he joint of the leg,
where a fringe of hairs acts as a cover.

Wax is a secretion from honey, which oozes out between the rings which
form the body, and is then worked with the mouth until it is fit for the
construction of the comb. Bees also make a gummy substance for
varnishing their cells, which they procure from the buds of trees.

When we took leave of the kind old gentleman, he gave me in a basket a
nice honeycomb to take to my mother; and since that my father has bought
me a hive of bees. Every summer I plant flowers in my garden for them,
that they may not have far to go for their honey.

BERTHA.

[Illustration]

BAD LUCK.

JOHN went down to the brook to catch a mess of fish. He took off his
boots, took his seat on the bank, and threw out his line.

The fishes took John's bait. He could see them dart at the bait as fast
as he threw it in; but they did not take his hook.

While he watched them, some one touched him on the arm. It was his
sister Jane.

"How many have you caught, John?" said she. "I'll help you take them
home."

"Thank you," said John. "We shall not have much of a load. I have had
bad luck."

There were three men a mile down stream, who did full as well as John
did. Here is a sketch of them.

[Illustration]

CHERRY AND FAIR-STAR.

I COULD not have been quite six years old when I became the possessor of
a canary-bird, to which I gave the name of Cherry.

There were three children of us,--myself (the oldest), Arthur, and baby.
My father was at sea; and my mother had charge of us all in her little
house near the ocean.

Well do I remember one cold day in winter when we were all gathered in
the one little apartment that served us for nursery, dining-room, and
sitting-room. Arthur, who had overslept himself, was at his breakfast;
mother was feeding baby; and I was looking at my dear Cherry in his
cage.

Pots of hyacinths in bloom were on the table; Mr. Punch, Arthur's
Christmas present, lay as if watching the cat on baby's pillow in the
basket; and Muff, the old cat, with Fair-Star her kitten, were lapping
milk from a basin on the floor.

My dear mother had taught Muff to be good to Cherry; and Muff seemed to
have overcome her natural propensities so far as to let Cherry even
light on her head, and there sing a few notes of a song.

So, on the day I am speaking of, I let Cherry out of his cage; and he
fle