Botany is the science that treats of plants. A botanist is one skilled in plants. A botanical garden is a place set apart for rearing rare and peculiar plants. The plants of one climate differ from those of another; and, in some botanical gardens, plants may be seen collected from all quarters of the globe.

The words and phrases of a living language gradually change their meaning. We have an example of this in the alteration which has taken place in the sense of the term charity, since the period at which our present version of the Scriptures was made. This word, when used in Scripture, signifies love; for example, " though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity (love), it profiteth me nothing." The word is now restricted in its signification to almsgiving, and the sense in which it occurs in Scripture is obsolete.

The appendages of royalty have various names, which it is important to distinguish. The chair or seat of the king is called his throne; the staff or ensign of royalty borne in the hand is called his sceptre; and the ornament on the head, denoting regal dignity, has various names, according to its shape and the extent of the royal sway, as crown, diadem, and tiara.

Horizon is the name we give to the circle which bounds our view in all directions,-where sea and sky or land and sky meet. A body is said to be horizontal when it points from one side of the horizon to the other. Thus, the surface of standing water is horizontal. The opposite of horizontal is vertical,—that is, right up and down; thus the pendulum of a clock when at rest is vertical. therefore, is perpendicular, or at right angles to a hou:---

A vertical line,

Of the various names I are given to the Supreme Being,

there are none more common in ordinary discourse and in profane authors than Providence, Nature, and Heaven. Be careful then to remember that these are names of God; and when you hear such phrases as the following,-" We owe all our blessings to a good Providence"-" Nature makes nothing in vain"-" Heaven be merciful unto us"-be careful to think of the great and good Creator in whom all things live, and move, and have their being. Nature is employed to describe God, when he is spoken of as the Being who created and sustains the material creation; and Providence, when he is spoken of as the Being who disposes all events. Heaven is one of the Scriptural titles of God, as we may perceive from the language of the prodigal son to his father," Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."

The adjective temperate means the opposite of excessive, and is nearly the same with moderate. It is variously applied. We speak of a temperate man, that is, a man who is moderate in meat and drink; and we speak of a temperate climate,—that is, a climate which is neither too hot nor too cold. In like manner we speak of a temperate attack of disease, or a temperate state of the passions. But the noun temperature is generally restricted in its application to the state of a thing in regard to heat or cold; and when we speak of a high temperature, or a low temperature, we allude only to different degrees of heat or cold.

A classic is an author of the first rank; and accordingly every country that has distinguished itself in the world of letters has its classics or eminent writers. But the phrase, "the classics," is commonly used to describe only the distinguished authors of ancient Greece and Rome. On the same principle we call an acquaintance with the works of these writers, "classical learning."

WHAT an invaluable blessing is it to have the Bible in our own tongue! It is not only the oldest, but the best book in the world. Our forefathers rejoiced when they were first favoured with the opportunity of reading it for themselves. Infidels may reject, and the licentious may sneer; but no one who ever wished to take away this foundation-stone, could produce any other equal to it, on which the structure of a pious mind, a solid hope, a comfortable state, or wise conduct, could be raised. We are told, that when Archbishop Cranmer's edition of the Bible was printed in 1538, and fixed to a desk in all pa rochial churches, the ardour with which men flocked to read it was incredible. They who could procured it, and they who could not crowded to read it, or to hear it read in churches. It was common to see little assemblies of mechanics meeting together for that purpose after the labour of the day. Many even learned to read in

their old age, that they might have the pleasure of instructing themselves from the Scriptures.

It is recorded of Edward VI. that, upon a certain occasion, a paper which was called for in the council-chamber happened to be out of reach: the person concerned to produce it took a Bible that lay near, and, standing upon it, reached down the paper. The king, observing what was done, ran to the place, and taking the Bible in his hands kissed it, and laid it up again. This circumstance, though trifling in itself, showed his majesty's great reverence for that best of all books; and his example is a striking reproof to those who suffer their Bibles to lie covered with dust for months together, or who throw them about as if they were only a piece of useless lumber. BUCK's Anecdotes.

