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impossible, in this instance, not to give the little animal credit for reflection, if not for some approach to

reason.

The following anecdote, which is perfectly well known in the town in which the circumstance occurred, places the intelligence, kind feeling, and noble disposition of the dog in a strong light, and quite equal to what has been recorded of the elephant under nearly similar circumstances. A grocer in Worcester had a powerful Newfoundland dog, which was reposing on the step of his door, when a sort of brewer's sledge was going rapidly down the hill leading to the bridge. Just as the sledge was passing the house, a little boy in crossing the street fell down in the way of the sledge, and would have been killed, had not the dog seen the danger, and, rushing forward, seized the boy in his mouth just in time to save his life, and deposited him on the foot-way uninjured.

Nor are cats without strong feelings of affection. An old lady had a favourite cat, which was much petted by her. One day a young friend was staying with her, and, while sitting at the window of the drawing-room, she began playfully to pat the old lady. The cat seeing what was going on, and probably supposing that her mistress was being ill-treated, crouched down with glaring eyes and swelling tail, and was evidently preparing to fly at the young lady, when fortunately her mistress saw the cat just in time to prevent the assault, and it was with some difficulty driven from the room.

Instances of the local memory of dogs, and their attachment to places where they have lived, are not uncommon; but the cat is generally supposed to be an animal of an inferior development of instinct and feelings. We, however, can mention a very singular example both of its fondness for the house where it was bred, and of the means, apparently beyond its power, which it took, when removed to a distance, to regain it. A medical gentleman, residing at Saxmundham, in Suffolk, dined with a friend in the village of Grundisburgh,

about twelve miles distant. Late in the evening he. returned home; a young cat had been given to him by his host, which was placed in a basket, and deposited in the boot of the phaeton. This shy, timid little animal, for such is the cat, and one quite unused to leave the precincts of its former habitation, three days subsequent to the journey was found, wet, tired, and covered with dirt, at the door of its former master's house at Grundisburgh; having by some instinctive power, unaccountable to us, found its way from one place to another; assuredly not being guided by the sense of vision, nor the recollection of places, for the former journey had been performed in confinement and utter darkness.

(From "Scenes and Occupations of Country Life."
By permission of John Murray, Esq.)

CALM.

REV. HORATIUS BONAR, D.D.

CALM me, my God, and keep me calm,
Whilst these hot breezes blow;
Be like the night-dew's cooling balm
Upon earth's fever'd brow!

Calm me, my God, and keep me calm,
Soft resting on Thy breast;

Sooth me with holy hymn and psalm,
And bid my spirit rest.

Calm me, my God, and keep me calm,
Let Thine outstretched wing

Be like the shade of Elim's palm
Beside her desert-spring.

Yes; keep me calm, though loud and rude
The sounds my ear that greet;
Calm in the closet's solitude,

Calm in the bustling street;

Calm in the hour of buoyant health,
Calm in my hour of pain;
Calm in my poverty or wealth,

Calm in my loss or gain;

Calm in the sufferance of wrong,

Like Him who bore my shame; Calm mid the threat'ning, taunting throng, Who hate Thy holy Name.

Calm as the ray of sun or star,
Which storms assail in vain,

Moving unruffled through earth's war,

Th' eternal calm to gain!

(By permission of the Author.)

THE LIGHT OF STARS.

W. H. LONGfellow.

THE night is come, but not too soon;
And sinking silently,

All silently, the little moon

Drops down behind the sky.

There is no light in earth or heaven,
But the cold light of stars;
And the first watch of night is given
To the red planet Mars :

Is it the tender star of love?

The star of love and dreams?
Oh no! from that blue tent above,
A hero's armour gleams.

And earnest thoughts within me rise,
When I behold afar,
Suspended in the evening skies,
The shield of that red star.

O star of strength! I see thee stand
And smile upon my pain;
Thou beckonest with thy mail'd hand,
And I am strong again.

Within my breast there is no light,
But the cold light of stars;
I give the first watch of the night
To the red planet Mars.

The star of the unconquer'd will,
He rises in my breast,
Serene, and resolute, and still,
And calm, and self-possess'd.

And thou, too, whosoe'er thou art,
That readest this brief psalm,
As one by one thy hopes depart,
Be resolute and calm.

Oh, fear not, in a world like this,
And thou shalt know, ere long,
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer, and be strong.

72

TEMPER.

J. HAIN FRISWELL, Author of the "GENTLE LIFE."

Ir is a mistake to suppose that its exhibition is a proof of strength of character. A man of the gentlest disposition in the world may be also of the strongest. A giant does not prove his strength by constantly hitting out, nor does a huge horse, which can pull any weight, prove its value by continually kicking and curveting. To suppose that a morose fellow is a man of strong character, is to follow the error of Lord Byron, who has taught that the exhibition of passion proves strength; whereas it is the continual repression of all passion that proves it. A good rider holds in his horse, checks him, and guides him; a bad rider lets him have his own way. The heathen knew better than we do about this. The example of Alexander, who, in his rage, killed his friend, and who cried for a larger share of conquest, was to them a common theme for boys to practise on, to laugh at, and avoid; but we ought to be wiser than they. Many centuries of the most cheerful religion that the world has ever known, many biddings to do our duty, to cast away fear, to rejoice always, and sing and make melody in our hearts, should have made us understand the value of goodhumour and the folly of bad temper.

"Too many," said John Angel James, "have no idea of the subjection of their temper to the influence of religion, and yet what is changed if the temper be not? If a man be as passionate, malicious, sullen, resentful, moody, or morose after his conversion as before it, what is he converted from or to?" indeed? Certainly a good deal of bad temper may be the result of disease; but if so, let us treat it as disease. We should remember, too, that we may stroke and pet, and feed, and foster a malignant temper till it assumes

What

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