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Where falls the shadow cold of death,
I yet will sing, with parting breath,
As comes to me or shade or sun,
Father! thy will, not mine, be done.

SARAH FLOWER ADAMS.

XII.

THE FOLLY OF CASTLE-BUILDING."

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1. ALNAS CHAR, says the fable, was a very idle fellow, whe never would set his hand to any business during his father's life His father, dying, left to him the value of an hundred drachmas1 in Persian money. Alnaschar, in order to make the best of it, laid it out in glasses, bottles, and the finest earthenware. These he piled up in a large open basket, and having made choice of a very little shop, placed the basket at his feet, and leaned his back upon the wall, in expectation of customers. As he sat in

this posture, with his eyes upon the basket, he fell into a most amusing train of thought, and was overheard by one of his neighbors, as he talked to himself. "This basket," says he, "cost me at the wholesale merchant's an hundred drachmas, which is all I have in the world.

2. "I shall quickly make two hundred of it, by selling it in retail. These two hundred drachmas will in a little while rise to four hundred, which of course will amount in time to four thousand. Four thousand drachmas cannot fail of making eight thousand. As soon as by this means I am master of ten thousand, I will lay aside my trade of a glass-man, and turn jeweller. I shall then deal in diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of rich stones. When I have got together as much wealth as I can well desire, I will make a purchase of the finest house I can find. I shall ther begin to enjoy myself and make a noise in the world. I will not, however, stop there, but still continue my traffic, till I have got together an hundred thousand drachmas.

3. "When I have thus made myself master of an hundred thousand drachmas, I shall naturally set myself on the footing of a prince, and will demand the Grand Vizier's daughter in marriage, after having represented to that minister the information which I have received of the beauty, wit, discretion and other high qual itics, which his daughter possesses. I will let him know, at the same time, that it is my intention to make him a present of a thousand pieces of gold on our marriage night. As soon as I have married the Grand Vizier's daughter, I will make my fatherin-law a visit with a grand train and equipage; and when I am placed at his right hand, where I shall be, of course, if it

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be only to honor his daughter, I will give him the thousand pieces of gold which I promised him, and afterwards, to his great surprise, will present him another purse of the same value, with some short speech, as, 'Sir, you see I am a man of my word; I always give more than I promise.'

4. "When I have brought the princess to my house, I shall take particular care to breed her in a due respect for me. To this end, I shall confine her to her own apartment, make her a short visit, and talk but little to her. Her women will represent to me that she is inconsolable by reason of my unkindness and beg me with tears to caress her, and let her sit down by me; but I shall still remain inexorable, and will turn my back upon her. Her mother will then come and bring her daughter to me, as I am seated upon my sofa. The daughter, with tears in her eyes, will fling herself at my feet, and beg of me to receive her into my favor. Then will I, to imprint in her a thorough veneration for my person, draw up my legs and spurn her from me with my foot, in such a manner that she shall fall down several paces from the sofa."

5. Alnaschar was entirely swallowed up in this chimer'ical1 vision, and could not forbear acting with his foot what he had in his thoughts. So that, unluckily striking his basket of brittle ware, which was the foundation of all his grandeur, he kicked his glasses to a great distance from him into the street, and broke them into ten thousand pieces.

ADDISON.

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A LAMB strayed for the first time into the woods, and excited much discussion among other animals. In a mixed company18 one day, when he became the subject of a friendly gossip, the goat praised him. "Pooh!" said the lion, "this is too absurd. The beast is a pretty beast enough, but did you hear him roar? I heard him roar, and, by the manes of my fathers, when he roars he does nothing but cry ba-a-a!" And the lion bleated his best in mockery, but bleated far from well.

"Nay," said the deer. "I do not think so badly of his voice. I liked him well enough until I saw him leap. He kicks with his hind legs in running, and, with all his skipping, gets over very little ground.”- It is a bad beast altogether," said the tiger. "He cannot roar, he cannot run, he can do nothing— and what wonder? I killed a man yesterday, and, in politeness

to the new comer, offered him a bit; upon which he had the impudence to look disgusted, and say, 'No, sir, I eat nothing but grass.'" So the beasts criticized the lamb, each in his own way; and yet it was a good lamb, nevertheless.

2. THE SWORD AND THE PEN.

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The sword of the warrior was taken down for the being polished. It had not been long out of use. rubbed off, but there were spots that would not go they were of blood. The sword was placed on the table near the pen of the warrior's secretary. The pen took advantage of the first breath of air to move a little further off. "Thou art right," said the sword. "I am a bad neighbor.". I fear thee not," replied the pen, "I am more powerful than thou art; but I love not thy society."-"I exterminate," said the sword. -"And I perpetuate," answered the pen ; "where are thy victories, if I recorded them not? Even where thou thyself shalt one day be -in the Lake of Oblivion."

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3. THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE BUTTERFLY.

