a child can sew tolerably, to hem a bit of linen, cut it off, and hem again, till it fairly come to nothing; - it would be better, if possible, to turn it to some purpose, if only to encourage the child. Both boys and girls should be early taught to knit, and accustomed to take it up at every odd minute of time. Parents cannot too soon give them a notion of honest independence, that it is very creditable and comfortable to wear stockings of one's own knitting, and clothes of one's own earning or making. Even a very little child accustomed to pick up a few sticks in her walk should have the pleasure of seeing the fire lit with them. In country villages, a little garden is often attached to the cottage, and the garden will furnish suitable employment for all ages; and while elder children may strive for the finest vegetables or flowers, the least may collect weeds or stones may have a little mustard and cress seed for a penny, to call his own, to plant, to weed, to water, to watch its growth, (all with pleasure,) and to gather when fit, with his own little hands, and place on the table that he may have the delight of sharing out to kind parents, and brothers and sisters, his own share of the feast. All such feelings may be engendered and cultivated by giving judicious occupation from infancy. Children should be made to do all they require for themselves in the care of their clothing, as soon as possible; and when they can earn a trifle, and learn to save the odd pence frequently given them, for the purpose of buying some article of clothing they may want, it will teach them the value of such property, and they will be more inclined to take care of it when purchased with their own earnings. Children who have an ingenious turn may safely be encouraged in the making of toys some girls are clever in making up dolls of rag (which, by the by, are the very best kind for very little children in a nursery); others make balls, or paper play-things; and boys may be encouraged to make kites, boats, &c.

A great many expensive toys are sold in England that are brought over from Holland; they are called Dutch toys, and, I have heard, are made by the Dutch children for their own amusement: hence there is a proverb which says,

"The children of Holland take pleasure in making,

What the children of England take pleasure in breaking."

Now I don't grudge the poor little Dutchmen getting rich by their play, but I see no reason in the world why English

boys and girls should not amuse themselves in as profitable a way; I dare say they are quite as ingenious, if they had but the thought to set about it.

Family Economist; and Cottage Comforts.

OCCUPATION IN TROUBLE.

Of

If you were to ask me, what tends most to mitigate earthly sorrow, with the exception of the comfort derived from Him who is so truly called "The Comforter"?—I should unhesitatingly reply, Occupation. Yes, occupation cures one half of life's troubles, and tends to mitigate the remainder. whatever kind they may happen to be, troubles always appear great; and our own cares, in our own estimation, are invariably greater than those of our neighbours: but, whether we are afflicted in mind, body, or estate, occupation is the best prescription we can take. Suppose you have had a loss, say it is five silver shillings, or as many golden sovereigns; nay, let it be, if you like, a hundred or a thousand pounds, for it is not the amount of our losses that weighs down our spirits, but our real or fancied incapability to bear them; suppose you have a loss, I say, why all the sighing and sorrowing, the mourning and repining, in the world will not bring back a single sixpence of your money again, though it may disqualify you for making an attempt to recover your loss. You may get friends to condole with you, and make your loss greater by losing your time in brooding over it. But occupation is the only thing to relieve you. It is the most likely of anything to make up your money again; and if it do not that, it will engage your mind as well as your fingers, and keep you from despondency.

Suppose your body is afflicted, will sitting, or lying down, doing nothing, with your dejected eyes fixed on the wall, will this, I say, pull out a thorn from your finger, or assuage the pain of an aching tooth, or cure a fit of the gout? Not a bit of it. So long as pain does not deprive you of the power of occupying yourself, occupation will be the best thing in the world. Let it be suited to your condition, and

persevered in with prudence. A weak body cannot lift a heavy burden, nor a confused head think clearly; but do something, whether it be much or little, hard or easy. So long as you can write a letter, wind a ball of cotton, read a book, or listen while another reads to you, so long as you can do any of these things, by doing them you will lessen your affliction. In like manner, if your mind be wounded, apply the same remedy. If your enemy has injured or your friend deceived you; if your brightest hopes have been clouded, or your reputation blackened; pray for your enemies, and then up and be doing! Better gather field flowers, plait rushes, weed the garden, or black your own shoes, than be idle. Occupation will often blunt the edge of the sharpest grief, keep the body in health, and preserve the mind in comparative peace.

