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a journey which may be performed along the top of the wall, as occupying eighteen days, starting from the gate by Sining-fu, and stopping by the gate at the city of Sucien, which opens upon the desert; and state that many travellers, having from motives of mere curiosity, obtained permission from the governor of Sining-fu, and furnished themselves with provisions, have performed this mural journey. The contrast between the country within the walls and the wilds without, is described as being at certain points very striking; looking down from the battlements and towers which frequently fringe the loftiest rocks, these travellers could see on one side a cultivated expanse covered with numberless inhabitants, and on the other all the wildness of the desert, that seemed never to have been trod by human footsteps, but abounded with all kinds of wild beasts. The view of the wall itself must be equally imposing, as it traverses one vast plain after another, and strides over lofty mountains-its numerous towers, here entire and there falling to ruins, the sides of the walls, here free and open and there overgrown with creeping plants, and garlanded with hardy trees that shoot from their interstices, or that spring from their base; the whole, to appearance, stretching out as if it were to girdle the globe, or as if it had no end. The antiquity of the structure must add to the vastness and solemnity of the impression.

Mr. Barrow makes some curious calculations, which assist the conception of the magnitude of this wonderful wall. According to him, the materials of all the dwelling-houses in England and Scotland, supposing them to amount to 1,800,000 (this was about half a century ago), and to avcrage on the whole 2000 cubic feet of masonry or brickwork, are barely equivalent to the bulk or solid materials of the great wall of China! Nor are the projecting massy towers of stone and brick included in this calculation. These alone are calculated to contain as much material as London. The mass of matter is more than sufficient to surround the globe, on two of its great circles, with two walls, each six feet high and two feet thick! But in this calculation the earthy part in the middle of the wall is included.

In its eastern branch, it has only two gaps, and they are where an inaccessible mountain and broad rivers supply its deficiency. The passages through the wall are arched, or run under ground. The sally-ports for the troops are very numerous. Purchase says, in his "Pilgrims," that "when any enemy appeareth, they kindle fires upon the towers, to give the people warning to come to their places where they are appointed upon the wall." Kircher (a missionary) says, "This work is so wondrous strong, that it is for the greatest part of admiration to this day; for through the many vicissitudes of the empire, changes of dynasties, batteries and assaults, not only of the enemy, but of violent tempests, deluges of rain, shaking winds and wearing weather, it discovers no signs of demolishment, nor is it cracked or crazed with age, but appears almost as in its first strength or greatness, and beauty; and well it may be, for whose solidity whole mountains, by ripping up their rocky bowels for stones, were levelled, and vast deserts, buried with deep and swallowing sand, were swept clean to the firm ground."

This wall was probably begun as early as two centuries and a half before the commencement of our era; and it was finished according to Chinese authority, in five years, every third man in the empire, capable of such labour, being pressed into the service. When it is added that the greater number sunk under the pressure of such severe fatigue, the account is more credible; but the whole is no doubt much exaggerated. It is more probable that the whole of this stupendous undertaking was the work of several generations than of one prince.

"A MAN THAT HATH FRIENDS MUST SHOW HIMSELF FRIENDLY."

"What a proud fellow that Vane is," said one of a group of schoolboys to his companions. "What do you think he called George Osborne this morning?"

'Oh, I heard him,” replied another of the boys: "he

called him a tailor-all because George's father is of that trade."

"I vote that we all of us have nothing to do with him," cried a third; "and if he thinks himself above us, let him ask his father to send him to some other school."

This proposal was agreed to; and, just as it had been resolved upon, the subject of it marched proudly along. He was rather a smart looking-boy, but with a somewhat scornful cast upon his features, the result, it may be, of the haughty temper which swelled in his heart.

See how he struts !" said one of the boys, so loudly that it caught the ear of Vane, who turned sharply round, and said, in a hurried tone,

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"What business of yours is it how I choose to walk?" "Oh, none whatever," replied the boy. You may walk on stilts and I shall not care, and then you will be still loftier than you are."

