"What do you think of that, miss?" repeated the boy. Well, my clothes were neither worn by birds 66 "" nor worms. "True," said a sheep grazing close by, "but they were worn on the back of some member of my family before they were yours; and as for your hat, I know that the beavers furnished the fur for that article; and my friends the calves and oxen in the field were killed, not merely for their flesh to eat, but also to get their skins to make shoes for you." See the folly of being proud of our clothes, since we are indebted to the meanest creatures for them! And even then we could not use them, if God did not give the wisdom to contrive the best way for making them fit for wear, and the means of procuring them for our comfort. LESSON XCV. length stum-ble neigh-bor ac-knowl-edge un-der-stand-ing a-bom-in-a-tion mer-chan-dise TRUE WISDOM. Proverbs iii. 5-35. TRU RUST in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 2. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 3. Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine 4. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 5. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding; for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 6. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. 7. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. 8. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. 9. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion: so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 10. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 11. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. 12. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee. 13. Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Strive not with a man without cause if he have done thee no harm. 14. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. N Africa the cattle are not only employed for the IN yoke, but are also trained for the saddle, and are taught to obey the bit as well as many horses do. The bit, however, is nothing more than a stick which is passed through the nostrils, and to which the reins are tied. The pace of the saddle-ox is only about four miles an hour; nor is the ride on his back very agreeable, as the skin of the animal sits so loosely on its body that the saddle sways at every step. 2. The horns of this animal are of marvelous length, having been known to exceed a dozen feet from base to tip, and to measure nearly eighteen inches around the base. They are also not only long but sharply pointed, so that even a lion has been kept at bay by them, not daring to leap against them. 3. As these horns might prove dangerous to the rider in case of a sudden jerk of the ox's head, or a stumble, the natives are in the habit of splitting and curling them in various fantastic ways, so as to avoid the danger. Sometimes they are merely bent forward and downward; at others they are caused to swing loosely at each side, with their points toward the earth. 4. The ox is also employed for draught in southern Africa, and is chiefly used for the purpose of drawing the wagons over the tracks which are there called roads. These wagons are remarkably light, and are built in such a manner as to take no harm from an occasional upset, to which they are very liable. 5. Yet the ground is so heavy, and the wheels sink so deeply, that a very large team of these cattle is required to draw the vehicle safely on its journeys. Eight or ten yoke of oxen are frequently employed to draw a single wagon, and the native drivers use their long whips with great cruelty. 6. I have heard of a missionary in South Africa who had reproved one of these drivers for whipping his oxen so terribly. Not long after, the missionary had occasion to send this very driver sixty miles, to bring a physician to see a case of severe sickness in his family. 7. The native, having no more pity for his fellowman than he had shown to his beasts, revenged himself on his reprover by letting his cattle take their own time for the journey; and when, at the end of eight days, he returned with the doctor, the sick child was dead and buried. 8. Some of the oxen in Africa are white. These are regarded as almost sacred by the natives, and the skin of a white ox is considered and used by most of the tribes as an emblem of peace, as the hide of the white bison is by the American Indians. pace, speed, rate of going. sway, to go to one side. occasional, now and then. remarkably, very. at bay, at a distance LESSON XCVII. KEEP THE SABBATH. MONG my playmates, when a boy, was Alfred frolic, and the leader on the play-ground. But he |