6.

And, lost in thought, no more perceived
The branches whisper as they waved;
It seemed as all the quiet place
Confessed the presence of the grace.
When thus she spoke-" Go rule thy will,
Bid thy wild passions all be still;
Know God-and bring thy heart to know
The joys which from religion, flow;
Then every grace shall prove its guest,
And I'll be there to crown the rest."

In

O! by yonder mossy seat,

my hours of sweet retreat,
Might I thus my soul employ,
With sense of gratitude and joy.
Raised as ancient prophets were,
In heavenly vision, praise, and prayer;
Pleasing all men, hurting none,

Pleased and blessed with God alone:
Then, while the gardens take my sight,
With all the colors of delight,-
While silver waters glide along,
To please my ear and court my song,-
I'll lift my voice and tune my string,
And Thee, great Source of nature, sing.

The sun that walks his airy way,
To light the world, and give the day,
The moon that shines with borrowed light,
The stars that gild the gloomy night,
The seas that roll unnumbered waves,
The wood that spreads its shady leaves,
The field whose ears conceal the grain,
The yellow treasure of the plain,—
All of these, and all I see,

Should be sung, and sung by me:

1. A very little word is No. It is composed of but two letters, and only forms a syllable. In meaning it is so definite as to defy misunderstanding. Young lips find its articulation easy. Any child can spell it. Unlike some words of learned length, spoken only on rare occasions, its use is common and familiar. Not an hour passes in company, but we hear it repeated. It would be a task to carry on conversation for a few minutes without its aid.

2. Diminutive in size, evident in import, easy of utterance, frequent in use, and necessary in ordinary speech, it seems one of the simplest and most harmless of all words. Yet there are those to whom it is almost a terror. Its sound makes them afraid. Upon their lips, when forced to pronounce it, it hangs heavily as lead. They would expurgate it An easy and good

from their vocabulary if they could. natured class of people they are. They like always to agree with their friends. To them the language of contradiction is uncongenial. The ranks of disputants obtain from them few recruits. They can not differ from others without a painful effort, which they seldom make.

3. It is in their nature to drift down the stream, rather than resist the current. When urged to any thing by companions, they find it all but impossible to say-N. The little mono

syllable sticks in their throat. Their pliable and easy temper inclines them to conformity, and frequently works their bane. Assailed by the solicitations of pleasure, they are sure to yield, for at once and resolutely they will not repeat -No.

4. Plied with the intoxicating cup, they seldom overcome for their facile nature refuses to express itself in-No. Enountering temptation in the hard and duteous path, they are ikely to falter and fall, for they have not boldness to speak out the decided negative-No.

5. Amid the mists of time, and involved in the labyrinthine mazes of error, they are liable to forget eternal verities, and join the ribald jest, for they have not been accustomed to utter an emphatic-No. Their talents may be of a high order, their disposition amiable and generous, and their prospects flattering; but this one weakness may, at any time, prove fatal to their hopes.

6. All the noble souls and heroes of history have held themselves ready, whenever it was demanded, to say—No. The warrior said-No to the obstacles which threatened the success of his arms, and rose against them in his might, and made them as the dust of his feet. The statesman said-No to the imperious and insulting demands of an excited populace or a foreign foe, and devised the plans by which the language of demand was exchanged for the language of entreaty and supplication.

7. The poet said-No to the sloth and indolence which consumed his precious hours, and wove for himself, in heavenly song, a garland of immortality. The martyred hosts said -No to the Pagan powers that demanded a recantation of their faith, and swift from the fire and the torture their souls uprose to the rewards and beatitude of heaven. The greatest and best of all that ever trod our earth, the Holy One himself, was incessant in his labors of self-denial, and even thereby he won the honors of his cross. Great men have grown great by repeating No at every step of their progress. To

ease, to inglorious joyance, to pleasure, to hardship, they said -No.

8. In the slow advancement of mankind-No has ever proved a word of power. Before it, Error consecrated by antiquity, has fallen, and Truth has risen in her splendor. Every falsehood refuted and denied is a step to truth; every impedi ment vanquished, an advance to greatness. It is but fair to observe, however, that even in the use of this word there may be an abuse.

9. As there are minds too pliable and gentle, so there are others too dogmatic and contradictory. On little occasions, and for trifling reasons, one may acquire a vile and disagreeable habit of dispute and denial. In things of no moral or practical account, it is wise to be conciliatory and compliant. The most decided of men need not be impolite, or unpleasing in society, But, when duty or propriety demands it, no one should be ashamed to speak-No.

10. "Few have learned to speak this word When it should be spoken;

QUESTIONS--1. What pause before the word No, in the above piece ! See page 43. 2. What kind of emphasis on should, tenth stanza l See Note VI., page 21.

EXERCISE LXXXVIII.

THE GRAVE.

LITERARY MAGNET.

1. There is a mournful pleasure in stealing from the noisy haunts of life, at that soul-soothing hour when the twilight sheds its softening influence over each distant prospect, and the last faint vestiges of the declining day are vanishing from the heavens. It is sweet at such a time to stray into the church-yard of some neighboring village, and pass an hour in meditation over the last narrow dwelling-place of those who are reclining beneath us.

2. There shall we be impressed with the sad truth, that our brightest joys must pass away, and that a time will come, when the cold grave will receive us, and others will pass over our lowly bed, and bestow not a thought on the moldering relics of the mortal who lies beneath them. But we shall rest calmly and peacefully. Sorrows will not molest us; but the breeze will moan a gentle dirge as it passes over our resting-place; and the summer daisy will disclose its simple beauties among the waving grass that springs in freshness above our last quiet home.

3. (pl.) Go, child of sorrow, to the grave, where the gentle form is sleeping that was wont to be thy companion; who, when the storm of affliction was darkly gathering around thee, soothed thy anguish, and, with the blandishments of faithful affection, cheered thy hours of sadness. Go to the turf that flourishes above her, and recall, as in a dream, past hours of happiness. Think of those eyes, beautiful as violets, where Love had made his habitation. Think of that voice, which, like the lute's soft music, thrilled thy inmost soul with its melody-muse on every fond endearment, every blissful hour, that once with her was thy portion; then wake from the enchanting illusion, to know that, mixed with her kindred dust, she can return to thee no more.

4. And thou, who hast wept over a parent's lifeless form,