them into the frozen ground. Whatever had occurred in the vicinity of my traps during my absence, of course I cannot take upon me to say; but, upon my return, I had no sooner commenced driving one of the stakes into the ground, than at the least a dozen little heads were perking from as many holes in the old wall, and sundry sets of sharp teeth were exhibited, ready, as I imagined, to tear him who had been meditating their destruction. I was then twelve or thirteen years of age, and had neither seen nor heard of a whole pack of angry weasels, so that at first I was not much alarmed; but as I continued the operation of driving my stakes, the whole party advanced towards me, grinning and barking, and grimacing, and to confess the truth, succeeded in driving me out of the lonely dell, leaving my traps baited, but not set, behind me. When I got home, and related this singular adventure to the assembled family, they could scarcely credit so strange a circumstance; but prevailing on my elder brother to accompany me on the following morning to revisit my traps, he became convinced, from the numerous tracts in the snow, that I had considerably underrated the number of weasels that had advanced to the charge when I retreated from the valley. The traps we found just as I had left them; for although the sparrows with which they were baited might have been carried off with impunity, not a single feather thereof had been touched or ruffled! But all was silent and lifeless-no sentinel appeared to give warning; and when I had coaxed my brother to explore the old wall, the place of their abiding, not the slightest signs of its being inhabited could he by any means discover. Penny Magazine.

KINDNESS-AN INDIAN STORY.

IN the early settlement of this country, a strange Indian arrived at an inn in Litchfield, Connecticut, and asked for something to eat; at the same time saying, that he had nothing to pay. The woman who kept the inn not only refused his reasonable request, but called him harsh names. But a man who sat by, seeing that the Indian was suffering

for want of food, told her to give him what he wanted at his expense. When the Indian had finished his supper, he thanked the man, and assured him that he should be faithfully recompensed, whenever it was in his power.

Some years after this, the man had occasion to go from Litchfield to Albany, where he was taken prisoner by the Indians, and carried to Canada. Some of them proposed that he should be put to death; but an old woman demanded that he should be given to her, that she might adopt him in place of a son, who had been killed in the war. This was done, and he passed the winter in her family. The next summer, while he was at work in the woods, a strange Indian came and asked him to go to a certain place on a given day, which he agreed to do; though he had some fears that mischief was intended. His fears increased and his promise was broken. But the Indian came again, and renewed the request. The man made another engagement and kept his word. On reaching the spot, he found the Indian provided with ammunition, two muskets, and two knapsacks. He was ordered to take one of each, which he did, and followed his conductor. In the day time they shot the game that came in their way, and at night they kindled a fire and slept by it. But the Indian observed a mysterious silence as to the object of their expedition.

After travelling in this manner many days, they came to the top of a mountain, from which they saw a number of houses in the midst of a cultivated country. The Indian asked him if he knew the ground, and he eagerly an swered, "It is Litchfield!"

The Indian then recalled to his mind, the scenes of the inn, and bidding him farewell, he exclaimed, "I am that Indian!--Now, I pray you go home."

AVOID SINFUL AMUSEMENTS.

NEVER let your amusements interfere with your duties. Lose not the early part of the day in recreation: "Pastime," says an old writer is poison "in the morning."

Large assemblies, where all sorts of persons congregate for amusement, are to be avoided. It is difficult to come out pure from the midst of contagion, and no one can participate in improper and vulgar amusements without suffering from the evils they spread around them.

Any amusement which tends to stimulate the passions, to excite impure emotions, or to corrupt the heart, may, without hesitation, be deemed sinful. Theatrical entertainments, though frequently defended as of a harmless and even moral nature, certainly come under this denomination. They personate the worst characters in vivid colours, give utterance to profane and immoral sentiments, and are resorted to by the most vicious characters, thus they offer the contamination of corrupt associations, and are prolonged to late hours, which are additional sources of danger. Public revels, balls, horse-races, cock-fighting, prize-fighting, betting, and gambling, are so generally counted immoral, that they need only be mentioned to be condemned.

Avoid, in short, every diversion attended with cruelty, immorality, and impiety, which gives pain to any fellowcreature, which pollutes the mind, or renders it indisposed to devotion.

