thronged the milky way had already disappeared. Agairs thought these remnants of the host of heaven-" as hitherto she has increased every evening, to-morrow she will do the same, and we must be lost like our brethren in her all conquering resplendence."

LESSON XXXVI.

The same, concluded.

The moon herself was not a little puzzled to imagine what might become of her; but vanity readily suggested, that although she had reached her full form, she had not reached her full size, consequently, by a regular nightly expansion of her circumference, she would finally cover the whole convexity of sky, not only to the exclusion of the stars, but the sun himself, since he occupied a superior region of space, and certainly could not shine through her :-till man, and his companion woman, looking upward from the bowers of Eden, would see all moon above them, and walk in the light of her countenance forever. In the midst of this self pleasing illusion, a film crept upon her which spread from her utmost verge athwart her cen tre, till it had completely eclipsed her visage, and made her a blot on the tablet of the heavens. In the progress of this disaster, the stars which were hid in her pomp stole forth to witness her humiliation; but their transport and her shame lasted not long-the shadow retired gradually as it had advanced, leaving her fairer by contrast than before. Soon afterwards, the day broke. and she withdrew, marvelling what would next befal

her.

Another day went, and another night came. Sho rose as usual, a little later. Even while she travelled above the land she was haunted with the idea, that her lustre was rather feebler than it had been; but when she beheld her face in the sea, she could no longer overlook the unwelcome defect. The season was boisterous-the wind rose suddenly, and the waves burst into foam; perhaps the tide, for the first time, then was

Myriads, unnumbered multitudes, countless numbers.

Milky way, galaxy, belt of thickly set stars, which goes round the sky.

Remnants, remainders, what are left.

Brethren, brẻтí' rẻn, those who have a common par

ent.

All-conquering, all-subduing, overcoming every thing. Resplendence, effulgence.

Puzzled, perplexed, confounded, embarrassed.
What was the moon puzzled about?
What did her vanity suggest to her?
Consequently, therefore, of course.
Nightly, nocturnal. From what derived?
Expansion, enlargement, amplification.

Circumference, circuit, measurement round a body.
Convexity, arch, expanse, from convex.

Bowers, boù'ůrs, arbors made of branches, cool retreats in gardens.

Eden. What know you of it? Gen. ii.

Illusion, deception, show, counterfeit appearance.
-Film, thin skin, pellicle, mist, darkness.

-Crept, went on all-fours, advanced slowly, stole.

Athwart, across, from side to side.

Eclipsed, covered, concealed, obscured.

Visage, countenance, look, face, disk.

Tablet, small level surface, table, surface on which to paint.

.Humiliation. What was the cause of her humiliation? An eclipse is caused by the intervention of another body.

Marvelling, wondering, looking with surprise.
Befal, happen to, betide, meet.

Travelled, walked, journied.

Haunted, troubled, closely followed.

With what idea was the moon haunted?

Lustre, splendor, effulgence, brightness.

Boisterous, stormy, tempestuous.

-Foam, to be in violent commotion, froth, fume..
Sympathy, commiseration, an influence from.

affected by sympathy with the moon; and what had never happened before, an universal tempest mingled earth and heaven in rain, and lightning, and darkness. She plunged among the the thickest of the thunder elouds, and in the confusion that hid her disgrace, her exulting rivals were all likewise put out of countenance. On the next evening, and every evening aftewards, the moon came forth later, and dimmer, while on each occasion, more and more of the minor stars, which had formerly vanished from her eye, reappeared to witness her fading honors, and disfigured form. Prosperity had made her vain; adversity brought her to her mind again, and humility soon compensated the loss of glaring distinction with softer charms, that won the regard which haughtiness had repelled; for when she had worn off her uncouth gibbous aspect, and through the last quarter her profile waned into a hollow shell, she appeared more graceful than ever in the eyes of all heaven.--When she was originally seen among them, the stars contemned her; afterwards, as she grew in beauty, they envied, feared, hated, and finally fled from her. As she relapsed into insignificance, they first rejoiced in her decay, then endured her superiority because it could not last long; but when they marked how she wasted away every time they met, compassion succeeded, and on the three last nights, (like a human fair one in the last stage of decline, growing lovelier and dearer toher friends till her close,) she disarmed hostility, conciliated kindness, and secured affection; she was admired, beloved, and unenvied by all.

