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sir,' begged the boy. I will run and get you the change; for I am very hungry.' 9. So I gave him a shilling, and he darted away. I waited a few minutes for him, but he did not come. Then I thought I had lost my shilling; but I did not like to think badly of the boy, for there was something in his face which seemed to tell me he was an honest lad.

me.

10. An hour or two afterwards I was told that a little boy wanted very much to see When he was brought in, I found that he was a younger brother of the boy who had got my shilling, but that he was even more ragged, and poor, and thin than his brother. He stood still for a moment, and then, diving into his rags as if he were seeking something, he said, 'Please, sir, are you the gentleman that bought the matches from Sandy?'

II. 'Yes, I am,' said I.

12. 'Well then, sir,' said he, 'here is fourpence out of the shilling. Sandy can't come; he is very ill. A cart knocked him down and went over him, and he lost his hat, and his matches, and your seven-pence, and both his legs are broken, and the doctor says he will die; and that's all.' And putting down

THE LITTLE MATCH-BOY.

13

the four-pence on the table, the poor child sobbed as if his heart would break.

13. So I gave the little fellow some food, and then went with him to see his brother Sandy. I found that the two little boys lived alone, and that their father and mother were dead. Poor Sandy was lying on a bundle of shavings. He knew me as soon as I came in, and said, 'I got the change, sir, and was coming back; and then I was knocked down, and both my legs were broken. But, oh! my dear little Davy! I am sure I am dying, and who will take care of you when I am gone? What will become of you, Davy?'

14. Then I took his hand, and told him that I would always take care of Davy. He understood what I said, and had just strength enough to look up at me as if to thank me. Then the light went out of his eyes, and I knew that he was dead.

15. Poor Sandy was buried a few days afterwards, and Davy came to live with me. He is a very good and truthful boy, and I think he will grow up to be a good man.

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I. We watched her breathing through the night,

Her breathing soft and low,

As in her breast the wave of life
Kept heaving to and fro.

2. So silently we seemed to speak,
So slowly moved about,

As we had lent her half our powers
To eke her living out.

3. Our very hopes belied our fears,
Our fears our hopes belied,

We thought her dying when she slept,
And sleeping when she died.

4. For when the morn came dim and sad,
And chill with early showers,

Her quiet eyelids closed-she had
Another morn than ours.-Hood.

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I. THIS large bird with the long neck and long legs is an ostrich. It is found in Africa. 2. Its legs do not look very thick but they are very strong. It is much taller than a man, and is so strong that it can run very fast even with a man on its back.

3. Although the ostrich has wings it cannot fly like other birds, but when it wishes to go along very swiftly, it spreads out its short wings which catch the wind like the sails of a ship; it is then able to run faster than a horse can gallop.

4. Having a long neck and sharp eyes the ostrich is able to see its enemies a long way off.

5. This bird feeds on seeds, grass, berries, fruit, locusts, small birds, and lizards; it also swallows sand and stones, as a fowl swallows gravel, to assist it in grinding its food.

6. When men are hunting the ostrich, and it finds that it cannot get away, it buries its head in the sand and thinks that it cannot be seen. What a silly bird the ostrich must be, to forget that its large body and long legs are not hidden!

eggs.

7. The eggs of the ostrich are very large, each egg containing as much food as two dozen hen's The natives of Africa are very fond of these eggs when they are fresh. In order to cook them they bury them in hot ashes. The African women often bore holes in the eggs, and having poured out the contents they use the shells to fetch water in. The broken egg-shells are used as cups and saucers 8. The cry of the ostrich is almost as loud

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