A humming-bird met a butterfly, and, being pleased with the beauty of its person and the glory of its wings, made an offer of perpetual friendship. "I cannot think of it," was the reply, "as you once spurned me, and called me a crawling dolt." "Impossible!" exclaimed the humming-bird, "I always entertained the highest respect for such beautiful creatures as you.""Perhaps you do now," said the other; "but when you insulted me I was a caterpillar. So let me give you a piece of advice: never insult the humble, as they may some day become your superiors."

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A very stupid wolf (they are not all sol65), having a good appetite, found a kid, which had lost its way. "Little friend," said the carnivorous animal, "I meet you at a good time: you will make me a very good supper; for I assure you that I have neither breakfasted nor dined to-day."- If I must die," replied the poor kid, "I beg that you will first sing me a song; I hope that you will not refuse me this favor; it is the first that I ever asked of you. I have heard that you are a perfect musician." The wolf, like a fool, cajoled by this flattery, attempted to sing, but only howled. At this noise the shepherds came running with their dogs and put him to flight. "Very well," said

the wolf, as he scampered away; "I have got my deserts: this will teach me another time to keep to my trade of a butcher, and not attempt to play the musician."

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A wolf lay at the last gasp, and was reviewing his past life "It is true," said he, "I am a great sinner, but yet, I hope, not one of the greatest. I have done evil, but I have also done much good. Once, I remember, a bleating lamb, that had strayed from the flock, came so near to me that I might easily have throttled it; but I did it no harm. At the same time, I listened with the most astonishing indifference to the gibes and scoffs of a sheep, although I had nothing to fear from dogs." "I can testify to all that," said his friend the fox, who was helping him prepare for death. I remember perfectly all the circumstances. It was just at the time when you were so dreadfully choked with that bone which the good-natured crane afterwards drew out of your throat."

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6. THE TWO BEES.

One fine morning in May, two bees set forward in quest of honey; the one wise and temperate, the other careless and extravagant. They soon arrived at a garden enriched with aromatic herbs, the most fragrant flowers, and the most delicious fruits. They regaled themselves for a time on the various dainties set before them; the one loading his thighs at intervals with wax for the construction of his hive, the other revelling in sweets, without regard to anything but present gratification. At length they found a wide-mouthed vial, that hung filled with honey beneath the bough of a peach-tree. The thoughtless epicure, in spite of all his friend's remonstrances, plunged headlong into the vessel, resolving to indulge himself in all the pleasures of sensuality.

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The philosopher," on the other hand, sipped with caution; but, being suspicious of danger, flew off to fruits and flowers, where, by the moderation of his meals, he improved his relish for the true enjoyment of them. In the evening, however, he called for his friend, to inquire whether he would return to the hive; but found him surfeited in sweets which he was as unable to leave as to enjoy. Clogged in his wings, enfeebled in his legs, and his whole frame enervated, he was but just able to bid his friend adieu, and to lament, with his latest breath, that, though a taste of pleasure may quicken the relish of life, an unrestrained indul gence is inevitable destruction.

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7.- THE PARTIAL JUDGE.

A farmer came to a neighboring lawyer, expressing great concern for an accident which, he said, had just happened. "One of your oxen," continued he, "has been gored by an unlucky bull of mine; and I should be glad to know how I am to make you reparation."-"Thou art a very honest fellow," replied the lawyer, "and wilt not think it unreasonable that I expect one of thy oxen in return."-"It is no more than justice," quoth the farmer, "to be sure. But, what did I say?— I mistake. It is your bull that has killed one of my oxen."—" Indeed!" says the lawyer; that alters the case: I must inquire -"—" And IF!" said the farmer

into the affair; and if

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"the business, I find, would have been concluded without an IF, had you been as ready to do justice to others as to exact it from them."

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Death, the king of terrors, was determined to choose a prime minister; and his pale courtiers, the ghastly train of diseases, were all summoned to attend, when each preferred his claim to the honor of this illustrious office. Fever urged the numbers he destroyed; cold Palsy set forth his pretensions by shaking all his limbs; and Dropsy, by his swelled, unwieldy carcass; Gout hobbled up, and alleged his great power in racking every joint;96 and Asthma's inability to speak was a strong though silent argument in favor of his claim. Stone and Colic pleaded their violence; Plague his rapid progress in destruction; and Consumption, though slow, insisted that he was sure.

In the midst of this contention, the court was disturbed by the noise of music, dancing, feasting and revelry; when immediately entered a lady, with a confident air, and a flushed countenance, attended by a troop of cooks and bacchanals: her name was INTEMPERANCE." She waved her hand, and thus addressed the crowd of diseases: 66 Give way, ye sickly band of pretenders, nor dare to vie with my superior merits in the service of this great monarch. Am not I your parent? Do ye not derive the power of shortening human life almost wholly from me? Who, then, so fit as myself for this important office?" The grisly monaren grinned a smile of approbation, placed her at his right hand, and she immediately became his principal favorite and prime minister.

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9.- DISHONESTY PUNISHED.

An usurer, having lost a hundred dollars in a bag, promised reward of ten dollars to the person who should restore it. The

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