g from
their drilling, burst through the windows. The school-master rose,
quite pale, in his place. Never had he seemed so great to the
children.

"My friends," he said, "my little friends, I--"

But he could say no more; he was not able to speak the words. He
turned to the blackboard and, taking a piece of chalk, he wrote upon
it,

"_Vive la France!_"

Afterward, he remained there, his head resting against the wall, and,
without speaking, he made a sign with his hand.

"It is finished. You are dismissed."

TIMOTHY'S SHOES

The godmother arrived for the christening, dressed in plum-colored
satin and carrying a small brown parcel.

"Fortunatus' purse!" whispered one of the guests, nudging his
neighbor.

"A mere trifle for the boy," said the fairy godmother, laying the
parcel down on the table. "It is a very common gift to come from my
hands, but I trust it will prove useful."

She untied the string of the parcel and gave the baby's mother--what
do you think?

A small pair of strong leather shoes, copper-tipped and heeled!

"They'll never wear out, my dear," she said. "And, after all, my
little gift is not quite so shabby as it looks. These shoes, have
another quality besides that of not wearing out. The little feet that
are in them cannot very easily go wrong."

"Mrs. Godmother's broomstick is at the door," shouted some one. So
the fairy godmother took her departure.

As years went by and her family increased, the mother learned the full
value of the fairy shoes. Her nine boys wore them in turn, but they
never wore them out. So long as these shoes were on their feet, they
were pretty sure to go where they were sent and to come back when they
were wanted. So, at last, the fairy shoes descended to the ninth and
youngest boy, and became Timothy's.

Now the eighth boy had very small feet and had worn the shoes rather
longer than the others, and Timothy got them somewhat later than
usual. Even though she was very conscientious, Timothy's mother found
it hard not to spoil the youngest in the family. Master Timothy was
wilful, and his feet became used to taking their own way before he
stepped into the fairy shoes. He played truant from school, and was
late for dinner so often that at length his mother decided that
something must be done about Timothy. One morning the leather of the
fairy shoes was brightly blacked and the copper tips polished, and
Timothy wore them for the first time.

"Now, Timo