him, and in such a way that he will not hereafter mistake the tenses; and he will thank you for it as long as you live. So when you send your children upon errands, or permit them to visit their little playmates, and fix the hour for their return, it is vastly important that you strenuously insist upon punctuality; not because their time is so valuable, for it may be worth very little or nothing to you after they come back. But aside from your own convenience, in knowing that the errand is done, and where your children are, when out of your sight, the habit of adhering to the letter of your instructions, is so essential to their future usefulness and wellbeing, that parental laxity on this point, may be followed, and I have no doubt often is, by irreparable losses of property, if not of character. The child may plead that he was urged to overstay his time, or to go off some where else to play, and that he was sure you would have given him leave, had you been there; and it may all be very true-but beware how you listen to such excuses. They go to sap the foundation of your authority, at the same time that he is forming a habit so mischievous to himself. A MOTHER'S TENDERNESS.-How little do we appreciate a mother's tenderness while living? How heedless are we, in childhood, of all her anxieties and kindness? But when she is dead and gone; when the cares and coldness of the world come withering to our hearts; when we learn how hard it is to find true sympathy, how few love us for ourselves, how few will befriend us in our misfortunes; then it is that we think of the mother we have lost. THE YOUNG LADY'S FRIEND. Written for the Young Lady's Friend. THE LOVELINESS OF FEMALE PIETY. BY REV. E. OTHEMAN. How interesting are the accounts of women given us in connection with the history of our Savior. One fact in relation to them is worthy of special notice; that is, the total silence of Scripture respecting any ill treatment ever offered to Christ by woman. The heart of woman seemed to sympathize with him in the various circumstances of his earthly sojourn. Doubtless some haughty, worldly spirits among the Jewish women despised him, and could not love. to hear his open rebuke of sin; but none publicly manifested hostility or contempt. We are, at least, left to infer this from the entire silence of Scripture on this point. The evangelists were not led by delicacy and gallantry to withhold information of this kind, since they hesitate not to record instances of female vice and crime. True, the situation of females in society is far from being a public one; but this does not account for their apparent innocence of insult to our Lord. Did they not publicly manifest their attachment to him? Among the thousands who attended his public ministry, and were fed by his creative power, did they not also hear his instructions, witness and experience his miracles? Did they not openly minister to him of their substance, and publicly acknowledge him, on many occasions, as a great prophet, and the true Messiah? They were not backward in testifying to his wisdom and his power. Why, then, hear we not of their public opposition and reproaches? Doubtless because they manifested none. They saw him innocent, benevolent, holy, persecuted, and they could not add to his insults; or, like woman, if they felt hostility, they refrained from being public actors in a scene of tumultuous rage, and left man to control and direct the storm which bowed his head in death. But while, in the public acts of woman toward Christ, we see nothing to excite our pity or our indignation, we see much in them. to excite our admiration and our love. Various phases of a simple and beautiful piety are exhibited in the sketches of female character recorded by the evangelists, from the first faint discovery of the true Messiah to the full-orbed revelation of a risen Savior. Mark the profound respect, the solemn homage, with which Eliz |