Part 16 (1/2)

THE LITTLE HERO OF HAARLEM

At an early period in the history of Holland, a boy was born in Haarlem, a town remarkable for its variety of fortune in war, but happily still more so for its manufactures and inventions in peace

His father was a sluicer--that is, one whose eates which, placed at certain regular distances, close the entrances of the canals, and secure Holland fro itself under water, rather than above it When water is wanted, the sluicer raises the sluices more or less, as required, as the cook turns the cock of a fountain, and closes theht; otherwise the water would flow into the canals, then overflow them, and inundate the whole country; so that even the little children in Holland are fully aware of the ie of the sluicer's duties

The boy was about eight years old when, one day, he asked permission to take some cakes to a poor blind ave hied him not to stay too late

The child promised, and set off on his little journey The blindfriend's cakes, and the boy, mindful of his father's orders, did not wait, as usual, to hear one of the old man's stories, but as soon as he had seen him eat one muffin, took leave of hi by the canals, then quite full, for it was in October, and the autumn rains had swelled the waters,--the boy now stooped to pull the little blue flohich his aiety, huradually became er returning to his cottage ho at his lazy horses, was any longer to be heard The little fello perceived that the blue of the flowers in his hands was scarcely distinguishable froe, and he looked up in so; not, however, a dark, winter night, but one of those beautiful, clear, h not as distinctly as by day

The child thought of his father, of his injunction, and was preparing to quit the ravine in which he was alht noise, like the trickling of water upon pebbles, attracted his attention He was near one of the large sluices, and he now carefully exah which the water was flowing With the instant perception which every child in Holland would have, the boy saw that the water h which it was now only dropping, and that utter and general ruin would be the consequence of the inundation of the country that must follow To see, to throay the flowers, to climb froer into it, was the work of a ht he found that he had succeeded in stopping the flow of the water

This was all very well for a little while, and the child thought only of the success of his device But the night was closing in, and with the night came the cold The little boy looked around in vain No one came

He shouted--he called loudly--no one answered He resolved to stay there all night, but alas! the cold was becoer fixed in the hole began to feel benumbed, and the nuhout the whole arreater, still harder to bear, but yet the boy ht of his father, of hisso soundly; but still the little fellow stirred not, for he knew that did he reer which he had opposed to the escape of the water, not only would he hihbours--nay, the whole village

We know not what faltering of purpose, whatthat long and terrible night; but certain it is, that at daybreak he was found in the sa froht he heard groans, and bending over the dike, discovered a child seated on a stone, writhing from pain, and with pale face and tearful eyes

”In the na there?”

”I a out,” was the answer, in perfect siht, had been evincing such heroic fortitude and undaunted courage

The Muse of History has handed down to posterity many a warrior, the destroyer of thousands of his fellow-norance of the name of this real little hero of Haarlem

SHARPE'S LONDON MAGAZINE

Dreams, books, are each a world; and books, we know, Are a substantial world, both pure and good

WORDSWORTH

FATHER WILLIAM

”Repeat 'You are old, Father William,'” said the Caterpillar

Alice folded her hands, and began:--

”You are old, Father Willia man said, ”And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?”

”In ht injure the brain; But now that I'ain”

”You are old,” said the youth, ”as I rown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- Pray, what is the reason of that?”

”In ray locks, ”I kept all my li the box-- Allow me to sell you a couple”

”You are old,” said the youth, ”and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak