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“God grant it may be as you say,” Dr.
Gordon ejaculated. “And most sincerely
do I thank you, captain, and others of
your vessel, for these humane efforts, al
| though they did not accomplish all that
you wished.”
“I have another fact to relate, which
may have some bearing on the case,” re
sumed the captain, “This morning, soon
after daylight, a canoe passed us about
two miles to the eastward, just inside a
reef or shoal that extends from this island
to the key below. It was going south,
and seemed to contain a light colored In
dian and a negro.”
“These were Riley, the owner of this
island, and one of my servants, going in
search of my children,” Dr. Gordon res
ponded.
By this time the purser came forward
with letters and despatches for the two
gentlemen, and for some of the boat’s
crew whose names had been mentioned.
After opening and glancing at a few of
the dispatches, Major Burke turned grave
ly to the Doctor and said—
“l am sorry to inform you, my friend,
that the orders just received require my
immediate return to Fort Brooke. This,
however, need not interfere with your
expedition, for you are welcome to the
barge and to the use of the men so long
as they are necessary for your purpose.
I am only sorry that 1 am denied the
pleasure of accompanying you in person.”
Dr. Gordon expressed the greatest ob
ligation for these kind intentions, and a
regret for the loss of his friend’s compa
ny ; still he said he had no doubt that in
so plain a work as simply exploring the
coast, he and the crew were perfectly
competent to all that was necessary.
SERVED HIM RIGHT.
QUARREL had taken
place between a couple of
school boys. It is a pity
J*l that quarrels ever hap
pen. How can they be
helped? Very easily. It takes
wo 1° Q. If one °f the two
refuse to quarrel, no quarrel will
E 7 occur. What a world of misery
and of sin would be avoided if quar
relling should come to an end ?
It may be said, persons quarrel because
they are angry, and persons cannot help
getting angry. This is not so. Persons
can help getting angry. Painstaking and
prayer will enable any one to keep his
temper.
A quarrel, as I said, had taken place
between two school boys. They had
come to blows, but were separated by the
village blacksmith, who told them if they
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
attempted to fight again he would flog
them both “within an inch of their lives.”
They knew him too well to disregard his
threats.
“I’ll pay you out some day,” said John
to his antagonist, shaking his fist at him
as they parted.
“ I am not afraid of it,” said Ben.
John and Ben lived near each other.
They both were accustomed to go through
a field on their way to the village, as it
was nearer than to go round the road.
John saw Ben going to the village just
before dark. He waited till it was dark,
and then went and drew a cord tight
across the path, about a foot from the
ground. He fastened it at each end to a
couple of saplings that grew near the
path. He thought Ben would not see the
cord, but would run against it and be
thrown down.
Ho then returned home and sat down,
dwelling in imagination upon the scene
that would occur when Ben should come
home from the village and be thrown
down by the cord.
Suddenly he heard a loud uproar. He
rose and went to the door. A bright light
shot up from the village.
“ There is a house on fire,” said lie.
“ Where is my cap ?”
He seized his cap and rushed towards
the village, taking the footpath. The
cry of “ Fire !” hastened his steps. Sud
denly he found himself stretched at length
on the ground, as if trying to plough up
the surface with his face. He had forgot
ten the cord which he had stretched for
Ben. He had run against it, and had
been thrown down with great violence.
You will say that he was served right.
He who attempts to injure others deserves
to suffer himself the injury he would in
flict.
Wo never injure others without inju
ring ourselves, though we may not always
do ourselves a bodily injury. We cannot
injure others without sinning, and sin al
ways injures the soul.
We were made to do good to others.
We can be happy in no other way. The
selfish are not happy. He who labors
most to promote the happiness of others
will secure the greatest amount of happi
ness for himself. If you wish to be hap
py, seek to make others happy.
William,” said a teacher to one of
his pupils, “ can you tell me what makes
the sun rise in the east ?” “ Don’t know,
sir,” replied William, “’cent it be that the
east makes everything rise.”
♦♦♦
Never despise trifles : the want of
a pin has sometimes caused an agony of
shame.
THE MOTTO.
BY JOHN G. SAXE.
Give me a motto!” said a youth
To one whom years had rendered wise,
Some pleasant thought, or weighty truth,
that briefest syllables comprise;
Some word of warning or of cheer
To grave upon my signet here.
“And reverend father,” said the boy,
“ Since life, they say, is ever made
A mingled web of grief and joy;
Since cares may come and pleasures fade
Pray, let the motto have a range
Os meaning matching every change.”
“ Sooth 1” said the sire, “ melhinks you ask
A labor something over nice,
That well a finer brain might task —
What think you, lad, of this device! *
(Older than I —though I am gray,)
’Tis simple— ‘ This will pass away !’
“ When wafted on by Fortune’s breeze,
In endless peace thou seem'st to glide,
Prepare betimes for rougher seas,
And check the boast of foolish pride !
Though smiling joy is thine to-day.
Remember, —‘ This will pass away !’
“ When all the sky is draped in black,
And, beaten by tempestuous gales,
Thy shuddering ship seems all a wreck,
Then trim again thy tattered sails ;
To grim Despair be not a prey ;
Rethink thee —‘ This will pass away !’
" Thus, 0 my son, be not o’er proud,
Nor yet cast down; judge though aright;
When skies are clear expect the cloud ;
In darkness wait the coming light;
Whatever be the facts to-day,
Remember —‘ This will pass away !’ ”
+*»
little boy, seeing a man prostrate
before the door of a groggery, opened
the door and said to the proprietor: “See
here, sir, your sign has fallen down.”
: Pa, I know why that old-fashion
ed pistol of your’n, that grandpa fit with
in the Revolution, is called a horse-pistol.”
“Why, my son ?” “ Because it kicks so.”
®sspWhat bird is that which it is abso
lutely necessary that we should have at
our dinner, and yet need neither be cook
ed nor served up ? A swallow.
Odd Arithmetic. —Why are twice ele
ven like twice ten ? Because twice eleven
are twenty-two, and twice ten are twenty
too.
fikg & They have a cat at Beaver Dam,
Wis., whose intelligence seems to be won
derful. A little child there recently, fell
down stairs, and was rendered senseless
by the fall. The family cat alone saw the
accident, and immediately ran to another
part of the house, where the child’s mo
ther was at work, and miawed so vigor
ously, at the same time running back and
forth from the room to the stairway, as
to attract the woman's attention, Going
to see what was the matter, she found her
little one lying senseless at the foot of the
stairs.
&2TWe do not get forward ourselves by
keeping others back.
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