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"In yonder vale a hawthorn blows,
That ne'er repines at frosts or snows;
Though cold its place, though lone its lot,
It buds, it bears, it murmurs not

"Content with what the season brings,
Down in the vale the linnet sings;
Though coarse and scant what it acquires,
Nor more nor better it desires.

"The swain that holds the useful plough,
Though deep the mire that he goes through,
Whistles and sings, and thinks that he
Shall happiest among mortals be.

"No bird, nor bush, nor ploughman knows,
The blessings Heaven on thee bestows:
Higher gifts thy soul should higher raise
With satisfaction, love, and praise."

Do not ask me for what you should be grateful: for if I were to try for a week, I could not tell you: I could only point out some of the many things that you ought to be grateful for. If you have hearts in your bosoms disposed to value the gifts God has bestowed, not an hour will elapse in which you will not find abundant motives for thankfulness.

In the season of youth, when health, and innocence, and good spirits, all unite to make that which is bright brighter, and that which is happy happier in our estimation, how many things crowd upon us in the compass of a morning walk to make us grateful!-the blue heavens, the rising sun, and the refreshing breeze; the growing grass, the springing flower, and the green leaf; the waving wood and the silvery stream; the painted butterfly, the wild carol of the rejoicing birds, and that harmony of the heart which such a scene is calcula

ted to inspire. If, my dear girls, you have partaken of these things, and have not been grateful to the great Bestower of them, then well may you hide your faces with both your hands. O, be grateful, for gratitude will add a value to all your possessions.

How many are the hours that we pass in enjoying the favours of God! and how few are the moments that we devote to his praise! Oftentimes do we assemble in the presence of the Most High in his holy temple, when our hearts are wandering wide away from the remembrance of his mercies.

A very little girl was once asked what she went to church for. In the simplicity of her heart she answered, "I go to hear the too-ra-loo," meaning the organ. Now, my young friends, I fear many of us, besides this little creature, have been to church to hear the too-ra-loo: for when we have gone there with any other than grateful feelings, or with any other intention than that of praising God, our motive, in all probability, has not been a whit better than that of this little child. Well would it be for us, if we were all more grateful. How foolish is the heart that is not grateful!-for, if we consider aright, we shall estimate our possessions not so much by their abundance as by the amount of comfort and happiness they bestow. How rich is the grateful spirit, however little it may possess! how poor is the miser, amid his moneybags, without gratitude! We must

"Forbear to call him blest,
Who only boasts a large estate,
Should all the riches of the west,
Meet and conspire to make him great.

"Let a broad stream, with golden sands,
Through all his meadows roll;
He's but a wretch with all his lands,
That wears a narrow soul."

And narrow indeed must that soul be, that is continually partaking of benefits and never acknowledging them. Let this not be the case with you. If health is throbbing through your veins;-if cheerfulness is sparkling on your brows; -if happiness is dancing in your hearts; -call to mind that these things also are the gifts of God, and be grateful.

Did you ever try to count the mercies of a day? If you ever did, you tried in vain; for you could not number what was innumerable: can you think of this, and be ungrateful?

While I speak to you, my young friends, I speak to myself also; for I know, to my sorrow, that my heart is guiltily forgetful of manifold mercies. If we more frequently considered how little we deserved, and how much we received at the hands of the Almighty, surely we should all of us be grateful. Have you ever gazed on the wide, the vast, the illimitable ocean? Have you stood spell-bound by the boldness of the broad-breasted mountain, and dwelt with delight on the retired beauty of the peaceful valley, without your eye and your heart being raised to Him who has clothed with. sublimity and beauty these

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"his lowliest works?"-then, indeed, have you sinned by your ingratitude.

Reflect for a moment on the health you possess; the comforts you partake; the happiness you enjoy; on the advantages of education; and the blessings of friendship and affection. Think of the benefits of this world; the gift of revelation; and the promise of the world that is to come. Surely you cannot think on these things, and not be grateful.

If you are not grateful, all these things, yea, sun, moon, and stars, every hill and valley, the whole earth and the whole heavens, are witnesses against you; for these, whatever other purposes they fulfil in the creation, are given for your benefit: all their brightness and their glory, their usefulness, order, harmony, and beauty, have conspired to add to your happiness.

For you, the earth puts forth her thousand dyes,

And worlds of splendor sparkle in the skies.

But, O, immeasurably beyond these are those enduring and eternal benefits laid up for those who love God; things that the eye has not seen, the ear heard, nor the heart conceived. Has then the Redeemer, the Lord of life and glory, given himself for you? did he die that you might live? and do you not feel grateful? Think of your weakness, and of his amazing power; think of your sins, and of his salvation.

"How great his power is, none can tell ;
Nor think how large his grace:

THE CAMEL.

THIS animal has been so fully described in former volumes of this magazine that it seems almost useless to say any thing more about it. But it is so curious an animal, and most young folks are so fond of hearing about it, and seeing pictures of it that I have concluded to call your attention to it, once more, for a few moments.

You have heard and read of caravans of travellers, I suppose. They are quite common in Turkey, Persia, Egypt, and other parts of the Eastern world, particularly in desert countries. A large proportion of those persons who travel with these caravans are merchants. They frequently pass through countries where there is very little water-sometimes none-for many hundred miles together. In these cases other beasts of burden would die with thirst; or if they did not actually die, they would suffer greatly. The camel, as you know, is almost the only animal which can be usefully employed for this purpose. A single

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caravan sometimes consists of a thousand camels; and as I have seen it stated in the People's Magazine, even of several thousands.

In the picture you see two camels, represented as drinking together from a trough, while their owners are standing around them; as much gratified, no doubt, to see them slaking their thirst as you ever were to see the hungry ox eat his hay or the hungry horse his oats. Behind them you have an indistinct view of a tent and of a distant pyramid, as I believe it is. The picture is not so good a one as I could wish.

The common load of a camel is from three to four hundred weight. The usual rate of travelling is three miles an hour, for seven or eight hours in a day, the rest of the day being allotted for refreshment. Their general food is only such as their nightly pasture affords. This is frequently only the thorny shrubs of the desert, where the vegetation is extremely scanty. The peculiar characteristic of the camel is its faculty of abstaining from water, for a greater length of time than any other animal; for which nature has made a wonderful provision, in giving it, besides the four stomachs which it has in common with other ruminating animals, a fifth bag, serving as a reservoir for water, where it remains without corrupting or mixing with the other aliments. By this singular structure, it is enabled to take a prodigious quantity of water at one draught, sufficient to last 12 or 15 days.