dropped
down dead. The soldiers all felt sad, and some of them cried. They
missed him like one of their comrades, and they had many to mourn for in
that dreadful battle. I hope there never will be another war.

PINKY.

PORTLAND, ME.

[Illustration]

THE SURPRISE.

"Whose hands are over your eyes? Guess quick."

"Old Mother Hubbard's?"

"Wrong: guess again."

"The good fairy's, Teenty Tawnty?"

"There are no fairies in this part of the country, and you know it.
Guess again."

"Well, I guess it is the old woman that lived in a shoe."

"She is not in these parts. I will give you one more chance. Who is it?"

"I think it must be little Miss Muffit,--the one who was frightened by a
spider."

"Nonsense! One would think you had read nothing but 'Mother Goose's
Melodies.'"

"Can it be Tom, Tom, the piper's son?"

"No, I never stole a pig in my life. Now give the right name this time,
or prepare to have your ears pulled."

"Oh, that would never do! I think it must be my cousin, Jenny Mason, who
is hiding the daylight from me."

"Right! Right at last! One kiss, and you may go."

IDA FAY.

[Illustration]

LITTLE PEDRO.

Pedro is a little Italian boy, who lives in Chicago. When I first knew
him, he was roaming about from house to house, playing on the fiddle,
and singing.

Sometimes kind persons gave him money, and then he always looked happy.
But many times he got nothing for his music, and then he was very sad;
for he lived with a cruel master, who always beat him when he came home
at night without a good round sum.

One day last spring, he had worked very hard; but people were so busy
moving, or cleaning house, that, when night came, he had very little
money. He felt very tired: so he went home with what he had.

But his cruel master, without stopping to hear a word from the little
fellow, gave him a whipping, and sent him out again. He came to my gate,
long after I had gone to bed, and played and sang two or three songs;
but he did not sing very well, for he was too tired and sleepy.

Just across the street, in an unfinished building, the carpenters had
left a large pile of shavings. Pedro saw this by the moonlight, as he
went along; and he thought he would step in and lie down to rest. His
head had hardly touched the pillow of shavings before he was asleep.

He dreamed about his pleasant home far away in Italy. He thought he was
with his little sisters, and he saw his dear