But nobody seemed inclined to carry out the proposal, for James stood facing them all with an intrepid look on his face, which rather daunted them. 'Here goes!' exclaimed Mr. Hobson, dealing our hero a blow as he spoke. Take that, you young beggar !!

'If you touch me again,' cried James, 'I'll knock you down as surely as you stand there; so beware!' Before Mr. Hobson could reply, Mr. Simpson came between them, saying decisively, 'Come, we've had enough of this! let me advise you, young man, to take your departure; your company can be dispensed with here; and you, Hobson, sit down and leave the cub alone; he's not worth all the trouble there's been about him!'

'Get out, you young beggar' exclaimed Mr. Hobson, his face aflame with passion, to the friend whom he had so often pressed to visit him, 'or I'll kick you out!'

'You'll certainly not do that,' said James; 'I shall only be too glad to be rid of such company. You'll please bear in mind that I didn't come here of my own accord; and had I known the way you were going to pass the evening, nothing would have induced me to come.'

'And I,' said Mr. Hobson, if I had known what a coward the fellow was I had taken pity on, would never have honoured him with an invitation.'

'I am no coward!' replied James, his pale cheek flushing crimson at the assertion; 'I'll defy anyanybody here to prove that I am!'

'You're an awful coward!' returned his fellow clerk emphatically, because you dare not touch a drop of spirits, and because you are afraid to break your word if that isn't cowardice, I don't know what is !'

I should be a coward if I did as you say, and-' Come come!' called out a voice at this juncture, 'we've had enough of such talk, and are sick of it. If you, Hobson, are going to stand parleying there all night, we'll leave you to it !'

peasant girl, uttering a sweet twittering sound, by which she summoned the pigeons to be fed. And wonderfully they responded to her call. From all points of the compass they came flocking to their young mistress, each eager to outstrip the rest, until there could not be less than several score gathered round her. Some lighted on her shoulders, some clung to her arms, and I noticed one perched on her head, and another picking at a small piece of sweet bread she held between her lips. Some showed more confidence, and ventured upon greater familiarities than others; but none of the numerous group showed the slightest sign of fear. And how was all this to be explained? Simply by the law of kindness. The feeding of the pigeons day by day formed part of this young maiden's work, and she took care to avoid everything likely to frighten the timid creatures or to make them suspicious, and to win their confidence and affection by constant kindness. And so it came round that they became quite tame, and would allow her to do with them as she pleased. Nearly every kind of animal can be subdued by kindness. I am not sure that even tigers and lions might not be so subdued. At any rate, the less ferocious animals, and especially those we have about us, such as dogs, and cats, and horses, may all be subjected to our will, and made pliable and docile by ruling them with the law of kindness.

Enough to Poison a Parish.

A PROTESTANT little girl, being asked by the priest to attend his religious instruction, refused, saying it was against her father's wishes. The priest said she should obey him and not her father.

'O sir, we are taught in the Bible--' Honour thy father and thy mother.''

'You have no business to read the Bible,' said the priest.

'But, sir, our Saviour said in John v. 39, 'Search the Scriptures.'

That was only to the Jews, and not to children, and you don't understand it,' said the priest.

'But, sir, St. Paul said to Timothy, "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures'' (2 Tim. iii. 15).

'O,' said the priest, 'Timothy was then being trained to be a bishop, and was taught by the authorities of the Church.'

'O no, sir,' said the child; 'he was taught by his mother and his grandmother.'

On this the priest turned her away, saying, she knew enough of the Bible to poison a parish.'

Wbat became of a Lie.

FIRST Somebody told it,
Then the room wouldn't hold it,
So the busy tongues rolled it

Till they got it outside;
When the crowd came across it,
Till it grew long and wide.
From a very small lie, sir,
It grew deep and high, sir,
Till it reached the sky, sir,

And frightened the moon ;
For she hid her sweet face, sir,
At the dreadful disgrace, sir,

That had happened at noon.
This lie brought forth others,
Dark sisters and brothers,
And fathers and mothers--

A terrible crew;

And while headlong they hurried
The people they flurried,
And troubled and worried,
As lies always do.

And so, evil-boded,
This monstrous lie goaded,
Till at last it exploded

In smoke and in shame ;
While from mud and from mire
The pieces flew higher,
And hit the sad liar,

And killed his good name!
-Mrs. M. A. Kidder.

Betermined to Succeed.

'EIGHT times three !' said Willie Wilson, impatiently. 'O what is the matter with me? Can't I get that right?'

'Come on, Willie ;' shouted the boys at the window; 'we can't wait; finish your lesson afterwards.'

'O yes,' said Willie. Afterwards! I know all about him; he has cheated me many a time, and I have no faith in him. Nine times four are thirty-six.' 'Bother nine times four! It is time we were off, and we shall have to go without you.'

'I should like to bother it,' said Willie; 'it is giving me bother enough. How much is it, anyhow?' 'One hundred and seventy-nine. Now come on this minute, or we shall go without you.'

'Look here, Harry Jones,' said Willie, looking up from his work; 'this is the last example in our lesson. I've got all the others, and I know I shan't have any more time for arithmetic, and I don't

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mean to stir from this corner till I get this bothering old fellow right. I've gone over him three times now, and it won't come; if I have to do it three hundred times I mean to have it. So there!'

'Bother take the old example, anyhow!' said Harry, in his crossest tone. 'Come on, boys, we can't lose all the fun waiting till midnight for him ;' and away every boy went.

'Nine times four are thirty-four,' said Willie, patiently; and though of course it was not right, and never will be, he worked away just as steadily; and when he found that he was wrong again he said, talking, 'Now, look here! You think you are going to beat me, don't you? Well, you were never more mistaken in your life. My name is Persevere Wilson. Father said I had earned that name, and that I should have it as long as I deserved it; and I hope you don't think I am going to lose my name and my place in the class just to please you.'

Then he began slowly, patiently, each figure carefully studied, and at last the example 'proved itself,' and Willie, with a soft hurrah and a loud yawn, got up from his corner. The last glimmer of twilight was fading. No use to talk of ball-playing now; fun was over for that evening.

'I don't care,' said Willie, as he went up to bed; 'it will be more fun for me than for the others when the roll of examples is called to-morrow.'

Sure enough! 'Master Willie,' said Professor Bennet, looking up over his spectacles, 'you are the only member of the class to be marked 'Perfect' to-day. There was more ball-playing than perseverance by the rest of the class, I fear.'

THAT'S a question which puzzles me. I really don't know how to answer it. Ponto is such a good dog, and Dollie is such a good doll, I don't know how to choose between them, and I am at a loss which to prefer. I don't know how I could get on at all without Ponto. You say he's an ugly brute. Well, I grant he's not a beauty, but I won't have him called ugly. He isn't ugly. And then, he's so kind and faithful to me. I believe he would lay down his life for me. Just think of that, and say whether I had not reason to love him. As for Dollie, she's the sweetest, dearest dollie in the world, and she's my companion by night as well as by day. Yes, she goes to bed with me, and lies in my bosom, the sweet little pet that she is. Which do I like best, Ponto or Dollie? I am still puzzled, and I think I must say, I like them both best.