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112

HORNETS.-REFRESHMENTS.

"Here's another nest!" shouted Adam. "Yes," said his father, "and I recommend you to have nothing to do with it at this time of the day. The sting of a hornet is vastly more formidable than that of either a bee or a wasp. I promise you, that even Tom, brave as he is, will not easily forget the sting of an exasperated hornet. The only way of destroying those creatures, as well as wasps, is by suffocating them with burning sulphur at night.

When the hour came for the haymakers to take their afternoon's rest and draught, Mr. Stock desired he might have the pleasure of giving them all a treat of bread and cheese and home-brewed ale; two of the brothers, therefore, ran home and brought with them the provision and a noble can of liquor; and all the party sat down together and partook of the unexpected bounty. The ale was mightily relished; so much so, that an old wag, evidently the jester of the company, taking up the can, repeated the old repartee amid the applause of his fellow-laborers :

"Well, neighbor Stiles, here's toward ye;
What I leave you won't load ye."

And, from the persevering manner with which he attacked the ale, they all began to think that his joke would prove to be a very serious one; for he pulled away and soaked it in, as if he had been a sand-bank.

In this agreeable manner did our young party pass the remainder of their day in the hay-field: and on their return home after sunset they amused themselves with watching a couple of barn owls, flapping with silent wings over the meadows in search of prey. Mary hoped they would not be able to find her little friends, the field-mice. They also ran after and caught seve

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

113

ral cock-chaffers, which every now and then came blundering very unpleasantly against their faces. "You have been too well brought up, my dear boys," said their mother, "for me to caution you against torturing those harmless insects, as you have seen the ignorant and unfeeling lads in the village do, who thrust a pin through them tied to a piece of thread, and then grin with delight at the agonizing hum of the persecuted creatures. Boys who take delight in such cruelty, when they reach the state of manhood, according as their stations are cast in society, become huntsmen, soldiers, or common murderers; for, indifference to the feelings of our fellow-men usually follows hard-heartedness towards the brute creation." They now arrived at home, and the happy family were all soon fast asleep, by the hour that the gay and fashionable world are beginning the pleasures of the evening.

On the last morning of the month, while they were at breakfast, Mr. Stock set Adam the task of writing down a list of all the plants that came into flower during the month, desiring him, at the same time, to name the color of each. In about an hour he brought his father the following list, who smiled and was pleased, not only with the fulness of it, but at some of his good little boy's remarks; and he told him he gave two of the most favorable proofs that he would become a clever man which were, that he was observant, and possessed a good memory. Here is Adam's catalogue :-" Speedwells of different kinds, deep blue, bright and dull blue, blue and pink, and pale pink; a very pretty little flower, I think. Bladderwort; gold yellow and pale yellow; not great favorites of mine; I am not very fond of yellow flowers. A great many sorts of grass, that are beautiful in shape, and some of

114

FLOWERS OF JULY.

them pretty in color. The field-scabious; pale purple ; a darling flower of mine. Bed-straw; a small white flower it smells, when it is dried, like a hay-field. The hound's-tongue; a dullish red. Azalea; rose-color. Bell-flower of several sorts, and of different shades of blue: the shape of these flowers is very beautiful. Dog's violet; blue, with purple lines; but it has no smell. Bitter-sweet nightshade; purple, with green spots. The sweet, delicious honey-suckle, the friend of the bees, and my friend. The tall star of Bethlehem; greenish : I do not much care for it. The evening primrose; bright yellow. The crimson-colored persicaria. The pink, that every body must love. Catchfly; many sorts of them; red, white, rose-colored, and red and white. Navelwort; yellow. Stonecrop; gold-color. Campion; rose-color. Meadowsweet; yellowish white. A great many sorts of roses and dog roses, of different shades of red. The bramble; white and pink. The strawberry; white. - Poppies; bright red with black spots. The handsome white and yellow water-lily. The lime-tree, with very small pale yellow bunches of flowers, that smell so sweetly after a little shower of rain: it is very pleasant to stand under a lime-tree, and hear and see the bees humming and gathering their honey. The cistus; yellow, pale yellow, and white. The columbine; purple. Traveller's joy; white: it sometimes climbs all over a hedge. Pheasant's eye; dark red. Crowfoot; yellow. Wild thyme; purple and white: the flower that papa told us the bees will fly so far to suck. Mamma's favorite, the eye-bright; white and purple, with yellow streaks. Snap-dragon; blue and violet-colored, and purple and white. The foxglove; reddish and dotted: it is a tall and slender flower, and

FLOWERS OF JULY.

115

looks very handsome with its rows of bells down the stalk. Crane's-bill; there are several sorts of this flower, of a blue, red, pale blue, and pale red: I am very fond of this flower. Marsh-mallow, and the other sorts; of a lilac-color, and striped. The everlasting-pea; a handsome red flower. Tares; blueish and gray. Trefoil; pale red and pale purple. St. John'swort; there are many sorts, and all yellow: the parkleaf St. John's-wort I think the handsomest. Several kinds of the hawk-weed; yellow, bright yellow, and orange. Thistles; purple and crimson. The orchis; green and dull purple. These are all the field flowers I can recollect, papa; and I believe most of our garden flowers that were in blossom last month are still blowing."

"Well, Adam," said his father, "I did not expect that you could give me such a list as this. If there were no more flowers now than those you have named, we should still have reason to be proud of the month of JULY."

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CHAPTER VIII.

AUGUST.

"Come to the yellow fields, golden with corn!

The brawny AUGUST, with fast-reaping hand,
Lays low the earth's tall plumes of pride; and blithe
Young gleaners, in bee-swarms, trample the shorn
Stout stubble down, with naked feet and torn,
In little laps garnering allowed tithe ;
And wheaten sheaves are bound with strawy band,
And to the hungry barn brown Ceres' wain is borne.
With no more music than the woods afford,

No daintier food than is the wild strawberry,
With water from clear brooks which clean deer ford,
We may be fed, and pleased,

And fear not but the day's sweet exercise

Will bring night's balmiest slumber to our eyes."

66

Lyric Leaves.

ADAM," ," said Mr. Stock, "do you remember what Octavius Cæsar, the first of the Roman emperors, was called?" "Yes, papa, he afterwards took the name of Augustus." 'Well, then, the title of the present month was changed in honor of him. Before his advancement to the dominion of the Roman empire, July and August used to be called Quintilis and Sextilis, or fifth and sixth months, being the fifth and sixth in succession from March, which was, originally, the first of the year: and, in consequence, September, October

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