The English plants, which belong to this family, are in appearance of a humbler description. The flowers are small, white or yellow. The divisions of the delicate corolla form a cross, and alternate with four minute stamens. The leaves are narrow, and placed in whorls about the joints of the stem, like the spokes of a wheel. The most common example is the cleavers or clivers, found on every ditch-bank throughout the summer. It is often employed in medicine by the London practitioners, who send messengers to collect it in the fields. It has obtained the name of cleavers, from its propensity to lay hold on the skin or clothes, by means of the little hooked points with which its external surface is overspread. There are twelve other species belonging to this genus, which may all be known by the whorl of narrow leaves at the Joints, which vary in number according to the species, and the little cross-shaped blossom. Among them is the yellow bedstraw, (galium verum,) known by its profusion of yellow flowers, and its narrow thread-like leaves. In fact, the shape of the flower and the position of the leaves will always point them out to the collector. The following is a representation of the asperula odorata, or

growing in the open glades and grassy pathways of our woods and copses. The leaves are placed like eight radiating spokes round each joint of the stem. The flowers are small, and arranged in straggling clusters. An agreeable perfume is breathed from the whole plant.

We shall subjoin a short list of examples of such as occur most frequently. They may be known from members of any other family in this country by the position in which the leaves grow; and, as we have before stated, the cross-shaped flower. A spontaneous effort to make ourselves familiar with the particular forms and differences of this group of obvious but interesting plants, would often dispel the vapours, and drive unprofitable thoughts and anxieties from the mind. Experience teaches us,that there is nothing so wholesome for a jaded understanding as a change of employment; and, independent of the intellectual gain, it is generally far more refreshing than any merely idle amusement that can be devised to entertain it.

Galium aparine, cleavers or clivers.Stem, leaves, and seeds adhere to the clothes when the plant is touched.

Galium cruciatum, yellow-crossed wort. -Flowers golden-yellow, leaves and stem rough. Leaves in fours.

Galium saxatile. - Remarkable for its weak, straggling, and its numerous milkwhite flowers; on heaths.

Sherardia arvensis, little field madder.--Minute blue and purple flowers; found amongst springing corn.

Rubia tinctorum.-Flowers yellow and berries black; in the south of England.

ONE monday morning, as I had just poured out my aunt's second cup of coffee, a note was brought to me from Mrs. Selwin, entreating my assistance to purchase a mangle for a poor woman, whose husband had lately died of the cholera, and who was left with five little children. I closed the note with feelings of sorrowful regret; for my quarterly allowance was reduced to two sovereigns, and with them I was going that morning to buy my winter dress. Without speaking, I gave the note to my aunt; who, after she had perused it, gave me ten shillings.

"How sorry I am, aunt, that I cannot give ten more!"

"I have it not in my power to give any thing, aunt."

I then explained the state of my finances. She made no remark, while the servant removed the breakfast things. As usual, I then placed the work-table before her, and was preparing to answer Mrs. Selwin's note, when my aunt, suddenly laying down the scissors, (with which she was cutting out the sleeve of a baby's frock for the Friendly Society basket,) said, "Ellen, I have just thought of a way in which you can help this poor widow." I turned from my desk in joyful surprise, "What is it, aunt ?" "How many yards of silk will you require for your dress, Ellen?"

"Thirteen but what has that to do with the mangle, aunt?"

"Thirteen! that is a vast quantity for a slight figure such as yours."

"I can't possibly do with less, aunt." "How much was necessary two years ago?"

"About nine or ten would have been sufficient then."

"Well, Ellen, instead of buying thirteen yards, make ten do: and calculating it at three shillings and sixpence per yard, you will have ten shillings to give for the mangle."

"Dear aunt, indeed ten will never do."

Why, aunt, I should be quite a fright: I should be ashamed to show my face."

"No one thought you a fright three years ago, Ellen; and we need not be ashamed of anything but sin."

"But, my dear aunt, you seem to forget that the fashion is so entirely changed." "Fashion, Ellen! What has a christian woman to do with fashion?"

"You would not surely, aunt, wish me to be so particular, so singular in my appearance; so very unlike the rest of the world?"

