"

tlemen call a smart looking groom;" but clean flesh, and clean linen; a well-brushed coat and hat, breeches free from grease and spots, well-polished boots and bright spurs. Bear in mind, therefore, these three sayings, and they will help you to a job now and then," Put nothing away dirty," "a stitch in time saves nine" when you've done your work, wash your hands."-However, after all, you will have some leisure time, and I am to tell you how to improve it. You can write a little, but I would have you try to make further progress-learn to keep accounts, and gain some knowledge of summing. By patience and practice you may get as much as will be useful without much help from any body. I hope you will take delight also in reading:-your Bible should be your daily companion; though you may be sometimes prevented from reading more than a few verses. Other good books will often come in your way, which will help you forward in religion and virtue. But as all our attention cannot be given to one subject, and we are disposed to seek some knowledge for this life as well as another, I hope you will be very careful what common books you get hold of. Dream books,song books, and foolish story books, give no pleasure to a sensible young man, nor help to make him wiser; and it were better for you not to know a letter than to read such books and newspapers as make game of religion, or abuse" the King, and all that are set in authority under him." "Tis not enough to say a book is funny, and makes us laugh, if it is sure to corrupt us, or unlikely to improve us. Don't you think a groom might spend some time very well over such a useful plain book as White's Farriery? then he would grow knowing in his own line of life, and understand something about the animal he professes to take care of. For want of a little instruction of this kind, many a one, in case of accident or sudden sickness, cannot tell what to be after; but takes the first receipt of the first fellow he meets

with, which is perhaps dangerous, or good for nothing; and so increases the disorder, or makes a bad matter worse. Remember, William, I don't encourage you to set up yet for a Horse-Doctor, but I want you to learn enough, to see the folly of some who do pretend to be skilful in that line. Only read a little, and you will be afraid of playing the tricks some do with their masters' horses; giving this thing to make their legs fine; and that thing to mend the looks of their coats or mixing strong physic without understanding the use and power of the different drugs. Try to understand the cause of sickness, and how it goes on from one step to another; then you will see why particular medicines are given; and a particular treatment ordered, by the farrier; otherwise you will never find out what he is about; nor gain experience from observing how he acts. Before I finish, let me say one thing-a time will most likely come, when we shall want to give up grooming; and shall find our need of a great deal of information, not to be gained in a stable. Look forward then, William, and that will teach you thoughtfulness and attention now. "Tis impossible to say at present, what will, and what will not, be useful in after life, and we can never know too much, of what is really worth knowing at all. Therefore, keep your eyes and ears open. Watch well what is going on in the world. When you fall into conversation with people of different callings, get them to talk about their own trade, and business; this will please them; and profit you. I will explain the benefit of doing so more plainly when we meet-Success attend you. When your family returns to town, don't forget to come

soon

To your true friend and well-wisher,

;

SHORT LECTURES ON THE CATECHISM.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

"MARRIAGE is an honourable state, instituted of God himself." The husband and the wife at the time of their marriage, make a solemn vow, at the holy altar of God, that they will be faithful and true one to the other. How dreadful a crime it must then be to break this solemn vow!!-This is the crime of adultery. This crime contains falsehood, united with profaneness; for it breaks a promise given,and given too, under the most solemn and binding sanctions of religion. Adultery is a crime, too, which confounds all the pleasing relations of society, destroys the proper connection between parents and children, and gives to the world an offspring, who shall have but a poor prospect of being properly brought up. If it were only, then, for the sake of our own happiness, we might see good reason to be thankful that this crime were forbidden. Indeed, obedience to the commands of God is always the way to happiness. Foolish people are apt to think that the restraints of religion keep them from enjoyments, and they will not submit to them: they therefore indulge their own will, till at length they find that they have quite mistaken the "way to be happy." The truth is, that almost all the misery we see in the world, arises from refusing to be guided by the rules of Scripture. This world, indeed, is not intended for perfect happiness; but, if the rules which God gives us were followed, we should enjoy all the happiness that mortal beings are capable of. Let no man say then, that religious restraints are contrary to the happiness of man. It is sin that brings on misery:It is religion that leads to happiness. A wicked man may perhaps say to this "that he has more pleasure in profligacy than he should have in religion:" perhaps so, but it must be remembered,

that we speak of all the consequences arising from good or bad actions, these must all be taken into consideration when we talk of happiness and misery, and, these being considered, we do say, that, decidedly, religion is the way to happiness, even in this world. It is true, that unless a man has a religious mind, he could not enjoy a religious life. This shews the need of a pure heart; produced by the renewing influences of God's Holy Spirit. And this leads us to observe, that this commandment, according to the interpretation of our Lord himself, forbids impurity of every kind, both in the heart and conduct. These things defile a man, and make him unfit for the kingdom of Heaven. The body of a Christian is called the temple of the Holy Ghost, and should therefore be a pure and fit abode for that heavenly guest. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers, and adulterers, God will judge *."

V.

LETTER FROM A FATHER TO HIS SON, AN : APPRENTICE BOY.

MY DEAR BOY,

December 18, 1822.

I was so full of business last month, that I was not able to write to you, but I shall now go on with our little history of England. The last King we spoke of was Henry the 3rd., who reigned, as we said, 56 years, and died in the year 1272. His son Edward had been, for some time, in the Holy Land, engaged in the wars against the Infidels. And here, I must not forget to tell you of a circumstance that is said to have happened there.-" Edward was wounded by an assassin, in the arm, with a poisoned

dagger, and he would have probably died, had not his affectionate wife, Queen Eleanor herself, sucked out the poison from the wound."

Edward was returning from Palestine, (the Holy Land), when he heard of the death of his father; and he and his Queen Eleanor were crowned at Westminster in the year 1274, amidst the joy and applauses of all ranks of people. This Edward was certainly a great and a braye King, and exerted himself to make his kingdom prosperous.

He

confirmed the Magna Charta, by which charter, as you know, great privileges were given to the English people. He was likewise a great warrior, and was very anxious to increase the power of his kingdom. For this purpose he determined, if possible, to unite the Welsh nation to the English. You know where Wales is, you have seen it in the map of England on your left hand side, or West; and you perceive that it is joined to England. But yet, before the reign of Edward the 1st. it was a separate nation, and had its own Prince to govern it. Indeed, the most ancient of the Britons lived in Wales, and still do. Whilst other parts of this island were overrun with Romans, Saxons, Danes, and Normans, these ancient Britains, guarded by their high mountains, and their high courage too, never submitted to any of those invaders. Edward was determined to aim at the conquest of their kingdom, and, upon a slight quarrel with Llewellyn, then the prince of the country, he made war against the Welsh. This high minded people resisted his encroachments, and refused to submit, and they were encouraged in their bravery by their Bards (or Poets) who made warlike songs in praise of their country, and sung them to their Harps, thus raising the spirits of the people, and lifting up their minds to the persevering defence of their native land. Edward saw, that, as long as these Bards remained, he should never be able to gain his point; he therefore, ordered them all to be