them. A tidal wave burst
over the Severn's banks one night, and, rushing in a volume five feet
high, entered the workmen's cottages, and rose above the beds on which
their children were asleep. They were only saved by being lifted on to
tables and shelves. Then the great mass of water rolled on, to fall in a
huge torrent down the tunnel shaft. At the bottom eighty-three men were
at work. They escaped by running up the sloping tunnel and climbing a
wooden stage or platform at the far end. The water rose to within eight
feet of the tunnel-roof. As soon as the mouth of the shaft could be
reached from above, a small boat was lowered, and upon the gloomy
subterranean river a party of rescuers rowed in search of the imprisoned
men. A huge timber, stretched from side to side of the tunnel, soon
barred the boat's progress, and it became necessary to return to the
shaft for a saw to cut it in two. This they dropped overboard before
accomplishing their purpose, and had to wait while another was obtained.
Eventually, however, the men were reached and removed from their
terrible prison.

But through danger and difficulty alike, the Severn Tunnel was pushed on
with, reaching completion in 1886--fourteen years after its
beginning--and was opened for passenger traffic on December 1st, in that
year.

JOHN LEA.

THE UNDECIDED TRAVELLERS.

'The world is wide,' exclaimed the Goose,
'I think I'd like to travel.'
'And so should I,' the Ass replied,
'I'm tired of loads of gravel.'

'Where shall we go?' inquired Miss Goose;
'Myself, I fancy China.
'Oh, no!' cried Ass; 'in Switzerland
The mountain peaks are finer.'

'A fig for landscapes!' hissed his friend,
'I yearn for fields of paddy;
About my food I must confess
I am a trifle "faddy."'

'They'd make _us_ into food,' cried Ass,
'They'd fry our bones in batter;
I will not walk ten thousand miles
To make a Chinee fatter.'

And as no plan would suit them both,
They have not yet departed,
And I should hear with great surprise
That they had really started.

A. KATHERINE PARKES.

A BRAVE ANSWER.

There was sharp fighting between the English and French in the Windward
Islands in 1778, when General Meadows conquered St. Lucia, not, however,
without himself being severely wounded at the very beginning of the
engagement.

The General, though wounded, would not leave the field for a moment, and
when th