always receive instruction, as adults can now be taught as easily as children, and improve quicker, as of course sense teaches them to make the best use of their time in paying attention to improvement. Italian, Oriental, or other foreign languages belong only to the higher classes; these may be considered accomplishments, and to those who have time and talent for the study, may be elegant as useful. If a person's talent is deserving, it should be industriously promoted as a gift to be accounted. Thus may we look to the ant, the bee, the spider, the swallow, thrush, and many other birds or animals as guides to perseverance and industry. Shall the simple bee, ant, swallow, deer, hare, or lark, constantly on wing, not possessing sense or understanding, teach us rational mortals our duties and we neglect them? or rather shall we esteem their gentle and innocent admonitions, profit by their pattern, and thus fulfil our heavenly Father's precepts, thus run our mortal career, which ensures our path to heaven; and as the little birds carol their Maker's praise, so let us glorify our heavenly Father in our good works, and praise him with our handy works, in our dance' or in our song; so let us cheerfully glide as becomes the children of God. > There notes of joy from the blackbird and wren, And the wild honey bee hums merrily by. The gentle and affectionate dove is the last emblem I presume to uphold to my young friends as their instructor from nature. It is a beautiful idea of studying the works of our Creator for our imitation; consider their several propertiestheir blossoms of virtue and morality. Of the gentle affectionate dove little has been noted; their affection to each other is well known. They teach us affection to our brethren, forbearance to our inferiors, and love to all. The natural affection of animals to their young is wonderful. The cow dotes on her calf, the dog its puppy, the cat its kitten; birds of every species their nestlings. How carefully the parents tend their young, until they are able to provide for themselves! Most wonderful of all, is the Pelican, which feeds her young with blood drawn from her own bosom. The swiftness of the Stag is proverbial; se also is that of the Hare. Steadiness of the Tortoise, in its slow movements. Gracefulness of the Horse. Gentleness and docility of the Camel, as I have before mentioned. Elephants and Donkeys are animals of burden; they carry weight sfor their masters which are too heavy for man's strength. Donkeys, or Asses, so called, are considered obstinate animals; if so, it is that they are not kindly treated as other beasts of burden. Myself, I prefer riding a donkey to a horse; they are sure-footed, and go well if kindly encouraged. They will eat from your hand, if gentle towards them. It is singular they are not more esteemed as our beloved Saviour meekly preferred them to other methods of riding; the King of kings rode into Jerusalem upon an ass. Such as love their Saviour, I think love his favorite ass. They have been too long neglected animals; I hope to see them become more favoured. They are a beautiful and well formed creature; their cross, especially denotes their estimation in Divine favour. And now, I think we have extracted at least the best ensamples from natural history which our discretion teaches; and virtues deduced from them will blossom as the rose, jasmine, carnation, and other exotics, too numerous to repeat. As our virtues and morality expand, they bring forth blossoms beautiful as the rose bud, or lovely as a white lily, whose whiteness equals snow, surpassing May-day flowers. |