"Work-work-work,

In the dull December light,
And work-work—work,

When the weather is warm and bright-
While underneath the eaves

The brooding swallows cling,

As if to show me their sunny backs
And twit me with the Spring.

"Oh! but to breathe the breath
Of the cowslip and primrose sweet—
With the sky above my head,
And the grass beneath my feet,
For only one short hour

To feel as I used to feel,

Before I knew the woes of want
And the walk that costs a meal!

"Oh! but for one short hour!
A respite however brief!

No blessed leisure for Love or Hope,
But only time for Grief!

A little weeping would ease my heart,
But in their briny bed

My tears must stop, for every drop
Hinders needle and thread!"

With fingers weary and worn,

With eyelids heavy and red,

A woman sat, in unwomanly rags,
Plying her needle and thread-
Stitch stitch! stitch!

In poverty, hunger, and dirt,

And still with a voice of dolorous pitch,
Would that its tone could reach the Rich!

She sang this "Song of the Shirt!"

THOMAS HOOD.

The Song of the Shirt.--This poem was suggested by the wretched condition of the London needle-women, large numbers of whom were, though working hard, unable to earn wages sufficient to supply the barest necessaries of life. It first appeared in the pages of Punch, and at once established the author's reputation, and led to a great improvement in the condition of those whose woes it so touchingly describes. On the author's tomb, in Kensal Green Cemetery, London, are inscribed, at his own suggestion, the words " HE SANG THE SONG OF THE SHIRT."

Barbarous Turk.—In Turkey, and all Mohammedan lands, woman is regarded as an inferior being to man, not much removed above the beasts that perish.

QUESTIONS:-1. How is the poor needle-woman described in the first stanza? 2. What account is given of her dress? 3. What do we learn from the second stanza regarding the length of her hours of labour? 4. When does the cock begin to crow? 5. Why does she wish to be a Turkish slave? 6. What effect has the work on her brain? 7. How does she say that she is sewing "a shroud as well as a shirt"? 8. What do we learn regarding her appearance from stanza five? 9. What contrast is drawn between "bread" and "flesh and blood"? 10. What is the result of this constant work? 11. At what season of the year is the work carried on? 12. How do you learn this from the poem? 13. Why is she unable to indulge in a walk into the country? 14. Why is she unable to indulge in tears? 15. What effect was produced by this poem?

THE magpie is a handsome bird, about eighteen inches in length. Its plumage is glittering black and white, shaded with green, blue, and purple.

I cannot give the magpie a good character, for it is both a thief and a glutton. It often steals a stray chicken from a hen, plunders a nest of eggs, or snaps up a young bird that falls in its way. No food comes amiss; it will feed on carrion with the raven, or pluck up corn with the crow. It often lights on the backs of sheep and cattle, and picks up the insects that it finds there. It torments these beasts, and if they turn their heads to threaten, it stretches out its neck ready for battle.

A magpie never seems to be happy unless it has a hiding-place, wherein it can hoard whatever it

may find a chance to steal. For this purpose it prefers a dark nook in a garret, hidden among the rafters under the roof, or a deep hole in a decaying tree. There it will conceal its ill-gotten goods, and display great uneasiness if any person approaches the place.

Anything that shines has an irresistible charm in the eyes of the magpie, and silver especially it

covets more than any miser. Bits of glass, silver spoons, silver forks, silver thimbles, silver ornaments, and silver money, have all been found in its hiding-places, as well as gold rings, jewellery, and even diamonds.

A clergyman in England had a tame magpie. This bird had a lurking-place in the yard, and its greatest delight was to peck the ankles of every one that came near its retreat. The female servants who had occasion to pass the lurkingplace, used to arm themselves with a broom. One of them who neglected this precaution was found sitting on the stones to protect her ankles, while the bird was triumphantly pacing around her.

On occasion of some repairs to the fence, a deep hole had been dug, in which to place a post. The workmen having left the spot, the magpie was observed to be very busy in picking up stones and bits of brick, which it would carry in its bill and drop in the hole. On examining into the motive of this conduct, a poor toad was found at the bottom of the hole, and the magpie was trying to pelt it to death.

This magpie was forever tearing and biting to pieces all the papers that came in its way. One Sunday, after his return from church, the clergyman found his study strewed with pamphlets and torn manuscripts. The magpie had got in through a broken pane in the window, and done the mischief.

On another Sunday it followed its master to church. It refused to return home, but remained quiet enough till the preacher had begun his sermon. The magpie then gravely marched up the centre, bowing on both sides, and repeating "Pretty Mag: pretty Mag!" I am afraid some of the small boys laughed.

One more anecdote will conclude what I have now to tell you about the magpie.

A lady caught her magpie stealing pickled walnuts. In her anger, she threw a bowlful of boiling water over the poor bird, exclaiming, “Oh, you thief! you have been at the pickled walnuts, have you?"

Poor Mag was dreadfully scalded. His feathers came off, leaving his head entirely bare. He lost all his spirits, and for a year did not utter a word. At the end of that time, a gentleman called at the house, who, on taking off his hat, exhibited a very bald head.

The magpie appeared evidently struck with the circumstance. Hopping up on the back of the chair, and examining the bald head, he suddenly exclaimed in the ear of the astonished visitor, “Oh, you thief! you have been at the pickled walnuts, have you?"

QUESTIONS.-1. Describe the magpie. 2. What is the character of the bird? 3. What food does it eat? 4. How does it torment sheep? 5. What sort of hiding-place for its stolen property does the magpie prefer? 6. What kind of articles is the magpie fond of stealing? 7. Tell the stories about the magpie recorded in the lesson.