THE YUUTH’S CABINET.

should have set himself more resolutely
about it.

I do not wish to follow this young man
through all the windings of his path for
five or six years. Knowing him so well
as I did, it would be too painful to pursue
his history so minutely, nor is it necessary
to do so. The depraved taste which he
formed for intoxicating and poisonous
stimulants, soon led him along the high-
way of intemperance with fearful rapidity.
Do you wonder at it, my young friend ?
You need not wonder at it.
liquors set the whole body and mind on
fire. They drive a person crazy. He

loses command of himself. He goes on
drinking, though he knows well that he

is going swiftly to destruction.
William was soon a confirmed drunk-

ard; and oh, what distress he brought
on the once happy family of which he

was a member! Before he was twenty-
one years of age, he was often found, in
the dead of night, in a state of loathsome
drunkenness,

One day, in company with one of the
young men who led him astray, he went
into the woods on a hunting excursion.
A bottle of brandy was a part of the out-
fit for this excursion. They both drank
freely—William more freely than his
companion. Toward night, just before
they were thinking of returning home,
William was separated a few rods from his
companion, and for some reason or other,
had climbed a little distance up a tree
which was partly blown down by the
wind, and which overhung the brow of
the hill. Poor man! he had not sufficient
command of himself to retain his balance.
He fell head foremost from the tree, be-
fore his companion could reach him, and
‘was almost instantly killed. |

 

Intoxicating

f

So ended the career of Laughing Bill.
Will not my young friends learn a whole-
some lesson from his fate ?

The Lamb and the Critics.

 

A FABLE.

 

Lamp strayed for the first time into
the woods, and excited’ much dis-
cussion among other animals. Ie
a mixed company, one day, when

he became the subject of a friendlygossip,
the Goat praised him. '

“ Pooh !” said the Lion, “this is too
absurd. The beast is a pretty beast
enough, but did you hear him roar? I
heard him roar, and as sure as my hame
is Lion, when he roars’ he does nothing
but ery ba-a-a!” And the Lion bleated

his best in mockery, but bleated far from
well.

“ Nay,” said the Deer, “I do not think
so badly of his voice. I liked him well
enough until I saw him leap, He kicks
with his hind legs in running, and, with
all his skipping, gets over very little
ground.”

“Tt is a bad beast altogether,” said the
Tiger. “He cannot roar, he cannot run,
he can do nothing—and what wonder?
I killed a man yesterday, and in polite-
ness to the new comer, offered him a bit;
upon which he had the impudence to
look disgusted, and say—‘ No, sir, 1 eat
nothing but grass.’”

So the beasts criticised the Lamb, each
in his own way; and yet it was @ very

‘good Lamb, nevertheless. — Household

Words.