first gathered, (that is, picked off the shrub,) put into large flat iron pans, and heated over a fire, until they become quite hot: they are then thrown out upon mats; and people, who stand ready for the employment, roll the hot leaves between the palms of their hands, until they become quite dry and curled, as you see them. "Mamma," said Frederic, "do tea-shrubs grow in England? I never saw one in all the gardens [ ever was in !" 66 No, my dear, tea does not grow in England: it grows in China and Japan, countries very distant from ours; and it is brought to us in ships. The gathering tealeaves forms a great part of the employment of the poor people of these countries; for the leaves are taken from the shrubs four times in the year; and these leaves must not be hastily pulled off the tree, but

plucked off one by one, with much care: children learn to do this; and had you been born in China or Japan, instead of England, you, probably, would all have been little tea-pickers. The children smiled at this idea, and little William asked what kind of leaf a tea-leaf was? "When the leaves are allowed to

grow a long time, William, they very much resemble the leaves of a cherry-tree; but, when they are pulled young, they are more like the leaves of the spindle-tree, an English shrub, which I will shew you when we walk in the country, "But, mamma,' said Lucy, "I have seen you take out different tea when you were going to have company." Yes, my dear, that tea is finer tasted, and more expensive than what I use daily. The younger the leaves, the finer or more plea

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sant the tea; but, then you know, as there must be a much smaller quantity of tea produced from leaves not arrived at their full size, so this tea is sold at a higher price than that which is gathered when the leaves are full grown and more plentiful. In Japan they use their tea differently from our manner. Instead of pouring boiling water upon it, in a tea-pot, they grind the tea, as we do coffee, into a fine powder, and then mix this powder with hot water, until it becomes like a thin syrup: this is called thick tea.

Breakfast being now done, Mrs. Johnson told her children she had letters to write, and desired them to go into the garden. They obeyed her immediately.

THE LARK'S NEST.

WHEN Mrs. Johnson had finished writing, she called her children to walk with her in the country: they were very glad, for they all delighted in gathering wild flowers; and, when little William was not of the party, (for he was too young to take long walks without being tired,) Frederic and Lucy always brought him a large nosegay of wild pinks or roses. The morning was beautiful, the sun shone bright, and the sprightly notes of the lark, as she ascended high in the air, increased the lively gaiety of the children. In the excess of their delight, they bounded over the meadows; and sometimes they stopped to listen to the music of the lark, and admire the height of her flight. While running across a large field,