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supporting the light of day, and during that time. they prefer solitude and silence, hiding themselves in holes and corners, and shunning observation. Should they be driven from their retreats, and forced out during the day, they are likely to incur persecution and danger their enemies pursue them with unrelenting hate, and show them no mercy.

The blackbird, jay, thrush, bunting, red-breast, and other birds, fall on the unfortunate owl, and employ all their little arts to teaze and insult him; the whole grove is in commotion and uproar, and the very least and feeblest of the feathered race may be seen flying at him, flapping him with their wings and pecking at him with their beaks, as if to avenge themselves for the wrong which he has done to their respective families and kindred, while he, not knowing whether to attack them or to fly from them, patiently sits and suffers, until the return of the twilight restores his power and enables him to fall upon his petty foes and

tormentors.

The singular habits and appearance of these birds have attracted considerable notice in all ages. Among the ancient pagans they were held in much estimation -and the goddess Minerva is represented with the owl as one of her attendants-hence, because it is Minerva's companion, it is called the bird of wisdom; and, no doubt, looks the very emblem of sagacity and knowledge, and as sober as a learned judge in his wig and bands.

The Mongolian and Kalmuck Tartars pay almost divine honours to the white owl, attributing to it the preservation of their founder, the celebrated Jenghis Khan. This prince having been surprised and put to flight by his enemies, was compelled to seek shelter in a coppice, when a screech owl settled on the bush in which he lay concealed. His pursuers, judging that such a bird would never perch and stay on a bush where a man lay hid, passed the spot without search

ing it, and so suffered Jenghis to escape. For this service to their prince, his countrymen have ever held this bird sacred.

There is repeated reference to owls in Scripture. They are placed amongst the unclean animals, which are to be accounted as an abomination, and therefore not to be eaten by the children of Israel (Levit. xi. 17.) The prophet Isaiah introduces them as the tenants of those places which should be visited and desolated by the judgment of God-places which still lie waste from the blighting effects of those dreadful calamities:-"The owl also and the raven shall dwell in it, it shall be a habitation of dragons, and a court for owls: the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest;—there shall the great owl make her nest, and lay and hatch and gather under her shadow." (Isaiah xxxiv. 11–15.)

BELFRY.

THE POWER OF TRACTS.

BY WILLIAM HOWITT.

TRACTS can go everywhere.

Tracts know no fear.
Tracts can be

Tracts never tire. Tracts never die. multiplied without end by the press. Tracts can travel at little expense. They run up and down like the angels of God, blessing_all, giving to all, and asking no gift in return. You can print Tracts of all sizes, on all subjects, in all places, and at all hours. And they can talk to one as well as to a multitude; and to a multitude as well as one. They require no public room to tell their story in. They can tell it in the kitchen or the shop, the parlour or the closet, in the railway carriage or in the omnibus, or the broad highway, or in the footpath through the fields. They take no note of scoffs, or jeers, or taunts. No one can betray them into hasty or random expres

sions. Though they will not always answer questions, they will tell their story twice or thrice, or four times over if you wish them. And they can be made to speak on every subject, and on every subject they may be made to speak wisely and well. They can, in short, be made vehicles of all truth; the teachers and reformers of all classes; the regenerators and benefactors of all lands.

EVENINGS WITH THE EDITOR.

EVENING THE TWENTY-FIFTH.

Augustus. Why are catechisms considered so very dull by the learner? And why are they so frequently abjured by the teacher? Who can tell me?

Emmeline. Is it not the fault of catechisms themselves? Do not those who have acquainted themselves with the present systems of education look upon catechetical teaching as antiquated?

Aug. I do not know how such teachers regard a catechism; but I do not believe that the catechism is in fault. Remember what Todd, of America, says of catechisms.

Emm. Tell me what he says, if you wish me to remember his saying.

Aug. He says that it is possible to render catechisms "bewitchingly interesting.'

Emm. A bewitchingly interesting catechism! What a

droll idea! I think even Dr. Watts would demur to such a description. Still, if such a thing be possible, why are catechisms considered a bore? Why? brother mine!

Aug. Because teachers do not know how to use catechisms.

Emm. Really, brother!

Editor. Do you mean to condemn all the teachers in a heap?

Aug. Very nearly so, sir.