"The world what have you to do with the world? Does not the Bible say, 'They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,' John xvii. 14: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof;

but he that doeth the will of God, abideth for ever,' 1 John ii.15-17:-' Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,' Rom. xii. 2. In 1 Tim. ii. 9, there is this command, 'That women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety;' mark the expression, Ellen,-'not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array. Note, again, child, the word costly, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.' And you ought not to shrink at the thought of being particular, when you read in scripture, that the Lord's people are to be a peculiar people; very peculiar. Listen, Ellen. Again she read, For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself," Deut. xx. 14. Again, Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.' Tit. ii. 14. Again, in 1 Peter, ii. 9, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.' Ellen, our religion is but a name, unless it has a transforming power, a practical influence on our habits, our tastes, our tempers, our desires; it is only a form unless body, soul, and spirit are brought into obedience to the gospel of Christ."

But

"I think, aunt, you are too strict; you require too much."

My child, it is not what I require, it is what God, your Saviour, requires.' Again she opened the sacred volume: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,'" Matt. xvi. 24.

"But, aunt, this is a thing of so little importance; such a trifle !"

"The more easy for you to perform : were you, like many of the primitive christians, obliged to change your soft attire, and to be clothed in sheep-skins and goatskins, there would be stronger cause for reluctance."

"Well, aunt, I will consult with the dress-maker, and ask her if she cannot contrive to

"Ask your own heart, consult the word of God, child. Dare you be unfaithful to your duty, wound your conscience, and deprive yourself of the holy joy of relieving a poor fellow-creature-nay, more, a disciple of Christ-for the paltry, the despi

cable consideration of having a few more gathers in your sleeve, or a few more folds in your petticoat?"

"Hush! hush! dear aunt, say no more, I entreat; you have conquered."

“ No, Ellen, not I; but if the grace of God has triumphed over worldly lusts and vanity, give the glory to Him to whom alone all praise is due." And as she spake she pressed her faded lips upon my glowing cheek, and tenderly folded me to her aged bosom.

(To be concluded in our next.)

HINTS TO TRAVELLERS.

How may a professing christian best defend himself against the danger of evil company ?

The writer of the following remarks has to regret not having always acted upon the principles he recommends, yet, when he has done it, he has uniformly found them availing.

1. Look to God in secret prayer. Pray to be kept from the contagion of the company that you are in. Beg that you may have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; but rather reprove them." By fellowship, the apostle means friendly and cordial intercourse and pleasure. We are cautioned against “ foolish talking, filthiness, and jesting ;" and, "if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Now, prayer will enable us to act agreeably to these exhortations. Prayer is our best weapon; and can be successfully used when our companions are not aware of it.

2. Never be ashamed of your profession. You are not ashamed of telling what your secular profession or trade may be; then, why be ashamed to say that you profess christianity? If others see you sneak, as they call it, and that you wish to conceal your real character, it will only make them the more impudent and wicked. How often have christians, in some companies, permitted a succession of indecent songs, toasts, and volleys of oaths, merely because they wanted a little timely courage in checking them at first! The righteous should ? as bold as a lion !

3. Imitate the frankness and zeal of the wicked. As soon as some men get into a coach, or arrive at an inn, they almost immediately display their colours, and avow themselves the servants of sin; they are

|

impatient till they have opened their character; they give awful evidence that they are children of darkness. Why then should we be ashamed of being known as the children of light? Their consciences tell them that ours is the most honourable character; and yet we are afraid of receiving the honour they are obliged to give us. We may assert our characters, by politely checking the first improper remark, or reproving the first swearer we hear. If we were to begin singing hymns, or talking directly on religion, when we entered into company, how many a reproof, and oath too, should we have for our pains! and yet we let sinners play their parts with impunity! Whole companies have been silenced by a well-timed reproof. If a rebuke loses its effect, which is seldom the case, have the manliness to quit the company as soon as convenient; and the sooner the better, for this will put a keener edge upon your reproof than staying among them.

At

Lastly. Be beforehand with your company, when it can be done with propriety. Take an early opportunity of dropping a moral or serious remark, and it will operate in the way you wish it. A person was once in a coach, when it stopped to take up a gentleman, who had the appearance of being a clergyman. Silence was observed for some time, particularly by a loquacious swearing passenger. length the supposed clergyman began to talk; and, at intervals, introduced improper words into his discourse. This opened the lips of the other; and he could then swear and talk nonsense with all the sanction he required. Another instance was this: A gentleman in a coach began his conversation by boasting of the plenty and prosperity we enjoyed as a nation; adding, "We want for nothing." "No, sir," said a minister pleasantly, " we want nothing but gratitude to God." This timely hint took the company by surprise; and he found them very decent companions till they separated.

