as I said, to dance round the May-pole, to the latter end of the month. In May, June, July, and August, the insects are without number.

What time amid the glowing west
The beamy sun retires to rest,
Hovering around the rushy stream,
Unnumber'd bright-wing'd insects gleam:
Myriads of gnats the gazer sees,

Moths, beauteous butterflies, and bees;
With Harry Longlegs, beetles bold,

And dragon-flies of green and gold."

"I wonder how you can remember so much about the country."

"What we loved when young, and have in our hearts, Maurice, we are not likely to forget. In the country we see more of God's works than in the city; we feel his presence more, and proofs of his goodness are always before our eyes. How sweet it is, with the love of God in our hearts, to walk abroad when the sun shines, and the trees are clad with their fresh green leaves! to tread the soft green turf; to breathe the balmy air; to drink in the song of birds; and to look around, and see nothing but brightness, and happiness, and useful labour !"

"Oh, delightful! I am for the country, Michael; and, if I can, I will be there next May, and then I shall know all these things for myself."

"Wherever you are, try to believe that it is best for you to be there. God can bless us in the city as well as in the country; he can put sunshine in our hearts in the darkest seasons, and deck our path with flowers. Let us, then, resolve To love and praise him more than all, In summer, winter, spring, and fall.

To submit to his holy will is the best way to avoid evil; and to love him is the surest way to enjoy his glorious creation."

"I THOUGHT that I should be in the garden before you this morning," said Maurice, as he joined old Michael, who was busy with his rake; "but I see, by the work you have done, that you have been here a long while. What a fine morning it is! the sun is shining, the lark is singing, and the air is as sweet as new-made hay can make it."

"It is a lovely morning, sure enough," replied Michael; “and, as you say, the lark is singing, though he does not know who it is that has provided him with wings, and given him a voice of music. It would be worth while to be up early, if it were only to hear him sing. It often comes into my mind, when he is warbling above me, that God calls him up in the skies, that man may follow him with his eyes and his heart, and join him in his morning song to his almighty Maker."

“Well, that is a pretty thought."

“At any rate, we cannot do better than lift up our hearts, while he is lifting up his melodious voice, to the Father of mercies, in praise for past and present blessings, and in prayer for future mercies. What a sweet morning prayer is that, 'O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, defend us in the same with thy mighty power, and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord!' While praying and praising, let us look round us at this season. June is a glorious month, for the trees and the flowers are in perfection, and living creatures are more abundant than ever."

Ay, tell me about the flowers and the animals and the birds."

"Though in May the orchards are in flower, many of them remain in full bloom at the beginning of June. An apple orchard is a sight enough to make a man long to live in the country; and a pear orchard is very little behind it; for if the blossom has not the glowing beauty of that of the apple, the trees are much more graceful.”

"I have seen apple trees and pear trees in blossom many a time, but I never saw a large orchard in blossom yet."

"The trees with their fresh green foliage, and the shrubs of a hundred kinds, look very lovely in June; the heath plants are in all their glory; and the honeysuckle, the hawthorn, the evergreens, with their new shoots, the acacia, with its elegant foliage and white tassel blossoms, the hip, or wild rose, the gum-cistus, and the white briony, with an endless train of other plants, diversify the scene."

"There are plenty of flowers in the fields, and in the garden, too, in June."

66 There are; I told you of some of the field flowers that were blooming in May, and now you may add to them the sow-thistle, mallow, foxglove, woodbine, clover, pea, bean, none-so-pretty, pimpernel, meadow-sweet, agrimony, spiked speedwell, red centuary, white orchis, cornpoppy, water-dropwort,

H