painful reality, implores their relief, it finds them cold as the grave.

This will serve to show that mere feeling is but little to be relied on; principle is the source from which all kind and useful exertions must flow. It may serve to explain too the seeming mystery of characters like the celebrated Howard, who, though called the "benevolent" by way of eminence, is said to have been cold in appearance, and little accessible to these soft emotions. But I will not dwell upon it, because you have often complained to me that you are misled by thinking that you possess religious feelings, when you are not ready to make religious efforts; this is a case of a similar kind; in both instances, it is a false and counterfeit feeling which does not lead to the direct discharge of duty.

You will find another difficulty something resembling this. When you have considered some case that asks your relief, and have determined to give it, you will often feel as if the thing was done when you have only resolved to do it; you have thought of the difficulties, and having overcome them in imagination, you take the same credit to yourself as if the deed was done. This is the way by which many contrive to be satisfied with themselves, who from one year's end to another, never do a single duty; by resolving, deferring till to-morrow, and then resolving again. You may think that you can never be guilty of this weakness: but if you will but glance at your conduct, you will find that you as well others, act thus every day.

This is weak enough in any duty; but it must be dreaded more in charity than any other; for relief must be given while it is needed; if you defer it to another hour, it may be too late; if you defer till to-morrow, you may find that the sufferer is gone, and that his last hours might have been made less miserable, if you had acted promptly on the suggestion of your heart. I know there are some who defer in this way, hoping to escape the duty altogether; I do not dwell upon their fault, because it is one which will never be yours. I am confident that to bear relief and consolation to those that suffer, will always be your delight; all I ask is, that you may never be disgusted, by what must be grating to feelings like yours, so far as to be weary in well doing; and as you have various engagements constantly soliciting your attention, that you may not fall into the common

weakness of mistaking good feeling for benevolence, or mere resolutions for the performance of duty.

I am happy to find you so desirous to be useful to others: you will find it often a thankless service, but never without its reward. Those who say that they will relieve what suffering comes in their way, do not appear to know that it requires an apprenticeship to learn the art. Our Saviour was qualified for a similar duty by his being a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. You must have observed in your days of suffering, which have not been few, what a difference there is between the sympathy of those who have known affliction, and those who have not; the kind words of the last, however sincere, sound hollow and oppressive; they seem to cost them an effort to speak them: but one who has known the sorrows of life gains at once the confidence of the afflicted, and a single word from his lips goes like a charm to the wounded heart. In this service something more is required than good feelings and good intentions; and for this reason among others there can be no halfway performance of duty; without love we are nothing; and love itself is powerless without that experience which acquaintance with sorrow alone can give.

I cannot close, without praising your good feelings, because I know that they are not mere barren feelings; and I place perfect confidence in your resolutions, because I know that you will, at least, endeavor to carry them into action. Do not be discouraged, if in a thousand instances you find your kindness rejected and wronged, your good evil-spoken of, and the hand you extend for the relief of others, cast insultingly away; the benevolence which cannot outlive these trials of its purity and strength, is not like the self-sacrifice of him, who went about doing good.

LITERARY NOTICES.

"THE TALES OF PETER PARLEY ABOUT EUROPE.-S. G. Goodrich, Boston." -We like the plan of this little work, and think children will derive more benefit from geographical stories, than sentimental ones. The style of the book is good, and yet well adapted to the capacities of those for whom it was written. The engravings are also pretty fairly executed, but with some of the designs we are not so much pleased. Pictures may be made very instructive to children, and in books intended for children, they ought to be so made. But to interest the child some particular object or action should be represented. Views of cities with their crowded buildings, are not at all calculated to engage and consequently inform the young mind. In "Parley's Tales" we have all the capital cities of Europe, and all looking so much alike, that a child can see but little difference between London and Rome-between the appearance of the greatest commercial city in the world and "the Niobe of nations." Such pictures then do not convey true impressions to the mind, and therefore they are not useful,-that they are not very pleasing, any person may be convinced by exhibiting them to a child in contrast with those that display persons, or events. Nothing connected with early education should be deemed unimportant, and as pictures have a very decided influence on the minds of young children, care ought to be taken that those admitted into books, designed for them, be significant, and faithful, and easily understood. "Where are the children to whom Peter Parly is going to tell his stories?" asked a little boy while looking at the picture of the gentleman in the frontispiece. "Where are they?" We could not tell him, but we would suggest whether the good man would not appear more appropriate in the character of a teacher, than he does as a traveller especially in the frontispiece.

