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be looked up to as a very important person; and do you 1.0t ⚫ think that, if you died, you would be more missed than any one of the fifty-three ploughmen?

Mr. Hill. (Laughing.) But what a folly it would be, Sir, to raise ten or twenty times as much corn as we could eat, and to be in want of every thing else.

Mr. Stone. I think it would; and, in such a case, we should be ready to pass a vote of thanks to any man who would leave the plough, and turn tanner or weaver, and then we would spare another to be a tailor; and, at length, we would thank another to set up a shop where we might exchange what we produce, and get the things we want. Now, would it not be ungrateful and foolish for us to say, that the farmers were the most valuable to us.

Mr. Hill. To be sure. The natural consequence of such partiality would be to tempt the shop-keeper to give up his shop, and the weaver his loom, and the tailor his shears, to go back to the plough, and then we should be as badly off as we were before. I suppose all labor should be equally respected.

Mr. Stone. Nay, I was far from saying that. Our friend George, there, makes beautiful little boats out of walnutshells, and must have spent a good deal of trouble in his art. But, if he were to work for a week, and make us each one, he would no more have earned his dinner every day than if he had spent his time in sleep. We do not want walnut-shell boats, and therefore his labor would be worth no more, being ill directed, than no labor at all.

George. The Captain was telling me, though, that if I were at some place in England, I might get a pretty living by my boats. He said, that the quality, as he called them, would give me five shillings apiece for them.

Mr. Stone. Very likely, and in that case your labor would not be ill directed. The rich in any country, who have as, much as they want of food, and clothes, and shelter, have a right to pay money for baubles, if they choose; and, in such a state of things, there are always laborers, who are ready to employ themselves in making luxuries. Lace-makers, jewellers, and glass-cutters are respectably employed in England; but they would be sadly out of place here, and very ridiculous.

Mr. Hill. I am afraid, Sir, that your doctrine would go

far towards doing away the difference between productive and unproductive labor. I have been accustomed to think productive laborers more valuable than unproductive.

Mr. Stone. This depends upon what you mean by the word valuable. If you mean that productive laborers add more to the wealth of society, you are right; but, in every civilized country, a mixture of productive and unproductive laborers is the best for the comfort and prosperity of society. What would a nation do without household servants, physicians, clergymen, and lawyers? Would it not be a savage nation.

George. But, Sir, ours is not a savage settlement, and yet we have no unproductive laborers. Everybody works very hard.

Mr. Stone. However hard our people work, they are divided into productive and unproductive laborers. Run over a few names, George, and divide them into classes.

George. Well; I will try. The laborers on Robertson's farm and yours, Sir, are productive laborers, because they produce corn for themselves, and hay for the horse, and flax for our clothes. Then, there are the other servants, who have wages paid them, the Captain's errand-boy, and your maid, Sir, who takes care of the child, - and

Mr. Stone. Well, go on; tell us what they produce. George. I really can't think of any thing they produce, Sir; I suppose, however useful they may be, that domestics are unproductive laborers. But there are some others. Fulton produces leather out of what was the hide of a beast; and Harrison makes bricks out of what was only clay; and Linby, let me see; what does the farrier do? He shoes horses; that is not making any thing. He is unproductive, I suppose.

Mr. Stone. As a farrier; but he is also a smith, and makes nails and implements of many kinds, out of what was only a lump of iron.

George. Then he is a laborer of both kinds. That is curious; and so are you, Mr. Hill. You make medicines; but when you bleed your patients, or give advice, you are an unproductive laborer. There is an end then to all objections to unproductive labor; for who works harder than Mr. Hill, and how should we get on without him.

Mr. Hill. And how do you class yourself, Mr. Stone?

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Mr. Stone. Unproductive in my pulpit and in the schoolroom, but productive when I am working in the field. I leave it to my friends to say in which capacity I am most useful. I am

Mr. Hill. You have satisfied my mind completely. only sorry I ever understood any reproach by the word unproductive; but I shall never fall into the mistake again.

LESSON XXXVIII. The Power of Conscience.

1 SOME days since, a gentleman from the West, who was stopping at one of the principal hotels in Baltimore, had retired to rest, when some one entered his room, opened his pocket-book, and took from it seven hundred dollars. There were several thousand dollars in the book at the time, and it naturally excited wonder that any of it should have been left.

2. A few days after the theft, the owner received a note, stating that a person wanted to see him near the Western Bank after dark, on matters of importance, and it was requested that no one should accompany him. The last request was not, however, complied with; and the person robbed, taking a friend with him, went to the place indicated.

3. Upon arriving there, they found a young man, welldressed, and apparently well-educated, who, at once, without reserve, stated that he had committed the robbery; that, being distressed for money, he had, in a moment of desperation, entered his room and taken the money from the pocket-book; that he had no idea at the time, of the amount he was taking; but, upon examining it, and finding that what he had taken was a five hundred and two one hundred dollar notes, and then reflecting on the infamy of the crime he had committed, he was confounded.

4. It was in vain that he sought to solace his mind by urging the necessity which prompted him to the act; sleep was banished from his eyes, and, a miserable being, he wandered about, shrinking from the gaze of every one he encountered, and expecting every moment to be arrested. Shame prevented him from returning the money, and he

took it several miles from the city and buried it. This brought no quiet to his disturbed conscience.

5. The thought of his guilt was ever uppermost in his mind, and he had determined to return the money through the post-office, and dug it up, and enclosed it in a blank sheet of paper for that purpose. His honesty having so far overcome the suggestions of pride, led him to go further. The return of the money would not relieve innocent persons who might be suspected; and it was this reflection that had forced him, as he said, to return the money in per

son.

6. Saying this, the young man placed the money in the hands of its true owner, and further remarked, that he was in his power, and desired to avoid no punishment which it might be supposed he merited. The gentleman took it, and bid him "go and sin no more."

LESSON XXXIX. The Prodigal Son. Luke, Chap. xv.

1. THEN drew near unto Jesus all the publicans and sinners, for to hear him.

2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3. And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

4. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.

8. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

9. And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends

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and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

10. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

11. And he said, A certain man had two sons;

12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.

17. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18. I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants.

20. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet;

23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry;

24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing; 26. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy