Fanny. I begin to think I would, Susan! she really makes me ashamed of myself; and I should think you would be so too, when you know your mother is always grieving at your laziness. I have heard her tell my mother twenty times that your indolence makes your life a burden to you, and that she is mortified when she thinks what kind of woman you will make.
Susan. It is better to be idle than to be always talking about people, Fanny! (Pouting.)
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.