THE PEACHES.

FATHER one morning

A one

took home five fine ripe peaches to his wife and family of four children. It Iwas the first time the children had seen such splendid fruit, and they much admired

its fresh colour and the rich bloom that was upon it.

When they were talking over the ·events of the day, in the evening, as was their 'custom, the father asked if they had eaten their peaches.

"Yes!" cried the eldest, "mine was excellent; and I have carefully preserved the stone, and mean to put it in the earth, when I hope it will grow into a tree."

"Right!" said the father. "It is a good thing to be careful, and to think of the future."

"I," said the youngest, "ate my peach at once. It was very nice, almost as sweet as honey. After eating my own, I had half my mother's, too."

"Ah!" replied the father, "you have been greedy and selfish; but you are yet young, and I hope we may regard it as a fault which your youth somewhat 'excuses, and which years will correct."

"I," said the third, "picked up the stone that my little brother had thrown away, and cracked it, and I found inside an almond that had the taste of a

nut. But my own peach I have sold, and with the money I received for it I shall be able to buy others when I go to the market."

The father shook his head. "6 That may seem to you a very clever thing to do, but I should have been better pleased, my boy, had you been a little less calculating. And you, Edmund, have you eaten your peach ?"

"Father," said Edmund timidly, "I took mine to our neighbour's son George, who is ill. He was not willing to accept it, but I put it on his bed and left it there."

"Well," said the father, "who do you think has made the best use of his peach?"

The three boys cried with one accord, "Edmund! Edmund! Our brother Edmund has."

Edmund said nothing; but his mother, with a smile on her lips and a tear in her eyes, took him in her arms and kissed him.

QUESTIONS.-What fruit did the father take home? To whom did he give them? What questions did the father ask in the evening? What did the eldest child answer? What did the youngest say? What did the third say? What did Edmund say? What did the father say to each of his sons? Which had made the best use of his peach?

GRAMMAR.-Write out all the adjectives in this lesson.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

can'-dies, skates, etc., the presents hung on the Christmas tree. FIRST VOICE.

[URRAH! hurrah! for the Christmas tree,

HUR

May it flourish for aye in its greenery! When the winter comes with its whitening snow, How proudly the Christmas tree doth grow.

ALL.

Hurrah! hurrah! for the Christmas tree;
Hurrah! hurrah! for its mirth and glee;
When forests of oak have passed from the land,
The merry old Christmas tree shall stand.
SECOND VOICE.

There are wonderful plants far over the sea,
But what are they all to the Christmas tree?
Does the oak bear candies," the palm-tree skates?*
But sugar-plums, trumpets, baby-dolls, slates,
Picture-books, elephants, soldiers, cows,

All grow at once on the Christmas-tree boughs.
ALL.

Hurrah! hurrah! for the Christmas tree;
Hurrah! hurrah! for its mirth and glee;
When forests of oak have passed from the land,
The merry old Christmas tree shall stand.

THIRD VOICE.

Oh, the many homes it hath happy made,
When the little ones under its leaves have played;
Oh, sweet are the pleasures that round it spring,
And dear are the thoughts of the past they bring.
Then long may it flourish, and green may it be,
The merry and mighty old Christmas tree!

ALL.

Hurrah! hurrah! for the Christmas tree;
Hurrah! hurrah! for its mirth and glee;
When forests of oak have passed from the land,
The merry old Christmas tree shall stand,

THE FAITHFUL DOG.

Ne'-ro, pr.n., meaning "Strong," was the name of a Roman

Emperor; it is now a favourite name for dogs.

SOME hundreds of years ago a nobleman lived in

a castle in a distant land. His young wife had died, leaving him with an only child a few months old. The father loved his little boy dearly, and placed him in charge of a nurse and two waiting

women.

The nobleman also had a splendid dog, named Nero. The dog had long been attached to his master, and in a little time became no less fond of the child, and would sit and watch by his cradle for hours while he slept.

One day the nobleman went out hunting. When he was gone, the nurse and her maids thought they would like to have a ramble in the gardens of the castle. So they put the little baby boy into his cradle, and locking the door, left him in sole charge of the faithful Nero.

After they had been absent some time they heard the dog howling most 'piteously, and they ran to the castle to see what was the matter.

In their anxiety they could not find the key of the door, and had to force it open. When they at last got into the room they found to their great relief the little child quite safe and sound.

Not so the dog, however. He had now ceased howling, and was lying calmly by the cradle side as

though he were asleep. But on trying to rouse him they were shocked to find that he was dead.

Nor were they long in discovering the cause. Close by the lifeless body of the dog was stretched an immense serpent, which, luckily for them, was dead also.

The reptile had come through a chink in the building, and had most likely tried to creep into the cradle for warmth. Had it done so it might have pierced the child with its poison fangs and killed it.

But the faithful Nero was on guard, and had seized the intruder before it came near the sleeping infant. The enraged snake had then, no doubt, bitten the dog and crushed him in its powerful folds. In this way the pair had fought and struggled until they had killed each other.

When the nobleman returned from the hunt and heard the story, he shed tears over the brave creature who had sacrificed his life in his service. And in gratitude for the protection of his child he had a monument placed in his garden, on which the heroic incident was recorded.

EXERCISE. Write out from memory the substance of the above story.