her kinsman better than her silence. So she answered her questioner can lidly. 'My cousin said he was going down this way to the river, where he had a boat; and he wanted me to tell the men that were chasing him that he had gone the other way to catch the mail wagon.' 'Why didn't you do as he bid you, then, when I asked you where he had gone?' thundered the officer fiercely.

'I could not tell a lie, sir,' was the tearful answer.

'Hetty,' again began the smooth-tongued Tory, ‘you are a nice child. Everybody knows you are a girl of truth. What did your cousin say when you told him you couldn't tell a falsehood?'

'He said he shouldn't think I'd betray him to his death.'

'And you then promised him you wouldn't tell which way he went, if you were killed for it ?'

Yes, sir.'

'That was a brave speech; and so I suppose he thanked you for it, and ran down the road as quickly as possible.'

'I promised not to tell where he went, sir.'

66 were, It's my only chance, child, and I'll get

" Oh, yes, I forgot. Well, tell us his last words, and we won't trouble you any more.' 'His last words down as you say. And overcome by fright, and the sense of her kinsman's danger, should they rigidly interpret the language which she had reported, she sobbed aloud, and hid her face from sight.

Her tormentors did not stay longer to soothe or question her. They had got, as they supposed, the information which they wanted, and pushed rapidly on down the river. Now the Governor had arranged a signal with his boatman that a white cloth by day, or a light by night, displayed from the attic window of his hiding place, which was just visible at the mouth of the river, should inform them if he were in trouble, and put them on the alert to help him. As soon, therefore, as he started from his cousin's, the signal floated from the window to warn them. And when they saw the pursuing party dash madly down the road to the river, and recognized the British uniform of the leader, they pulled swiftly out to sea. The horsemen reached the shore only in season to see the boat with two men in it nearly out of sight; and supposing their destined prey had escaped, relinquished the pursuit.

Meanwhile, the hunted victim lay safe and quiet, where the simple shrewdness of the little cousin had hidden him, until the time came

for her to return for supper. Then he bade her go as usual to her home, telling her to ask her mother to place the signal lamp, as soon as it grew dark, in the window, for the boatman, and to send him there some supper, with his valise, which, in the hurry of departure, he had left behind.

The signal recalled the boat, which after twilight had ventured in sight of the shore and the farm-house, and the Governor quietly made his way to the river in safety. When he rejoined his family in a secure home, he named his infant daughter, which had been born in his absence,Hetty Marvin,' that he might be daily reminded of the little cousin whose truth and shrewdness saved his life.

'CHARGE IT.'

A SIMPLE little sentence is this, to be sure, and yet it may be considered as one of the most insidious enemies with which people have to deal. It is very pleasant to have all the little commodities offered for sale in the market, and it is sometimes hard to deny one's self of the same when they can be obtained by saying 'charge it.' But this habit of getting articles, however small the charge may be, without paying for them, keeps one's funds in a low state most of the time.

'I have no money to-day, but should like the article much,' says a young man who happens to go into a shop and sees something which strikes his fancy.

'Never mind,' says the gentlemanly clerk, 'you are good for it.' 'Well, I will take it, and you may charge it.'

And so it is that little accounts are opened at one place and another, till the young man is surprised at his liabilities; which, though small in detail, are sufficiently large in the aggregate to reduce his cash materially when settling day comes.

In many instances, if the cash were required, the purchase would not be made even had the person the money by him; but to some, getting an article charged does not seem like parting with an equivalent.

Still, when pay-day comes, as always it does, this illusion vanishes, and a feeling is experienced of parting with money and receiving nothing in return.

If there is an actual necessity of making a purchase, and the means are not in hand, there is a reasonable excuse for obtaining the same on

credit; but when the article can be dispensed with until payment can be made, it is much to the advantage of the purchaser to do so.

'We must have a nice set of furniture,' say a young couple about to be united in marriage, 'but we have not the means; however, we will get it and have it charged.'

And so they start life with a debt hanging over them for which there is no occasion.

The habit once formed is difficult to break away from, whenever anything is wished for, it is purchased without considering that circumstances may arise which will render the payment impossible.

When there is a certainty of health and a supply of labour, it would place rather a different construction upon the matter. But considering the fluctuating character of business, making it possible that a mechanic may be thrown out of employment at any time, it is certainly better to be prepared for such emergencies by keeping clear of debt.

Sickness may also overtake one at any time, and the thought that numerous charges are standing against us aggravates the disease and renders the misfortune harder to bear.

Taking this view of the matter, is it not better to forego the pleasure of possessing articles which our taste may prompt us to purchase until the means are in hand? It is very easy to say 'charge it,' but not always so easy to pay it.

And this is always the ultimatum. If payment is deferred too long the very one who politely tells the purchaser that it will make no difference about the money, will say he had no business to buy fine feathers if he had no prospect of paying.