He that is in trouble should do something to get rid of it. No man ever got to the top of a rugged mountain by sitting down and fretting at the bottom of it. Something must be done, and done by yourself too, when you are in trouble; or otherwise it will stick as close to you as the skin that covers you. If I had not been a man of occupation, my heart would have broke long ago. I never could have stood up under the load of troubles and trials - not so heavy as I have deserved

that God, in mercy, has given me strength to sustain. Old Humphrey is always occupied; his tongue, his hands, his head, or his heels, are in constant requisition; and, rather than sit down and do nothing, he would willingly break stones in the highway, or make brimstone matches for sale. Time flies rapidly with those who have more to do in the day than they can accomplish; and drags along as heavily with all who have no employment for their hours. Occupation is the great secret of cheerful days and tranquil nights; for he that is well employed while the sun is in the skies, will be most likely to sleep soundly when the stars are above him. The moment you feel yourself getting moody and miserable, seek Divine support by prayer, and then set yourself a task immediately-some thing that will compel you to exert yourself; and you will be surprised at the relief it will afford you. Though old Humphrey advises you to do something of a trifling nature rather than be idle, he is no advocate for trifling. So long as this world endures, there will always be employment enough and to spare for all those who either wish to guide others to heaven or to get there themselves.

If you cannot employ your body, employ your mind, for there is time to employ it profitably,—

"A time to reflect on our words and and ways,

A time to pray and a time to praise."

And especially employ yourself in doing good, and mitigating the sorrows of others: while taking a thorn from the bosom of another, you will lose that which rankles in your own.

Thousands who know how much comfort occupation gives, do not know how much distress and uneasiness it keeps away. Show me two men who have equal advantages, one of them idle, the other fully occupied, and I will venture to pronounce the latter ten times happier than the former.

Care is a sad disease, discontent a sadder, and despondency perhaps the saddest of the three; but if you wish to be cured of all these together, next to seeking Divine support, my prescription is Occupation.

Old Humphrey, in "Family Economist.”

CONFIDENCE IN DANGER.

THE curling waves, with awful roar,
A little bark assail'd,

And pallid fear's distracting power
O'er all on board prevail'd-

Save one, the captain's darling child,
Who steadfast view'd the storm;
And cheerful, with composure, smiled
At danger's threatening form.

"And sport'st thou thus," a seaman cried,

"While terrors overwhelm ?".

"Why should I fear?" the boy replied:
"My Father's at the helm."

1

So, when our worldly all is reft,
Our earthly helpers gone,

We still may have one anchor left-
God helps, and He alone :

He to our prayers will bend his ear;
Ile gives our pangs relief;

He turns to smiles each trembling tear;
To joy, each torturing grief.

Then turn to Him, 'mid sorrow wild,
When wants and woes o'erwhelm-
Rememb'ring, like the fearless child,
Our Father's at the helm!

St. James's Chronicle.

'TIS POSSIBLE TO BE TOO LONG IN A PLACE.

Ir is very commonly said, that "a bad excuse is better than none at all;" but Grandfather Gray has no hesitation in reversing the sentence, by declaring, that no excuse at all is better than a bad one.

Alas! that our nature, which is so prone to do wrong, should be so unwilling to confess a fault; but so it was from the beginning, for Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam tried to appear faultless by blaming Eve, or rather the gracious God who gave her.

Grandfather Gray does not seek for causes of complaints against servants, but he will never fail to tell them of their faults, if, by so doing, he can save them from sorrow, and promote their happiness. The fact is, the old man hates bad excuses; and when such are urged by girls, in defence of absurd conduct, he must and will tell them of their folly. And what a ridiculous excuse for leaving a good situation it is, that "it is possible to be too long in one place!"

Certainly he is quite aware of such a possibility, but he knows that the probabilities all lie the other way; for, as "a rolling stone gathers no moss," there is scarcely any