there are the chimneys of the
Grove. Mother, may we not run home and not wait for the cab?'

'Very well, dears, run away; Jane will go with you.'

And away the little girls ran. They had just opened the gate and entered
the avenue, when they saw some object approaching them. It seemed to be
the ghost of Tabby! Staggering weakly down the avenue to meet them, her
ribs sticking out, her fur torn off her in patches, her eyes dim, her
voice quite gone, and her tail almost bare of fur, came poor dear
Tabby, feebly trying to welcome her little mistress home.

Edith burst into tears as she lifted the poor cat into her lap, while
kind-hearted Jane ran to the nearest cottage and returned with some warm
milk. Oh, how greedily it was lapped up, and with what hungry eyes she
looked for more! Jane had to warn the children lest in their compassion
they should give her too much food at once, which would have been very
hurtful to an animal so starved as the poor cat had been. Mr. Merry had
only fulfilled one half of the agreement; he had taken the half-crown,
but he had not taken the cat; and great was the anger of the children at
his treachery and cruelty.

The next day, when he brought the milk as usual, they all ran down to
scold him. But he was a man of composed manner and few words; he
listened in silence, then he grinned at the sight of poor pussy's tail
which Edith showed him, and, taking up his milk-cans, he departed,
saying, 'Her should just have coom when I were willing to take her. Her
deserves all she have got!'

'And, Mother,' said Ina, as she told the story, 'just think! he has kept
poor Edie's half-crown. What a wicked man he must be!'

THE FORCE OF LABOUR.

The mere drudgery undergone by some men in carrying on their
undertakings has been something extraordinary; but it has been drudgery
which they regarded as the price of success. Addison amassed as much as
three folios of manuscript materials before he began writing. Newton
wrote his _Chronology_ fifteen times over before he was satisfied with
it; and Gibbon wrote out his _Memoir_ nine times. Hale studied for many
years at the rate of sixteen hours a day, and when wearied with the
study of the law, he would recreate himself with philosophy and the
study of mathematics. Hume wrote thirteen hours a day while preparing
his _History of England_. Montesquieu, speaking of one part of his
writings, said to a friend, 'You will read it in a few hours; but I
assu