ictor
here," considered Elfreda; "for certainly it _is_ very crowded and noisy
for any one not used to it," she added.

For they were now in the native town, on their way to the shops, there
to bargain for Oriental curiosities. It was a ceaseless delight to
Elfreda. She bought slippers for her uncle, a fan for her little sister
at home, and queer pots to decorate the schoolroom. Elfreda would have
lingered longer, but it was now time to return to lunch at the hotel.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

THE ECHO BOY.

A little girl once went home to her mother and said, "Mother, while
sister and I were out in the garden, there was some boy mocking us. I
was calling out 'Ho!' and the boy said, 'Ho!' So I said to him, 'Who are
you?' and he answered, 'Who are you?' I said, 'Why don't you show
yourself?' He said, 'Show yourself!' And I ran into the woods, but I
could not find him; and I came back and said, 'If you don't come out I
will throw a stone at you!' And he said, 'I will throw a stone at you!'"

So her mother said, "Ah! Nellie, if you had said, 'I love you,' he would
have said, 'I love you.' If you had said, 'Your voice is sweet,' he
would have said, 'Your voice is sweet.' Whatever you said to him, he
would have said back to you. When you grow and get to be a woman,
whatever you say to others, they will, by and by, say back to you." And
her mother took her to that old text in the Scripture, "With what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BE JUST BEFORE YOU ARE GENEROUS.

"Come, Kathie! It is time to go home!"

It was Mother who called: she had been sitting for the last hour under
the shade of the old pier, whilst little Kathie ran hither and thither
on the beach, sometimes paddling a little, sometimes building sand
castles.

"Come, Kathie!" Mother called again; "it is late; come here and I will
put on your shoes and socks."

Still Kathie did not move, but sat staring at the sea, but with a look
in her eyes which told plainly enough that her thoughts were far away.
She was as a rule a good, obedient child, but to-day she seemed almost
as if she was afraid to come. Mother got up from her seat, and went
towards the little one.

"Did you not hear me, Kathie?" she began; then in an altered voice,
"But, my child, where is your hat? Put it on at once, the sun is so
hot."

Kathie