"THE YOUNG PILGRIM,OR ALFRED CAMPBELL'S RETURN FROM THE EASTBy Mrs. Hofland."-This volume is a continuation of the travels of "Alfred Campbell, or the Young Pilgrim." The plan is one of peculiar interest to the young, because one of their own age is represented as the hero of the work. Mrs. Hofland is very happy in accomplishing the aim of her writings; she does not attempt great things, but devotes talents and genius of no ordinary character to the service of education and morality; and she richly merits the applause of every parent and guardian, of all who wish the improvement of the rising generation. The present work, though perhaps hardly equalling in interest some of Mrs. Hofland's productions, will be found useful in imparting a knowledge of many of the antiquities and curiosities of the East; that portion of our globe which is, on many accounts, peculiarly interesting to every christian. Were we disposed to find any fault, we should say there was rather too much attempted-too many incidents and descriptions crowded into the work. Children like particularities, and do not, very advantageously, follow

the rapid traveller, or understand his necessarily brief and often technical descriptions of statues, tombs and obelisks; nor does the hasty mention of the ruins of a hundred cities impress them with that certainty of the decay of all earthly things, that feeling of awe at the progress and power of time, as would the history of a solitary temple delineated from the period of its gorgeous magnificence to the moment of its utter desolation. Take a single object for description, when you wish to make a vivid impression on a young mind.

"JUVENILE MISCELLANY." There is perhaps, no kind of writing more difficult of execution, than that required for such a publication: To excel in it, one ought to possess talents, taste, and fancy of a high order, combined with commom sense, and that chastened judgment, which will, in every effort, still keep the object of the enterprise—namely, the entertainment and instruction of children constantly in view. It is not a field where many laurels are to be gathered, but where much good is to be done; and consequently, those who engage, are stimulated rather by the wish of being useful to others, than the hope of shining themselves. They are actuated by principle, not by ambition. It is these considerations, which lead us to think, that the department of Juvenile literature, is peculiarly appropriate to female writers. Their tenderness of feeling, delicacy of sentiment, and general correctness of morals, are pledges to the public, that nothing which would have a tendency to foster the evil propensities of our nature shall, like an insidious poison, be sufferrd to mingle with the mental aliment they prepare for the young. The labors of those European women, who have engaged in this now popular species of writing, have been eminently successful. In our country, the Editor of the Juvenile Miscellany, deservedly holds a high rank among the female authors who devote their talents to the cause of education.

We hope the work will be universally patronized. It should be taken in every family where there are children—indeed, grown people would not find their time misspent while perusing its pages, which is more than we would be willing to say in favor of, at least, one half of the new publications that are thronging us under the form of novels, magazines, miscellanies, &c.

"THE WORLD OF FASHION,-By J. D. Yates-Boston."-This is a new Periodical, to be issued every three months, and devoted exclusively to the ladies. The first number contains three plates, and very pretty pictures they are, representing London and Parisian Fashions, and ten pages of printed matter.

A proper attention to dress, and to the acquiring of a "graceful carriage and suitable gestures," is certainly necessary, but we doubt much, whether the attempt to introduce the extravagance and affectation of European ladies, among the sensible and intelligent women of our republic, will be found profitable to the "several Literary and fashionable characters," belonging to London, by whom it seems, the above work is to be edited.

LADIES' MAGAZINE.

VOL. I.

AUGUST.

INTEMPERANCE.

No. VIII.

A queer subject to be discussed in a Lady's Magazine. But the existence of "Female Influence" has been so clearly demonstrated, its effects shown to be so extensive and important, that it now appears only necessary to determine. the particular direction in which that influence would be most beneficial, and then persuade the women to exert their omnipotence, and we may soon hope to realise in our United States, those visions of perfection that were to distinguish the imaginary Republic of Plato. That height of exaltation which our "Fourth of July" orators invariably point out as an easy stage in the national progress will nevertheless be unattainable without a mighty effort-the effort to go right. The political prosperity of our conntry has been so rapid, that our citizens, if they have not quite forgotten, have sadly neglected the moral discipline which only can render secure and lasting the benefits of our free social system.

The worst of evils that could be inflicted on men, would be to enjoy the right to govern themselves without possessing a single acquirement or virtue requisite for self-government. Perhaps it may be urged such a case could not possibly occur, as men never are divested of every virtue.

There is" and pity 'tis, 'tis true," one instance to the contrary, or one case in which virtue, talents and knowledge, if at times exhibited, are of no more efficiency to direct their possessor in the path of rectitude, than would be the lamps in a sepulchral vault to show the wanderer, lost 'mid storms and impenetrable darkness, the direction to his home. I allude to the confirmed drunkard. But drunkards do not, by our laws, forfeit their right of suffrage.