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What a peaceful, harmless creature is the sheep and how useful to the human race! Its flesh, which we eat under the name of mutton, affords us wholesome food. Its milk is sometimes made into cheese. From its skin we obtain leather for gloves, for binding books, and for parchment. Its fat is of use in making candles; and even its bones and entrails serve more than one useful purpose. A great part

of our clothes is made from the wool which grows on its back....

I shall tell you the way, in which the coats that we wear, are made from the wool of the sheep. The first thing done, is to wash the sheep well in a stream or pond. As soon as the wool, which is thus made clean, gets dry, it is shorn off; a fleece from each sheep. After this, they tease and comb the wool, and pick out any bits of stick, or dirt, or other things, which would spoil it. They next scour it, to take off what they call the yolk, which is a kind of soap. Then they card it, and spin it into yarn on a wheel, or in a mill, which is made for the purpose.

After the wool is thus made into yarn, they weave it into webs of cloth in a loom; and then they dye it black, blue, green, red, yellow, or any other colour

they please. Sometimes they dye it in the state of wool, and sometimes in the

state of yarn, but for the most part, after it is woven into cloth. At last, the cloth is put up in bales, and sent to shops, where it is sold, more or less of it, as those by whom it is bought, may chance to need, or may choose to

have.

The sheep and the lamb are often spoken of in Scripture. Those who believe in Christ, are called the sheep of his pasture; and he is said to be their Shepherd. He is also styled the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.".

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The common hen is known to all little boys and girls as one of the most useful birds. During her life she supplies us with eggs; and, after her death, her flesh is very pleasant and tender food. If well fed, a hen will lay upwards of two hundred eggs in a year, though she has seldom more than one brood of chickens. hatches her eggs with great patience; and nothing can exceed the care which she takes of her little offspring. My dear child, when you look at the hen

She

and her chickens, think of the care, which your own mother took of you, during your helpless years, and of the love and duty, which you owe to her for all her kindness.

The cat is very playful when young, but becomes grave as it grows old. It is of great use for killing rats, mice, and other vermin. Cats are very artful and patient in watching for their prey. When they know the holes, in which rats and mice are to be found, they will sit near them for many hours at a