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, The Greeks and the nations of the Levant now
+ RRR TT ~~ -
Yammer:
Meee.
«that they were’ persecuted, and that.the heathen
* with a piece of chalk figure, out the points that had
30
“I know that Christians had no political power,
and the Jew scorned the idea of attaching any im-
portance to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.”
“Now let us look at the most important dates
briefly. Nations in early times had little inter-
course with one another, and would not adopt the
same date. Each nation would reckon from some
remarkable date in their own history. “Such aa
event would form a starting point, or epoch, as the
Greeks called it, from a Greek word, meaning to
stop. _ The series of years reckoned from an epoch
are called an era. . Now there have been as many
epochs and eras as there have been nations, but
they are of little interést to us. “I will name the
most important—the era of the Olympiad.” | _
“O! the Greeks reckoned by Olympiads,” said Ed-
ward. They had important public games at Olym-
pia, a city in Elis, once in five years.” |
. “True, but the Greeks have ceased ‘reckoning by
Olympiads since 440 years after the birth of Christ.
use the era of Seleucis, or’ Seleucidz, called in our
history. the Alexandrine era, This dates from the
conquest of the immense empire of Syria by Selu-
cus Nicator, twelve years after the death of Alex-
ander the Great. The Jews reckoned by this era,
instead of any in their own history, until the 15th
century of the Christian era; they then substituted
the supposed era of the creation of the world.
The Roman era was another important era. , You
will see the date in’ history A. U. C,, i. e. from the
building of the city.”
“Rome, the mistress of the world,” said Edward.
“Yes, heathen Rome was the city of the world
“from 753 years before Christ until the 6th century
THE YOUTH’S
saw a large number of the pupils watching this
overgrown youth, as though something interestin,
was expected from him. They were disappointe .
He attended to the task assigned him, and behaved
vith the utmost decorum.
When the school was dismissed at noon a num-
ber of persons were at the blacksmith’s shop. As
soon as one of the larger boys came near, one said,
“Has Hugh put the master out ?”
“No,” was the reply, “he has been all the morn-
ing as still as a mouse.’
“What does that mean?”
_“I don’t know. ‘There he comes; you can ask
im.”
and the new master
bre tyegere
im.
~ “Well, Hugh, how do you
draw together?”,.) t
“First rate.” ~ . -
~ “You have not put him out yet 2% ~~ ~~
“No; and nobody is going to put him out, with-
out putting me out first.” .
So saying, he passed on, leaving his auditors as-
y at his words. !
had been a thorn in the side of every
teacher for a number of years. He seemed to go
to school merely to make disorder and annoy the
teacher. He had heard that a boy was to keep the
school, and he had gone to the house with the pur-
pose of putting him out of doors. Why did:he
not execute the plan? +
Te was disarmed by the young teacher's prayer.
His old mother, he said, used to pray in the same
way, and though he was as wicked as Satan, he
would stand by the person that prayed like his
mother, who died long ago.
Hugh was the assistant of the young teacher in
governing the school—taking it upon himself to
chastise, without the teacher’s knowledge, such as
did not give heed to his orders. He also made
good proficiency in his studies—Sunday School
Times. .
—+++__. .
BOTH RHYME AND REASON,’
The following quaint lines convey a capital moral,
: after, when the computation of time by that era] teaching us that there is no sphere or circumstance in
ceased. I will continue the subj
Yersation, Susie, and’ inform you whether you are
keeping the festival of Janus or not.” | ° é
“es so Mrs, P,P.’ Bonney.
Fan OC UUNERE
. HARRY HAYWARD, |, |.
