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HAVE I NO FATHER?

SECT. CCXV.-HAVE I NO FATHER?

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I was once in an awful storm at sea: we were for many hours tossed about in sight of dangerous rocks: the steamengines would work no longer: the wind raged violently, and around was heard the terrific roar of the breakers, and the dash of the waves, as they broke over the deck.

2 At this dreary and trying time, while we lay, as might be said, at the mercy of the waves, I found great comfort and support from an apparently trifling circumstance: it was, that the captain's child, a little girl of about twelve years old, was in the cabin with us. He had come two or three 3 times, in the midst of his cares and toils, to see how his child went on; and it is well known how cheering is the sight of a captain in such a time of danger. As our situation grew 4 worse, I saw the little girl rising on her elbow, and bending her eyes anxiously to the door, as if longing for her father's 5 reappearance. He came at last. He was a large, bluff, 6 sailor-like man: an immense coat, great sea-boots, and an oil-skin cap with flaps hanging down on his neck, were streaming with water. He fell on his knees on the floor be7 side the low berth of his child, and stretched his arm over her, but did not speak.

8 After a little while, he asked if she were alarmed. "Fa9 ther," the child answered, "let me be with you, and I shall not be afraid."

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With me!" he cried. 11" You could not stand it for an instant."

"Father, let me be with you," she repeated'.

"My child, you would be more frightened then," he said, kissing her, while the tears were on his rough cheeks.

14 "No, father, I will not be afraid if you take me with you'. 15 O! father, let me be with you'!" and she threw her arms round his neck, and clung fast to him. The strong man was 16 overcome: he lifted his child in his arms, and carried her away with him.

17 How much I felt her departure! As long as the captain's 18 child was near, I felt her to be a sort of pledge for the return and care of the captain. I knew that in the moment of great19 est danger the father would run to his child: I was certain that were the vessel about to be abandoned in the midst of

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ENUMERATION OF XERXES' FORCES.

the wild waves, I should know of every movement, for the 20 captain would not desert his child. Thus in the presence of that child I had comforted myself; and when she went, I 21 felt abandoned, and for the first time fearful. I rose, and 22 managed to get on deck. The sea and sky seemed one. 23 It was a dreadful sight'; shuddering, I shrank back, and threw myself again on my couch.

24 Then came the thought, the child is content: she is with 25 her father; "and have I no father?" O God, I thank thee,

that in that moment I could answer, Yes. An unseen fa26 ther, it is true; and faith is not as sight, and nature is not as grace; but still I knew I had a Father: a Father whose 27 love surpasseth knowledge. The thought calmed my mind. 28 Reader, does it calm yours?

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Oh! cries the trembling soul, the storm is fearful: the sky is hid we walk in darkness and have no light. "Be 30 still, and know that I am God," saith the Lord: be happy, 31 and know that God is thy Father. "Fear not, for I am with thee" be not dismayed, for I am thy God." All 32 things are under the dominion of Christ, and all things, yea, even terrible things, shall work together for good for them that love God. Tempest-tossed soul! as the child clung to 33 her father's bosom, so cling thou to thy God: in the moment of thine extremity he will appear to be with thee, or to take thee to be with him.

DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define steam-engines, trying, at the mercy of the waves, (at the control of the waves: with no resource in ourselves,) cabin, longing, reappearance, bluff, coat, boots, oil-skin cap, flaps, streaming, alarmed, instant, rough, clung, pledge, abandoned, desert, fearful, shrank, couch, surpasseth, calmed, hid, (hidden,) dismayed, tempest-tossed.

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SECT. CCXVI.—ENUMERATION OF XERXES' FORCES.

XERXES, directing his march across the Thracian Chersonesus, arrived at Doriscus, a city standing at the mouth of the Hebrus, in Thrace; where, having encamped his army, and given orders for his fleet to follow him along the shore, he reviewed them both.

He found the land army, which he had brought out of 2 Asia, consisted of 1,700,000 foot and 80,000 horse; which, with 20,000 men at least that were absolutely necessary for conducting and taking care of the carriages and the camels,

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made in all 1,800,000 men. When he had passed the Hel3 lespont, the nations that submitted to him made an addition

to his army of 300,000 men; which made all his land forces together amount to 2,100,000 men.

4 His fleet, when it set out from Asia, consisted of 1207 vessels of war: all of three banks of oars. Each vessel car5 ried two hundred men, natives of the country that fitted them out, besides thirty more, that were either Persians or Medes, or of the Sacæ; which made in all, 277,610 men. 6 The European nations augmented his fleet with 120 vessels; each of which carried 200 men: in all, 24,000: these, added to the others, amounted together to 301,610 men.

Besides this fleet, which consisted all of large vessels, he 7 small galleys of thirty and fifty oars, the transport ships, the vessels that carried the provisions, and that were employed in other uses, amounted to three thousand. If we reckon 8 but eighty men in each of these vessels, one with another, that made in the whole 240,000 men.

