sin restrain.

Through the long night-watches
May thine angels spread
Their white wings above me,
Watching round my bed.

When the morning wakens,
Then may I arise
Pure and fresh and sinless
In thy holy eyes.

Glory to the Father,
Glory to the Son,
And to thee, blessed Spirit,
Whilst all ages run. AMEN.

SABINE BARING-GOULD

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CHILDREN'S FAVORITE STORIES

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HANSEL AND GRETEL

Many years ago, a woodcutter and his wife, with their two children,
Hansel and Gretel, lived upon the outskirts of a dense wood. They were
very poor, so that when a famine fell upon the land, and bread became
dear, they could no longer afford to buy sufficient food for the whole
family.

One night, as the poor man lay tossing on his hard bed, he cried aloud
in his grief and anguish:

"Alas! what will become of us? How can I feed my hungry little ones
when we have no food for ourselves?"

"Listen to me, good-man," answered his wife, who was stepmother to the
children. "As it is no longer possible for us to keep our children, we
will take them into the wood with us tomorrow, light a fire for them,
and give each a piece of bread and leave them. They will not easily
find their way back, and so we shall be rid of the burden of them."

But the father said: "No, no! I could not find it in my heart to
leave my darlings to perish. The wild beasts would tear them limb from
limb."

"Then," answered the wife, "we must all four die of hunger." She gave
her husband no peace until he promised to do as she wished, and at
last, very unwillingly, he consented.

Now, the two children had been too hungry to go to sleep that night,
and so it happened that they overheard all that their parents were
saying. Gretel wept bitterly, but brave little Hansel did his best to
comfort her. "Don't be afraid," he said; "I will take care of you."

As soon as his father and stepmother were asleep, he slipped on his
coat, and-opening the door softly, went out into the garden. The moon
was shining brightly, and by its light he could see the little white
pebbles that lay scattered in front of the house, shining like little
pieces of silver. He stooped and filled his pockets as full as he
could, and then went back to Gretel, and once more bidding her be
comforted, for God would be sure to watch over them, he jumped into
bed, and t