-Here is Harry Hayward, who afterwards became
aleading man in a large banking establishment, | ,
taking his first lessons in arithmetic in the cellar of
an ale house. » Harry's master had some littl
knowledge of fractions, though an illiterate maf i
in
other respects, and when Harry would pester him
with hard “questions. that he himself had pored
over the night before without solving them, the
old gentleman would get down on his knees, and
«
proved too much for the brain‘of his youthful. ap-
prentice, This may be called the pursuit of knowl-
edge under difficulties. Harry had no commercial
college provided for his instruction. He had to
work bis way “onward and upward” under the most
discouraging circumstances. It was not at all times
that his master was obliging enough to answer his
questions. The old man was frequently intoxicat-
ed, and when that was the case, was exceedingly
cross, and would answer the queries of poor Harry
by a box on the ear. Still our young friend was
not. to be deterred by such discouragements as
these; he persevered in his studies till he was out
of his apprenticeship, when through the influence
Hot,
I see ali mankin
ject in my next con- life in which we cannot render each other mutual assist-
ance:
Aman, very lame, was a little to blame
To stray far away from his humble abode;
thirsty, bemired, and heartily tired,
He laid himself down in the road.
While thus he reclined, a man that was blind
‘ame by, and entreated his aid;
“Deprived of my sight, unassisted to-night
I shall not reach my home, I’m afraid.” .
“Intelligence give of the place where you live,” '
Said the eripple—“perhaps I may know it;
In my road it may be, and if you'll carry me
I
t will give me much pleasure to show it.
“Great strength you have got, which, alas! I have not;
In my legs so fatigued every nerve is;
ly pair shall be much at your service.
8 5
For the use of your back, for the eyes that you lack
Said the poor blind man, “What a wonderful plan!
tT;
ray get On my shoulders, good brothe1
d, if they are but inclined, s
May constantly help one another.”
——+»___
_VERMONT STRATEGY,
Joel Swipes, of a hard working, rough-
Private
sinewed regiment of Vermont yolunteers, was a
good shot’and a smart soldier. He found great
satisfaction in picket duty, ; and rarely came in
after a day’s exercise in that branch of military
service without having
ficer of some new work discovered, some circum-
stance i
an advantage over the enemy. :
a report for his superior of-
perceived that might be of use in gaining
= Joel was a long, lank, yellow-haired fellow, not
very soldierly in speech or bearing. He was fright-
‘ully sunburned, and his face, coarse featured and
COMPANION. -
lodging his antagonist; but it was presumable that
he could see the batteries in process of construc-
tion, without exposing himself, for the earth taken
from the pit was piled up on the side toward Joel.
From a thicket at the foot of the hill, however,
a shot could be got lengthwise of the trench, and
behind the trifling breastwork. To gain the thick-
et, then, without being too visible on the barren
slope, was Joel's task. wok
the next day private Swipes took with him a
long piece of stout twine and a revolver when he
went out on picket duty. It was not yet daylight,
but the gray and indistinct light of dawn had be-
un to pale in the east.
~~ The sentinel, as soon as the guard passed along,
ground,
in
wi
hastened to drive a smooth stake in the
and to rest his musket over a fork in a cedar tree
in front of the stake, the muzzle of’ the weapon
pointing in the direction of the pit on the other
slope.
his cord to the trigger, and began stealthily crawl-
ing down the hill on his hands and knees, paying
out the line as he went. ‘
it was a hazardous experiment, for the thicket,
when he
the point that the Confederate sentry, had he sus- n
pected Joel’s presence there, could have hardly
failed to hit him,
ying down, however, the Vermonter then
awaited sunrise; and as the shadows faded away in
the midst of morning, he saw the light gleam upon
a bayonet peering from the trench on the hill-side.
“Now for to make him show his pictur !” said
Joel to himself.
