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Rosamond was very glad that she could oblige her brother, and she was glad that she had cured herself of carelessness; and she said, Mother, I am glad that I chose the housewife, which has been so useful to me, instead of the stone plum, which would have been of no use to me."

MISS EDGEWORTH.

Artificial-Made by men.

Baubles-Things which are not necessary. Ear-rings are baubles; trifling finery.

Buckles-Ladies used to wear buckles to fast

en their shoes.

Clogs-Thick shoes with wooden soles.
Pause-To stop.

Exceedingly-Very much.

Glass-house-House where glass is made.

ANIMALS.

WHATEVER is alive, and grows, feels, and moves of itself, is an animal.

Some animals live entirely in the water, as fishes; other animals live on the land, as horses, and many others. Some animals live both on land, and in water; these are called amphibious animals.-The seal, of whose skin shoes are made; the tortoise, of whose shell combs are made; are amphibious animals.

Some animals are very stupid, and still, as the oyster; others are very active, as the little

mouse. Some keep awake, at all seasons in the year, sleeping only at night, when children sleep; other animals sleep all the winter. The tortoise sleeps in winter. Some birds stay in one country, all their lives, as hens and pigeons; other birds fly away at the beginning of winter, to some warmer country, and come back again in summer. These are called birds of passage or migratory birds, because they pass from one country to another. Wild geese and swallows are migratory birds.

Some animals are very peaceable and affectionate, as the dove; others are very violent, or ferocious, as the tiger and wolf. Some animals feed upon other animals; others feed only on vegetables.

Animals which eat flesh, are called carnivorous. Man is a carnivorous animal. When animals devour others, they should not be called cruel-God has made them so, that they need the flesh of other animals to live upon.

Those animals which use a great deal of force to kill others, are called animals of prey; quadrupeds have very strong and sharp claws, for this purpose. The claws of birds of prey, are called talons. The animals which are eaten up, are the prey. The mouse is the cat's prey.

Species means kind, or sort. Dogs are one species-cats are another species of animals. The tortoise has a head somewhat like a toad, and four short legs, with claws. He has a shell on his back, which is so large, that he can draw his head and claws, quite into it. The sea tortoise is called turtle.

The common tortoise, which we also call turtle,

lives near clear brooks, and may be seen in a fine day swimming about close to the water's edge. They sleep all winter, and never go far from home in their lives.

Swallows are the birds which build nests in chimneys, and in different parts of houses. The swallow seems to love the habitation of men. To migrate is to go from one country to another

FABLE.

THE TORTOISE AND THE SWALLOW.

ONE beautiful day in the spring a tortoise crept out of his hole, where he had been sleeping all winter. He thrust his head out of the shell to search for the new grass, and to feel the warm sun, and determined to take a turn round the garden in which he lived.

As the tortoise crawled slowly along, he perceived a swallow, who was flying far above his head, chirping the first notes he had heard. The swallow at the same moment espied the tortoise; she remembered to have seen him swimming in the brook which flowed at the bottom of the garden, and near which stood the summer house where her own nest had been fixed for many sea

sons.

The swallow immediately descended to the ground, and addressed her old acquaintance. "How fare you, my old friend? How have you lived since we parted last autumn?" "Thank you," replied the tortoise, "I have kept

house all winter, and never once stirred out, till the ice and snow disappeared. I have been

very quiet and comfortable."

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I," continued the swallow, "do not love cold weather better than you; but as soon as I hear the loud wind of autumn I fly to the south; in a few days I come to fresh flowers and green fields; there I chase the gay butterflies, and the stinging gnats. I sleep among the trees, and sing my morning song to my new friends. soon as spring comes again, I seek my summer home, to build my nest, and rear my little family. Now I rejoice to see this delightful garden once more.'

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"You take a great deal of trouble in your long flights," answered the tortoise; "you are always changing from one place to another; you had better, like me, go to sleep in some safe corner, and take a half year's nap."

"A pleasant nap, indeed," replied the swallow; "when I have neither wings to fly, nor eyes to see, I may follow such a bright example. The use of life is to enjoy it; the use of time is to employ it properly. One might as well be quite dead, as asleep half one's days, like you, you stupid dunce!" Saying this, away he soared, high in the sky, and left the contented tortoise to make the best of his way home.

Which, think you, is the happiest the tortoise or the swallow? Both are very happyeach in his own way.

EVENINGS AT HOME.

THE YOUNG MOUSE.

A FABLE.

A YOUNG mouse lived in a cupboard where sweetmeats were kept: she dined every day on cakes, marmalade, and fine sugar. Never any little mouse had fed so well. She often ventured to peep at the family while they sat at supper nay, she had sometimes stolen down on the carpet to pick up the crumbs, and nobody had ever hurt her.

She would have been quite happy but that she was sometimes frightened by the cat, and then she ran trembling to her hole. One day she came running to her mother in great joy ; "mother!" said she, "the good people of this family have built me a house to live in; it is in the cupboard.

"I am sure it is for me; it is just big enough; the bottom is of wood, and it is covered all over with wires; I dare say they have made it on purpose to screen me from that terrible cat, which runs after me so often. There is an entrance just big enough for me, but puss cannot follow; and they have been so good as to put in some toasted cheese, which smells so deliciously, that I should have run in directly, but I thought I would tell you first, that we might go in together, and both lodge there to-night, for it will hold us both."

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My dear child," said the old mouse," it is most happy that you did not go in, for this house is called a trap, and you would never have come

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