SABBATH SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY,

AT HUAHINE, IN THE SOUTH SEAS.

YES: here they have their Anniversaries. At one of these the little islanders acquitted themselves most creditably, and showed their acquaintance with the principles of the Christian religion, to the surprise and gratification of all. Nor could their neat appearance escape notice. After whole chapters, portions of catechism, and various hymns, had been recited, some books as rewards were distributed, which added not a little to the interest of the occasion;-particularly in the instance of one scholar, a boy, who, for his diligence and good conduct, received the Gospel of St. Matthew bound in morocco. From amidst the admiring multitude stepped forth this child: with beating heart and smiling face, he reached out his hand to take the book, put it into his bosom, and could hardly return to his seat, his little heart was full of joy. It was a scene in which it was hard to tell whether children or parents shared the most pleasure;-but there was one present,-a mother, in whose sad countenance was depicted the deepest grief, now suppressed by covering her face with a cloth, and wringing her hands amidst heavy sighing and sobbing, till, overcome by the emotions of her soul, it burst forth in touching exclamations. "Oh, that God had sooner taken away our hard hearts! Oh, that

the light of his word had sooner come to these islands, then my poor, poor child had not been gone, she too might have been here to-day!" This woman once had a daughter, and had offered her as a sacrifice to the idols of the Islands, previous to the Gospel being made known to them by the missionaries.

TO THE FURZE BLOOM.
THOU fearless flower! I hail thee,
Whose beauties ever glow;
When winter storms assail thee,

Thou bloom'st 'midst frost and snow.

While each revolving season
Alternate change their name,
There sure must be a reason
Why thou art still the same.
For thou retain'st thy glory
When Nature seems to sigh,
And other flowers grow hoary,
And droop, and fall, and die.

Now, since thon do'st enquire,

Perhaps I may impart

An emblem of that fire,

Which warms the Christian's heart.

That bliss-inspiring motion,

Which moves within his breast,-
That smoothes life's troubled ocean,
And lulls his fears to rest.

Alike, when prospects brighten
Beneath a cloudless sky,--

Or adverse storms affrighten,
And worldly comforts fly.

Still heaven-born Hope is vernal,
It never can decay;
But points to days eternal,
Beyond life's transient day.

Then, little flower, I'll love thee,
Since thou hast answer'd well;
No flower shall be above thee,-
Not one shall thee excel.

THE TIDY GIRL.

S. S.

WHO is it each day in the week may be seen,
With her hair short and smooth, and her hands and
face clean;

In a stout cotton gown, of dark and light blue,
Though old, so well mended, you'd take it for new;
Her handkerchief tidily pinn'd o'er her neck,
With a neat little cap, and an apron of check;
No great flouncing border, no ragged old lace,
But an hem neatly plaited, sits close round her face;
Her top coat of stuff, and an under of serge,
Without one hole or rip, either little or large;
Her shoes and her stockings all sound and all clean,
She's never fine outside, and dirty within.
Go, visit her cottage, tho' humble and poor,
'Tis so neat and so clean, you might eat off the floor;
No rubbish, no cobwebs, no dirt could be found,
Tho' you hunt ev'ry corner, and search all around.
Who sweeps it so nicely, who makes all the bread,
Who tends her sick mother, and works by her bed?
'Tis the neat tidy girl, she needs no other name,
Abroad, or at home, she's always the same.

How rich the Peacock! what bright glories run
From plume to plume, and vary in the sun!
He proudly spreads them to the golden ray,
Gives all his colours, and adorns the day;
With conscious state the spacious round displays,
And slowly moves amid the waving blaze,

Job xxxix, 13,

THE Peacock appears to be a native of India, whence it was introduced into this country. From that country, too, it was taken to Persia, and from one of these imported into Palestine, in the days of Solomon. When the bird appears with its tail expanded, its showy plumage repre

sents the greatest variety of shades; and scarcely any creature makes a more gaudy display than it does at those times. The form of the peacock also is extremely elegant, as its feathers are varied with the most pleasing tints and shades. Yet, as a counterpoise to all this elegance of shape, and gaiety of adorning, the voice is the most harsh and disagreeable in nature; and so loud, that it may be heard at the distance of two or three miles. The head, neck, and breast of the Peacock, are of a lovely blue colour; the back and upper part of the wings are light ash, mixed with black stripes, and on its head it carries a most elegant plume of small greenish feathers. The appetite of the Peacock is said to be most gluttonous and insatiable; whilst it is committing constant depradations wherever it can gain access. It is bred, we believe, solely for ornament, in this country, for the sake of its gay clothing, rather than for its valuable services, and it is, therefore, generally found attached to the mansions and grounds of the rich, where its most discordant voice is heard and tolerated. The Peacock was, at one time, considered as the greatest delicacy that could be brought to the tables of the rich and great. This practice has long been discontinued, and it is seen upon the table only at an Alderman's or Lord Mayor's feast, where also it is found, we apprehend, more for show and sound, than for auy desirable purpose of food.