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And yet when she has smiled upon persons who have been asleep, it has been followed frequently by very serious consequences." She has been an object even of worship to many nations; and in one fair country of the East, where this was by no means the case, great rejoicings were always shown on her re-appearance after a temporary absence; watchers were stationed on the mountain-tops to catch the first sight of her, and her return was made known to the whole community by the sound of trumpets. In other lands, so great has been the dread of losing her, that when they have imagined her in danger of being devoured by monsters, the inhabitants have assembled in multitudes, and, by wild cries and beatings on unmusical instruments, endeavored to scare the intruder away, and rescue their favorite from impending danger." They did not know, as we do, that they fought but with a shadow."

12

"Dear papa," said Charlie, "please do tell us in what part of the country this blue meadow is?”

"In no country, but over all.”

"What! in the air? how can the sheep get there?"

Light had been gradually breaking in upon the minds of the elder portion of the audience, for some time, and now Charlie's bewildered look entertained them not a little, as his elder brothers and sisters explained to him that it was of the moon and stars their papa had been speaking. "I understand all that papa has said," remarked Alfred, "except about looking at them with your back turned to them; that I must confess, is beyond me."

Mr. Stangrove explained, that in some astronomical instruments, (and he particularized Herschell's large telescope,) it was necessary for the spectator to look at the reflected image of the object under consideration, just as in looking at a camera obscura, you turn your back on the surrounding country, and see merely its reflection on a table before you.

"But, papa," said Frank, “ I surely the beams of the moon do not injure us when we are asleep? I am pretty sure that they have often fallen upon my bed at school; for I was close to the

11. Pictorial Bible, on Ps. cxxi. 6.

12. Numbers x. 10.

13. This practice prevails extensively in India; and is not uncommon in Mexico.

C

window, and used to open the shutters that I might awake early in the morning; and yet I am sure I was never the worse for it.”

Mr. Stangrove explained to him that the property referred to seems peculiar to warmer lands than ours; he told him there are many well authenticated instances of persons suffering for years from the consequences of such imprudence, and that it was a well known fact through the East, that meat or fish is injured by the moon-beams falling on it. "The moon shall not smite thee, by night,” he added. Without a knowledge of the facts of nature, how much of Scripture must continue obscure to us. "Always, my children, embrace every opportunity of making yourselves acquainted with the works of God. His word is full of references to them."

Some of the young people expressing an earnest desire that some means were invented of taking a journey to the moon, their father asked them if they would be contented, supposing they could be taken within twelve hundred miles of that orb ? They all agreed that, though they should like to be still nearer, yet they should consider themselves very fortunate if such a proximity were attainable. He then assured them, that though the actual journey was impracticable, yet, that by the aid of powerful telescopes, astronomers were able to see it in the same point of view, that it would present to a spectator at that distance. Katherine then asked, if land and water could not be distinctly seen on its surface? Her father told her that that was long supposed to be the case, but from a variety of circumstances, which recent astronomical works would explain, it was now considered that water has no existence there. The lights and shades visible on its surface are caused by the shadows of its stupendous mountains, which far exceed in elevation those on our planet. Indeed, every thing that is ascertained respecting it proclaims an entirely different order of things from what prevails with us. There is no atmosphere, nor any appearance that indicates moisture. The scenery must be of a most awful description. It abounds in circles of almost perpendicular mountains, surrounding not merely large plains, but deep profundities in the body of the planet itself, while in the middle of this abyss, a solitary mountain is frequently observed to rear its precipitous form. Supposing these valleys inhabited, the capabilities of the

dwellers in them must be very different from those of mortals; for no human foot could scale those mountain sides, or enable its possessor to emerge from the valley of his birth. There he must remain as completely isolated from the rest of his own planet as from other worlds. But the absence of water, if already established, is of itself a sufficient proof that every thing must be different there. It seems strange to us, but could fish think, it would be yet more astonishing to them, that living creatures could exist out of water, than it is to us that organized beings should subsist altogether without it. Diversity is visible in all the works of God, and, for aught we know, our planet may form the exception to the general modes of life throughout creation, instead of being as we are too apt to fancy it, a kind of model-world.

"How much joy the discovery of the telescope must have given," said Jane,-" people must have felt such an anxious desire to know more than could be seen by the naked eye."