He pulled the string carefully at first till it was e
drawn tight, and then a slight extra tug fired the
musket from the cedars above. He had not calcu-
lated wrongly. As soon as the rifleman in the pit
eard this national salutation from the enemy op-
posite as he supposed, he raised himself up to re-| p)
turn the fire, and brought his head and shoulders
plainly into sight.
demure, suggested good humor and power of en-
durance, more” than courage’ or discipline. But
there was a twinkle about his small grey eyes
which enlivened them, despite their scanty and
characterless white lashes, and impressed the closer
sort of observer with a wholesome respect for his
. 4, |courage and intelligence. His nasal yoice and
- | i/« drawl, his round shoulders and flat build could not
of a friend he obtained a situation as a clerk in a
banking house, and finally through his meritorious
application and fidelity, became one of the leading
partners in the firm, — : . .
mond Ta
. . shake this respect if one kept those clear, cool, far-
| THE FAMILY. :
THE YOUNG SCHOOLMASTER.
Tn a retired district among the mountains of New
York, a young lad, just turned of fourteen, was en-
gaged to keep the school for three months. ° Ie
was an excellent scholar; no doubt was entertained
respecting his ability to teach; the question was,
seeing eyes in sight, and
sied that he had only to behave himself, and keep
on in his own way, to gain a pair of epaulettes some
oel’s comrades prophe-
ie .
He openly declared that manual Iabor on the
earthworks was distasteful to him; and his officers,
knowing his value on
consideration for him
picket duty, evinced enough
to keep him at that service.
The position that he liked best was the slope of
Could he govern the school? ‘This question was | a hill, o posite a similar slope occupied by a senti-
put to him by the trustee who engaged his services. | nel
Tis answer was,
“Tean ‘
comfortable, framed building, though most of the/
welling-houses in the district were log-houses.
The pupils began to come in. They were of all| ai
ages, from six to nineteen. © They took their places
silently, and occupied themselves in
the features of the new “master.” - | :
It was with no little difficulty that he could com-
that school was begun.
caj} the pupils to order. :
He then took his pocket Bible, and standing up,
he read a chapter, and said, “Let us pray.”
asked God’s blessing to rest upon their efforts to| t!
acquire and communicate knowledge. oO
Tie next proceeded to arrange the children in
classes, When this was done t
ent to whom he had not spoken, i
youth, nineteen years of age. He found to his as-
tonishment, that he could scarcely read in the New feller has got tew good a
jest have ter rouse him out,’
Testament. He properly belonged to one of the
lowest classes; but the teacher told him he would
teach him by himself. « —. ’ toe le
As the work of the school went on, the teacher
.
wo . . “| was ge
right morning in the early part of Decem-| lieved
ber he was at his post’ . The school-house was a| more than was well for our side.
gazing upon) noon, heard a sharp report, an
nile
Turning quickly, he
mand self-possession enough to announce the fact! from a Litt
It was not necessary to/ The enemy
hat above it, he took’ a shot in the direction.
pegged a tall sentinel, bareheaded, and returned
ere was one pres-| the fire instantly. He
He was a large trick of putting his hat on a ramro
«
sort
monte!
of the Confederates: ° This last was a high bit
ground, whence one might see a great deal that
oing on about the Federal batteries. Joel be-
that the sentinel there stationed learned
Ile accordingly
harassed and annoyed every one that showed his
head on the hill-side.
They learned their lesson;
nd acted upon it.
Joel, sauntering down his path one fine after-
det the wind of a,
ball that came wonderfully near his head.
er thé smoke floating up
e pile of fresh earth on the hill opposite.
had dug a pit, wherein the sentinel sat
at ease, and exposed his head and arms only when
he fired. Private Swipes hastened with praise-
The} worthy prudence to get‘out of sight among the ce-
pupils all kept their seats (as the exercise was a dars, | t
new one to them), while, with a faltering voice, he| location of his foeman
and watched for some time before fixing the
again, Finally discovering
he fresh earth once more, and imagining he saw a
. Up
been, trying the old
soliloquized Joel. “That
Tl
hat’ll never do,”
berth over yonder,
The other sentinel’s death-warrant was in some
signed from that moment. The crafty Ver-
's brain was at work on the problem of dis-
he next instant he went heels over head into ¢
the trench again, with a bullet from the unerring
Colt straight through the side of his head. g
“There!” said private Swipes, “didn’t he know
-a feller might shoot off a gun without having hold |
of it?”
