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SUSAN IN THE DOG'S HOUSE.

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were very busy looking at every thing there was to be seen; and pretty soon she spied a small house at a short distance from them. She instantly ran to examine it. When she came back, she began to tell her mother what she had seen.

"Oh, mamma', "cried she","there's a little mite of a house out there, just big enough for me; may n't I go and live there?"

Her mother told her that the house was made for the dog Tray, and that it was not a good place for her to live in.

Susan thought it a great pity that Tray should have such a nice house all to himself`; and as she walked along, she kept thinking how nice it would be for her. So, as soon as her mamma had gone into the house, she ventured to go into the little kennel; and though it was not quite so pleasant as she expected, she liked to play there very much. There was no Tray to be seen, so she had the whole house to herself, and very grand she felt. When she went home, her mamma asked where she had been. Susan replied, "I've been living in my little house, mamma, and there was no dog there, and I don't believe that such a nice place was built for a dog.”

Her mother assured her that it was made on purpose for a dog, which was to be brought there in a day or two, and added, that she did not wish her to go there again.

Susan did not like this very well', but for several days she did not venture near the house. At last, she thought she would just go in for a minute and come right out again. So she crept in, and sat down in one The longer she staid, the more unwilling she was to go away', and at last she began to grow sleepy, and presently fell asleep. When she first awoke, she did not know where she was', but as soon as

corner.

her eyes were fairly open, she saw a great black creature sitting just in the door way. There was a collar round his neck, to which was fastened a great iron chain. Susan did not know that dogs were ever chained, and she thought this must be a bear. She was afraid to stir lest he should hear her`; so there she lay, trembling and crying, expecting every moment that he would turn round, and, for aught she knew, eat her up. Meanwhile, her mamma and all the rest of the family were every where searching for her. As the afternoon passed away, they became greatly alarmed', and went about calling, Susan! as loud as they could. One of the servants happened, at last, to pass by the place where Susan lay hid. She started forward on seeing the girl, and crept by the great dog, which sat in dignified silence, without condescending to notice her. Poor Susan was really sick from the fright which she had received. She walked sorrowfully towards home'; and when her mamma saw her pale face and swelled eyes, and heard her tell how frightened she had been, she knew that she had been well punished for her disobedience. Susan learned, afterwards, that Tray had arrived about the middle of the afternoon, and had been placed immediately in his house'; probably, while she was fast asleep in the corner.

After this, the little girl always believed just what her mamma said, and she is now a very good child.

LESSON XIX.

ABUNDANCE OF BLESSINGS.

On a beautiful bright morning in August, I was staying at a house half way between Newport and

ABUNDANCE OF BLESSINGS.

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Bristol, in Rhode Island. The house where I was staying, bordered on the road. My windows opened into the garden. There was a large summer house at the end of the garden, with lattice work, and vines running over it. No one had taken pains to pull up the weeds; and there was a great deal of grass growing amongst the flowers. This was bad for the humble little ones, such as violets and forget-me-nots, and almost choked them'; but the tall hollyhocks, with their spires of red and white flowers, towered high above the grass', and nodded and waved their heads, as if saluting every passer-by. Presently, some little girls came into the garden to beg a bunch of flowers to carry to meeting'; for it was Sunday morning. The mother told her little daughter that she might gather them some. Mary came bounding out, with her locks carefully braided, and neatly tied with pink ribbons. Her cheeks were as red as roses, and she looked very much like one of the flowers that had sprung up among the weeds.

She did not

Mary brought no knife nor scissors. pay much respect to the flowers. She bent down the heads of the tall hollyhocks, and then if she could not break the stems, she left them drooping over. Sometimes the flowers came off without any stems; and sometimes scattered the leaves and petals to the wind, and laughed to see them fly. Though at length she loaded her young friends with flowers they were injured, and she had destroyed more than she gathered.

"See, Mary'," said I', "how you have broken down these marigolds; and look at these lilies bending to the ground. They will never raise their heads again. They will droop and die.".

"It is no matter," said she, "there are enough more."

"Yes, there are more. But you have destroyed these, and cannot make others grow in their place." "Father can'," said she.

"No. Nobody can—at least', for a whole year. Your own hands have destroyed the growth of a season. Think how long it takes for them to grow. First, the seed must be put into the ground. Then it swells and expands, and the stalk and leaves appear. They are at first very small. But soon they grow bigger, and, at last, the buds come out, and then they must be taken care of."

"Nobody takes care of our flowers," said she ;— "father has other things to take care of."

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Perhaps your brother attends to them?"

"I tell you," said she, a little impatiently', "nobody takes care of them."

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Then," said I, "I suppose they never have any sun to warm them'."

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Oh, yes, the sun shines now.' "But are they never watered'?" "No-only when it rains."

"And have they no cool air to blow upon them, and refresh them' ?"

"I should think," said she, "you could yourself see the wind blow upon them now."

"Then," said I, "they are warmed by the sun', cooled by the wind', watered by the rain', and yet, you say, they are not taken care of!"

She hesitated a moment, and then said, "God takes care of them."

"Well, Mary'," said I, after a long pause', "I hope you will not destroy these flowers, now you recollect that God takes care of them. I dare say you love them now."

"No, I don't'," said she.

"Why not? I am sure they are beautiful. See

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the crimson and gold, and the glossy, bright green

leaves."

"I don't care for them," said she, "I don't care for flowers now."

"Then you used to like them' ?"

"Yes.

When the daffies* first came out under the snow', and we had to scrape it away to find them. But now there are so many flowers, that I don't care for any of them."

My poor child, thought I, you have unwittingly brought a lesson home to my heart. It is the abundance of God's blessings that makes us regardless of them. Because every breath is drawn without an effort-because the light of morning constantly returns and fruits, flowers, sunshine, and rain, come unsolicited-we forget the Source of all our mercies.

LESSON XX.

JACK HASTY.

JACK HASTY is a very impatient boy. Little difficulties vex and irritate him, and he often shows his vexation and impatience in very improper ways.

For example; sometimes when he is playing with his younger brother, he gets out of humor with him', because the little fellow cannot understand easily what he wants him to do. His brother is quite small, and does not think so quick as older boys'; but Jack does not make any allowance for this; he flies in a passion with him, instead of patiently explaining to him what he wants. The other day he got his little brother, and another boy just about as large', to be his horses'; and he told them how they must go, when

* Daffodils.

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