CXI. THE STATUE OF PETER THE GREAT.
(48, 60, 79, 87, 128, 213, 294.)

1. I WAS a little boy when I first saw the stat'ue, a picture of which is pre-sent'ed here. It stands in the city of St. Petersburg, in Russia, on the bank of the river Ne'va.

2. It is made of bronze, which is a metal compound'ed of copper and tin. The statue is called an e-ques'tri-an statue. The word equestrian means being on horseback.

3. The block of granite, on which the statue stands, is very large, and was brought from Finland, sever-al hundred miles, at great ex-pense. The

statue is much larger than the life size of man and horse.

4. Peter the Great was born in Moscow in the year 1672, and became Emperor in 1689. He did much for his people. He wished to know all about the art of building ships, and so he went to Holland and to England, and worked as a common car'pen-ter in the ship-yards.

5. Peter founded the great city of St. Petersburg, which was a mere swamp when he first chose it for the site of a city, in the year 1703. He was a man of active mind and strong will.

6. Speaking of his statue, a French writer says: "His stern face looks on the river, and seems still to be the life of that nav-i-ga'tion, the found-a'tion of which was laid by his cre-at'ive genius.

7. "All that the ear hears, all that the eye beholds, on this su-perb the'a-tre, owes its ex-ist'ence solely to the thought of that powerful brain, which caused so many pompous mon'u-ments to rise out of a mo-răss.

8. "On these des'o-late shores, whence nature seemed to have ban'ished life, Peter founded his cap'ital, and cre-at ́ed for himself subjects.

9. "His ter'ri-ble arm is still stretched out over their pos-ter'i-ty, which crowds around the au-gust statue, beholds it, and knows not whether that hand of bronze pro-tects or threat'ens."

10. Peter is called "the Great;" but there is an American name which I think is better en-ti'tled to have those words added to it. George Washington might be called "George the Great" with more justice.

1. You should see my baby brother,
In his beauty, in his glee;
Show me, if you can, another

Good and fair and bright as he!
Sometimes on my back I ride him,
Mother holding him the while;

Sometimes

2. Now the summer days are coming,
I shall take him on the grass;
Let him hear the wild bees humming,
See the shadows as they pass.

He shall smell the scented clover,

He shall see the farmers mow;
He with me shall be a rover

Where the little stream'lets flow.

3. He shall love the birds and flowers,
He shall love the sky and sea;
He shall love the forest bowers,
Every shrub and every tree.
And with love in-tens'er, better,

He shall love the God of all;
Know how much we are His debtor
Who doth watch the sparrow's fall!

CXIII. TRUE CHARITY.

1. "MOTHER," said little Charlotte, "I wish you would give me a penny to take to that poor boy at the gate. He looks very hungry, and says that he has not had a bit to eat all day. I am so sorry for him! Do let me give him a penny to buy a penny-roll."

2. "I think," said her mother, "you have a penny of your own, Charlotte, that your father gave you, this morning. He gave you and Henry each a penny."—"Yes, mother," replied Charlotte, "but I want mine to buy a bun as I come home from school."

3. "If you expect to be hungry, then," said her mother, "you may take a piece of bread and butter with you."-"But I like a bun better," said Charlotte.

4. "I am afraid," said her mother, "that you are not very sorry for that poor boy, since you seem inclined to let him go away hungry, rather than give

up the pleasure of eating a bun, although you have had a good breakfast, and he has had none.

5. Just at this moment, Henry came up to the gate. The boy was standing there, still begging. "Here, poor boy," said Henry, "here is a penny for you. I should have bought a bun with it; but I am not hungry now, and you are; so you may have the penny."

6. The poor boy thanked Henry, and ran over the way to a baker's, to buy a penny-roll, which he began to eat, with a joyful coun'te-nance. Henry went away bowl'ing his hoop, and thinking no more about the penny. Charlotte hung down her head, ashamed, and resolved not to buy a bun that day.

7. It is very easy to say we pity the mis-fortunes of others; but, if we will not give up a little self-indulg ́ence to aid them, our pity is of no value, for it is not sin-cere. Charlotte was not unkind, but she was self'ish.

8. She would have felt glad to give a penny to the poor boy, but she did not like to give up her own enjoy'ments for the sake of another. This is not chåri-ty.

9. True charity prompts us to give away what we can spare, when we see that it will ben'e-fit another person, although we may, in so doing, incur some incon-ven'ience.

10. Henry was as fond of a bun as Charlotte was; but he thought it would be much better for a boy who was hungry to have a piece of bread, than for one who was not hungry to have a bun.