To effect this, he is entitled to ask questions from the company all round, beginning with the person on his left. The question may be whatever he pleases, but the answer from the first person must contain the first word of the proverb; from the second, the second; and so on, each player taking a word in succession, going round the company as many times as may be necessary, till the proverb is completed. The great skill of the game is to contrive the answers so that the fatal word may not be conspicuous.

Example. The proverb chosen is, "A bird

in the hand is worth two in the bush.' QUESTION, No. 1. What do you think of the

weather?

ANSWER. I think it will be A fine day to

morrow.

Q. No. 2. Hum! What do you think-do you think we shall have rain?

A. I have no corns. I am neither a peacock, nor a barometer; nor any BIRD, beast, or mathematical instrument, to indicate the weather. Q. No. 3. What is your opinion of the domestic policy of the Peruvians?

A. I think they behaved very well IN the matter of the Lobos Islands.

Q. No. 4. What is the difference between fish alive and live fish?

A. THE difference there is between a cow and an oyster-knife.

Q. No. 5. What is the opinion of Pythagoras respecting wild-fowl ?

A. I have not a copy of Shakspeare at HAND at present.

Q. No. 6. Do you think there is any prospect of a war between Jerusalem and Madagascar? A. I am inclined to think there IS.

Q. No. 7. If a herring and a half cost three half-pence, what is the price of worsted stockings in the height of the season?

A. The question is not WORTH answering. Q. No. 8. Do you think I shall solve this difficult problem?

A. Probably in the year nineteen hundred and fifty-TWO.

Q. No. 9. Come, you'll help me to find it out, won't you?

A. Not if it's IN my power to avoid so doing. Q. No. 10. Do you feel inclined to work me a pair of braces ?

A. Not in THE least, I assure you; you don't deserve it.

Q. No. 11. Can't you do any thing to assist me in my experiments?

A. I am not to be caught with salt. I know how many beans make five. I object to beating about the BUSH; and you may catch a weasel asleep, if you have the power.

The player may make his answer as long as he likes, but must be able to repeat it word for

word, if called upon to do so. In the example we have given, the word bush (however artfully overlaid) would probably lead to detection, from the rarity of its occurrence in ordinary conversation, and the well-known character of the proverb. It is therefore advisable to select proverbs or quotations composed of the most ordinary phrases. The guesser may be allowed some time for deliberation; but, if compelled to give it up finally, must leave the room again and try another.

THE DOCTOR'S VISIT.-The individual to whom the company think proper to grant a Physician's Diploma, at once- - with a degree of good fortune which is rare in the early stages of his arduous profession - drops into an excellent practice. By a calamitous coïncidence, all the company are taken ill at once, and he is sent for to prescribe for them. He visits each patient in succession, beginning with the one next to him, going through the usual legerdemain of feeling the pulse, punching the ribs, looking at the tongue, auscultation, and asking questions as to the various complaints; the origin of which he ascribes to the most ridiculous causes such as inflammation of the temper, overeating, love, catching cold through leaving off shirts, &c. The complaint itself he must pronounce to be something with an impossible crack-jaw name, genuine or manufactured, such as Antiphlogistic Elephantiasis, Peripneumonia of the lumber vertebræ, &c., and prescribe a number of medicines equally difficult of pronunciation — taking a careful note of each prescription.

When he has seen and prescribed for all his patients, he calls upon one of the players to tell him what is the matter with such or such a patient (naming any one he pleases), and what he would recommend as a remedy. The person thus called upon is compelled to repeat, word for word, the name already given, by the Doctor, to the patient's complaint, and the exact drugs prescribed. Few students will be found to "pass this severe examination-almost as much pains having been taken to bewilder them, by hard words and unmeaning mystifications, as would be resorted to on a similar occasion by a veritable board of examiners. The "plucked" ones of course pay forfeits.

In reply to many inquiries in respect to the clubbing terms for the SCHOOL MONTHLY, we refer readers to the third page of the cover. Agents, teachers, postmasters, &c., who may be disposed to aid in the circulation of the work, by getting subscribers, will hear of very liberal inducements by addressing the publisher. School-boys, who may wish to take the work at light expense, can do this by getting up clubs of five or more. In some cases where boys wish to have the reading of the work, and are willing to share the ownership with others, ten of them, by contributing ten cents severally, can make up a year's subscription. At the end of the year they can bind the work and place it in the school library, with the names of the donors. One copy, at least, of the SCHOOL MONTHLY, ought to be taken in every school in the country in which reading, declamation, and grammar, are taught. A little effort and management, on the part of teachers and pupils, would accomplish this at an expense so trifling as to be hardly felt by the poorest.

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dining-room, in which Mrs. Curtis was sitting on a low chair, with a little work-table before her, very busily engaged in making a white frock; a fine fat baby was crawling on the carpet, and stretching out its chubby arm to reach a rattle. Mrs. Curtis jumped up when I entered, and hastily exclaimed, "My dear Miss Penrose, I had no idea it was you! Why, it must be later than I thought. I've been so busy trying to finish this frock, that the time slipped by; but do come up stairs and take off your things," she added, catching up the baby. "O! Dicky, Dicky, what a dirty pinafore, and clean on this afternoon, too! Where have you been? Come with mamma, and have your face washed.".

I felt a little uncomfortable. I feared I had come before I was expected: but little Mrs. Curtis seemed to, take every thing so easily, and appeared withal so very glad to see me, that I was fain to take all in good part, and with a smiling face followed my hostess.

