CAIUS GRACCHUS TO THE ROMANS.

some essence of birch, and then tried the suffering for the want of their daily bread; hydropathic treatment.

Beg. He drenched me with cold water. rapacious, insatiate, reckless, claiming to But nothing would cure me.

The class of small landed proprietors had disappeared. Mercenary idlers, their fingers itching for bribes, political tricksters, John. The bastinado? Is that a medi- hungry usurers, desperate gamblers, all the cine? vilest abettors of lawless power, had usurped the places of men once the strength and glory of the republic. Incalculable distress among the millions, unbounded wealth and prodigality among the hundreds, such was the state of things!

THE TYRANT OF THE SCHOOL.

THE TYRANT OF THE SCHOOL.

can not say. I can only narrate my own experience.

Among the scholars was Ethan Bragg, a stout, overgrown boy, who was a terrible dunce in school, and a terrible tyrant outof-doors. For some cause, of which I was ignorant, he took particular pleasure in maltreating and annoying me. I could not come within his reach that he would not either knock my hat down rudely over my face, or trip me up, or soil my clothes with a kick from a shoe well charged with mud. Whether it was that he saw my physical inability to resist him, or that he had a grudge against me because I was always above him in our class, I do not know. I was a full year his elder, which made it all the more mortifying to me to be obliged to submit to his ill treatment.

One day, when I had been particularly annoyed by his catching me and slapping my face, and then throwing my hat into a puddle, I wandered away through a by-lane, weeping and miserable, when, as I turned to go home, I met my sister Mary. "Why, what is the matter, Paul?" she exclaimed. "You have been crying."

Thus appealed to, I was obliged to make a confession of my griefs. When I had finished, "Well, my dear Paul," said Mary, "you must return good for evil. I will tell you what to do. Give Ethan your bag of marbles. I do not believe he will hurt you after that."

"But, Mary," I replied, "is there not something cowardly and selfish in my trying to buy a peace in that way? I would like to return good for evil, but to do it in a way that should let Ethan know I do not do it from fear. I think I will talk with Mr. Stanley on the subject."

Hardly were the words out of my mouth than we met Mr. Stanley approaching, twirling a big stick, as if to keep his hand in practice. "What now, Paul?" said he. Your eyes are the color of beets." Mary answered his inquiry by telling my story for me; and then asked Mr. Stanley to interfere, and prevent any further annoyances on the part of Ethan Bragg.

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"Nonsense! Paul is old enough to protect himself!" said Mr. Stanley, in reply. "But he is not strong enough," said Mary. - "That is his own fault," replied the schoolmaster, "and for that he deserves all the punishment that Ethan can inflict." I began to open my eyes and my ears too. "What do you mean, sir?" I exclaimed. "I mean," said the master, "that, instead of trying to invigorate your body by healthy out-of-door exercises, this fine winter weather, you keep in the house over the fire, contenting yourself with in-door games, books, and pictures. These are well enough in their season, but, in order to be a whole man, properly developed, you must exercise the body as well as the mind. Bragg is a coward, like all bullies. He sees that you are feeble physically, and so he worries and plagues you; and I hope he will continue to do so till he cures you of your immoral neglect of your bodily energies."

Immoral?". "Yes! There may be immorality in neglect of the body, as well as of the mind. If the fault were not your own,-if you were lame or ill, and Ethan were to tyrannize over you, I should take great satisfaction in punishing him. But, as it is, you have only yourself to thank for your sufferings. Look you, Paul Mr. Stanley finished the sentence in a tone that Mary did not hear, and then turned on his heels and left us.

That afternoon, for the first time, I put on a pair of skates that my uncle had given me, and passed a couple of hours in practicing with them on the ice. The next day there was a snow-storm, and I shoveled paths all round the house. Without neglecting my lessons, I kept in the open air a good portion of the time. I contrived some gymnastic fixtures, and rose an hour earlier every morning and exercised.

I took especial pains to develop the muscles of my hands and wrists. Catching hold of the bough of a tree, I would lift my body up till my chin was on a level with my hands. I was careful, however, not to overtask my strength. I knew that I must be very gradual in my efforts. I

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THE TYRANT OF THE SCHOOL.

was methodical and regular in these habits | first to prove that he is stronger in the of out-of-door exercise, allowing no inclem- wrists than I. Do you not think I am ency of weather to interfere with them. right?” My parents soon began to wonder at the marked improvement in my health. My cheeks were no longer pallid. The cough with which I had been constantly troubled left me, all at once. I slept well; and I gained so in strength that I could with ease lift a barrel of flour into a cart.

