animal, such as are used in parts of Spain and in eastern countries, made of a goat or hog-skin, which must naturally soon perish, and be unable, when old, to resist the action of new wine, or wine on the ferment.

The former verse also may admit of a remark. Garments in those days were probably without seam; as our Saviour's was woven from the top throughout, and therefore must be difficult to patch; for instance, a stocking, if we attempted to cut and mend it, would unravel " and the rent would be worse."

DIRECTIONS TO NURSEMAIDS.

"IF you intend to fit yourselves for this employment, you must naturally incline yourself to love children, otherwise you will soon discover your unfitness to manage that charge. You must be very neat and cleanly about them, and careful to keep good hours for them, both to rise and go to bed; likewise to get their breakfasts and suppers at good and convenient time.

"Let them not sit too long, but walk them often up and down, especially those who cannot go well of themselves. You must also be extremely careful and vigilant, that they get not any falls through your neglect, for by such falls many (the cause at first being unperceivable) have grown irrecoverably lame and crooked.

"Therefore if any such thing should happen, be sure you conceal it not, but acquaint your master and mistress thereof with all convenient speed, that so means may be used for the child's recovery before it be too late. You must be extraordinarily careful that you be not churlish and dogged to the children, but be always merry and pleasant, and contrive to invent pretty sports and pastimes as will be most suitable and agreeable to the children's age; keep their linen, and other things, always mended, and suffer them not to run too fast to decay. Do not let the children see that you love any one child above the other, for that will be a means of dejecting and casting down the other.

"Be careful to hear them read, if it be imposed upon you, and be not too hasty with them. Have a special care how you be

have yourself before them, neither speaking nor acting misbecomingly, lest your bad example prove the subject of their imitation.

"Consider the charge you take in hand, and do not desire the employment, as too many do, because it is an easy kind of life, and void of labour and pains-taking; thinking, also, that children are easily pleased with any thing. You will find the contrary, and that the charge is of greater weight than such vainly imagine."

The above is an extract from a book upwards of a century and a half old, containing directions to female servants. The language is rather antiquated, nevertheless as it conveys such sound advice, it is thought best to give it as it stands. It is certainly so good, that nursemaids of the present day would do well carefully to read it, and diligently follow it, particularly that part which relates to the injury of children through falls or any other cause; for it is to be feared, that servants, dreading lest blame may be attached to them, too often neglect to tell their parents what has happened, and thus for want of early attention many a poor child is a cripple or sufferer through life!

The following beautiful lines, by Thomson, may be read by many with additional pleasure just at this season of the year, with the picture probably realized before them :—

"The keener tempests rise: and fuming dun
From all the livid east, or piercing north,
Thick clouds ascend; in whose capacious womb
A vapoury deluge lies, to snow congeal'd.
Heavy they roll their fleecy world along ;

And the sky saddens with the gather'd storm.

Through the hush'd air the whitening shower descends,

At first thin wavering; till at last the flakes

Fall broad, and wide, and fast, dimming the day

With a continual flow. The cherish'd fields

Put on their winter robe of purest white.

'Tis brightness all; save where the new snow melts

Along the mazy current. Low the woods

Bow their hoar head; and ere the languid sun

Faint from the west emits his evening ray,

Earth's universal face, deep hid, and chill,
Is one wild dazzling waste, that buries wide
The works of man. Drooping, the labourer-ox
Stands cover'd o'er with snow, and then demands
The fruit of all his toil. The fowls of heaven,
Tamed by the cruel season, crowd around
The winnowing store, and claim the little boon
Which Providence assigns them. One alone,
The red-breast, sacred to the household gods,
Wisely regardful of the embroiling sky,
In joyless fields and thorny thickets, leaves
His shivering mates, and pays to trusted man
His annual visit. Half afraid, he first

Against the window beats; then, brisk, alights
On the warm hearth; then, hopping o'er the floor,
Eyes all the smiling family askance,

And pecks, and starts, and wonders where he is;

"ON Monday, the deceased came to town in a light springcart of his own, accompanied by witness. The deceased drove, when in turning down the Mews, at rather a sharp trot, the wheel of the cart flew off, in consequence of the linch-pin being out, and they were both precipitated into the road. The deceased cried out, "Oh, my leg!" and witness went to his assistance, and lifted him up. He appeared much hurt, and was carried to a public-house close to the spot, and from thence he was conveyed to St. George's Hospital, where every attention was paid to him, and he went on favourably for some days; but the limb subsequently became greatly inflamed, mortification ensued, and he shortly expired. The deceased, prior to his death, told witness that he suspected the linch-pin had been pur

posely removed by some persons by way of a 'lark,' and that this trick had frequently been played him before.”

This, Mr. Editor, is the evidence of the principal witness, at a coroner's inquest held a few months back; it is unnecessary to state where, or the names of the parties, although it is to be lamented, that the name of the perpetrator of such an infamous trick is unknown; his feelings, however, if any he has, must be a sufficient punishment: leaving him, then, to the punishment of his own folly, allow me to offer a few remarks on what are commonly termed practical jokes, which, of all species of wit, is the lowest, since there is neither ingenuity nor smartness in them, and often the party is not even by to enjoy the anticipated event.

I do not mean to condemn those harmless and merry pranks that are taken in good part; but such as the above, or others, where a person systematically plans an outrage on the feelings of another, if not bodily hurt, or loss of property. The author of the deed alluded to, probably did not anticipate such a melancholy result, but a man must be heartless indeed to subject a party to an overthrow of that description.

What is called a hoax, is also often attended with considerable excitement, and, in some instances, with unhappy results, and therefore, should never be wantonly resorted to; but here it may be asked, would you then check every playful amusement, every innocent joke? Every man's breast would best decide the propriety of indulging his sportive feelings, if he only put to himself this question, Would you like it yourself? It has been universally remarked, that those who are most ready to practice their jokes upon others are generally most annoyed when they are turned upon themselves, and therefore they cannot do better than follow that truly Christian rule, “Do unto others, as ye would they should do unto you.”

If you consider this word of advice, Mr. Editor, worth inserting, I have much pleasure in forwarding it, and remain

Your obedient Servant,

W. C.

22

EXCELLENCE OF THE CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT.

"MANIFOLD as are the blessings for which Englishmen are beholden to the institutions of their country, there is in no part of those institutions from which they derive more important advantages than from the Church Establishment---none by which the temporal condition of all ranks has been so materially promoted. So many of our countrymen would not be ungrateful for these benefits, if they knew how numerous and how great they are, how dearly they were prized by our forefathers, and at how dear a price they were purchased for our inheritance; by what religious exertions, what heroic devotion, what precious lives consumed in pious labours, wasted away in dungeons, or offered up amid the flames. This is a knowledge, which, if early cultivated, might arm the young heart against the pestilent errors of these distempered times. I offer, therefore, to those who regard with love and reverence the religion which they have received from their fathers, a brief, but comprehensive record, diligently, faithfully, and conscientiously composed, which they may put into the hands of their children."--From the Preface to Southey's Book of the Church.

EXTRACTS FROM MODERN TRAVELLERS.

RUSSIAN DIVERSION OF THE ICE HILLS.

THE Neva, which, till two weeks after our arrival at St. Petersburgh, bore men-of-war and merchant-vessels on its rapid waters, was, at the time of my quitting the capital, preparing for that really national sport, and many such, I was told, would be soon pursued on its frozen surface.

An ice-hill is composed of a square tower, made of stout timber, fifty feet high, resembling, in every respect, a portion of a scaffolding. Two inclined planes, made of planks, descend