CHILDREN—you should read the Bible, not merely as a task-book, but to become wise unto salvation. I know even young children, who love to retire by themselves, that they may read this blessed book, and pray to God in secret. Jesus says," Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not." And again, “They that seek me early shall find me." You have just read of the reverence which Edward VI., one of our kings who died young, showed to the Bible; but he is only one out of many pious young persons who have thought it their duty to treasure that book in their heart rather than to trample it under foot. The child Samuel early sought the Lord-Josiah was but eight years old when he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord— Jesus at twelve years old was found in the temple— Timothy knew the Scriptures from a child. In the Bible you will read about Jesus Christ-how he became a child for you, and how kind he was to children;-there you will learn also that it is your duty to love one another, and to love and obey your parents and teachers. You therefore should read your Bibles. BICKERSTETH.

THE IRISH BOY AND THE PRIEST

A PRETTY Irish boy—whose parents went
By different roads to word and sacrament—

To mother's church an inclination had,
But father unto mass would force the lad.
Yet still the boy to church on Sunday stole,
And evidenced a wish to save his soul.

The rector eyed the youth, his zeal approved,
And gave a Bible, which he dearly loved.
This made the enraged father storm and curse,
Lock up the Book, and use his son the worse.

At length, one Sunday morn, it came to pass,
The father dragged the struggling boy to mass;
The zealous Papists helped to force him in,
And begged the priest to pardon all his sin.

66

No, by the mass," he said, "I cannot bless Nor pardon till the culprit first confess.”

"Well," said the boy," supposing I were willing,

What is your charge?"" I'll charge you but a shilling." "Must all men pay, and all men make confession ?"

66 Yes, every man of Catholic profession!"

"And whom do you confess to?"-" Why, the dean." "And does he charge you?" "Yes, a white thirteen." "And do your deans confess?"—" Yes, boy, they do, Confess to bishops, and pay sharply too!"

“Do bishops, sir, confess, pay, and to whom ?” "Why, they confess, and pay the Church of Rome." "Well," quoth the boy, "all this is mighty oddBut does the Pope confess ?"-" O, yes—to God." "And does God charge the Pope ?"-" No," quoth the priest, "He charges nothing." "O, then God's the bestGod's able to forgive, and always willing,

To him I shall confess, and save my shilling!"

NICKNAMES.

Cambridge Chronicle.

O. TELL me what story you have been reading now, Charlotte.

C. I was reading, Olivia, in the 2d Book of Kings, about the children that mocked the prophet Elisha, and how two she-bears came out of the wood and tore them to pieces.

O. That is a very remarkable story, indeed: what did you think when you read it?

C. I thought they were very wicked children; and God

showed how angry kill them.

he was with them, by letting the bears

O. You remember what they said, don't you? thou baldhead, Go up, thou bald

C. Yes, "Go up,

head."

O. Well! and what made it so wicked in them to say so? for it was perhaps true that the prophet was bald. C. I suppose it was because they spake it to deride

and jeer him ; did they not?

They could not think

O. Yes, to be sure they did. what to say to express their scorn and contempt of this holy man, and so jeered him on account of a natural defect. And sure this should be a caution to all children (who are but too prone to this evil,) never to express their contempt of others by mentioning any natural or accidental infirmity or defect.

C. I did not think of this use of the story before; but, as you say, it is indeed a very common thing, when we would show our anger against individuals, to call them crooked, hump-backed, bald-pated, one-eyed, or whatever other imperfection they may have, which this story shows to be very wrong.

O. It is, indeed; and, as my papa told me when I read it to him, I should consider that it is both foolish and wicked. It is very silly to reflect on any one for what he can't help; and it is very wicked, as it is indeed reflecting on God himself, who made us all, and for wise reasons permitted those defects in nature, or suffered those accidents to befall us by which they came. And the dreadful lot of those children, methinks, should be enough to check us, whenever we find any inclination so much as to entertain a thought of this nature; much rather ought we to turn our minds to thankfulness and praise to our gracious God, who has formed us so perfect, and preserved us from being maimed or deformed by such disasters. Evenings at Home.

A GOOD BOY.

A GOOD boy is dutiful to his to his masters, loving to

and mother, play-fellows, and civil and