For nine months I had been faithfully following this system, when one day, as I was passing along a secluded road that skirted our village, I heard loud cries, as from one in fear and distress. Turning a bend in the road, I saw a boy on the ground, with another over him, belaboring him with hearty blows. The victorious assailant was the butcher's boy of the village, and the unfortunate recipient of the blows was my old enemy, Ethan.

Without hesitation I rushed to the scene of the combat, and pulled Master Jacob, the butcher's boy, off from his victim. Jacob thereupon rolled up his sleeves anew, and remarked that he would give me "fits." Then like a young buffalo he came at me. But, as he flourished his arms in the onset, I caught him by the wrists, and held them as in a vice.

In vain did he struggle. I pulled him upon his knees, so that he could neither kick nor bite. Then, pressing his hands till he yelled with pain, I asked him if he had had enough. Jacob was in a very great rage, it was evident; but he did not care about having another turn of the screw put upon his hands. And so, when I finally inquired if he would go quietly home, without making any more fuss, he sullenly answered yes; and he kept his word.

As for Ethan, he could not have been more transfixed with wonder if he had seen me fly up in the air, or do any other marvelous thing. As I approached him he stared in stupid, silent astonishment. "Ethan," said I, carelessly, "you see I have turned over a new leaf. Hereafter, any one who ventures to impose upon me, or upon another in my presence, will have

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"Ye-e-s," stammered Ethan. — “Shake hands on it, then," said I. Ethan gave me his hand, but, as I squeezed it with rather too cordial a pressure, he tried to pull it away, at the same time uttering a cry of pain. "What's the matter?" I exclaimed. You have almost crushed my fingers," groaned Ethan, making a very wry face. — "Why do you not squeeze back again?" said I, pressing his hand again, till he uttered another cry. "That will do!" said he, trying hard to force a smile. His last words were prophetic. The lesson proved sufficient. He was thenceforth the most peaceable boy in the school.

A week after this adventure, as I was trying to pitch a large stone beyond a certain mark on the ground, Mr. Stanley tapped me on the shoulder. "What have you been doing to Ethan?" said he, shaking his fore-finger at me."Returning good for evil," answered I.-"Letting him see, at the same time,” added Mr. Stanley, "what you could do, if you would

eh? Well, Paul, was I not right in my advice? Returning good for evil is best shown when, having the power to return evil, we render good. And remember this: The boy who neglects to develop his physical strength may neglect it at the expense of his moral strength also."

"I WAS MISTAKEN."-A lively writer has said, "I was mistaken' are the three hardest words to pronounce in the English language." Yet it seems but acknowledging that we are wiser than we were before to see our error, and humbler than we were before to own it. But so it is; and Goldsmith observes that Frederick the Great did himself more honor by his letter to his Senate, stating that he had just lost a great battle by his own fault, than by all the victories he had won. Perhaps our greatest perfection here is, not to escape imperfections, but to see and acknowledge, and lament and correct them. - Jay.

THE LION.

THE lion is the largest and most formidable of the existing species of the cat-tribe. His noble and dignified bearing, the terrific power compressed into his comparatively small frame, and his deep-toned, majestic voice, have gained for him the name of "king of beasts." The lion inhabits Africa and certain parts of Asia, such as portions of Arabia and Persia, and some parts of India.

and is destitute of the magnificent mane which is so great an ornament to her mate. The roar of the lion is heard generally at night. It is well known that the human voice has power over the most savage beasts; but, according to Mr. Cumming, a celebrated lion-hunter, it is not so much the sound of the voice as the sound of the words, that alarms the lion. The dumb brute seems to be cowed by the "winged words" of human reason.

The lion is barely four feet high, and eight in length; yet he can with little difficulty dash the giraffe to the earth, or overcome the powerful buffalo. He has been known to carry off a heifer in his mouth, and, although encumbered with such a burden, to leap a broad dyke, apparently with the greatest ease. No animal willingly molests the lion, and there are but few which he can not overcome. The rhinoceros and elephant are almost the only quadrupeds he dare not meddle with, and he does not seem to stand in much fear even of them. The lioness is much smaller than the lion, back with the greatest good-nature.

A lioness whom Mr. Cumming had wounded was about to spring upon him. Mr. Cumming stood quite still, and told her, in a commanding tone, to "take it easy;" whereupon she halted, and permitted her assailant to retreat, which he did very slowly, still continuing to talk to the lioness, until he had made his escape.

The lion when young is easily tamed, and shows a strong attachment to his keeper. Many anecdotes have been told of "Nero," a celebrated lion once exhibited in London. He would suffer even strangers to caress him, and carry children on his