as it rough, sound sense? or a manner refined? Is it kindness of heart? or expansion of mind? Is it learning, or talent, or honor, or fame,
That you mean by that phrase (so expressive to name)? '
"No, no-these are not, sir, the things now in vogue;
A 'respectable man,' sir, may be a great rogue-
A respectable person may be a great fool—
Have lost even the little he picked up at school-
Be a glutton, adulterer, deep-drowned in debt-
May forfeit his honor, his best friend forget—
May be a base sycophant, tyrant, or knave—
But a livery servant, at least, he must have:
In vice he may vie with the vilest of sinners-
But he must keep a cook, and give capital dinners."
"And it came to pass, at midnight the Lord slew every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharao who sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive woman that was in the prison; and all the first-born of cattle. And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt; and there arose a great ory in Egypt; for there was not a house wherein there lay not one "Zead."-EXODUg, chap. xii. verses 29, 30.
Midnight, and the moon was high,
Lighting Egypt's cloudless sky;
Calmly fell her silvery smile
On the broad and placid Nile,
Calmly came its glory down,
Bathing all the slumbering town;
So the outward world might seem
'Neath the influence of a dream.
Dreams as lovely, peace as deep,
Many a mother's pillow steep,-
Many a father's manly heart
In his infant's joy hath part,
As in visioned sport they rove,
By the waters-through the grove;
Now they love without love's cares;
What awakening shall be theirs!
Lo! one dim and angry spot
That serenest Heaven doth blot,
Borne in solemn darkness near,
On the windless atmosphere,-
On it passes,-stately, slow,
Blighting somewhat still below,
Silent lightnings all unseen
Hide its dusky folds between.
Hark! through every mother's dream
Comes an infant's stifled scream;
And the father starts to hear
Son or daughter wailing near;
And the captive hath arisen,
Startled in his gloomy prison,
By a sound that seems to come
Echoed from his lowly home.
One fair mother is at rest,
With her infant at her breast
Waking suddenly, her eye
Seeks its features eagerly;
By the dim and waning lamp,
See-its brow is white and damp,
One faint shiver-one short breath,
And it sleeps the sleep of death!
Will the terror,-loud the cry
Ere the midnight hour went by,
For the king upon his throne
Waileth for his first-born son,
And the household of the slave
Hath a tenant for the grave,
Every where the woe hath sped―
Every house may mourn its dead!
Even the cattle in the field
To the fatal influence yield;
There each mother stood aghast
As the deadly cloud went past,
Owning with instinctive fear
The Destroying Angel near,
As the youngling by her side,
Sudden moaned, and fell, and died.
All may see that dusky cloud
Not the form its fleeces shroud;
He who bears that fearful blight,
Is an angel, proudly bright,
Nothing evil doth appear
On his forehead, broad and clear,―
He but bears that burning rod
As the messenger of God
Awful is the earthquake's shock,
When the trembling mountains roek;
Dire the fear when mastering fire
Twines round kindling roof and spire;
Terrible the battle field
With the clash of sword and shield;
Wild the alarm, when o'er the land
Famine waves her blighting wand.
But a terror deeper still
Now through Egypt's land may thrill;
Silent-sudden was the blow,
That hath laid these thousands low;
Not a murmur in the air-
Peace and slumber every where;
One short hour hath done it all,—
Broken, too, a nation's thrall!
Yes! though dread the judgment seem,
Touch with reverent thought the theme;
He, who rules in heaven and earth,
Thus hath brought his people forth,
Sent this lesson from His throne,
That He shieldeth still His own;
That His care is ever near
Those who serve in holy fear.
THE HEIGHT OF HONESTY.
Three friends once, in the course of conversation,
Touched upon honesty; "no virtue better,"
Says Dick, quite lost in sweet self-admiration,
"I'm sure I'm honest;-ay, beyond the letter;
You know the field I farm,-well, underground
My plough stuck in the middle of a furrow,
And there a pot of silver coins I found ;-
My landlord has it, without fail, to-morrow."
So modestly his good intents he told:
"But wait," says Bob, "we soon shall see who's best, A stranger left with me uncounted gold;
And I don't touch it: which is honestest?"
"Your deeds are pretty good," says Jack, "but I Have done much better (would that all folks learned it!) Hear then the highest pitch of honesty,—
I borrowed an umbrella-and returned it!!"
THE DROUGHT.—Montgomery.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine, and the oil, and these shall hear Jezrahel."-OSEE ii. 21, 22.
What strange, what fearful thing hath come to pass?
The ground is iron, and the skies are brass :
Man, on the withering harvest, casts his eye,
"Give me your
fruits in season, or I die;"
The timely fruits implore their parent—Earth,
"Where is thy strength to bring us forth to birth l′
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