_Fanny._ You are incurable, I do believe; but I am not, and I am going home this minute to find some work, and mind my own affairs. _Susan._ Why, I thought we were going shopping! _Fanny._ But I am not in want of anything; I was only going to kill time and pick up some news. I will try the experiment, at any rate; I will lead Laura’s life a couple of days and see how I like it. I really think the time will not hang so heavy on my hands, and my tongue will not get me into so many difficulties. Good-by, Susan. _Susan._ Good-by. Oh dear! I wonder what I shall do with myself now! * * * * * “In this country,” says an English editor, “it is considered the height of folly for a man to get drunk and lie across a railroad with the idea of obtaining repose.” The same opinion obtains to a considerable extent in America. Antiquities of Egypt. Egypt is situated in the northeastern part of Africa, and very near to Asia. The descendants of Noah first settled in the valley of the river Euphrates, and thence they spread over the land in all directions. Egypt is about five hundred miles westward of this valley, and being a very fruitful country, was speedily filled with inhabitants. These soon began to build cities, and in the space of a few centuries after the flood, Egypt was the seat of a great and powerful empire. The people increased with astonishing rapidity; a knowledge of various arts was diffused among them, schools of learning were established, men of profound science flourished, and the kings and princes built vast cities, made artificial lakes, constructed canals, caused vast chambers as depositories of the dead to be cut out of the solid rock, raised mighty pyramids which still defy the tooth of time, and carried on other great and mighty works. Thus it was that while America was unknown; while nearly all Africa, nearly all Europe, and more than half of Asia, were uninhabited, except by wild beasts; and while most of the people and nations on the globe were rude and uncivilized, the empire of Egypt contained many millions of people who were far advanced in civilization. Thus at the earliest period Egypt took the lead in knowledge and science, and therefore it is called the cradle of learning. Here it was that Homer and other celebrated Greek scholars, almost 3000 years ago, went to school, as young men go to Cambridge and New Haven to acquire learning now-a-days. Here it was that Moses, almost 3400 years ago, was educated, by direction of Pharaoh’s daughter, in a very superior manner, thus qualifying him, with the aid of Divine Providence, for the wonderful task of leading the Jewish nation for forty years through the wilderness of Arabia.