The Confederate pickets decided thereafter that
this position was too exposed to be profitably oc-
_cupied. . .
a
SORAPS FOR YOUTH.
—_.
KINDNESS TO PARENTS.
We knew once a young man, of fine personal
gifts and fond of society, who devoted the larger/to Edith.
part of his leisure moments to the comfort of an|bi
aged and infirm father. *. His. fondness for. his| cruel. treatment she
lently with those who from thoughtlessness, rather
tient tenderness with which he overlooked . the than “een, were Pursuing a eruel course of wee
father’s petulance and Teproaches were beautiful to| Julia’s secret feelings in
father, and solicitude for his happiness, and the pa-
see. We have always honored him for such filial | right.
piety... The Witness tells a story of similar. kind- / enoug
ness: °
Not long since, as I took my seat in the cars for
a day’s ride, I observed, seated opposite me, an
elderly lady and a middle aged gentleman, who, [
inferred from some casual remark, had been tray-
elling a day or two.” It was a very early hour in
the morning, and the lady apparently was sleeping.
rode in silence for some time, when the lady | lessness.
the gentleman address her as “cannot
His dignified, unobtrusive manner, and
the tender, deferential tone of his voice, at once
: it
drew my attention to them,
1 The slightest movement on her part to
adjust her furs, or cloak, or overshoes, or any change
of Position, called forth his ready assistance, and
the inguiries, “Are you comfortable, mother 2 Do
you feel tired? Lay your head on my shoulder,
and rest yourself.” ” nest . ,
t noon the cars stopped for the passengers to
obtain refreshments. It was snowing foo fast for
the mother to 89 out of the cars, and the ‘son
brought her a cup of coffe ‘
a. :
“Is it just right, mother?” he inqui
tay . quired, as she
, “A little more cream would make it better; it
is, however, ery good as it is,” was her reply.
“Let me get you some more.”
. “No, my son, it will make you too much trouble ;
it is very good as it js.” ie
€ went out and soon returned with the cream,
and poured a little into the coffee, and then a little
more, till it was “just right.” Te then sat down
by her side, and Theard him say, in the same low
ot!
ential to her, will
friend, and will be faithful in all the walks of life,
in her basket.
obliged to do as
done.
why Edith Robbins don’t go-to school.
cause the girls laughed at her for going to the store
fcr rum. She cried, and said she couldn’t help it,
were sorry for her, and some
"| said they would help it, if it were their case.” '
single sentence of remonstrance,
the better feelings of her schoclmates, would have
silenced the taunt and the laugh, and Edith could
have Pipes at: school.
een for a time out of the reach of her erz nt,
and she would have been in pee
herself for the future struggles of life
wrong habit was
uch a love would
thoughtless cruelty.— Sunday School Times.»
will perform acts of Kindness, but in a business
kind of way, or because it is their duty, little
dreaming that they are crushing the maternal spirit
by such cold, heartless act: ,
Acts of kindness, done in the spirit manifested
the incident above mentioned, have an untold in-
fluence. ‘The pathway down to the grave would
be cheered, made even joyful, and old age would
be exempt from much of the gloom that is often
experienced. ‘
‘The reflex influence is also great. A young man
ho is habitually tender of his mother, and defer-
make a good citizen, a ue
THOUGHTLESS CRUELTY.
“Who is that fine, healthy-looking girl that I
have seen pass every day since I have been here?”
a . said Mr. Connel to his brother, whom he was visit-
He then cocked the piece, fastened one end of jn,
“She always has a basket on her arm. Does
she belong to any body I used to know?”
“Yes; you knew John Robbins ?”
“Yes; we used to sit together in the old school-
fazal house, which you have not had the grace to repair.”
ained it, was very sparse, and so near to} It i
“It is used as a sheep-pen now. You saw the
ew stone school-house on the hill?” .
‘
“Yes, but I like the old one better. Is that girl
Robbins’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of a man is he?”