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"And yet when Galileo published an account of his discoveries, in a work called 'News from the Starry Regions,' his announcements were met by expressions of scorn and ridicule. Some of the philosophers of the day positively refused to look through his telescope lest their prejudices should be shaken; and one of them wrote to Kepler, I will never concede his four new planets (the satellites of Jupiter) to that Italian from Padua, though I should die for it!' Another wrote, that the number of the planets was necessarily seven; that the Jews, as well as other nations, adopted the division of the week into seven days, which are named after the seven planets, so that if we increase the number of the planets, the whole system falls to the ground. Besides said he, the satellites are invisible to the naked eye, and therefore, can exert no influence on the earth; and therefore, would be useless, and therefore, do not exist!' There's a climax for you, Alfred!"

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"And now suppose we step behind the curtains, and look at these wonders for ourselves."

It was a splendid evening, and as they gazed on the sky sparkling with gems, the season naturally suggested the recollection of that star which guided the wise men of old to the lowly manger where the True Light of the world was laid:" and little

14, See Collect for the Epiphany.

Charlie wondered much whether our earth had ever been "sent

on a message."

And we, too, said Mr. Stangrove, are commanded to be "lights in the world." We too have our orbits. Oh! that we pursued our course as steadily, as silently, as punctually, as the heavenly luminaries, not with an intermittent, fluctuating light, but with a brightness shining more and more unto the perfect day. The Christian must seek not only to shine on great occasions, and when surrounded by other lights, but when all is darkness around him he must strive to reflect the light he receives from the Fountain of Light, in a way which all can understand. He must endeavor, as I once heard it well expressed, to outshine the worldling in his own sphere. Much, very much, the heavens teach us of the glory of God; but how seldom do we think of all the wonders, and the duties also, which they are calculated to impress upon us! As one of my old friends in the library says,— "We burn our Master's candles, but leave our master's work undone.” Another year has just commenced its course; and before its close who knows but some of us may be inhabitants of that city where they need neither sun nor moon? My New Year's Wish for you, each and all, dear children, is that you may so live, and so die, that you may inherit the promises, and "shine as the stars for ever and ever." L. N.

THE TABLES TURNED.

MR. MARTIN MADAN, a lawyer in extensive practice, in the early days of Wesley, was persuaded to hear him preach, that he might be able to mimic him, in matter and manner. He went; and just as he entered the place, Mr. Wesley named, as his text, those solemn words, "Prepare to meet thy God!"

He returned to his friends, and was asked " if he had taken off the old methodist?" "No, gentlemen," said he, solemnly, "but he has taken me off." From that time he withdrew from his worldly companions, and associated with others of a different stamp. What he afterwards became as founder and first chaplain of the Lock Hospital, as an acceptable writer, and a fearless preacher of the gospel, is too well known, to need repetition in these pages.

PRECEPTIVE BIOGRAPHIES.-LUTHER. *

WHAT man has done, man may do. We hold this to be an indisputable truth; and we therefore think that a series of biographies carefully written with special reference to the preceptive and practical lessons they involve, would form a very desirable addition, to the many admirable and ingenious methods of instructing youth which are now in use. We are indeed warranted from the important place which this class of writing occupies in Holy Writ, in supposing it to be "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness," as well as the more didactic portions of Scripture. When we contemplate the history of an individual remarkable for any of those great and ennobling features, which impart true excellence to the human character, we should never forget that these things are our examples, expressly intended to work in us the same ends, and lead out our minds in the same direction.

If, for example, we notice a patient waiting upon Providence, a quick susceptibility to the calls of grace, a simplicity and oneness of means and object, or a careful schooling of the spirit to endure hardness, we should remember that as all minds have the same general character; the same principles and practices will produce the like results in us.

As by studying the character of our Great Example we are encouraged to believe that we shall grow more like him, so is it with respect to those infinitely inferior models exhibited to us in the great and good of our own species. We therefore propose, from time to time, to present our young readers with a variety of short practical memoirs, commencing with an individual whose character, though it belongs to all time, has led us into some reflections peculiarly suitable to our own age and country.

MARTIN LUTHER, "the solitary monk who shook the world," was born in 1483, at Eisleben, in Saxony. On the following day he was baptized by the name of Martin, in honor of the saint on whose festival he was born. He was sent to school at Magdeburg, where he obtained his support, like many other

We cheerfully confess to have chiefly followed in this sketch, an interesting Life of Luther, by the author of Christian Missions,' published a few years since.

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