A CERTAIN Italian bishop was remarkable for his happy and contented disposition. He met with much opposition and encountered many difficulties in his journey through life: but it was observed that he never repined at his condition or betrayed the least degree of impatience. An intimate friend of his, who highly admired the virtue which he thought it impossible to imitate, one day asked the prelate if he could communicate the secret of being always satisfied. "Yes," replied the good old man, "I can teach you my secret and with great facility. It consists in nothing more than in making a right use of my eyes." His friend begged him to explain himself. "Most willingly," returned the bishop. "In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven; and reflect that my business here, is to get there. look down upon the earth, and call to mind that, am dead, I shall occupy but a small space in it. I then look abroad into the world, and observe what multitudes there are, who, in every respect, are less fortunate than myself.— Thus I learn where true happiness is placed; where all our cares must end; and how very little reason I have to repine or to complain."

I then

when I

22.-Religion compatible with the Happiness of Life.

Religion interdicts no joy,

But what would health and peace annoy;

She asks a corner in our heart,

But lets earth share its needful part.

D

The seaman, wet with sleet and rain,
While watching o'er the midnight main,
May, as the waves around him roar,
With silent gaze his God adore.

The husbandman, who breathes the dawn,
While striding through the dewy lawn,
Or, bending o'er the healthful plough,
His humble mind to heaven may bow.

Hap'pi-ly, fortunately; spe'cies, sort; cli'mates, regions; re-sem'bles, has a likeness to; min'i-a-ture, small scale; orna-ment'ed, adorned; dread'ing, fearing; sur-pri'sing, wonderful; oc-ca'sion-al-ly, sometimes.

THE tiger is one of the most beautiful, but, at the same time, one of the most rapacious and destructive of the whole

animal race. It has an insatiable thirst after blood, and, even when satisfied with food, is not satiated with slaughter. Happily for the rest of the animal race, as well as for mankind, this destructive quadruped is not very common, nor the species very widely diffused, being confined to the warm climates of the east, especially India and Siam. It generally grows to a larger size than the largest mastiff dog, and its form so completely resembles that of a cat as almost to induce us to consider the latter as a tiger in miniature. The most striking difference which is observed between the tiger and the other animals of the cat kind, consists in the different marks on the skin. The panther and the leopard are spotted, but the tiger is ornamented with long streaks quite across the body, instead of spots. The ground colour on those of the most beautiful kind is yellow, very deep on the back, but growing lighter towards the belly, where it softens to white, as also on the throat and inside of the legs. The bars which cross the body from the back to the belly are of the most beautiful black, and the skin altogether is so extremely fine and glossy that it is much esteemed, and sold at a high price in all eastern countries, especially China. The tiger is said by some to perfer human flesh to that of any other animal; and it is certain that it does not, like many other beasts of prey, shun the presence of man; and, far from dreading his opposition, frequently seizes him as his victim., These ferocious animals seldom pursue their prey, but lie in ambush, and bound upon it with a surprising elasticity, and from a distance almost incredible. The strength, as well as the agility of this animal, is wonderful: it carries off a deer with the greatest ease, and will even carry off a buffalo. It attacks all kinds of animals, except the elephant and rhinoceros. Furious combats sometimes happen between

the tiger and the lion, in which both occasionally perish. The ferocity of the tiger can never be wholly subdued: for neither gentleness nor restraint makes any alteration in its disposition.

El-e-va'tion, height; af-fect', take from; glob'u-lar, round; en-tire, whole; cal'cu-la-ted, computed or reckoned; remain'der, what is left; con-cern', interest.

GEOGRAPHY is that science which makes us acquainted with the form of the earth; the various kingdoms, states, and empires into which its surface is divided, and also with its mountains, rivers, seas, and oceans. By the study of Geography, we come to learn what the different regions of the earth produce, and acquire a knowledge of the customs, manners, ceremonies, and institutions of all the different nations in the world.

It was long supposed that the earth was a vast extended plain: but it has been found by sailing round it, that it is a huge ball or globe. This is also proved by the appearance of a ship coming towards the land. On such an occasion the highest sails are always seen before the ship itself, which could not be the case, if the earth were not of a globular form. The general form of the earth, therefore, is that of a ball or globe, nearly round, being flattened at two points, called the

poles. Its surface, however, is irregular. In some parts it is hollowed into deep cavities, which are filled with the waters of the sea; in other parts it rises above the level of the water, and forms dry land, the surface of which is diversified by mountains, and valleys. The greatest elevation of mountains, above the level of the ocean, does not exceed five miles, and we have no reason to suppose, that the depth of the valleys filled by the sea, is greater. Although these elevations and depressions appear vast to us, yet, they no more affect the globular form of the earth, than the roughness of the skin of an orange, takes from its entire roundness.

The earth is not motionless, as we who live on it, are, from appearances, led to suppose. On the contrary, it is ever in a state of constant and rapid motion, and moves round the sun in one year, or 365 days, and 6 hours, at the rate of sixty-eight thousand miles an hour. By this revolution round the sun, it occasions the change of seasons, and the difference in the respective lengths of the day and night. Besides this motion, it is perpetually whirling round, or revolving on its own axis, and performs a complete revolution of this kind in twenty-four hours. During this whirl, or revolution, part of it is toward the sun, and part of it turned from it, and this is what causes day and night.

The extent of the earth's surface is calculated to be about two hundred millions of square miles. Of this vast extent, water occupies more than two-thirds, while the dry land constitutes the remainder, or nearly one-third. The whole of the dry land is divided by Geographers, into four smaller portions, commonly termed the four quarters of the globe, and named Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, each of which has numerous islands attached to it. These four grand divisions are again divided into smaller portions, called coun