the temptation to conceal your faults by falsehood, study to commit as few faults as you can. Be attentive to your lessons and to your work. Avoid mischievous tricks and disorderly behaviour; and be careful to obey your parents and your masters. If your companions be bad and unprincipled, they will perhaps desire you to conceal their faults by telling lies; and if you do not, they will reproach you, and call you tell-tales. It is to be sure very ill-natured and very mean, to be always on the watch to discover faults, and, when they åre discovered, to be eager to let them be known; but when a question about the behaviour of others is put to you, you should either be silent, or tell the plain and simple truth. In short, whatever be the circumstances that might tempt you to falsify, never yield to them. Falsehood is the mark of a mean and despicable spirit. If it should sometimes screen you from an inconvenience, and sometimes bring you a little gain, that would be an advantage not worth having; and you would not possess even that advantage long. Persons who tell lies cannot fail to have their falsehood detected, and then nobody will believe them or trust them. Falsehood, besides, is the source of many other vices; it renders the character altogether hollow and heartless; and would at last sink you down in worthlessness and contempt. Consider, on the other hand, the advantages of truth. What think you of the satisfaction of your own minds? Will it not be very pleasant for you to reflect, that you have not descended to so mean a thing as falsehood? Is it not pleasant also to gain the esteem of others? And what is more estimable than truth? What can we say more honourable of any boy or girl, of any man or woman, than when we say, "This is one who may be trusted in every thing, and who scorns to deceive?" You are young, and perhaps you do not yet know the comforts and advantages of a good character; but believe me, if, by the blessing of God, the foundation be now laid of an upright and sincere character through life, you will all your days have cause to rejoice that you were early taught to scorn a lie, and to love the truth. Above all, remember what is said respecting falsehood in the word of God. You are told in the book of Proverbs, that "lying lips are M an abomination to the Lord:" and in the book of Revelation, that "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie," cannot enter into heaven. Lay to heart, my young friends, these impressive declarations, and never forget, that unless you love truth, and hate every false way, you cannot please God, nor be received into his glorious kingdom. Hardie's Collection. 26.-Trust in Providence. REGARD the world with cautious eye, friend. The hand which form'd thee in the womb Beyond the bound'ries of the skies. Of Heaven ask virtue, wisdom, health, And a calm conscience crowns the whole 27.-Asia. Cotton. Del'uge, flood; im-port'ant, momentous; re-cord'ed, registered; tor'rid, burning; Be'lur-tag, a chain of mountains; mosques (mosks), Mahometan temples; Med-i-terra'ne-an, sea between Europe and Africa; Hin-dos'tan, a country of Asia; pa-go'das, Indian idols. It ASIA was long regarded as the largest of the four great divisions of the globe, but America is unquestionably larger. Asia, however, has the greatest number of inhabitants. was in this quarter of the world that our first parents were created, and the human race preserved after the deluge; here the most important events recorded in Scripture took place; and here the Saviour died to redeem mankind. Asia and its islands extend from the Equator and the Torrid Zone on the south, beyond the Polar Circle on the north, each portion partaking of the peculiar character of its The northern and middle portions of Asia, like those of America, are generally colder than the countries of Europe in the same latitude. The tea-plant and some of the finest zone. perfumes and spices, including the nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove, are productions of Asia which are not found, or very sparingly, in any other part of the world. Asia abounds in the precious metals and gems, and was for a long time the only place where diamonds and pearls were obtained. The people in the west of this great division of the globe are of a light complexion, and belong to the European race; but those east of the Belurtag and the Ganges are yellow or brown, and belong to the Tartar or Malay races. The sciences are little understood by them; but in the half civilized countries, there are schools and seminaries to give the knowledge of writing and arithmetic, and of their laws and religion, to certain classes of the people. The languages of Asia are far more numerous than those of Europe; and many books of religion, laws, history, and poetry, are found written in them. The great mass of the Asiatics are in the most degraded state of ignorance, and are cruelly oppressed by despotic priests, nobles, and emperors. They generally practise fraud, robbery, and the worst of crimes, without shame; and often make vice a part of religious worship. Asia abounds with large cities, but they are much inferior in their appearance to those of Europe. The buildings are generally mean, and crowded with inhabitants. The streets are extremely narrow, irregular, and filthy, and are generally unpaved. In Western Asia the houses of the rich are usually of stone or of brick, which are sometimes only sun dried. They are generally built around a court or space in the centre, from which they receive most of their light and air, and which is frequently adorned with gardens and fountains. The houses are often magnificent within; but they have few or no windows towards the street. They present to the traveller only a dismal succession of high walls with here and there a lattice, and seem like a range of prisons. The roofs are usually flat, so that the inhabitants can pass from one house to another without descending into the street. They frequently sleep on the house top, in the hot season. The houses of the poor are usually low and mean, built of mud, or a mixture of small stones and mortar. Instead of churches, the Mahometan cities are adorned with mosques, which are often very splendid. At the side of each mosque, are minarets, or lofty circular towers, with a gallery near the top, from which a crier calls to the people at the hours of prayer. The cities of Turkey, as well as those of Africa, on the Mediterranean, are frequently visited by the plague, which destroys vast numbers of the inhabitants. The cities of Eastern Asia, except a few in Hindostan, are poorly built, and are much inferior to those of Western Asia. They are generally low thatched huts, formed of mud or of bamboo. Even the palace of the Emperor of China is only a collection of mean cottages, richly gilded, and hung with splendid curtains and other ornaments. These cities are built of such slight materials, that they are frequently destroyed by fire, but are easily rebuilt. The temples and pagodas are generally the only buildings which have any beauty, and these are often splendidly adorned with gold and gilding, especially in China and Burmah. Most of the cities of Asia are surrounded with walls, usually of mud or sun-dried bricks. Many of them are partially in ruins, or surrounded with the ruins of ancient cities. Woodbridge's Geography. 28.—Tin. Pen-in'su-la, land almost surrounded by water pene Im-pres'sion, stamp insula do-mes'tic, belonging sub'se-quent-ly, afterwards sequor to a house quad-ran'gu-lar, square quatuor com-plete'ly, perfectly premo domus pleo mergo Dis'si-pat-ing, dispersing; e-con'o-my, management; pen'e-trates. pierces; at-tained', gained; cor-ro'ded, eaten away by degrees; par'ti-cles, little parts; ver'di-gris, rust of copper. TIN is a white metal, somewhat like silver in appearance, but it is considerably lighter, and makes a crackling noise when bent. It is very soft and ductile, has but little elasticity, and is about seven times as heavy as water. The |