tormentors, we should remember that intellectual and moral attainments, knowledge and virtue, are the only legitimate grounds of personal respectability among moral agents. We are under the wise and gracious providence of God, who watches over our welfare with parental affection, and, therefore, while we are diligent in the use of means, we will cheerfully submit both to do and to suffer what our Father sees meet. Contentment is the great secret of happiness. Without it neither the gold of Ophir nor the dominion of Ahasuerus can impart felicity. It is the richest mine and the best empire. Contentment, however, has no connexion with indolence or indifference about our temporal concerns. The human mind is endued with an unwearied activity; and this principle, which is the source of our happiness and means of our improvement, should be rightly directed in the diligent prosecution of some honest employment. Lastly, While we are diligently pursuing our ordinary avocations, we ought ever to attend to the melioration of our moral nature, and to the improvement of our intellectual powers. Knowledge is honourable to a rational being. We have dominion over the inferior animals, not by our physical strength, but by our intellectual endowments; and the extension of our knowledge may be considered as an enlargement of our power. It is also instrumental in cultivating our moral nature; for unless our understanding be improved, our moral faculties will not be very exalted. In proportion as we are ambitious of moral excellence, we will, according to our opportunities, be active in the pursuit of intellectual attainments. Ignorance resulting from carelessness or sloth indicates no small degree of degradation, and will be visited with due retribution. While we study to be growing in wisdom and in virtue, it becomes us frequently and carefully to examine the state of our mind. They who pay a prudent attention to their temporal concerns often look into the state of their affairs, that they may know whether they be in a thriving condition. This is as needful in our spiritual pursuits. It behoves us often to review the actions of our lives, and the affections of our hearts, and to inquire, as under the eye of God, and with a view to a state of future account, whether we be cherishing those dispositions and acquiring those habits which duty and interest demand. If this examination be conducted with due care, and in the light of revelation, it will be the means of discovering errors which otherwise might have passed unno ticed, and motives to diligence which may have been formerly unperceived. We have commenced the career of existence which shall never end. Every step we take in life is to have an influence on those that follow. We should therefore be careful never by our present conduct to injure our future interests. As we are daily advancing on our way to eternity, we will daily be growing in likeness to God and meetness for heaven. In youth we labour to acquire that knowledge, and those habits which are requisite for discharging the duties of maturer years; in like manner, during the whole of life we should be employed in the diligent prosecution of that system of education which is requisite to qualify us for the duties and enjoyments of a higher stage of existence. We must never sit down contented with any attainments we may have already made either in knowledge or virtue. The wisest and the best have cause for persevering exertion, and room for growing improvement. Progress in excellence imparts present pleasure, and fits for future glory. We see what exertions the children of this world make to gain the objects of their ambition, honour, wealth, and power. For these they rise early and toil late. They traverse every climate, submit to every privation, encounter every danger. And shall the candidate for high intellectual and moral excellence, and for a blessed immortality, be more timid in encountering difficulties and dangers, or less strenuous and persevering in his exertions, in order to gain the objects of his lofty ambition? The path of happiness and glory lies before us. Let us steadily pursue it. As we approach the close of life, we will draw near the gate of our Father's house, so that when this world fails us, we may find ourselves on the threshold of heaven; and, when the voice of friends on earth dies upon our ear, we may hear the acclamations of the chosen spirits of the universe welcoming us to their dwellings in the paradise of God. THE END. NEW AND POPULAR WORKS, PUBLISHED BY KEY & BIDDLE, 23 MINOR STREET. GREAT NATIONAL WORK. Key & Biddle have in course of publication, A HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA, with Biographical Sketches and Anecdotes of the Principal Chiefs. Embellished with 120 Portraits, from the Indian Gallery in the Department of War at Washington. By Col. T. L. M'KENNEY. The public are aware that a most interesting and curious collection of Indian Portraits has been making since 1821, by the Executive of the United States; and that this collection forms a gallery in the Indian department at Washington, numbering at this time about one hundred and twenty heads. The interest felt in this effort to preserve the likenesses and costume of our aborigines-a work so intimately connected with the natural history of Man, is indicated by the immense numbers of citizens and foreigners, who visit the gallery; and the uniform admiration they express of its valuable and interesting character. Believing the public will sustain the undertaking, the undersigned have made arrangements for publishing this unique group. That nothing might be lost, the size of most of the original drawings have been preserved. The original drawings, it may be proper to remark, are principally by King, of Washington, from 1 life; and will be vouched by responsible names, to be perfect Jikenesses. An Essay suited to such a work, and calculated to throw a light upon the history of this interesting people, will accompany the first number; and as materials will authorize it, the remaining numbers will be interspersed with biographical sketches, andanecdotes of the original, and with a vocabulaire. This part of the undertaking will be executed by Colonel M'Kenney, of the Indian Department, whose long and familiar intercourse with our Indian relations, and travels over the country inhabited by most of the tribes, and personal know. ledge of most of the originals, fit him peculiarly for the task. The work will be completed in twenty numbers-each number will contain six heads handsomely coloured. Terms of subscription, six dollars per number, payable in advance. The publishers avail themselves of the following flattering notice of this design, in a letter from Dr. Sparks, editor of the North American Review, to Col. M'Kenney. From a gentleman so distinguished as Dr. Sparks, so well, and so deservedly appreciated for his high standing and attainments, his taste and science, and with such enlarged opportunities of judging of the importance of such a work, such a letter is very encouraging. "MY DEAR SIR, "I am heartily rejoiced to learn by your favour of the 22d instant, that there is so good a prospect for publishing the portraits of the red men. I do not consider that I have any claim, growing out of our conversation, and, indeed, as my only motive was to be instrumental in bringing before the public, so rare and curious a collection, it is a double satisfaction for me to know, that the matter is in so good hands, and encourages hopes of entire success. In my mind, the whole glory and value of the undertaking, will depend on the accuracy and beauty, with which the heads shall be executed, and the completeness of the costume. You must write all that is known about the character and life of each person. Let us have a work worthy of the subject, and honourable to the nation, and just to the Indians. Very sincerely your friend and obedient servant, TH. L. M'KENNEY, ESQ. It is in reference to the foregoing work that Peter S. Duponceau, Esq., the enlightened scholar and profound civilian, thus expresses himself: |