they were always quickly cheered by happy words and songs thereafter.

Mrs. Howe's power of music was a wonderful gift. Rhythm and melody came to her as easily as speech. She is said to have known more songs, in all the languages of earth, than any other person of her generation. Her own children never came to the end of her songs, and her grandchildren loved them as much as her own. Music flowed from her throat as naturally as a bird sings. Most of her compositions were never written down, and whenever any occasion required a new one, it was forthcoming as spontaneously as food for the feasts.

Mrs. Howe became famous. She spoke often at great meetings, was consulted much on great subjects, and exerted an influence always powerful in behalf of great causes. She resided in Boston, and had a summer home at Newport. She lived elegantly, but not ostentatiously, and was a great favorite with small and great, young and old alike. Her superior knowledge, sweet wisdom, and still greater tenderness and love for every creature made her a center of interest to all.

This tribute by one of her grandchildren will be a fitting close:

"Not only had we delightful visits from her in our own homes, but we went besides to stay with her. In all my life I have never known any one so sparkling with fun and wit as was she; and the games and plays, the music and dancing that we had with her were like so much sparkling sunshine. Even when she was at her serious work in the morning, we might always come into her room, if we would play quietly, and she always arranged something to amuse us, and had a moment's laughing talk with us before she went back to her desk."

No human affection is more beautiful than the love of sisters.

Paternal affection may be more compassionate, and filial affection more ardent, but in the element of beauty the love of intelligent sisters surpasses both.

I knew a quartet of loving, intelligent sisters. Bright of intellect, comely in face and form, socially engaging, warm in temperament, self-respecting, and deferential, their friendship was a prize and their friends were legion.

Lively, indeed, was life in their association. Though not all equally witty, none were without wit, and all had what was better than wit-that wisdom which is "the olive that springeth from the heart, bloometh on the tongue, and beareth fruit in the action."

And these four sisters are yet living to bless each other and to grace society.

As constant as the light, as warm and genial as the summer air, their love lives on, shines on, keeping a glow in the heart and ever fostering in their associates a strong desire for longcontinued life.

Of sisters in general it may be said that they are not only loving, but that they rarely lose kindly interest in each other, as brothers often do.

Brothers are interested in property and its related rights and benefits; sisters are more interested in matters of propriety and their related joys.

Brothers go to law with brothers, but the quarrels of sisters, if they have any, seldom reach so serious a stage.

The devil tempts one mother's son

To rage against another;

So wicked Cain was hurried on

Till he had killed his brother.

Brothers may kill each other, as they do sometimes, but such a crime among sisters would shock the world.

Sisters are tender toward each other and toward brothers, too, and their generous love goes far toward making home a paradise.

Some one has said that "a happy family is but an earlier heaven," and nothing except parental wisdom goes farther in making happy families than the love of sisters.

THE UGLINESS OF HATRED

Giants are found only among lovers. The cordial hater is a pigmy.

Hate dwarfs the soul. It is a force that consumes vital energy faster than a steam locomotive consumes coal.

Violent hatred sinks the hater lower than anything hated can be.

Hate is heart madness. It is a cancer that eats out all tenderness and leaves the moral nature a skeleton.

The cordial hater sees everything off-color. His mental vision is not natural. He often loathes what others can but love. Haters are failures, and deserve to fail. They do themselves no good by hating, and it is impossible for them to do good to those they hate.

Hate no one. Hate vice. All hatred of persons is vicious. Hatred is the vice of the narrow.

Cordial haters should carry mirrors to look into and see how pale they are. Hatred turns the life-blood into bile.

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No man can rise by hate. Stop hating, or else stop hoping. Hatred never goes to seed and dies out. It is more persistent than Canada thistles. Love alone can cure it.

Expend your soul

capital left for work.

power in hate and you won't have any

Heart disease is always deadly.

When a cordial hater gets sick and wishes to be reconciled to the one long hated, look out for a death near. In the light of eternity hatred does not seem worth while.

And shall I hate my brother? No!

His hold on life, like mine, is frail.
Soon off upon death's sea we go,

And hatred only speeds the sail.

QUEEN OF THE WORLD

I have a friend of whom one who is intimately acquainted with her says, "She mothers everybody."

This friend is yet young in years, and still younger in heart, a beautiful Christian character, popular in society, interesting in personal intercourse, and yet her distinguishing characteristic really is that "she mothers everybody."

Could a sweeter compliment be paid to a woman?

There are mothers and mothers. Some have traits of one kind and some of another; but all who are really motherly possess at least one trait which is peerless in beauty and sacredness, for

A mother is a mother still,

The holiest thing alive.

Everywhere in this world mothers are needed, for the inspirations and restraints of motherhood are indispensable in softening the rough features of this hard world and in making collective life all that it should be. An old Jewish adage touches the point, "God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers."

Among mothers generally there are few who are inclined to "mother everybody," or who even mother somebody as wisely and tenderly as they should.