hout leave.

_Bessy._--I'm very sorry I touched it, mother.

_Fred._--So am I; but I wanted to see if it was well seasoned.

_Mother._--Well seasoned, sir? You deserve to be well seasoned with a
rod. Now, your punishment shall be, not to taste a crumb of this nice
cake, any one of you. I shall give it to the poor family opposite.

_Fred._--Hoo-oo-oo-oo! Oh, don't!

_Maggy._--Don't, mamma; don't!

_Bessy._--Such a beautiful cake!

_Mother._--The cake shall be given to the poor; and you must be
contented with your bread and water.

_Fred._--Forgive us this once, mother. Remember it's the Fourth of
July,--a day when we all want to be jolly.

_Mother._--They who would be jolly, must begin by being good. The cake
goes to those who need it much more than we do.

(_The children all cry._)

ALFRED SELWYN.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: SONG OF THE BROOK]

WHAT was the song of the meadow brook,
As under the willows his way he took?
Wouldn't you like to know?
"Let me play a while as I will:
By and by I must turn the mill,
As farther down I go.

"Daisies, hanging over my side,
Beautiful daisies, starry-eyed,
Kiss me for I must go!
But think of me as I turn the wheel,
Grinding the corn into powdery meal
And drifts of golden snow."

A. D. W.

[Illustration]

HOW OUR SCHOOL CAME TO HAVE THE NURSERY.

THERE are fifty little boys and girls who go to the Blank street Primary
School. Brown heads, black heads, yellow heads, all shades of heads, may
there be seen studying their A, B, C. Some are very pretty, and some are
very plain; but they are all good children. I think so, and I ought to
know; for I am their teacher.

Well, they read and sing and spell; and some of the larger ones write a
little. But we all get tired of doing the same thing day after day; and
I felt that my little pupils needed a change.

So, one day, I said to them, "If you will each of you learn a little
verse so as to say it very nicely, we will have a good time next
Saturday morning. There shall be no lessons,--nothing but speaking and
singing."

Some of the little children looked as if they did not know what I
meant. But the older ones came to me, one after another, and said,
"Please fi