PORCELAIN TOWER AT NANKIN.

IN the East, and especially in the neighbourhood of China, many of those fine buildings are to be seen, called Pagodas, such as that represented in the annexed woodcut. The tower at Nankin, in China, is one of the finest, and is about two hundred feet high. It derives its parti

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cular name from having a coating of porcelain, or fine earthenware, such as we call "china;" that country being so celebrated for that material. The Portuguese supposed that these buildings were places of worship, and called them Pagodas, but they have probably been erected generally for ornament, or for public memorials, like the columns of the Greeks and Romans. The Chinese are so exceedingly jealous of allowing the people of other nations to become acquainted with their manners and customs, that it is very difficult to get any communication with them; and the Europeans, who go for the purpose of trading with them, are obliged to manage their affairs without going into their towns; so that there is much difficulty in obtaining from them that intelligence which would lead to a better acquaintance with them.

A LITTLE TALK ABOUT SAVINGS' BANKS, &c.

THE following conversation is taken from "Useful hints for the labourer," published by the Labourer's Friend Society.

Thomas.-"Well now, John, tell me how matters go with you."

John.-"Go! why bad enough; how are they to go well in these times ?"

Thomas." Why you seem sadly out of humour with the times; I am afraid you have not left off your old pranks. What sort of a tap is there now at the 'Blue Boar?""

John.-"O, capital; come along, Thomas, and let us have a pint together; the best ale in all the town!"

Thomas. Hold hard, Master John, these are not times you know for a poor man to drink at the Blue Boar, and I must do my master's work and get home before it is dark; besides, John, I have learnt, since I saw you last, that if I were to go on in my old courses, and drink and be drunken,' I should offend my great Master in heaven more than I have hitherto done;-and God knows that is enough."

John.-"Hollo, Master Tom; what! are you turned

1838.] A LITTLE TALK ABOUT SAVINGS' BANKS, &c. 279 Methodist? Come, no more of your gammon, but just tell me what you have been doing, and how the world wags with you."

Thomas." Well, that I will do for old acquaintance' sake; and, as I cannot see the gentleman on business for an hour, we will have a bit of talk. You remember my leaving this country,-well, I went with a heavy heart, but still I was glad to get rid of some of my old acquaint

ance."

John.-"Me among the rest, I suppose."

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Thomas. Perhaps so; and I hoped to get into better habits. To make short of it, I went to my new cottage and found a good master and mistress; but I was not satisfied at first with the wages, for they were not more than you and I used to get here; however, I determined to try, and though I have now only one shilling a week more than I had then, I and Betty, with the help of little Tom, and Mary, the little girl, have contrived to put by, till we have now got 50%. in the Savings Bank at W

John.-"Fifty pounds in the Savings Bank! Why, what do you mean?"

Thomas."I mean what I say; and I can tell you another thing, that if you had never gone near the 'Blue Boar,' you might have done the same, and you would not now be grumbling about the new poor laws and the hard times. You may shake your head; but it is as true as you are there, and I will prove it to you. What I say is this, you have swallowed down that throat of your's since we last met more than 40%., which you might have been worth at this moment.'

John.-"Why you are mad."

Thomas.-"No, I am not; and I will go on to prove all I have said. Now let me ask, how much do you generally spend every Monday at the Blue Boar?'"' John." Not above two or three shillings at the most.' Thomas." How long is it since we met?"

John." I take it to be about six or seven years." Thomas." Well, what I say and maintain is this, that if, instead of putting these two or three shillings down your throat, you had put them into the Savings Bank,

you would now have been worth 40%., and if your wife had only laid out the money in the Savings' Bank, which she has spent in finery and nonsense, and gingerbread for the children, I dare say you would now have been worth 601. or 70l. between you."

John.-"Impossible?"

Thomas.-"I have but a short time to stay; so listen to me, and I will tell you what I know about it. Now I have in my pocket a printed paper, which my master gave me some time ago, which tells us what a man may do for himself by putting by in the Savings' Bank. Now, look here, one shilling a week will, with interest, at the end of seven years, amount to 20%. 10s. 8d.; and two shillings a week for seven years, to double that sum; one shilling a week for ten years, will, with the interest allowed thereon, amount to 30%. 7s. 5d.; two shillings a week for the same time, to 607. 14s. 10d.; three shillings a week, to 911. 2s. 3d.; four shillings a week, to 1217. 9s. 8d.; five shillings a week, to 1517. 17s. 1d.; six shillings a week, to 1827. 4s. 6d.; seven shillings a week, to 212. 11s. 11d.; and if seven shillings a week were to accumulate with interest for twenty years, it would amount to 510l. 1s. 4d. Now, John, these few instances will shew you at once what you may do by putting by in the Savings' Bank; and I think I was right when I said that if you placed two shillings of the money in the Savings' Bank which you have put down your throat since we last met, you would now have been worth more than 40%,; besides, John, if it should please God to take you away, you might leave all your savings to your family."

TO SERVANTS.

I WOULD earnestly entreat you to remember, that the salvation of your soul is the great object for which you were sent into the world: and if you fail of salvation, "good were it for you if you had never been born." To that end you must look in every action of your life; and "whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. chap x. ver. 31.) 'If you make religion a secondary concern, you are not religious. If it be not your prevailing desire and study day by day to walk in the faith of Christ, and

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to manifest your love and fear of God, through His Son, by humble, watchful, resolute, and persevering holiness, you are not religious. Look well then to yourselves; for eternity is at stake." (Gisborne's Sermons.) Let, therefore, all your daily duties be performed, not to suit your own convenience, or to gain favour from the world, but to prove your love and obedience to God. You must feel sure, that as your heavenly Father has placed you in your present station, it is, therefore, that station which is best for you. Had He seen that it would have been better for your eternal good that you should be great and rich, He would have made you so; but He gives to all the place and duties best fitted for them, and directions how to discharge them. No class of persons is neglected in His holy word. Kings and subjects, masters and servants, have all their respective rules laid down for them, by which they will be judged; take those which concern yourself; attentively study them; learn them by heart, and pray, that you may be enabled to walk in obedience to them.

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

“Not with eye service, as men pleasers: but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; "With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and

not to men;

"Knowing, that whatsoever good things any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." (Ephesians, chap. vi. verses 5, 6, 7, 8.)

"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

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Knowing, that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." (Col. chap. iii. verses 22, 23, 24.)

"Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;