was very different from that which he commonly exhibited on his mother's return. He commonly ran to meet her in a very joyous mood, and begged her to tell him all about her visit. She now tried to interest him by telling him where she had been, and what she had seen, but in vain. He paid but little attention to what she said, and asked no questions. His mother did not know what to make of his behaviour. She concluded he must feel unwell, and she caused him to go to bed at an early hour. She felt anxious and unhappy, and watched by his bedside for a long time.

Now what was it which rendered the mother and son thus unhappy? It was the fact that John allowed the wicked words of those wicked

boys to make a deep impression on his mind. "He could not help hearing them," perhaps you will say. That is true; but he could have turned his mind away from them. He could have thought of the kindness of his mother, and of his obligations to her, till he had felt indignant at the insult cast upon her, and despised the attempt to ridicule him into doing wrong.

John was sensible of this the next morning when he awoke and thought the matter over, and he resolved to make such amends for his misconduct as he was able. As he arose and dressed himself, and went and kissed his mother, he resolved that he would never allow anything to turn away his mind from the obligation he was under to love and obey her.'

reason of it first,' said John Green, in reply to something which was said to him by one of the neighbours, who, having spoken to him, passed on his way.

The remark made by John was a good one, in itself considered. It is well to know the reasons of things. Young people ought always to desire to know the reasons of things; but their curiosity should be restrained within proper bounds. And they should try to find out the reasons of things themselves, if possible, without asking others

and strengthened in this way much more than by receiving information from others. It is proper to ask others for the reason of a thing when we have tried hard, and failed, to discover it ourselves.

But what do you suppose John's remark, "I must know the reason of it first," had reference to? You could not guess if you were to try all day. It had reference to a command of his father's.

His father was called to a distant part of the country for the transaction of some business connected with the highway, and was detained there for a couple of days. In the

morning of the second day he saw

one of his neighbours passing on his way home, and he requested him to tell John to turn certain cattle into the clover field. The neighbour delivered the message: and it was in relation to it that the logical John said, "I must know the reason of it first." As the neighbour was commissioned only to deliver the order, not to communicate reasons, he passed on without entering into any discus

sion or making any reply to John's remark.

The clover field was in full bloom. John supposed his father intended to mow it. It was nearly ready for the scythe. He thought the order to turn the cattle into it a very strange one. He could not understand the reason of it. So he did not obey it.

"No! why not?"

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"I could not see the reason for turning them in. I thought you were going to mow it, so I did not turn them in."

"Didn't turn them in! I'm astonished! What had your not understanding' the reason to do with the matter? I know my own business. I told you what to do, and your business was to do it. Do you arise in the morning as soon as it is light enough for you to see, to see, and go and turn them in. I shall reckon with you to-morrow for your disobedience."

The next morning John arose as he was directed, and went to the pasture in which the cattle were kept, but they were not there. After searching for them for some time, he found them in a neighbouring wheat field, in which they

"Did Mr. Simmons tell you from me to turn the cattle into the clover field?" said he to John.

"Yes, sir," was John's reply. "I was afraid he would not do it he is so forgetful. You turned them in, I suppose?"

"No, sir."

and they did a great deal more before he got them out. When he at last got them into the clover field, and returned to the house, he found his father ready to reckon with him. John pleaded that he did not mean to disobey; that he should have turned the cattle in if he could have seen the reason for