e
skirt during her absence and sewed it up neatly. When, on her return
home, he showed her what he had done, she was touched and kissed him
tenderly. Soon she left the room, to return with an armful of garments.

"Here are some more for you, darling," she announced happily. "Don't
hurry. Just do them whenever you have time."

REWARD OF VIRTUE

The little boy put a serious question to his mother:

"Please, mama, tell me: If I'm a good boy, and I die, and go to heaven,
will God give me a nice ickle devil to play with?"

* * *

The teacher directed the class to compose fiction narrative. The most
interesting story submitted ran as follows:

"A poor young man fell in love with the daughter of a rich lady who kept
a candy store. The poor young man could not marry the rich candy lady's
daughter because he had not money enough to buy any furniture.

"A wicked man offered to give the young man twenty-five dollars if he
would become a drunkard. The young man wanted the money very much, so he
could marry the rich candy lady's daughter, but when he got to the
saloon he turned to the wicked man and said, 'I will not become a
drunkard even for twenty-five dollars. Get from behind me, Satan.'

"On his way home he found a pocketbook containing a million dollars in
gold. Then the young lady consented to marry him. They had a beautiful
wedding, and the next day they had twins. Thus you see that Virtue has
its own reward."

RULING PASSION

Noah Webster, the maker of the dictionary, carried his exact knowledge
as to the meaning of words into ordinary speech. A story told of
him--which is, of course, untrue--illustrates the point.

Noah's wife entered the kitchen, to find him kissing the cook.

"Why, Noah," she exclaimed, "I am surprised!"

The lexicographer regarded his wife disapprovingly, and rebuked her:

"_You_ are astonished--_I_ am surprised."

SAFETY FIRST

"Come over here!" called a friend to an intoxicated citizen whom he saw
across the street.

The man addressed blinked and shook his head.

"Come over there?" he called back. "Why, it's all I can do to stay where
I am."

* * *

Amos Perkins was hired in the spring to shoot muskrats, which were
overrunning the mill dam. An acquaintance paused to chat one day with
Amos, who was sitting at ease on the bank of the stream, his gun safely
out of reach.

"I hear the muskrat