carrier
pigeon would have no such difficulty in returning. Means must be found,
however, to make it possible for each bird to carry many letters. M.
Dagron, a clever photographer, discovered this means. He showed how he
could photograph a letter and reduce it in size till the writing became
unreadable, even under an ordinary magnifying glass. This could be done
on films so thin that a roll of twenty of them could be inserted in one
quill, each film representing a large number of letters. Having proved
to the authorities the success of his invention, M. Dagron departed in a
balloon, to explain to the various towns in France how letters must be
sent to Paris.

Every day after that the welcome sounds of flapping wings was heard in
the beleaguered city. The letters that they brought were placed between
two sheets of glass and enlarged. Then, by means of a magic lantern,
they were reflected on to a large screen, while post-office clerks,
sitting at a table opposite, copied them down on to separate sheets,
and dispatched them to their different addresses in the city. Nearly one
hundred thousand letters were sent to Paris in this way during the four
months of the siege, and the hostile army outside its walls was
powerless to intercept them.

JOHN LEA.

WILLIE'S SUM.

Willie laid his pencil down,
And put his books away,
And with a sad and peevish frown
He hurried out to play.
But as he ran, the blackbird's song
From poplars in the lane,
Rang out: 'You know that sum was wrong,
And should be done again.'

Yet Willie heeded not the sound;
Pretended not to hear,
Till trees, and hills and all around
Kept singing in his ear:
'It's no use, Willie! Trust us, do!
You can't enjoy the fun
Until the task that's set for you
Is well and justly done.'

Then in a sad and sorry state
He homeward turned amain:
Took up his pencil and his slate
And worked the sum again.
_This_ time the answer wasn't wrong,
And as to play he went,
His conscience sang an altered song
Which made his heart content.

GENEROSITY.

A father of a family wished to settle his property between his three
sons. He therefore made three equal parts of his chief possessions and
gave one part to each son. There remained over a diamond ring of great
value, which he reserved for the son who should perform the noblest and
most g