on like
that. Be quiet, or you will be ill. Don't you hear what the mother says?
She will be with you all night, and what more do you want?'

He unloosed her fingers from his arm, and, holding her hands, told her
she must be calm before they could listen to a word she said. He would
not even let his mother caress her, fearing the child would be still
more unnerved by any display of tenderness at this juncture. Mrs.
Wright, however, hurried off to fetch some cordial in which she had firm
belief, and which she felt sure would restore Estelle after her fright.

(_Continued on page 246._)

A STUDIOUS ELF.

In Fairy-land, long years ago,
There lived a tiny Elf,
Who studied hard from morn till eve,
Just to amuse himself.

His copy-books he never soiled--
I know it for a fact--
Nor was he ever known, to do
A single naughty act.

And if there came to him a chance
Of fishing in the pool,
He'd shake his head and say, 'No, thanks;
I'd rather be in school.'

The 'tuck-shop' he could freely pass,
With ne'er a backward look,
Because his little eyes were glued
Upon his lesson-book.

But if my tale seems strange to you,
I'd have you understand
An Elf like this is seldom found,
Except in Fairy-land.

THE GROANING TREE OF BADDESLEY.

Gilpin, who wrote a pleasant book on forest scenery, especially about
the New Forest, tells his readers the curious story of the groaning tree
at Baddesley, one of the small villages. Under the influence of the
wind, trees often creak, or crack, and they may sometimes whistle, but
'groaning' is very unusual, and hence the surprise this tree caused
many years ago. Very likely, if there was such a tree anywhere now, the
railway would run excursion trains for people to visit it. Even at that
time many persons came from long distances to hear this natural marvel.

The tree was discovered by a cottager, whose wife was ill in bed. She
was much frightened by a peculiar moaning sound that seemed to come from
some one in dreadful pain; and she asked her husband what it was. He
told her that he thought the noise arose from the stags in the forest,
but the neighbours also heard it, and found that it came from an
elm-tree, young and apparently vigorous, at the end of the cottage
garden. The villagers were greatly alarmed. Several naturalists came to
see the tree, but they could not explain the noise. News of this strange
t