Look at Thomas at work in his field, and managing his little farm, thriving at home and respected abroad, and say what would tempt him to come again under the influence of his former ruinous habits? Look at Nancy, too, superintending her dairy and supplying the wants of her family--does she wish for a return of those days when she was the intemperate mother of hungry, neglected children? But are there not hundreds of mothers who _are_ at this time what she once _was_? and can they not, will they not, be induced to become what she _now_ is? [Illustration: Ass] The Boastful Ass. I can hardly tell the reason, but the fact seems to be, that the ass, an honest and somewhat stupid animal, seems to have given rise to more fables than any other beast, except the fox. I have already told some fables in which this long-eared personage is made to utter a great many wise things. I am now going to tell another fable, in which the creature is represented as talking rather foolishly. A man was once going along the road with an ass, whom he treated somewhat roughly, upon which the beast first whisked his long tail, and then groaned, and finally spoke outright. “It seems to me, sir,” said the honest creature, “that you use me very ill, particularly as I belong to a race of great antiquity, and one that has been honored above all four-footed beasts!” “Why, how’s that?” said the man. “How’s that? indeed!” said the ass. “If you had read the Bible as much as you should, you would remember that it was one of my ancestors which conversed with a prophet, and stood in the presence of an angel on a certain occasion. This is an honor which belongs exclusively to the ass family, of which I am one, and therefore it seems meet that you should treat me with proper respect.” “Well done!” said the countryman; “well done! poor brute. This is ever the way. It seems to be with asses as with men: when one has no merit of his own, he always boasts the dignity of his family, or the virtues of his ancestors. For my part, I know of nothing that sinks a beast or a man lower, than to see him attempt to cover up his own vices, or weakness, or folly, by showing off the dignity of his pedigree, or the respectability of his connections.” Then, giving the ass a somewhat contemptuous kick, the man passed on. * * * * * TRAVELLING BEEHIVES.--In Switzerland, the traveller often sees a man trudging up the mountains with a hive of bees on his back. The people move the bees, because they know how good change of place is for them. This, too, is done almost everywhere in Scotland. In France, they put their hives into a boat, some hundreds together, which floats down the stream by night, and stops by day. The bees go out in the morning, return in the evening, and when they are all at home, and quiet, the boat floats on. Architecture of Birds.