A TEMPLE.

1. The perfect world by Adam trod
Was the first temple-built by God-
His fiat laid the corner-stone,

And heaved its pillars, one by one.

2. He hung its starry roof on high--
The broad illimitable sky;

He spread its pavement, green and bright,
And curtain'd it with morning light.

3. The mountains in their places stood―
The sea--the sky--and "all was good;"
And, when its first pure praises rang,
The "morning stars together sang."
4. Lord! 'tis not ours to make the sea
And earth and sky a house for thee;
But in thy sight our offering stands--
An humbler temple, "made with hands."

-Willis.

fiat (let it be done), expression of illimitable, boundless.

His will.

heave, to raise up.

pavement, a paved or levelled floor.

A RACE FOR LIFE WITH A TIDE IN THE BAY

OF FUNDY.

1. The long winter passed. March blew down warm gales that thawed the ice; the snow melted away; in April the bare willow boughs reddened like flames; spring came early across the fields. It was "Good Friday." After church Miss Yuler walked on an errand to the village beyond, and the day being balmy took her way along the shore.

2. Miss Yuler had seldom followed this path, and, on this occasion, except to watch the picturesque tides of the Bay of Fundy, she had no fancy for looking over its stretches of colour' and foam. The tide was out; she walked rapidly, reached the village, and performed her errand.

3. It was about two hours past noon when Van Voorst came down stairs. Looking into the drawing-room where his grandmother was sitting, he exclaimed: "Where is Miss Yuler? Has she got home?" "Not that I know of," was the reply. "Why, what is the matter?" "What time does the tide full?"-"About four." "It wants a quarter. She'll be overtaken!"

And he dashed out to the stable. Madam Van Voorst

followed quickly. "What are you about?" she cried, as he flung the saddle on Fautour "You are not going to cross the sands now? Van! Van! you will be drowned." 4. He flung her off, sprang to the saddle, and was away like the wind. As is very well known, it is impossible for anyone to cross the head of the bay when the roar of the distant tide has once been heard: the rushing tide overtakes the adventurous runner, and the fleetest horse cannot escape its speed. As Van's Fautour leaped down. the rocks to the sand and began a hard gallop along the edge, a whisper like the rustle of wind in the pine-tops shivered through the air. Van's eyes grew fiercer: he pressed the spurs into the horse's sides and flew forward.

5. The whisper crep: hoarsely on his ear; it became voluminous; it gathered and swept its swift sighs and swelled and broke into a low roar. Still Van bounded on; he stood in the stirrup and strained his sight along the shore; the wind of the advancing tide blew in his uncovered hair. Suddenly, at a third of the distance across, Fautour stood still. Miss Yuler was standing

quietly before him on the beach, her bonnet in her hand. She appeared to have been running, but must now have been motionless for several minutes. She had found it useless to make any further effort, and had abandoned the idea of life. On her face shone the awful pallor of those who confront death and await his approach.

6. She saw Van; the colour rushed up again into her cheek and lip. He gave his foot for a step without a word, seized her hands, lifted her before him, turned the horse about with a savage rapidity, and flew back. Neither spoke. It was now a race for life. On, spear's length by spear's length, bounded the horse; on, rushing and seething, chased the tide. Its chill breath stole across them; its damp swathed of mist curled over their heads. and crags seemed awaiting its narrow line of low waves crept on, peering into the bay, and tossing their snowy crests like troops of wild horses.

them; white wreaths On the right the banks flood. On the left a

7. Fautour felt the danger and did not need the spur: with his double burden he doubled his strides. On they raced. The dull and muffled tone of the sea broke full and sonorous. The separate hiss and splash became distinct. Scenting their prey the waves came leaping in, three feet at a time, receding and foaming, and eddying up again. Off from the trembling sand to the rocks. sprang Fautour Up he clambered from steep to steep. One moment more, and they must have perished. The tide was full.

Bay of Fundy, between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in North America. The tide here rises to a height of sixty feet.

errand, a message.

fleet, swift.

pallor, paleness.

peer, to look narrowly.

seethe, to boil.

sonorous, loud-sounding. swathe, to bind with a band. voluminous, manifold.

TRAVELLING TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO.1

1. There were no railways, except a few made of timber, on which coals were carried from the mouths of the pits in Northumberland to the banks of the Tyne. There was very little internal communication by water. A few attempts had been made to deepen the natural streams, but with slender success. Hardly a single navigable canal had been even thought of. It was by the highways that both travellers and goods generally passed from place to place; and those highways appear to have been far worse than might have been expected from the degree of wealth and civilisation which the nation had even then attained.

2. On the best lines of communication the ruts were deep, the descents precipitous, and the way often such as it was hardly possible to distinguish, in the dusk, from the unenclosed heath and fen which lay on both sides. It was only in fine weather that the whole breadth of the road was available for wheeled vehicles. Often the mud lay deep on the right and the left; and only a narrow track of firm ground rose above the quagmire. It happened, almost every day, that coaches stuck fast, until a team of cattle could be procured from some neighbouring farm, to tug them out of the slough.

3. On the best highways heavy articles were generally conveyed from place to place by waggons. In the straw of these vehicles nestled a crowd of passengers, who could not afford to travel by coach or on horseback, and who were prevented by infirmity, or by the weight of their luggage, from going on foot. On byroads, and generally throughout the country north of York and west of Exeter, goods were carried by long trains of packhorses.

From Macaulay's History of England, by permission of Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co.

These strong and patient beasts were attended by a class of men who seem to have borne much resemblance to the Spanish muleteers.

4. A traveller of humble condition often found it convenient to perform a journey mounted on a packsaddle

between two baskets, under the care of these hardy guides. The expense of this mode of conveyance was small. But the caravans moved at a foot's pace; and in winter the cold was often insupportable. The rich commonly travelled in their own carriages, with at least four horses. Not unfrequently six were used, because with a smaller number there was great danger of sticking fast in the mire. Nor were even six horses always sufficient. On one occasion, when a country gentleman was on his way to London, all the exertions of six beasts, two of