"There's Fanny," said Mrs. Curtis, as a pretty little girl, with a head of curly hair, darted across the landing. "Come here, darling, and speak to Miss Penrose." Fanny put her finger in her mouth, and, shyly coming forward, gave me her cheek to kiss.

"Have you been to Mary, love?" asked Mrs. Curtis of her little daughter. "Yes," said Fanny, pouting her lips. "Then take Miss Penrose into the spare room, dear, and if you like you can stay with her till she 's ready to go down stairs, and then I can dress the baby."

Fanny hung down her head, but took my proffered hand, and led the way to the spare room. The bed was covered with children's clothes of every description the baby's hat and feathers, Dicky's new velvet tunic, and coats and frocks without number. Fanny stood still at the window, looking into the garden, and now and then stealing a glance at me from under her long curls. She was a pretty child; but I fancied she looked spoiled, and as if she had been accustomed to a great deal of notice.

When we left the bed-room the merrylooking housemaid was waiting at the top of the stairs to show me into the drawingroom. "I should think the children must be every thing here," thought I, as I noticed the quantity of costly toys, some of them sadly broken and defaced. "Every room in the house seems given up to them." In a few moments Mrs. Curtis came in with the baby dressed in a clean white frock, beautifully worked, and followed by Dicky, arrayed in his velvet tunic.

It was now next to impossible to carry on any thing like conversation; for, in the first place, the children were continually getting into mischief, and had to be alternately coaxed, reproved, and threatened; and in the next place, Mrs. Curtis seemed to have no ideas but what were in some way or other connected with her maternal relationship. She was evidently wrapped up in her children, to the exclusion of every thing else.

The husband now entered, who, after warmly shaking hands with me, sat down in his easy-chair, and complained of being very much fatigued. I expressed my sympathy, but Mrs. Curtis was too much taken up with adjusting the baby's frock to hear what her husband said. In the mean time Fanny and Dicky were quarreling about a Noah's ark, which both wanted to get possession of; Mr. Curtis was trying to make me understand that a certain famous astronomer was about to deliver a set of lectures, but the contentions of the young disputants were so noisy that I could comprehend nothing. At last, Mr. Curtis, irritated and annoyed, exclaimed, "My dear, is n't it time for the children to go into the nursery?"

66

They 'll go soon, dear," said Mrs. Curtis, with unmoved equanimity. "Here's Jane coming in with tea. Fanny, love, ring the bell for Mary." But Fanny was out of temper, and would not do as her mother desired. "Thank you, Miss Penrose," said Mrs. Curtis, as I rose from my seat. "O, Fanny, darling, that 's naughty; you should do as mamma bids." Fanny

had heard this a hundred times before, but the admonition had never been enforced, and consequently had lost its effect.

When the bell was rung, Dicky (who knew what it was for) crept under the table, and there was a long struggle and a loud cry before Mary could drag him out and carry him 66 stairs. up May n't I stay down and have tea here?" whispered Fanny to her mother, when Dicky had left the room. Mrs. Curtis urged a faint remonstrance, but it was overruled by her persevering little daughter, who gained her point, and Jane was directed to bring the high chair, and place Miss Fanny upon it. Mr. Curtis, who foresaw the consequences, did not look pleased with this arrangement. He wanted a little quiet talk with me; but this was now out of the question, for Miss Fanny kept her tongue in active motion, in spite of her mother's constant remonstrances -"Don't talk so much Fanny, love; see, you interrupt your father; sit still, darling, and try to be quiet; what do you want, dear? a bit of cake? yes," etc. etc.

Children are delightful in their place, and a charming source of pleasure and interest; but they are certainly not in their place when their wild, unrestrained spirits and untutored manners disturb a circle of well-bred visitors, too polite to exhibit any signs of annoyance even at the wildest outbreaks.

I had hoped that when tea was over and the table was cleared, Fanny would be dispatched to the nursery; but I was mistaken. Mrs. Curtis liked her children to have the full benefit of a visitor's praises and admiration, and accordingly Dicky and the baby both made their appearance again, and the next hour was a scene of mischief and rudeness among the children, foolish indulgence on the part of the mother, and undisguised vexation on the part of Mr. Curtis. At last the riot became unbearable, and even Mrs. Curtis herself despaired of restoring any thing like order. The children were therefore coaxed up to bed by the promise of "something nice" in the nursery, the mother accompanying them.

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While she was absent the carriage came to the door for me, and in ten minutes I was on my way home. "Poor Mrs. Curtis!" thought I to myself; "no one can doubt her devotion to her children, and her anxiety to make them happy; but surely she must be mistaken in her management, or they could never have become so rude and ill-behaved. And Mr. Curtis, too, how uncomfortable his home must be! He must feel himself quite neglected sometimes; and, fond as he is of intelligent society, must be afraid to ask his friends to see him, lest his own children should worry and disturb them."

WOULD YOU BE YOUNG AGAIN?
BY CAROLINA OLIPHANT.*
WOULD you be young again?

So would not I!

One tear to memory given,
Onward I'd hie.

Life's dark flood forded o'er,
All but at rest on shore,
Say, would you plunge once more,
With home so nigh?

If you might, would you now
Retrace your way?
Wander through stormy wilds,
Faint and astray?
Night's gloomy watches fled,
Morning all beaming red,
Hope's smiles around us shed,

Why should we stay?

Where are those dear ones now,

Once our delight?

Dear and more dear, although

Hidden from sight! Where they rejoice to be, There is the land for me: Fly, time, fly speedily — Come, life and light!