she saw the writing, fancied she knew who wrote it: she immediately sent for a young lady, and asked whether she knew anything of the Valentine. The superintendent supposed this would be the best way of ascertaining the truth. The young lady no sooner saw the Valentine, than her beautiful face was bathed in blushes. She at once confessed that she was the sender. This led to an introduction and an intimacy between the young lady and the gentleman bachelor, and in two years after, on St. Valentine's-day, they were married, and have from that time to the present rejoiced in their mutual good fortune. A MODEL LODGING-HOUSE. N oak tree in the woods appears quite imperfect. The leaves are coiled up and spoiled by the leaf-roller; cut to pieces by the tailorbeetle; eaten by the hag. moth, and the polyphemus, the slug caterpillar, and her numerous kindred; the twigs are sucked by the whitelined tree-hopper, or cut off by the oak-pruner; large limbs are broken down by the seventeen-year locust; the horn-bug, the curculio, and timber-beetle eat up its wood; the gad-fly punctures the leaf and bark, converting the forces of the tree to that insect's use, the grub lives in the young acorn; fly-catchers are on its leaves, a spider weaves his web from twig to twig; caterpillars of various denominations gnaw its tender shoots; the creeper and the wood-pecker bore through the bark; squirrels-striped and flying, red and gray-have gnawed into its limbs and made their nests; the toad has a hole in the flaw of its base; the fox has cut asunder its fibrous roots in digging his burrow; the bear dwells in its trunk, which worms, emmets, bees, and countless insects have helped to hollow ice and the winds of winter have broken off full many a bough. How imperfect and incomplete the oak-tree looks; so broken, crooked, cragged, gnarled and grim! The carpenter cannot get a beam, the millwright a shaft, or the ship-builder ; Sense to use that knowledge right; Scorning ever to coquet. CHARLES BERTRAM. SHOPS AND SHOPKEEPERS. N O doubt some have heard or read the anecdote of a quaker located at Bristol, who was a partner in business with a person not of the Friendly connection. Upon the enrolment of the militia, both the quaker and his partner were called upon to serve. The quaker paid a fine, but the other was forthwith enrolled. Some local disturbances occurred shortly afterwards; the militia was called out, and as the proud grocer (such was their business), was strutting out of the shop, with a comically warlike air, the quaker, in a clear calm voice, called after him: 'John! one word with thee before thou goest out--if thou wilt fight, take care thee doesn't cut down any of our customers!' The quaker was a shrewd man. For anything that we know to the contrary, this sagacious quaker may be the editor of a work just published, entitled the Shopkeeper's Guide, which is designed to give stability to the interest of the shopkeeper, by instructing him upon those vital points which constitute the basis of all success in trade; and also to guide persons who, from ill-health or reverse of fortune, may seek to obtain a livelihood by shopkeeping, in a path which will contribute to certain success. * The book exhibits a set of economical principles, which probably too few adventurers in business understand. It tells the shopkeeper where to open a shop, how to conduct it when open, how to regulate his expenditure, and what legitimate arts and graces may be employed to allure customers to his establishment. In fact, it elevates shopkeeping into a science of social life. There are few of us who have not felt the * London: Houlston and Stoneman, 2s. 6d. superior civility, punctuality, and integrity of some one person with whom we have had occasion to deal. And have we not found this instance to be a real example of success in life? The Shopkeeper's Guide is not merely confined to Essays upon the principles which should influence the shopkeeper. It contains a list of some sixty profitable agencies offered to the shopkeepers; numerous receipts for articles that may be made and sold at a considerable profit, with the prices and profits affixed; the names of some thousands of wholesale houses that supply shopkeepers, or appoint agents for the sale of their goods; hints for the management of a shop-even to the wearing of a clean apron; lists of imperishable articles that almost any shopkeeper may add to his business; instructions between debtor and creditor, landlord and tenant; information about credit, bills of exchange, and, in fact, everything that a shopkeeper may require in the shape of really practical and useful information. An almost penniless man once said to a friend, that he had determined to open a shop.' 'Where is your capital to come from?' was the natural query. 'Oh, a few shillings will buy a set of tools!' was the reply. The fellow meditated a burglary-a fashion of opening a shop almost certain to ensure misery for life to the adventurer. The set of principles' promulgated by the Shopkeeper's Guide, cost even less than the burglar's 'set of tools'-and the road to fortune which they open, is also the road to honour and happiness. CHAPTERS FOR CHILDREN.-CHAPTER II. VARIETIES. THE BROKEN HORSE-SHOE. put it in his pocket. COUNTRYMAN went out in the fields with his little son, Thomas. Look,' said the father, 'there lies a part of a horse-shoe on the pathway. Pick it up, and take care of it.' 'Oh !' cried Thomas, 'it isn't worth the trouble of stooping for!' His father picked it up in silence, and At the next village he sold it to the blacksmith for threefarthings, and bought some cherries with the money. Both walked on further. It was a Summer's morning, and the heat was overpowering. There was no house anywhere near; nor any tree or brook to be seen. Thomas began to feel very faint for thirst, and could scarcely keep up with his father, who at last, as if quite by accident, dropped a cherry. Thomas picked it up as eagerly as if it had been gold, and ate it greedily. In a few minutes another dropped. Thomas stooped to pick it up with the same eagerness. In this way the countryman dropped every one of the cherries, and when they were all done, and Thomas had eaten the last, his father turned round and said laughingly 'Though you would not stoop once, my son, for the horseshoe, you have been obliged to stoop a hundred times for the cherries!' THE PRECIOUS HERB. Two girls named Bridget and Anna, went together to market, each bearing a basket of fruit; Bridget was impatient of the load, but Anna was cheerful as usual. At last Bridget said How is it you are so cheerful? Your basket is as heavy as mine, and you are no stronger than I." Anna replied, 'I have placed a precious herb on my burden, so that I scarcely feel it.' Oh,' said Bridget, 'that must be nice! to lighten my burden by the same means. call the herb?' I should like Then Anna answered, The precious herb which makes every burden light is Patience! THE YOUNG POET STATESMAN AND HIS MOTHER. Let the As young Alphonse Lamartine grew up, he loved his mother, aud his mother dearly loved him. They enjoyed to be in each other's company. The mother delighted to teach her son, and the son was delighted to be taught by his mother; and she being a virtuous and religious woman, soon stamped the seal of her lovely nature on the heart and mind of her son. son, who is now so wonderful a man, speak for himself. He says: 'I drank deep from my mother's mind. I read through her eyes; I felt through her feelings. I lived through her life. She translated for me nature, sensation, thoughts. Without her I could not have spelled a line of the lovely creation which I had before my eyes. But she guided me over its pages. Her soul was so bright, so beautifully coloured, and so |