“He is a drunkard.”
“Ab! and the poor girl has, I suspect, a bottle
“Yes; Robbins sends her to the store for rum
very day as sure as the day comes,”
“How does the poor girl like the employment?”
“Not at all. Her mother is dead, and she is
her father says.” ,
“It seems to me some one ought to interfere, and
revent such an abuse of parental authority.”
“It is a hard case, but Paon't know what can be
one The law gives the parent control‘over the
ia... nan
“The law ought to protect the child. Does she
0 to school ?” Lo
“Not at present. She has been going till lately,
he is a good scholar, and a well-behaved girl”
“Father,” said Julia Connel, I know the reason
”
nd some of the girls
“Tt was very cruel to laugn at her—very cruel
= jindeed. I hope my daughter was not one of the
ers,
“Td
1: id not say anything. I felt sorry for her.”
t is
true Julia did not say anything to give pain
It is true that she felt sorry for fers
not make any effort to pat a stop to the
was receiving, went si-
ut she did
‘She wished Edith well. But that was not
She should have acted in her. behalf. A
a single appeal to
She would thus have
the way of preparing
deal of pain caused by thought-
: Some say that it is “in them,” an
help it,” as if, bei
‘There is a gréat
_Was a palliation for continuing. under
Others éxcuse themselves by saying they did
possible consequences of what they
Tf one should set a house on fire, and
he did not think what he was doing
when he gathered the kindling and set fire to it,
be an effective guard against
- tO :
‘Now rr JOIN CHRIST’S ARMY.
My heart thrilled with joy and gratitude the
er evening, as I listened’ to the touching narra-
te ore! ee soldier boy, by one who had soothed
t restlessness. by intelligent sympathy,
his tife,
went from couch to couch,” said the narrator,
in heavy slumber, some mur-
unrest, and some wakeful with
One young face attracted me}
ad only seventeen, who had lost a
leg in battle, and in consequence had suffered am-
Perilous in its location that but one in
tone of voice pst had at first attracted my atten- one. ave ad ver survived, and he was ‘heat
ton, “Iam glad, mother, that I can do any thing] «] im j n
to make you comfortabie’ we no any g asked him if he wanted an ything. i
me” > : sit is such a-pleasure to] « ‘O, no,’ was the reply. yng
“T thank you, my son,” she replie i
spirit and tone of voice as that oF ber ante ame
) Beautiful, thought I, as I quietly watched them,
and saw manifested their mutual love and confi.
dence. My mind went back to the time when this
fon, now in manhood’s strength, was a Kettle help-
less infant, and I pictured that mother watching
over him, caring for him with a solicitude such ag
mothers only can feel. And through all the years
of childhood and youth, up to manhood, the watch-
ful eye was ever over him, the iding hand ever
ready to lead, and a mother’s ove ever ready to
restrain him from doi Now it is’ his
turn, when life’s meridian with her is past, and the
infirmities of age are cree ing on, to re} a
some degree for all the t on him,
and faithfully and affectionately did he seem fatty
ng his duty.
Tow many grown up sons
to feel it beneath-them to show any tenderness for
thew mothers!
chair up to the
‘Where does your mother live ?
Massachusetts
“wh
peat inquiry,
le
there are who seem kept
_ It is feminine, they say, They |aaaee ambul;
oe aimee ce
“T then asked him what he thought about while
8o full of pain that he could not slee;
“0, sity’ said he, ‘I have a letter from home t0-
'Y; from my mother,’ : .
‘Then I knew I could talk to him, so I drew 8
bedside, and seating myself, asked,
,
“ ‘Tn oston, sir, : .
‘Ah,’ said I, “re are friends then; I am @
e boy myself’ ahs
at! are you from Massachusetts?” was the
e face, as a gleam of joy illummated his
up,’ he add
ance, all jostled together, hot
in an
crowded, I kept the other fellows up too.’
}
It is be-'