Ed. Take care, Mr. Quixote; you will have the champions of the "Union" and the "Institute "bearing down upon you with couched lances.

Aug. Can't be helped, Mr. Editor. I stick to what I have said. I have heard many teachers patiently listen to their

dull scholars as they stumbled over two or three answers in some catechism; but very seldom have I heard any teacher making proper use of the catechism.

Emm.

How should it be used?

Aug. Before I give my humble opinion, will you please, Mr. Editor, to describe or define a doctrinal catechism?

Ed. Such a catechism, if it has been carefully framed, contains dogmatic statements couched in brief and precise phraseology. It should show no redundancy of word or thought, but should present the completest possible condensation of doctrine; although the conciseness should by no means occasion obscurity.

Aug. Thank you, sir; very much to my purpose, which is to observe that, to give such doctrinal statements to children, and merely require them to commit them to memory, evidently improper.

Emm. Do you think so?

is

Aug. Yes; it is as improper as it would be to provide the essence of half-a-dozen pounds of meat concentrated into the size of a lozenge, for a child's ordinary meal. In neither case is it natural or safe.

Ed. What would you propose, Mr. Critic, as the remedy? Aug. First that teachers would look at catechisms under a three-fold aspect, and then set to work in a trinary manner. Emm. How explicit! I am "to set to work in a trinary manner.' Do talk plain English, Augustus.

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Aug. Have patience, and then I will explain. It seems to me that the answer in a catechism may be viewed as a text, a judgment, or a moral.

Emm. What will you do with it as a text? Todd's "Truth made Aug. Hang a sermon upon it. Simple," shows how admirably this may be done. For example, "God is Eternal," is a doctrinal statement which Todd has expanded into a sermon suited to the capacity of very young persons.

Emm. How do you regard an answer as a judgment?

Aug. The learner is to form it for himself after long and careful investigation. This might constitute a morning's work with a class, leading the scholars to derive some particular doctrine from the Scriptures by their own research; then, asking them to sum up the opinion they had formed, in some short comprehensive sentence; and, after their own attempts had been made, showing them how the answer in their catechism got into a short compass all they wanted to express, and far better than they themselves could do it. They would gladly welcome the definite, old-fashioned phraseology when they

found how well it stated those views, which they had only been able to describe in very loose and unwieldy paragraphs. Emm. Do you think this would be interesting?

Aug. I am sure of it. For intelligent children, liking to make discoveries, this independent research, this hunting after compendious phrases, and this happy finding of some printed summary exactly answering their purpose, would have especial charms.

Emm. What do you mean by calling the answer a moral ? Aug. I mean it may become the theme of some interesting tale which may clearly and forcibly point it out. Such a story would become a practical commentary. Mrs. Sherwood showed how cleverly this could be done in her "Stories on the Church Catechism," a new and cheaper edition of which I hope will soon appear.

Ed. I think your views of catechisms and their right uses are on the whole correct. But what led you to mention the subject?

Aug. A batch of books just arrived from the " Sunday School Union." They set me thinking of the many helps now furnished to the teacher, and how he is inexcusable if he goes on in the old jog-trot way of mechanical repetition. And then, this naturally led my thoughts to catechisms, and I thought it might be possible for teachers, with such present resources, to redeem the character of these manuals of instruction. But you will like to examine these books. Here is the BIBLE CLASS MAGAZINE, which keeps up its character as a cheap, spirited companion for the senior scholars. The NOTES ON THE LESSONS form quite a body of divinity; brief, terse, pointed, and suggestive. A teacher who thoroughly masters them before going to his class, need not fear that the time will be long or dull. The CLASS REGISTER AND DIARY is an ample provision of ruled lines for Sunday notes and memoranda, a boon for the methodical. CHILD'S OWN MAGAZINE is a volume full of halfpenny astonishments. CONCENTRATION is an earnest address to teachers; and the MOTTO FOR LIFE a simple and childlike address to children.

The

Mrs. M. I have been reading HYMNS FOR THE SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS IN THE YEAR.* They originally appeared in the Church of England Magazine, and are reproduced in the shape of the present volume. They are suggested by some portion of the service for the day.

Aug. Something like the "Christian Year."

Mrs. M. Yes, the author "disclaims all originality in the

* London: Hughes.

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