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LITERARY EXTRACTS.

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LITERARY EXTRACTS. ENGLAND IN 1837.—Resplendent with glory, teeming with inhabitants, overflowing with riches, boundless in extent, the British empire, at the accession of Queen Vic- toria, seemed the fairest andmo powerful dominion upon earth. It had come victorious through the most terrible strife which ever divided mankind, and more than once, in the course of it, singly confronted Europe in arms. It had struck down the greatest conqueror of modern times. It atdll retained the largest part of the continent of North America, and a new continent in Australia had been recently added, without opposition, to its mighty domains, all the navies in the world had sought in vain to wrest from the hands of its sovereign the sceptre of the ocean ;:all the industry of man, to rivalin competition the produce of its manufactures or the wealth of its mer chants. In science and literature it still kept the lead of all the nations of the earth. It had given birth to steam navigation, which had bridged the Atlantic, and railways, which had more than halved the distance it had revealed the electric telegraph, destined ere long to render instantaneous the transmission of thought. It had subdued realms which the Macedonian phalanx could not reach, and attained a dominion beyond what the Roman legions had conquered. An hundred and twenty millions of men, at the period of its highest prosperity, obeyed the sceptre of Alexander; as many in after times were blessed by the rule of the Antonines but an hun- dred and fifty millions peopled the realms of Queen Victoria; and the sun never set on her dominions, for before his declining rays had ceased to illuminate the ramparts of Quebec, his ascending beams flamed on the minarets of Calcutta."—jllison's History of Europe, Vol. VI. THE MUSIC OF LAOS.—On visiting the houses of the high nobility, I have been often asked, 4 Will you see the dances ? will you hearthe singing ? will you hear the singing ? will you listen to the music of Laos ?' and groups of meek-eyed, gentle, prostrate people have been introduced, to exhibit the movements which rather re- semble the graceful positions of the ancient minuet than the friskiness of the European 4 light fantastic toe.' Some times they hold garlands of flowers, which they present in graceful varieties of attitude. Sometimes torches or candles are moved about in centric or eccentric orbits. The songs—they are generally tale of love—are often pathetic and pleasing. I have seen the Laos women of the highest ranks sent for by their lords to gratify my curiosity. They have crawled into the presence, and, with bowed head, waited tremblingly for the commands of their husband. Their dress is more graceful than that of the Siamese women, especially their mode of arranging and adorning their hair, which was sometimes ornamen- ted with fragrant white flowers. They wore the pagne which is the universal costume of Siam; a sort of light scarf passed over the shoulders and covered the breast, and a handsome silk tissue encircled the waist; no shoe or sandal was on the feet, and the legs were uncovered to the knees, though there seemed an anxiety to conceal the feet beneath their garments when they crouched down. Almost all the opulent nobles have wives from Laos, many of whom would be considered pretty. They are of diminutive stature, singularly meek expression. liquid eyes, and graceful movements.—Sir J. Bowring's Siam. THF CHILD IS FATHER OF THE MAN.—How clearly does this fact point out the vast importance of an early study of the laws of life and how clearly does it demon- state the truth of the proverb that' the child is father of the man'! It is during youth, but more especially during childhood, that the building energies of the blood are so active for good; it is during childhood that the muscles, by being duly exercised, become more healthfully developed—that the lungs, by being fairly used, are well enlarged—that the digestive functions may be strength- ened—that all the senses may advance in excellence it is the eye and the ear of the child which may be trained in such a way that in after life the eye shall not grow dim, nor the ear refuse its hearing; it is the child's soft, gentle, pliant brain, which, by being properly cultivated, impro- ves in thought, in sentiment, in memory, in power, in a knowledge of the right way—the way to wisdom, to virtue, to happiness—from which he never will depart in after-life. This being so clear, it being so very evident that the season of youthful training is the most important of human existence, with reference both to mind and to body, it requires no apology, if, during the remainder of this course of lectures, while considering man's education, I should be found dwelling more particularly on the training of the child.—Hopeley's Introductory Lecture on Education. 'POVERTY IS NO CRIME.'—A gentleman, in narrow circumstances, quoting the above saying, Poverty is no crime,' was answeied. 4 Yes, but it is worse.' Many prove that they are seriously of this opinion by the dis- honest arts which they practice to get money. Others look down upon the indigent as though the things exter- nal to a man, and not the man himself, were the proper objects of regard. All such people earn this stem rebuke ofGray, that the poverty is in their mind. Archhishop Whately, however, dwells upon the just distinction that, though poverty is not disgraceful, the exhibition is felt to be indecent. A man of sense is not ashamed of it, but he keeps the marks of it out of sight.' He mentions that a person who disputed the assertion observed in refutation of it, 4 Why this coat that I now have on I have turned, because 1 could not well afford a new one, and I care not who knows it.' His instance, as the Archbishop cutely remarks, proved the point he was controverting, or he would have worn the coat without turning. He might have had it secured, if needful; but, though clean, it \would still have looked thread bare • and he did not like to make the display of poverty.—Quarterly Review. THREE GOLDEN RULES FOR INDIAN LIFE.—4 And a very superior country youv'e come to the captain de- termines this for you. I've been here myself some fif- teen years, and hardly ever had a day's sickness. A man who regularly applies the flesh brush, .takes his bottle of beer, and does not borrow from the Agra, can't be sick, sir; I know he can't. I never met a sick certificate man who had'nt infringed one of these essential rules. Perhaps he applies his flesh brush, but shirks his beer—that wont do. He gets seedy, and takes to cathartics or revalenta "rabica when he once does that, you know, it's all U P with him. I know it is, fiom personal experence, Or he may be careful on other points, and take to rai-mg money on the banks. I hope it's not necessary to insist that no man labouring under the combined effects of securities and instalments can be expected to retain his digestive faculties. I know he can't from observation. Well, sir, the digestive faculties gone, he can't take his beer; and when a poor wretch comes to such a pitch that he can t take his beer, why he dies, simply dies, or goes home, which is the next thing to it, and infinitely moie expensive. Bombay Quarterly Review.. CHARLOTTE BRoNTE AND HER FUTURE HUSBAND,— She did not know-she had hardly begun to suspect- that she was the object of any peculiar regard on his part, when in this very December (18.52), he came one evening to tea. After tea she returned from the study to her own sitting room, as was her custom, leaving her father and his curate together. Presently «he heard the study door open, and expected to hear the succeeding clash of the front door. Instead came a tap and, 4 like lightining it flashed on me what was coming. He entered. He stood before me. What his words were you can imagine his manner you can hardly realise, nor can I forget it. He made me, for the first time, feel what it costs a man to declare affection when he doubts response. The speetacle of one, ordinarily so statue like, thus trembling, stirred, and overcome, gave me a strange shock. I could only entreat him to leave me then, and promised a reply on the morrow I asked him if he had spoken to papa. He said he dared not. I think I half led, half put out of the room.'—Life of Mrs. Gaskell. EASTERN WIT.—Some merchants went to an Eastern Sovereign, and exhibited for sale very fine horses. The ki:.g admired them, and b^ufrht them he moreover gave the merchants a lac of rupees to purchase more horses for him. The King one day, in a sportive humour, or- dered the Vizier to make a list of all the fools in his dominions. llie did so, and put bis Majesty's name at the bead of them. The King asked why ? He replied, 4 Because you trusted a lac of rupees to men you didn't know, and will never come back., 'Aye but suppose they should come back liicn I shall erace your name and insert theirs.'

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