And had not seen before the purple folds
Of the low sunset clouds; and the blue sky
That looked so still and delicate above,

Filled her young heart with gladness; and the eve
Stole on with its deep shadows, and she still
Stood looking at the West, with that half smile,
As if a pleasant thought were at her heart.
Presently in the edge of the last tint
Of sunset, where the blue was melted in
To the faint golden mellowness, a star
Stood suddenly. A laugh of wild delight
Burst from her lips, and putting up her hands,
Her simple thought broke forth expressively:
Father, dear father, God has made a star."

1. "I would I were a man to-day!"
Said one whose soft and flowing hair
Proclaimed him gayest of the gay,
A boy, and void of care.

2. "I would I were a man, to do

As pleased me most, uncheck'd and free; I'd roam the whole world through and through, In perfect liberty!"

3. "I would I were a heedless lad!"

Said one whose scant and hoary hair
Proclaimed him saddest of the sad,
A man bow'd down with care.

4. "I would I were a thoughtless boy,
And all these years that roll between
Were as a shadow on the joy

That was and might have been!"

5. Oh youth and age, oh boy and man,
That envy still each other's state,
Misreading both the Master's plan,
Ye find the truth too late.

6. Mark well the lesson that is taught,
One to the other and be wise:
Each day with novel use is fraught-
Employ it 'ere it flies!

PERCEIVED, about four years ago, a large spider in one corner of my room, making its web; and, though the maid frequently levelled her fatal broom against the labours of the little animal, I had the good fortune to prevent its destruction, and, I may say, it more than paid me by the entertainment it afforded.

2. In three days the web was, with incredible diligence, completed; nor could I avoid thinking that the insect seemed to exult in its new abode.

It often traversed it round, and examined the strength of every part of it, retired into its hole, and came out very frequently. The first enemy, however, it had to encounter, was another and much larger spider, which, having no web of its own, and having probably exhausted all its stock in former labours of this kind, came to invade the property of its neighbour.

3. Soon a terrible encounter ensued, in which the invader seemed to have the victory; and the laborious spider was obliged to take refuge in its hole. Upon this I perceived the victor using every art to draw the enemy from his stronghold. He seemed to go off, but quickly returned, and, when he found all arts vain, began to demolish the new web without mercy. This brought on another battle, and, contrary to my expectations, the laborious spider became conqueror, and fairly killed its antagonist.

At

4. Now in peaceable possession of what was justly its own, it awaited three days with the utmost impatience, repairing the breaches of its web, and taking no sustenance that I could perceive. last, however, a large blue fly fell into the snare, and struggled hard to get loose. The spider gave it leave to entangle itself as much as possible, but it seemed to be too strong for the cobweb.

5. I must own I was greatly surprised when I saw the spider immediately sally out, and in less than a minute weave a new net around its captive, by which the motion of its wings was stopped; and, when it was fairly hampered in this manner, it was seized and dragged into the hole.

6. In this manner it lived, in a precarious state; and Nature seemed to have fitted it for such a life, for upon a single fly it subsisted for more than a week. I once put a wasp into the net; but when the spider came out in order to seize it as usual, upon perceiving what kind of an enemy it had to deal with, it instantly broke all the bands that held it fast, and contributed all that lay in its power to disengage so formidable an antagonist.

7. I had now a mind to try how many cobwebs a single spider could furnish; wherefore I destroyed this, and the insect set about another; when I destroyed the other also, its whole stock seemed entirely exhausted, and it could spin no more.

8. The arts it made use of to support itself, now deprived of its great means of subsistence, were indeed surprising. I have seen it roll up its legs like a ball, and lie motionless for hours together, but cautiously watching all the time; when a fly happened to approach sufficiently near, it would dart out all at once, and often seize its prey.

9. Of this life, however, it soon began to grow weary, and resolved to invade the possession of some other spider, since it could not make a web of its own. It formed an attack upon a neighbouring fortification, with great vigour, and at first was as vigorously repulsed. Not daunted, however, with one defeat, in this manner it continued to lay siege to another's web for three days, and, at length having killed the defendant, actually took possession.

10. The insect I am now describing lived three years; every year it changed its skin, and got a

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