A passion for amusement wastes time, enfeebles the body, dissipates the mind, destroys usefulness, and leads to great "He that loveth pleasure," says Solomon, "shall be a poor man."

expense,

Exercise, books, the beauties of nature, and conversation with suitable companions, furnish agreeable and sufficient relaxation for properly regulated minds.

ADVANTAGES OF INDUSTRY.

ABOUT any honest employment Providence throws in your way. Keep at it-heartily and earnestly at it. Don't slack up and be languid. Hold on. We will give you a dish of capital reasons, and a variety of them.

1. That is the way to be happy. "I have lived,” said Dr. Adam Clarke, “long enough to know that the great secret of human happiness is this: never suffer your energies

to stagnate. The old adage of too many irons in the fire,' conveys an untruth. You cannot have too many-poker, tongs, and all-keep them all going."

2. That is the way to accomplish a vast deal in a short life. The late William Hazlitt remarked, "There is room enough in human life to crowd almost every art and science into it. The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have."

3. That is the way to be contented. The unemployed are always restless and uneasy. Occupation quiets the mind and gives it something to do. Idleness makes it, like an empty stomach, uneasy. The mate of a ship, having put everything to rights, called on the captain for what next should be done. "Tell them to scour the anchor," was the reply, on the principle, that occupation, however needless, saves from the discontent of idleness.

4. That is the way to keep out of bad company. He will rore, who has not rest for his mind in some occupation. And roving, he will fall in with other rovers. They are birds of a feather. And as a quantity of burning brands augment the flame and heat, so do gathered rovers and idlers augment the taste and activity of each other's minds for evil doing.

5. That is the way to disappoint Satan. He comes up to the idler with assurance of a victim; from the welloccupied he departs as a roaring lion robbed of his prey. The one welcomes, the other repulses him.

6. That is the way to pay due respect to counsel from the highest of all counsellors. "Diligent in business," says the Divine Record: Do something, therefore-the right thing-do it-keep on doing it. Be wide awake about it. Boston Traveller.

THE HAPPY MAN.

THE happy man was born in the city of Regeneration, in the parish of Repentance unto Life, was educated in the school of Perseverance, works at the trade of Diligence, and sometimes performs acts of Self-denial. He is clothed in the plain garment of Humility, and has a better suit to

appear in at Court, called the robe of Christ's Righteousness he breakfasts every morning on Spiritual Prayer, and sups every evening on the same: he has meat to eat which the world knows not of, and his drink is the sincere milk of the Word. He has a large estate in the country of Christian Contentment, and his delightful mansion is called the House of Prayer. His associates are the Excellent of the Earth, even such as excel in Virtue; and where Wisdom and Piety inhabit, there is he. On his lips is written the Law of Kindness, and on his tongue the dictates of Truth; his breast is fortified with the armour of Righteousness, and in his heart there is no guile : Faith bears a shield before him; while Mercy presides at his right hand, and Justice at his left. Should Darkness, at any time, envelope his goings, God's Law is a Lamp unto his Paths, and none of his steps shall slide. Thus he pursues the noiseless tenor of his way through the wilderness of this world, to the celestial Canaan, which only righteous men shall inhabit, and where the spirits of just men made perfect are for ever with the Lord. In a word, he has Sin under his feet; the World behind his back; Grace in his heart; Heaven in his eye, and a Crown of Glory over his head! Happy is the life of such a man! To attain which, strive earnestly, work diligently, pray fervently; persevere to the end, live holily, die daily, watch your hearts, guard your senses, redeem your time, love Christ, and hope for glory. "Mark the perfect Man; behold the upright, for the end of that Man is peace."

THE LOST SIXPENCE.

THE other morning, a little boy belonging to a very poor family was returning from the grocer's, where he had been on some errand for his mother, with just one sixpence change. He had put it, as he thought, safely in his pocket: but when, as he was running up the steps of his house, he put his hand in, to have it ready to give to his mother, the sixpence was not there!" Well, and if it was not!" I think I hear some little reader say, "if it was not! It was only sixpence! That was but a very little money: what would it