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in the wide world, will you find so many smiling, happy faces as among the children of New England? This is the true reason why they are so much happier than the children of the Sandwich Islands. The Yankee boy may sometimes get tired of his work; but if he had nothing to do, he would be absolutely miserable. It is not in the nature of a son of New England to be happy without employment. And, where you find one of them educated, and rising to eminence in professional life, if you trace back his history, in most cases, you will learn that, when a boy, he worked on his father's farm, or in his father's shop. And if you could see him seeking relaxation and amusement, you would often find him engaged in the same kind of Labour that he used to perform when a boy.

When one of the convicts in the State prison has committed an offence, they punish him by shutting him up in his cell alone, and giving him nothing to do. For a little while he is glad to be relieved from his work; but very soon, he begs for it again. Nothing is so hard for him to bear as doing nothing.

If, then, you would be virtuous and happy, if you would be qualified to brave the storms of life's troubled ocean, cultivate the love of useful labour. This will give you independence of character. It will give you the ability to take care of yourself. It will make you despise the fawning sycophant, who would sell his birth-right for a piece of bread. It will save you from the temptation to surrender your independence, or commit any act of meanness or dishonesty for the sake of a living.

I.

Illustrations.

INDUSTRY AND LABOUR.

EARLY discipline, in laborious and useful occupations, is indispensable to the formation of a good character. If God had designed that we should live at ease, without exertion, he would have furnished every thing to our hand, without any effort of our own. In his holy Word he has taught us the necessity of helping ourselves, requiring us to labour six days for one of rest, and ordaining that, "if any would not work, neither should he eat." The same lesson he taught an untutored Indian, by the voice of Nature.

A LESSON FROM THE BIRDS AND FISHES.

REV. MR. HECK EWELDER, a Moravian Missionary, remarked to an Indian, whom he saw busily employed fencing his corn-field, that he must be very fond of working, as he had never seen him idling away his time as was common with the Indians. "My friend," replied the Indian, "the fishes in the water, and the birds in the air have taught me to work. When I was a young

AN INDIAN'S REFLECTIONS.

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man, I loitered about, doing nothing, just like the other Indians, who say that working is only for whites and negroes, but that the Indians were made to hunt the deer, and catch the beaver, otter, and other animals. But one day while I was hunting, I came to the banks of the Susquehannah, and sat down near the water's edge to rest a while. There I was forcibly struck at seeing with what industry the sun-fish heaped small stones together to make secure places for their spawn; and all this labour they did with their mouth and body, without hands. Presently a little bird, not far from me, raised a song, and while I was looking to see the little songster, its mate, with as much grass as it could hold in its bill, passed close by me, and flew into the bush, where I perceived them, both together, busily employed in building their nest, and singing as their work went on. I entirely forgot my hunting, to contemplate the objects that were before me. I saw the birds in the air and the fishes in the water working diligently and cheerfully, and all this without hands. I thought it was strange, and I became lost in wonder. I looked at myself, and saw two long arms, provided with hands and fingers, and with joints that might be opened and shut at pleasure. I could, when I pleased, take up any thing with these hands, hold it fast, or let it loose, and carry it along with me. When I walked, I observed that I had a strong body, capable of bearing fatigue, and supported by two stout legs, with which I could climb to the top of the highest mountains, and descend at pleasure into the valleys.

"And is it possible," said I, "that a being so wonderfully formed as I am, was created to live in idleness; while the birds, which have no hands, and nothing but their little bills to help them, work with cheerfulness, and without being told to do so? Has then the great

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HOW TO BE HAPPY.

Creator given me all these limbs for no purpose? It cannot be: I will try to go to work. I did so, and went away from the village to a spot of good land, where I built a cabin, enclosed ground, sowed corn, and raised cattle. Ever since that time, I have enjoyed a good appetite and sound sleep. While others spend their nights in dancing, and are suffering with hunger, I live in plenty. I keep horses, cows, hogs, and fowls. I am happy. See, my friend, the birds and fishes have brought me to reflection, and taught me to work!"

If any of my young friends who read this book, think it a hardship to work, I hope they will go into the fields, and like this untutored Indian, learn lessons from the creatures that God has made. There they will find the little ants busy in rearing their habitation; the mole in raising his hill; the birds in building their nests; and the little busy bee, in sucking honey from every flower. Yet all these little creatures appear happy and contented with their lot. If God made them to be happy, as we suppose he did, why did he not make them to live an idle, inactive life? Evidently because activity is necessary to enjoyment. If you would be happy, then, you must be active. Laziness, or idleness, will certainly make you discontented, wretched, and miserable.

As I was one day walking in one of those beautiful avenues that lead out of the village of Saratoga Springs, my attention was arrested by two of those insects, which children call by the homely name of "grandfather-long-legs." They were laboriously occupied in rolling a round ball, of the size of a walnut, covered with a glutinous substance, dried hard in the sun. I could not be so cruel as to break it in pieces, to gratify my curiosity; but I suppose it must have contained

some treasure that was dear to them, probably their eggs. They would labour and tug, with their long arms, to roll it up an ascent; and if it rolled back again, they would patiently return, and roll it up, showing an example of perseverance well worthy of imitation.

Thus God has made all things to be active. All nature, animate and inanimate, calls man to labour. If old ocean did not ebb and flow, and roll its waves, it would stagnate, and become so noxious that no animal could live on the face of the earth. If the earth did not pursue its laborious course around its axis, one half of its inhabitants would be shrouded in perpetual night, while the other half would be scorched to death with the ever-accumulating intensity of the sun's rays. Can you find any thing, in all the vast creation of God, that is idle? The sluggard, of all God's works, stands alone idle! He resembles the stagnant pool, whose impure waters, filled with the loathsome creatures, and all manner of filth, saturate the atmosphere with pestilential vapours, and spread around it disease and death. But the active, industrious man, resembles the running brook, whose waters are kept limpid and clear by their unceasing flow.

BUSINESS FIRST, AND THEN PLEASURE.

A MAN who is very rich now, was very poor when he was a boy. When asked how he got his riches, he replied, "My father taught me never to play till all my work for the day was finished, and never to spend money till I had earned it. If I had but half an hour's work to do in a day, I must do that the first thing, and in half an hour. After this was done, I was allowed to play; and I could then play with much more pleasure