he song down here
before." And then he added: "Don't you think, now that we are all
here, you'd better sing the song right end first, and be done with
it?"

"Oh, certainly!" cried Davie, "certainly!" beginning to sing.

If you could but have heard that song! As Davie sang, each fowl or
animal took up its part, and sang it, with its own peculiar tone and
manner, until they all joined in.

"I had a horse, and my horse pleased me;
I tied my horse behind a tree.
Horse said, 'Neigh! neigh!'
Dog said, 'Bow-wow!'
Duck said, 'Quack! quack!'
Guinea said, 'Pot-rack! pot-rack!'
Hen said, 'Shinny-shack! shinny-shack!'
Bird said, 'Fiddle-diddle-dee!'"

Davie was overjoyed. He thought he would sing it all over again. But
just then he was sure that his mother called him.

[Illustration: All in Procession.]

"Wait a minute!" he said to his companions. "Wait a minute! I'm coming
back! Oh, it's just like a fairy-tale!" he cried to himself, as he
bounded up the garden-walk. "I wonder what mother'll think?"

But his mother said she had not called him, and so he ran back as fast
as his legs would carry him.

But they were all gone. His speller lay on the ground, open at the
page of his lesson; a crumb or two of bread was scattered about; but
not a sign of the white pony and the rest of the singers.

"Well," said Davie, as he picked up his book, "I guess I wont sing it
again, for I bothered them so. But I wish they had stayed a little
longer."

THE LETTER-BOX.

A BRAVE GIRL.

One summer day, in Union square, New York City, a beautiful deed was
done, which our frontispiece tells so well as almost to leave no need
of words. A poor blind man started to cross the street just as a car
was rapidly approaching. He heard it coming, and, growing confused,
stood still--his poor, blind face turned helplessly, pathetically
up, as if imploring aid. Men looked on heedlessly, regardless of his
danger, or the voiceless appeal in his sightless eyes.

Suddenly, from among the passers-by, a young girl sprang to his side,
between him and the great horses which were so near they almost
touched her, laid her dainty hand on his, and led him safely over the
street, and with gentle words that brought a smile to his withered old
face, set him safely on his way.

It was a brave, kindly act, and one may be sure it was neither the
first nor the last, of the brave girl who did it.

* * * *