freed Sir Matthew from his bonds.
* * * * *
Cairns Castle is now falling into decay, and its light no longer exists.
But on the coast near by stands a magnificent lighthouse, which sends
forth its life-saving gleam across the sea. Conrad has left boyhood far
behind him, and has now little lads and lasses of his own. Many are the
stories which their parents have to tell of the once stately home of the
Cairns family, but the story the children like best to hear is how
Father lit the Castle Light.
M. I. HURRELL.
THE INDIAN CHIEF AND THE BISHOP.
Bishop Whipple, who did so much work among the Indians of North America,
tells how a great Indian chief became a Christian. 'One day,' he writes,
'the chief came to see me, and said that he wished to be a Christian;
that he knew he must die some day, but he had been told of the new life
into which Christians entered after death, and that he also would like
to enter that life.'
'Shall I cut your hair?' asked the Bishop.
This strange question was understood perfectly well by the chief. It
meant that he must cut off the bad old habit of going on the war-path.
'No, I cannot allow you to cut my hair,' he answered, reluctantly, for
he was not ready to give up going on the war-path.
'Well, you cannot become a Christian unless you cut your hair,' said the
Bishop, sorrowfully.
The chief went away, but he still attended the services which the Bishop
held, and after some months came again to the Bishop.
'I want to be sure of that life after death,' he said. 'Please make me a
Christian.'
'Shall I cut your hair?' asked the Bishop again.
'Yes; do whatever you like with me so long as you make me a Christian,'
answered the chief.
Thus the chief eventually became a Christian, and many of his tribe
followed his example.
THE NAUGHTY KITTENS.
'Look at old Puss,' the Kittens said,
'He's fast asleep, he nods his head;
How dull and stupid it must be
To be as slow and old as he!
He lies and sleeps there in the sun,
And does not try to play or run;
Creep up and gives him just a pat--
He ought to run, he gets so fat!'
But Puss awoke. 'Hullo,' said he,
'You think to play your tricks on me?
I know I'm old, I'm glad I'm fat--
My dear, kind mistress sees to that;
I scare the birds while lying here--
They dare not come when I am near,
To steal my mistress's nice
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