And in a measure this is true. By pursuing such a course, a person is never independent; the host of little debts are ever ready to perplex and worry him, when that for which they were incurred has been used. Hence it may be said that the custom of charging is unjust both to purchaser and seller, as the one loses his peace of mind and the other oftentimes loses his money. Getting in debt is easy, that reason it would be

but getting out is just the reverse; and for well for people to ask when about to make a purchase in the manner alluded to, is it not best for me to wait until I have the money, and then not have to order the seller to "charge it?"—Selected.

The Dog and His Likeness.

THE DOG AND HIS LIKENESS.

123

CÆSAR was a fine Newfoundland dog of great intelligence, owned by Mrs. Richardson, of Lowell. One morning she took the dog, with some of the children of her family, to a daguerreotype-room, with a view of having the picture taken of the group. For nearly an hour Mrs. R. tried to place Cæsar in a posture suitable for the purpose of getting a likeness; but when she thought he was all right, he would slowly get up, shake his huge body, and of course spoil the picture. Annoyed at his conduct, Mrs. R. opened the door, and in a stern voice said to Cæsar, 'Go home, sir! You have displeased me very much; you shall not stay with us any longer.' Hereupon Cæsar slunk away with a crest-fallen look; and Mrs. R. made no further attempt to put him in the picture. But the next day, much to her surprise, Cæsar came home with a box tied around his neck. What could it mean? He seemed to be greatly pleased and wagged his tail expressly, while waiting for the opening of the box. His mistress was still more surprised when she found that it contained a fine daguerreotype of Cæsar himself.

At her earliest convenience she called on the daguerreotypist, to inquire how he had succeeded in enticing the dog into his room, and keeping him quiet. He said that on the morning following the failure he heard a noise in the entry, as if some one was thumping on the door. On opening it, he found Cæsar standing there, with wistful and eager face. He tried to drive him away; but the dog insisted on entering; then walked to the old place directly in front of the instrument, and sat quietly down, as much as to say, 'Now, Sir, I am ready to make amends for my undignified behaviour of yesterday.'

As soon as he saw that the artist had done with him, Cæsar rose and stretched himself, with the satisfaction of one who had wiped out a disgrace by making reparation. He then waited for the-daguerreotype, which was tied around his neck, and he trotted home with it to his mistress.-Nursery.

PAPERS FROM FERNANDO PO.

III.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-Some months ago we took you on an imaginary voyage from Liverpool to Fernando Po, promising to let you know something more about the latter place. That promise we now proceed to fulfil. Among the numerous halting places where the

West African mail steamers drop their anchor, we know of none more snug and safe than Clarence Cove, on the northern coast of Fernando Po; and even the far-famed island of Madeira does not show itself to better advantage than does this island on a clear day at a distance of half a dozen miles.

Fernando Po has been said to be rhomboidal in form, but it requires as great a stretch of the imagination to see a rhomboid in the coastline of this island' as it does to see a triangle in that of England and Wales. The four capes supposed to answer to the four corners of the above figure are C. Horatio on the N.E., C. Barrow on the S.E., C. Badgley on the S.W., and C. Bullen on the N.W.

Like the adjacent main-land the island is evidently of volcanic origin. Its greatest length (from C. Horatio to C. Badgley) is about 46 British miles, and its greatest breadth (from C. Barrow to C. Badgley) about 24. It lies in the Bight of Biafra (G. of Guinea) between 8 deg. 24 min., and 8 deg. 58 min. East long, and 3 deg. 13 min., and 3 deg. 48 min. North lat.* The coast-line is very irregular, bays, gulfs, capes, and points abound: but taking the term "bay" in its usual geographical signification, our island can only boast of three, in each of which there is good shelter and excellent anchorage. Maidstone Bay is on the northern coast and extends from C. Bullen to Point William. In one of its coves ('Coal Bay') the English Government has a coal depôt, and in its western extremity (Clarence Cove) the mail steamers anchor. Neville Bay, on the eastern side of the island, is but little frequented save by boats and canoes for palm oil. George's Bay, on the western coast, has been compared to the bay of Naples. Certainly it is the most picturesque of the three. From Point Kelly (its northern extremity) it takes a semi-circular sweep of about five miles, terminating at Charles' Folly. The Primitive Methodist Mission House, on the southern slope, commands a fine view of the bay and also of the adjacent Goat and Kit islets. B teler rocks can also be seen in clear weather. Santa Isabel, our first mission station on the island, lies on the western side of Maidstone Bay, just above Clarence Cove. Some persons have thought that what is now C. Cove was once the crater of a volcano. Point William (the eastern boundary of the cove) is a bold but narrow headland rising upwards of 100 feet above the water's edge, and extending about half a mile into the sea, thus affording excellent * Measurements taken from the Admiralty Charts.-S.G.