At length there came a night when there was no moon. There was silence in heaven all that night. In serene meditation on the changes of a month, the stars pursued their journey from sunset to day-break. The comet had likewise departed into unknown regions. His fading lustre had been attributed at first to the bolder radiance of the moon in her meridian, but during her wane, while inferior luminaries were brightning around her; he was growing fainter and smaller every evening, and now he was no more. Of the rest, planets and stars,all were unimpaired in their light, and the former only slightly varied in their positions. The whole multitude,

Tides rise twice in 24 hours by attraction from the moon. App.

Universal, wide, general, including every part.

Mingled earth and heaven, made a violent commotion.

Thunder clouds, clouds charged with electric matter.
Exulting, boasting, rejoicing, triumphing.
Put out of countenance, hid from view.

-Disfigured, tarnished, mangled, deformed, defaced.
What had made the moon vain ?

What is the effect of prosperity upon men?

What do you understand by vanity?

What was the effect of adversity upon the moon? Brought her to her mind, brought her to view herself as she ought.

Compensated, kôm-pên'sà-têd, made up, satisfied.
Uncouth, un-ködth', deformed, inelegant.

Gibbous, gib'bůs, protuberant, convex, crook-backed.
Profile, pro-feel', side face, half face.
Originally, primarily, at first, formerly.
Contemned, despised, disregarded.

How did the stars look upon the moon in her fulness? How when she began to wane?

Why did they endure her superiority?

What feelings did they next have towards her?
Do not these changes take place in regard to men?
What beautiful comparison is here introduced?
Conciliated, gained over, secured affection.

What took place in heaven, when there was no moon?
Serene, calm, tranquil, sedate.

-Changes, revolutions, alters. What were some of the changes?

Journey, path, travelling, road.

Attributed, ascribed, laid, assigned.

Bolder, clearer, more conspicuous.

-Meridian, zenith, summit, imaginary lines passing over the heavens from North to South.

Wane, decrease, while in the last quarter. Brightening. Give the primitive and other deriva

tions.

Luminaries, lights, heavenly bodies.
Positions, places, stations, courses.

wiser by experience, and better for their knowledge, were humble, contented and grateful, each for his lot, whether splendid or obscure.

Next evening, to the joy and astonishment of all, the moon with a new crescent was discried in the west; and instantly from every quarter of the pole, she was congratulated on her happy resurrection. Just as she went down, while her bow was yet recumbent on the dark purple horizon, it is said, that an angel appeared, standing between her horns. Turning his head, his eye glanced rapidly over the universe.-the sun sunk far behind him, the moon under his feet, the earth spread in prospect before him, and the firmament all glittering with constellations above. He paused a moment, and then, in that tongue wherein at the accomplishment of creation "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy," he thus brake forth;"Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty! In wisdom hast thou made them all ;-Who would not fear thee, O, Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy?" He ceased,-and from that hour there has been harmony in heaven.

LESSON XXXVII.

Pain: an Allegory.-CH. SPECtator.

Pain is the handmaid of Mortality. She throws opeu the door, and man enters the theatre of life. There she forsakes him not, but amid the changes of his eventful drama, is often around his path, or within his bosom, his strongest lessons are impressed by her agency, and she sometimes forces him as a prisoner to the " hope which is an anchor to the soul." There he bows meekly to her rough discipline, for he sees the "Captain of his salvation made perfect through sufferings." When he prepares to quit this brief existence, she attends him. Hers is the shudder, the convulsion-the cold dew starting in drops from the temples-the groan with which he resigns this earthly being. Even when the silver cord of nature “is loosed" and the golden bowl brok