But scarcely had she placed

The last soft feather on its ample floor,

When wicked hands, or chance, again laid waste
And wrought the ruin o'er.

But still her heart she kept

And toiled again; and, last night, hearing calls,
I looked, and lo! three little swallows slept
Within the earth-made walls.

What trust is here, O man!

Hath hope been darkened in its early dawn?
Have clouds o'ercast thy purpose, trust, or plan?
Have faith, and struggle on !-Southey.

QUESTIONS.

Where did the swallow begin to build? What materials did she use? How long was she busy? What occurred before the nest was finished? What did she do when she found it in ruins? Who helped her? What did she line the nest with? What again

happened? What was the cause? What did she do once more? What success attended the third attempt? What did this conduct show? What may happen to us? How should we act in such circumstances?

Pronounce and distinguish-eaves, eves; barn, baron, barren; pallet, palate; organ, origin; tray, trait; rout, route.

DICTATION.

Summer eves are pleasant. The swallow built her nest under the eaves of the barn. The proud baron rode over the barren heath. The wearied soldier reposed on his pallet of straw. The tongue and palate are the organs of taste. What was the origin of the quarrel? The maid let fall the tray and broke the plates. His candour is a good trait in his character. The enemy were put to rout. What route do you mean to take?

Fla'-vour, taste.

VY'-gour, strength, energy.

In-fu'-sion, liquid obtained by Who'le-some, healthy

steeping.

WATER is the natural drink of mankind, and has been provided by the Creator in greater or less abundance in all countries and climates. There are, however, various artificial drinks, called beverages, which are prepared from certain vegetables, and are in daily use among vast multitudes of people all over the world. These are tea, coffee, and cocoa.

Tea is the leaf of an evergreen shrub that grows in China, Japan, and some parts of India. It is now cultivated extensively in Assam. The leaves are gathered at least thrice a year-in spring, midsummer, and autumn: the earliest are of the most delicate colour and finest flavour. As soon as they are stripped from the branches they are put into wide, shallow baskets, and exposed to the air and sunshine for a few hours. They are then laid on thin iron plates over a heated stove, and are afterwards rolled by the palm of the hand to make them curl. The different qualities are then sorted; and after a second and more complete drying, they are packed in wooden chests, lined with lead, for exportation to other countries. Two kinds of tea are sold-black and green; these, however, are the produce of the same shrub, the difference of colour depending on the age of the leaves,

the season of gathering, and the manner in which they are prepared for the market. Black tea is the kind most commonly used in this country. The finest, which is called Pekoe, is made from the tender fleshy leaf-buds collected early in spring. The inferior sorts are Souchong, Congou, and Bohea.

Tea was first introduced into Europe by the Dutch in 1610; but it was not known in England till 1666. It is now used by all classes in this country. The Chinese use it without the addition of sugar and milk.

Tea is a pleasant and refreshing beverage, and, when used in moderation, is exceedingly wholesome. A strong infusion, however, is considered injurious, as it prevents sleep. It is a favourite drink with all who have to watch or study during the hours usually devoted to rest.

The Coffee plant is a native of Arabia and Abyssinia, but it also thrives in Ceylon, Persia, Brazil, Jamaica, and other hot countries.

The blossoms, which are white or

cream-coloured, are succeeded by clusters of red berries, resembling cherries, each containing two hard seeds about the size of an ordinary pea. The ripe berries are shaken

from the branches, and fall

They

upon mats spread out below
for their reception.
are then exposed to the sun's
rays, and, when they are dry,
the husk is crushed and
removed by heavy wooden
rollers. The beans, as the
seeds are called, are at first
of a pale-brown colour, and
have little taste or smell;
but, when roasted in close
iron cylinders over a slow
fire, they become dark brown,
and acquire an agreeable aro-

COFFEE, WITH THE FLOWER AND BERRY. matic taste and odour. The finest coffee beans are imported from Mocha, in Arabia.

Coffee, like tea, is a pleasant and soothing beverage. It gives strength and vigour to the weary, and imparts a feeling of comfort and repose. Coffee-houses, where idlers could meet to drink a cheering cup and chat over the events of the day, were common in London two centuries ago. The first was opened in Lombard Street in 1652. A great deal of coffee is consumed by the Turks, whose religion forbids them the use of wine.

Coffee is often mixed with chicory, a powder got by roasting and grinding the root of a weed, called the chicory plant, which grows abundantly in England and . on the Continent. Chicory has neither the taste nor fragrance of coffee, but it is not unwholesome.

Cocoa is prepared from the seeds of the cacao-tree, which grows in the West Indies and Central America. The fruit resembles a melon, and grows, like the fig, directly out of the stem and principal branches. It contains a great many small seeds or beans, embedded in

A BRANCH OF THE COCOA-TREE, WITH POD AND FLOWERS. A POD, OPENED, SHOWING THE SEEDS OR FRUIT.

a fleshy substance. These seeds are dried in the sun and then roasted. Sometimes the beans are simply crushed into fragments, which are sold under the name of cocoa nibs; but more commonly they are ground to powder and formed into a paste, which is sweetened and made up into small cakes, called chocolate. The powder or nibs may also be infused like coffee, and the infusion forms an agreeable beverage, which has all the valuable properties of tea and coffee, and is much more nourishing. The best cocoa is imported from Mexico.

Pronounce-Pe'-koe (pe'ko); Souchong (soo-shong'); Congou (con'-go); Bohea (bo-he'); Cocoa (co'-co); Choc'-o-late; Chi'-co-ry; Ca-ca'-o.