bring it to me. Then I
will empty the chatter out of the window, where it will disturb no one,
and return you the bag, to be refilled whenever you choose."

A wild shout of laughter rang through the school-room. Anna Maria turned
crimson, and dropped the bag. She would have been glad if the floor had
opened and swallowed her. She could make no answer--for once in her life
she was dumb.

"Pick up the bag, Anna Maria," said Miss Matilda, "and hang it on the
nail above your desk."

Very slowly and unwillingly the little girl obeyed. She took her seat,
and then, for the first time since she came to school, put her head down
on her desk and cried. Miss Matilda took no notice; she merely called
the second class in grammar, and resumed the lessons.

When school was over, and all the other girls had gone, Anna Maria
lifted her head, and exclaimed, "Oh, teacher, teacher, I can't stand it!
Do let me take that hateful bag away!"

"No, my dear," said Miss Matilda, gently. "For three months you have
disturbed the entire school with your perpetual chatter, and now for
three months that bag is to hang over your desk. If by the end of that
time you have learned to control your tongue, the bag shall be
removed--not otherwise."

But it was strange to see how the three months changed her. Miss Matilda
never again needed to say one word to her about talking: one glance at
the bag was more efficacious than a dozen scoldings had been formerly.

Moreover, when her grandmother met her teacher, she said, "Oh, Miss
Matilda, how Anna Maria has improved of late! She used to be such a
terrible chatter-box; we sent her to school when she was only three
years old, because we could not endure the noise of her tongue, but now
she is growing so pleasant and sensible that we all enjoy her company."

[Illustration: THE LITTLE PEACE-MAKER.

"Come, now, oove dot to behave oorselves; oo mus' tiss and be friends."]

THE WAYWARD DONKEY.

BY W. H. BEARD.

There was once a little donkey who gave his poor mother no end of
trouble, he was so stubborn, unreasonable, exacting, and dreadfully
saucy. Why, when angry, he didn't hesitate at all to call his mother an
old donkey, right out. One day, when crossed in some particularly absurd
desire, he declared he would run away. Immediately putting his threat
into execution, off he trotted, heedless of his poor fond mother's
entreaties. Away he went, sustained at first by his temper and pride.