ed, reflections of a serious nature: it shows us in the beautiful simplicity of ancient language, the value of every hour, nay, every minute; that we are accountable to the Almighty for the use or abuse of every moment of our lives. Let us then endeavour to pass the time present in such a manner; that we may look back on it with satisfaction, when it becomes the past, and at the end of each day be able to say, behold a day past, but not lost; then we may look forward with hope to that great day, when at the dread tribunal, we are to deliver up an account of all things committed to our care, when we may say, "O Lord, of the hours thou hast granted unto me, have I lost none."

To thee, O youth, is my exhortation chiefly addressed; thine is the season when the plant of truth most flourishes, which, if cultivated by a parent's or guardian's fostering hand produces fruit an hundred fold. In the cheerful morn of life, when innocence attends thy footsteps, when the cheerful temper, the open countenance, the unembarrassed air, announce the sincerity of eart uncerrupted by the world, open to the voi counsel, and moulded into form like yielding wax: then is the time when friendly counsel should be poured in.

OBSERVATIONS ON READING.

IT is an old, but a very true observation, that the human mind must ever be employed. A relish for reading, or any of the fine arts, should be cultivated very early in life: and those who reflect can tell, of what importance it is for the mind to have some resource in itself, and not to be entirely dependent on the senses for employment

and amusement. If it unfortunately is so, it must submit to meanness, and often to vice, in order to gratify them. The wisest and best are too much under their influence; and the endeavouring to conquer them, when reason and virtue will not give their sanction, constitutes a great part of the warfare of life. What support, then, have they who are all senses, and who are full of schemes, which terminate in temporal objects?

Reading is the most rational employment, if people seek food for the understanding, and do not merely repeat words and sentiments, which they do not understand or feel. Judicious books, and only such, enlarge the mind and improve the heart.

r

Those productions, which give a wrong account of the human passions, and the various accidents of life, ought never to be read. Such accounts are one great cause of the affectation of young women. Sensibility is described and praised, and the ects of it represented in a way so different nature, that those who imitate it must make themselves very ridiculous. A false taste is acquired, and sensible books appear dull and insipid after those superficial performances, which obtain their full end if they can keep the mind in a continual ferment. Gallantry is make the only interesting subject with the novelist; reading, therefore, will often co-operate to make his fair admirers insignificant.

I do not mean to recommend only such books as are of an abstracted or grave cast. There are in our language many, in which instruction and innocent amusement are happily blended; these should be chosen, and may be easily selected.

I would have every one try to form an opinion of an author themselves, though modesty may re

strain them from mentioning it. Many are so anxious to have the reputation of taste, that they only praise the authors whose merit is indisputable. I am sick of hearing of the sublimity of Milton, the elegance and harmony of Pope, and the original untaught genius of Shakspeare.— These cursory remarks are made by some who know nothing of nature, and could not enter into the spirit of those authors or understand them.

A florid style mostly passes with the ignorant for fine writing; many sentences are admired that have no meaning in them, though they contain "words of thundering sound," and others that have nothing to recommend them, but sweet and musical terminations.

The Bible should be read with particular respect, and young persons should not be taught reading entirely by so sacred a book; lest they might consider that as a task, which ought to be a source of the most exalted satisfaction.

It may be observed, that I recommend the mind's being put into a proper train. Fixed es cannot be given, it must depend on the nature and strength of the understanding; and those who observe it can best tell what kind of cultivation will improve it. The mind is not, cannot be created by the teacher, though it may be cultivated, and its real powers found out.

The active spirits of youth may make time glide away without intellectual enjoyments; but when the novelty of the scene is worn off, the want of them will be felt, and nothing else can fill up the void. The mind is confined to the body, and must sink into sensuality: for it has nothing to do but to provide for it, how it shall eat and drink, and wherewithal it shall be clothed."

All kinds of refinement have been found fault with, for increasing our cares and sorrows; yet surely the contrary effect also arises from them. Taste and thought open many, sources of pleasure which do not depend on fortune.

No employment of the mind is a sufficient excuse for neglecting domestic duties, but I cannot conceive that they are incompatible. A woman may fit herself to be the companion and friend of a man of sense, and yet know how to take care of his family.

A DESCRIPTION

OF DIFFERENT READERS.

WITHOUT attention in reading, it is impossible to remember, and without remembering, it is time and labour lost, to read, or learn.

Reading, with reflection, is the true basis of wie him.

ille or inattentive readers, read without understanding what they read.

Dull readers, set themselves and their hearers to sleep.

Mumbling, inarticulate readers, will never make other people understand what they read, or be listened to with pleasure.

Sensible, judicious readers, will read clearly, distinctly and with proper pauses, emphasis and cadence; in short, with a thorough understanding and feeling of every word they utter.

Whoever reads a perfect or finished composition, either in poetry or prose, on any subject, should read it even if alone, both audibly, distinctly and deliberately, with a due attention to every

kind of stop or rest. with proper elevations and depressions of the voice, and whatever else constitutes just and accurate pronunciation. They who despise, neglect, or know nothing of this, will, in their reading such composition, not only miss many beauties of the style, but (which is worse) will probably miss a large portion of the

sense.

Read therefore, mark, learn and inwardly digest.

Every new branch of taste, that we cultivate, affords us a refuge from idleness: and the more noble our employments, the more exalted will be our minds.

The highest and most important branch of solitary amusements is reading; much depends on the choice of books; improper ones do an irreparable injury to the mind; but in making a judicious choice, we acquire a stock of knowledge, a mine which we can occasionally recur to, independent of outward circumstances.

A sure way to improve by reading is, to rite down your opinion of such persons and thing which occur to you in your reading, to inquire wherein such and such authors excel, or are defective, to observe how they might have been carried on to a greater degree of perfection, and how they excelled or fell short of others. By thus digesting what you read, you will insensibly rise at proper notions of what is truly amiable.