ble little fingers would let her, when a shadow
darkened the sunlit walk leading to the house. Nelly saw it, and knew
well enough who it was; but there she sat, her pretty little mouth
pursed up, and her merry blue eyes almost closed, working faster than
ever.

"Oh! is it you, Phil?" she exclaimed, as Phil Morton bounded lightly
over the railing beside her, (for he disdained the sober process of
walking up the steps;) "how you frightened me!" _He_ frighten _her!_
Though he was naughty sometimes, and scared the little birds, he would
not think of frightening Nelly Grey. No, not he.

"Oh! Phil, I have something to show you," said the little girl, after a
while, and then she raised her voice and called, "Frisk! Frisk!" Frisk
was not far away from Nelly, and presently he came lazily along, shaking
his silky coat as if he did not quite relish being waked from his nap so
abruptly.

"But what is that shining so brightly around his neck--can it be a
collar? Well, it is, sure enough. But where _did_ you get it, Nell?"
said Phil, turning to her in amazement.

"Mrs. Preston, the minister's wife, gave it to me; how she came to know
I wanted it, I can't think."

"But I can, Nell. She heard us when we were talking, I'll bet; for you
know she came in just after we did, and she gave it to you for being so
good."

"Oh no, Phil! I only did what anybody else would have done."

"_Anybody_? You know _I_ didn't want to Nelly," said Phil sadly.

"Oh, never mind _that_, Phil; you did afterward, you know."

"Well, but, Nell, I _know_ she gave it to you for being so good. Isn't
there something on the collar?"

"No, only Frisk's name;" and she turned to examine it with Phil.

"There, Nell! what do you call this?" and Phil triumphantly held up the
edge of the collar, on which was written, "_Nelly's reward for
self-denial."_

"Why, Phil, I never saw it before; isn't it queer?"

"Queer, that you didn't _see_ it before? Yes; but it isn't queer that
she gave it to you No, not at all; I should have thought she would."

"Oh, Phil, how you praise me! you mustn't," said Nelly, her pink cheeks
deepening into scarlet.

She deserved praise, did not she? for she was a very good little girl.
But I will not tire you with any more about her now. So good-by, my
sweet little reader.

NORA.

[Illustration]

THE FOUR EVANGELISTS.

BY REV. H.R. NYE.

My Young Friends:

I love to hear and to tell stories nearly as well as when I wa