IM-PÄRT', give; bestow.

b HOL'-LOW-NESS, without substance.

TIN'-SEL, shining and showy only. d EBB'-ING, flowing back; falling away

[What is the Book of Life ?" When do we turn to its pages for comfort and consola. tion? Why is it called "the Book of Life," instead of "a Book of Life?"]

1. "OLD Mr. Worthy," as he was called, had worked at his trade of watchmaker, until he was able to retire from business on a very snug little fortune. So he bought a pretty little house in the outskirts of the town, with a garden full of flowers, and a fountain in the middle of the garden, and there he enjoyed himself very much.

2. His wife enjoyed herself too; but never so much as when the neighbors, as they passed by, peeped over the

fence, and said, "What a pretty place'! ple the watchmaker and his wife are'! enjoy' themselves!"

What lucky peo

How they must

3. On such occasions Master Frank, their only son, would be sure to hear what the neighbors said; and when they were gone he would exclaim, "Isn't it grand, mother, that every body should think that' ?" "It is, my son," his mother would reply: but old Mr. Worthy would shake his head, and say to his wife, "You are filling that boy's head with nonsense.

4. Now Frank's mother thought her son remarkably smart; and when she thought his education was complete, she requested Mr. Worthy to dismiss all Frank's teachers, give him a handsomeb sum of money, and let him go off to see the world and make his fortune.

5. The old gentleman shook his head at first, and called it all sheer folly. Moreover, he declared that Master Frank was a mere child' yet, and would get into a hundred foolish scrapes in less than a week`; but mamma expressed her opinion so positively', and repeated it so often', that at last papa began to entertain it too, and gave his consent to the plan.

6. When Frank was about to leave home, with his pockets full of money, his mother took him privately aside, to give him some parting advice. "Your education," said she, "is now finished. You can play on the piano', and dance', and sing', and talk before any body', and make yourself noticed wherever you go. Now mind that you do make yourself noticed-or who' is to find out your merits'? Don't be shy and downcast when you come among strangers. All you have to think about, with your' advantages', is to put yourself forward', and make yourself agreeable'."

7. But Frank's father, knowing nothing of the lesson which the vain mother had just given him, also took him

*If this be spoken merely as a question, it should have the rising inflection; if it be exclamatory, it comes under Rule X. See also Rule I., Note 2.

aside, and spoke to him as follows: "Now', my dear boy', before you go, let me give you one word of parting advice. We have all made too much of you, and praised whatever you have done'; and you have been a sort of idol and wonder among us. But, now that you are going among strangers', you will find yourself Mr. Nobody; and you must be contented to be Mr. Nobody at first.

8. "Keep yourself in the background till people have found out your merits for themselves, and never get in any body's way. Just keep out of the way. It's the secret of life for a young man. Why', Frank', how impatient you are! Now mark my words. All you have to attend to, with your advantages', is to keep out of the way."

9. Frank had listened to his father's advice very impatiently. As he passed out, his mother called to him, "Remember what I've said." "Trust' me," was Frank's reply. The driver was calling, so he walked off to the stage-coach. He was just in time; but a sudden thought struck him, that it would be well for the driver and passengers to know how well educated he had been.

10. So, while he stood leisurely pulling on his kid gloves, he began to talk about the country; and as there were two roads leading to the next village, he thought it well to advise the driver which to take. "Jump in, jump in," called out the driver. "Certainly not till I've made you understand what I mean'," said Master Frank, quite pompously.

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11. But, then, crack went the whip, the horses made a start forward, and the front wheel passed over the tip of Master Frank's boot. It might have been worse'; but Frank called out very angrily about "disgraceful carelessness," on which the driver cracked his whip again, and shouted, "Gentlemen that won't keep out of the way must expect to have their toes trodden on." Every body laughed at this, and Frank was obliged to spring hastily inside, or he would have been left behind.

12. After his arrival at the great hotel of the city, he

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found that there was to be a public dinner there that evening, which every body might attend who chose to pay for it. So he dressed himself in his neatest suit, and, when the time arrived, strode pompously into the large dining-hall, where was a long table, set out with plates, and fast filling with people, not one of whom he knew. He felt a little confused at first, but, recalling his mother's advice, he repeated to himself her parting words, and took courage.

13. He had certainly forgotten the text, "When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room;" for, passing by the lower end of the table, where were several unoccupied places, he walked boldly forward to the upper end, where groups of people were already seated, talking and laughing together Observings an unoccupied seat next to a well-dressed young lady, "Why, this is the very thing," thought he to himself. There was a card, it is true', in the plate opposite the vacant seat; but "what of that?" thought he, "first come, first served', I suppose'."

14. So, sitting down, and thinking of his mother's advice to "put himself forward," he bowed and smiled to the young lady; but the next instant he was tapped on the shoulder by the waiter, who, pointing to the card in the plate, said, in a low voice, "This place is engaged, sir!”

15. "Oh, if that is all," said Frank, speaking quite loud, "here's another to match;" on which he drew one of his own cards from his pocket, and threw it into the plate. "The place is engaged, sir !" repeated the waiter in a louder voice; but Frank showed no disposition to abandon his seat; and as he had already attracted the attention of the whole table, there was a general cry of "Turn him out."

16. "Turn me out'!" shouted Frank, jumping up; but at that moment a voice behind him called out, a hand laying hold of him by the shoulders at the same time, "Young man, I'll trouble you to get out of my chair; and OUT OF MY WAY; and to KEEP OUT OF MY WAY!"*

* This is a good example of increasing emphasis.

17. Frank found himself half way down the room be fore he knew what was happening; for, after the gentleman had let go of him, the waiter seized him and hustledi him along. There was no longer any room for him at the lower end of the table; but he at length found a seat at a side-table in a corner, at which sat two men in foreign dress, not one word of whose language he could understand.

18. His first unlucky adventure had sobered him a little; but presently, with his mother's advice running in his head, he resolved to make another attempt to "put himself forward," and "make himself agreeable," if possible. So, at the next burst of merriment from the foreign gentlemen, he affectedi to enter into the joke, threw himself back in his chair, and laughed as loudly as they did.

19. The men stared for a second, then frowned; one of them shouted angrily at him, and the other called loudly to the waiter. A moment after, Frank found himself being conveyed by the waiter through the doorway into the hall, with the remark sounding in his ears, "What a foolish young gentleman you must be'! Why can't you keep out of people's way'!"

20. The waiter advised Frank to go to bed, where he might be out of the way; "but," said Frank, "I understand there's to be dancing here to-night, and I can dance, and-"

21. "Pooh! pooh!" said the waiter; "what's the use of dancing, if you are to be in every body's way'; and I know you will' be." So Frank went to bed, where he lay a long time awake, wondering what could be the cause of the failure of his attempts to make himself agreeable.

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22. The next night he went to a public concert, where he made himself so conspicuous-first applauding, then hissing, and even speaking his opinions to the people around him—that a set of young college students combined together to get rid of him; and so, before the entertainment was half through, Mr. Frank, after a little hard usage, found himself in the street.