"Your father is a shoe-maker, and I will not talk with you. You do not know how to behave, and you will not be taught," said Vane, as he walked along, followed by a a loud laugh from the group of rude boys.

At this moment the schoolmaster passed that way, and, hearing the contention, stepped up, and gently reproved Vane for his pride, and the rest for their rude and mocking conduct.

Vane was bitterly annoyed by the shyness which, after this time, was shown towards him by many of his schoolfellows.

About a week after this time he went into the country to spend an afternoon with his cousin, and, as he was returning home, he fell down and split both the knees of trousers. This vexed him much, as he had to pass through the town of Sunnyvale, in whose suburbs his father's house was situated. However he could not help himself; so, with a reddened face, he hurried along through the streets.

"Why, Vane, I think you want 'a tailor' now," cried out one of his schoolfellows, who met Vane as he was hastening homewards.

He reddened still more deeply at this remark, and replied, angrily, "What do you cry out in that way for? I am not deaf."

Vane now quickened his pace, fancying, in his conceited self-importance, that his torn trousers were an object of curious scrutiny to almost every body he met.

But a greater annoyance awaited him. He had not proceeded far from the place where he met with Arthur Jones before he came full upon Edward Vernon. Edward's father was a rich man, and Henry Vane had courted his acquaintance, indeed somewhat servilely.

"Wherever have you been, Vane ?" said Edward, gazing at the rent knees.

"Where have I been !-why, I fell down, and you see what a fright I have made of myself," replied Henry, in confusion.

"Well, you do look strange," said Edward, rudely laughing at the figure which Vane made.

At length he reached home. But his troubles were not yet over; for on the following morning, Arthur Jones saluted him with the inquiry, "Have you condescended to send your trousers to a tailor yet, Vane ?" to which he replied, in somewhat humble tones, that he had.

A few days after this affair, Henry and his friend Edward Vernon went along the bank of the river which runs past Sunnyvale, on a visit to a relative of Henry's, who lived about a mile out of the town. As they returned, a clump of hazel bushes caught their attention, and they resolved to gather some of the nuts. As Henry was eagerly stretching forwards to reach a fine cluster which hung over the river, his foot slipped, and he was cast into the water. The current was strong from recent rains, and the water deep, so that Henry was in no little danger. He screamed loudly, and his companion tossed his arms into the air, calling for help, although no one appeared to be near. Just at this moment George Osborne came round a turn in the river, and Edward Vernon rushed wildly towards him. But he had already seen Henry in the river, and he ran forward a few yards to a place where

he knew the water was not beyond his depth. The current bore Henry along, and he appeared to be rapidly sinking; but as soon as he came within about ten yards of George Osborne, the latter sprang into the stream and caught him by the hand. George pulled his drowning schoolfellow to the shore, and after some time he was able to walk home.

In a few days he again made his appearance at school. A crowd assembled round him on the playground as soon as he entered it; but George Osborne modestly stood aloof. Henry hastened towards George, and, warmly grasping his hand, said, "Osborne, I have already written to you, to tell you how sorry I am that I behaved to you as I did; and I will now again beg your pardon before all my schoolfellows. I hope to be different from what I have been."

George and Henry shook hands warmly, and from that day they were bosom friends. Henry became generally liked by his schoolfellows, and what was still better, he became a truly pious youth. He is now an earnest thoughtful young man; and it is but a few days ago since I heard from him the above events of his life, which he gave me as a comment upon that truth of Scripture, "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly." Prov. xviii, 24.-Child's Companion.

THE MOTHER'S TOUCH.

In a long room, one winter's evening, in an old yard in the depths of London, a missionary had been holding a religious meeting; he had just dismissed it, and was still standing at his desk, when four young men, out of the number of his hearers, came and placed themselves before him. They were thieves. The missionary looked at the filthy, ragged, and destitute beings in silence. "Sir," they said, can you reclaim us?" "What! four of you?" 66 Yes." ." "Have you ever been in prison?" "We have." "Well," he said, "if you are sincere, I will do what I can for you, but I must know a little more about you first; I

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