Thus, when Xerxes arrived at Thermopyla, his land and 9 sea forces together made up the number of 2,641,610 men, without including servants, eunuchs, women, sutlers, and other people of that sort which usually follow an army, and whose number at this time was equal to that of the forces; so that the whole number of those that followed Xerxes in this expedition, amounted to 5,283,220.

DEFINITIONS, &c.-Xerxes-king of Persia. Direction—taking a direction in his march. Define arrived, standing, (situated,) encamped, orders, fleet, reviewed, foot, (infantry,) horse, (cavalry,) conducting, camels, Hellespont, submitted, addition, forces, (soldiers,) banks, (tiers,) augmented, amounted, galleys, transports, (provision carriers,) reckon, sutlers, expedition.

SECT. CCXVII.-THE CRUCIFIXION.

1 1 ASKED the Heavens, "What foe to God hath done
2 This unexampled deed ?"-The Heavens exclaim,
""Twas man; and we in horror snatched the sun
From such a spectacle of guilt and shame."

3 I asked the Sea: the Sea in fury boiled,

And answered with his voice of storms, ""Twas Man:
My waves in panic at his crime recoiled,

Disclosed th' abyss, and from the centre ran.”

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THE DEATH OF DEMOSTHENES.

4 I asked the Earth: the Earth replied aghast,

"'Twas Man; and such strange pangs my bosom rent,

That still I groan and shudder at the past."

5 To Man, gay, smiling, thoughtless Man, I went, And asked him next: He turned a scornful eye,

Shook his proud head, and deigned me no reply.

DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define unexampled, snatched, spectacle, fury, boiled, panic, abyss, aghast, pangs, groan, shudder, thoughtless, scornjul, deigned, reply.

SECT. CCXVIII.-THE DEATH OF DEMOSTHENES.

THE same Archias, having received intelligence that De1 mosthenes, who had retired into the island of Calauria, was become a supplicant in the temple of Neptune,-he sailed thither in a small vessel, and landed with some Thracian soldiers; after which he spared no pains to persuade Demosthenes to accompany him to Antipater: assuring him, that he should receive no injury. Demosthenes was too well 2 acquainted with mankind to rely on his promise; and he was sensible that those venal souls, who have hired themselves into the service of iniquity, those infamous ministers in the execution of orders equally cruel and unjust, have as little regard to sincerity and truth as their masters. To prevent 3 therefore his falling into the hands of a tyrant, who would have satiated his fury upon him, he swallowed poison; which he always carried about him, and which soon produced its effect. When he found his strength declining, he advanced 4 a few steps, by the aid of some domestics who supported him, and fell down dead at the foot of the altar.

The Athenians, soon after this event, erected a statue of brass to his memory, as a testimonial of their gratitude and 5 esteem, and made a decree, that the eldest branch of his family should be brought up in the Prytaneum, at the public expense, from generation to generation; and at the foot of the statue they engraved this inscription, which was couched in two elegiac verses: "Demosthenes, if thy power had been equal to thy wisdom, the Macedonian Mars would never have triumphed over Greece." What regard is to be 6 entertained for the judgment of a people, who are capable of being hurried into such opposite extremes, and who one

STATE OF NEW YORK.

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day passed sentence of death on a citizen, and loaded him with honors and applause the next?

DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define intelligence, (information,) retired, (withdrawn, gone,) supplicant, temple of Neptune, (a building devoted to the service of the heathen god, Neptune,) thither, pains, accompany, sensible, venal, hired, iniquity, infamous ministers, execution, cruel, regard, sincerity, satiated, swallowed, declining, (diminishing,) domestics, statue, brass, to his memory, (to preserve, perpetuate his memory,) testimonial, decree, couched, (contained,) applause.

SECT. CCXIX.-THE CHANGE OF SEASONS A SOURCE OF

PLEASURE.

1 WHO loves not Spring's voluptuous hours,

The carnival of birds and flowers?
Yet who would choose, however dear,
That Spring should revel all the
year •?
Who loves not Summer's splendid reign:
The bridal of the earth and main ?
Yet who would choose, however bright,
A Dog-day noon without a night?
Who loves not Autumn's joyous round,
When corn, and wine, and oil abound?
Yet who would choose, however gay,
A year of unrenewed decay?

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Who loves not Winter's awful form?

The sphere-born music of the storm?

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Yet who would choose, how grand so ever,

The shortest day to last forever?

DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define voluptuous, carnival, revel, bridal, (marriage?) dog-day, (an August noon, when the dog-days have commenced,) unrenewed, decay, form, (appearance,) sphere-born music, (music born in the sphere, i. e. the music of the sphere. The ancients supposed that the earth and planets made music while revolving in their spheres; which they called music of the spheres.)

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SECT. CCXX.-STATE OF NEW YORK.

SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Albany, Oct. 30, 1847.

pursuance of a Resolution of the Commissioners of the 2 Land Office, notice is hereby given, that on Wednesday, the 12th day of January, 1848, at 10 o'clock, A. M., at Bagg's

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