ich 'his
ludship,'" with a deep bow in Charlie's direction--"signed arrived, the
boy was delighted, and he thoroughly enjoys the excellent home he is
now in. Imagine my surprise when a letter reached me thanking me for
my wise decision. I could not understand it, as I thought I knew the
paper in reference to it was lying on my desk waiting its turn. You
may well laugh, you young rogues."

"How did you find out?" asked Charlie, divided between contrition and a
desire to enjoy the joke.

"Jarvis and I traced it out. I paid a visit to Wales and put the
signature of the original Barrington to the document. The present
guardian of the boy declares the little fellow's disposition would have
been completely ruined if he had remained much longer under his former
guardian's care, and I am afraid, in the ordinary course of the law,
which moves slowly, it would have been some time before the matter
could have been attended to. So you have done that much good to a
fellow-boy. Only be careful in the future, dear lad, to read a
document before signing it, for carelessness in that direction might
not always end as well as it has in this instance. What puzzles me is
how you came to take that particular paper when so many others lay
about; it was but one chance in a million."

"'A chance--the eternal God that chance did guide,'" quoted Dr.
Kingsley, in his quiet, gentle voice.

"What lots we'll have to tell Ned! O boys, do let's cheer!" cried
Selwyn eagerly, springing to his feet. "Here goes--three cheers for
Uncle Geof and dear papa, and a big, big 'tiger' for his 'ludship!'"

THE PIOUS CONSTANCE.

Once upon a time the Emperor of Rome had a beautiful daughter named
Constance. She was so fair to look on, that far and wide, she was
spoken of as "the beautiful princess." But, better than that, she was
so good and so saintly that everybody in her father's dominions loved
her, and often they forgot to call her "the beautiful princess," but
called her instead, "Constance the good."

All the merchants who came thither to buy and sell goods, carried away
to other countries accounts of Constance, her beauty, and her holiness.
One day there came to Rome some merchants from Syria, with shiploads of
cloths of gold, and satins rich in hue, and all kinds of spicery, which
they would sell in the Roman markets. While they abode here, the fame
of Constance came to their ears, and they sometimes saw her lovely face
as she wen