Look at your hands; how black they are! When did you wash them? Not to-day, I think; and your face and neck are quite as bad. You must come here with your face and hands clean.

It is a shame for a child like you not to be neat and clean; and I shall not like it if you come so late; it is now more than half past nine o'clock.

Do not stop on the road as you come to school. Do not play with those who are rude in the street, lest you should be thought as rude as they.

you

I

If do not mind what I say to you, shall put a cap on your head, and you will look like George, who stands on the stool there.

LESSON XXIV.

Winter.

It is a fine clear day, though cold. The frost is hard on the ground. Charles, call James and Ann to me. Where are your hats and coats? Let us take a walk round the park.

The trees are now stripped of their leaves. The birds sit still on the boughs. The ice hangs from the high roof; the snow and ice

shine in the sun. See, the boys slide, and the men skate.

Hark! do you hear the sound of the horn, the noise of the hounds and the gun? Now I feel for the poor birds and the hare. Here are the sweet cows, and the farm yard. Feed them well, John, with nice hay; for all the grass is hid with the snow.

Child.

LESSON XXV.

The Rainy Day.

O DEAR! now the rain is come; I fear it will be a wet day, and then we can not go out to play at all. What shall we do in doors all day long? I wish it would not rain, for I do not love wet days.

Mother. And I do not love boys who find fault and look cross when it rains.

Rain does good, and it is the gift of God, who sends it. If there were no rain, there would soon be no food; grass would not grow, and corn would not come up: men, and beasts, and birds, would die for want of water to drink.

We should be glad of rain, and be sure that God knows best when to send it, and when it will do us the most good.

You need not be out of doors while rain falls, but may please your-self in the house.

You have a nice warm home to keep you dry, and books and toys to play with, while you are in doors.

And when the rain is past, then you may go out, and see how gay all things look; how fresh and how sweet; and the sun will shine more bright than it did be-fore. Why, then, should you look cross when it rains?

LESSON XXVI.

The Hot Day.

Boy. How hot it is to day! The sun shines so warm that it makes my head ache, if I take off my hat; and it is so hot that I can not bear it on.

What shall I do? I can not drive my hoop; nor work in my gar-den; nor play at bat and ball; and there is no wind at all, so that I can not fly my kite.

What is there that I can play at, this hot day? I wish you would tell me what to do.. Mother. Poor boy! you seem to be quite put out of all your plays. I can tell you what to do, which you may like as well as those things which you can not do.

You may come with me to the great oak tree, which will shade us from the hot sun; and bring your new map to put up, while I work and read.

We shall find the time will not seem long: it will soon grow more cool, for the sun is going down. Then we can walk; or you may work, run, and do as you like.

Ar the close of the day, before you go to sleep, you should not fail to pray to God to keep you from sin and from harm.

You ask your friends for food and drink,

and books and clothes; and when they give you these things, you thank them, and love them for the good they do you.

So you should ask your God for those things which he can give you, and which no one else can give you.

You should ask him for life, and health, and strength; and you should pray to him to keep your feet from the ways of sin and shame.

You should thank him for all his good gifts; and learn, while young, to put your trust in him; and the kind care of God will be with you, both in your youth and in your old age.

LESSON XXVIII.

A Bad Habit cured.

MISS BROWN was a child of five years old. She had a bad trick, which she at last got rid of, but not till it had been the cause of great pain to her.

She would taste of all things she thought might be good to eat. She was told not to do so, but still she went on.

If she saw a cup or a glass with some thing to drink in it, she would take a sip of it; if she found a plate, she would bite or