I cannot conclude without recommending to travellers to carry a parcel of religious tracts with them; such as " A Dialogue between a Traveller and Yourself," "On the Sabbath," "On Swearing," &c. These, offered to fellow-travellers, left at inns, given to waiters, &c, might be attended with great good, and help to counteract the prodigious evil communicated by profane and wicked men on their journeys. A FELLOW-TRAVELLER.

WEB FEET OF WATER FOWL.

THE web-foot of a water-fowl is an inimitable paddle; and all the ingenuity of the present day, exerted to improve our steam-boats, makes nothing to approach it. The flexor tendon of the toes of the duck is so directed over the heads of the bones of the thigh and leg, that it is made tight when the creature bends its leg, and is relaxed when the leg is stretched out. When the bird draws its foot up, the toes are drawn together in consequence of the bent position of the bones of the leg pressing on the tendon. When, on the contrary, it pushes the leg out straight, in making the stroke, the tendons are relieved from the pressure of the heel-bone, and the toes are permitted to be fully extended, and at the same time expanded, so that the web between them meets the resistance of a large volume of water.-Lord Brougham.

be expected to operate, in their full force, with regard to christianity. Among the systems of opinion, or codes of obligation which man has devised, there is no one that has not been grossly misinterpreted and misapplied, nor that has not been considerably mutilated and mixed up with foreign and contradictory matters; in other words, corrupted. And when the philosopher shall have detected and examined all the causes producing this effect on the systems originating with men, we are prepared to show, that to the whole influence of every one of these christianity is exposed; and to contend, as a consequence, that nothing can be more at variance with sound philosophy, or with the word of God, than to make that a reason for scepticism in one of these cases, which is never so admitted in the other.Vaughan

CORRUPTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY.

THAT the corruptions of christianity have been injurious to its interests, is but too manifest, whether we look to the past or the present. Men who distinguish between other things and their abuses, bring not their wonted fairness and discrimination to the history and circumstances of our holy religion. They do not hold astronomy responsible for the frauds of the astrologer, nor chemistry for the dreams of the alchemist. They admit that a science may be sound in its principles, while many of its votaries are deficient in intelligence; and that a system may be pure, while many who profess it are far from immaculate. But with respect to revealed religion, another rule would seem to have been tacitly agreed upon. Here the fault of the professor is commonly assumed as belonging to the thing professed; and a degenerate community, bearing the christian name, becomes a sort of demonstration against the pretensions of christianity. Many also, whose sense of justice is not so depraved as to admit that they should become examples of this disingenuousness, are, nevertheless, often influenced by it, and to a degree which they little suspect.

Now, we take strong exception to this conduct, and on the obvious ground, that the causes, deep-laid in human nature, and inwrought with all the forms of social existence, by which every thing on earth has been made subject to inquiry, should

THE SENSES FALLIBLE WITNESSES.

IF in the heat of summer, we descend into a cave, we become sensible that we are surrounded by a cold atmosphere; but if in the rigour of a frosty winter we descend into the same cave, we are conscious of the presence of a warm atmosphere. Now a thermometer suspended in the cave, on each of these occasions, will show exactly the the cave maintains nearly the same tempesame temperature; and, in fact, the air of rature at all seasons of the year. The body, however, being in the one case removed from a warm atmosphere into a cold one, and in the other case from a very cold atmosphere into one of a higher temperature, becomes, in the latter case, sensible of warmth, and in the former, of cold.

FAITH. All my hope as to freedom from that darkness which is my burden, is from Christ's prophetical office, and my hope of freedom from the guilt, pollution, and power of sin, and acceptation with God, arises from his kingly and priestly offices. In one word, I have no hopes of any mercy, in time or eternity, but only through Him: it is through Him I expect all, from the least drop of water, to the immense riches of glory, Luke xxiv. 45; 1 Cor. viii. 6; Heb. ix. 28.—Halyburton.