water-fall which came tumbling over the rocks, and spread into a wide pool that flowed up quite to the railway.

2. Close by stood a cattle train, and the mournful sounds that came from it touched my heart. Full in the hot sun stood the cars, and every crevice between the bars across the door-ways was filled with noses, sniffing eagerly at the sultry gusts that blew by, with now and then a fresher breath from the pool that lay dimpling before them. How they must have suffered, in sight of water, with the cool dash of the fall tantalizing them, and not a drop to moisten their parched mouths.

3. The cows lowed dismally, and the sheep tumbled over one another in their frantic attempts to reach the blessed air, bleating painfully all the while. I was tempted to get out to see what I could do for them; but it was nearly time for the train to move on again. While I hesitated, two little girls appeared, and did the kind deed much better than I could have done it. I could not hear what they said; but their friendly faces grew quite beautiful to me, with a loveliness that shabby old hats and gowns and bare feet could not spoil.

4. They worked away most heartily. One pulled off her apron, spread it on the grass, and emptying the berries from her pail upon it, ran to the pool and returned with it dripping, to hold it up to the suffering sheep. They stretched their hot tongues gratefully to meet it, and lapped the precious water with an eagerness that made the little barefoot's task a hard one. But to and fro she ran, never tired, though the small pail was soon emptied.

5. The other little girl meantime pulled great

handfuls of clover and grass for the cows, and, having no pail, she filled the dish, which had contained her berries, with water to throw over the poor dusty noses appealing to her through the bars. I wish I could have told those tender-hearted children how beautiful their compassion made that hot, noisy place, and what a sweet picture I took away with me of those two little Sisters of Charity.

6. May the day soon come that will enable us to enjoy the comfort of our luxurious palace cars, without remembering that on the same road are multitudes of helpless creatures whom God has committed to our caré, exhausted with fatigue, tortured with hunger, agonized with thirst, and whose fevered flesh is soon to be consumed as food, bearing the seeds of disease into many a home.

EXERCISES IN EMPHASIS.

1. Full in the hot sun stood the cars. 2. How they must have suffered.

3. I could not hear what they said.

4. They worked away most heartily.

5. They stretched their hot tongues gratefully to meet it.

VI. SOMEBODY'S DARLING.

INTO

NTO a ward of the whitewash'd halls,
Where the dead and dying lay,

Wounded by bayonets, shells, and balls,
Somebody's darling was borne one day-
Somebody's darling, so young and so brave,
Wearing yet on his pale, sweet face,

Soon to be hid by the dust of the grave,
The lingering light of his boyhood's grace.

2. Matted and damp are the curls of gold,
Kissing the snow of that fair, young brow,
Pale are the lips of delicate mould—
Somebody's darling is dying now.
Back from his beautiful, blue-veined brow,
Brush all the wandering waves of gold,
Cross his hands on his bosom now,
Somebody's darling is still and cold.

3. Kiss him once for somebody's sake,
Murmur a prayer soft and low;
One bright curl from its fair mates take,
They were somebody's pride, you know:
Somebody's hand has rested there;

Was it a mother's, soft and white?
And have the lips of a sister fair

Been baptized in the waves of light?

4. God knows best; he has somebody's love; Somebody's heart enshrined him there; Somebody wafted his name above

Night and morn on the wings of prayer. Somebody wept when he march'd away, Looking so handsome, brave, and grand; Somebody's kiss on his forehead lay, Somebody clung to his parting hand.

5. Somebody's waiting and watching for him, Yearning to hold him again to her heart; And there he lies with his blue eyes dim,

And the smiling, child-like lips apart.

Tenderly bury the fair, young dead,

Pausing to drop on his grave a tear; Carve on the wooden slab at his head, "Somebody's darling slumbers here."

I

VII. A SKATER PURSUED BY WOLVES.

HAD gone up the river nearly two miles, when, coming to a little stream which empties into the larger, I turned into it to explore its course. Fir and hemlock of a century's growth met overhead, and formed an archway radiant with frost-work. All was dark within; but I was young and fearless, and as I peered into the unbroken forest that reared itself on the borders of the stream, I laughed with very joyousness. My wild hurra rang through the silent woods, and I stood listening to the echo that reverberated again and again, until all was hushed.

2. Suddenly a sound arose; it seemed to me to come from beneath the ice; it was low and tremulous at first, but it ended in one long, wild yell. I was appalled. Never before had such a noise met my ears. Presently I heard the brush-wood on shore crash, as though from the tread of some animal-the blood rushed to my forehead, my energies returned, and I looked around me for some means of

escape.

3. The moon shone through the opening at the mouth of the creek by which I had entered the forest, and, considering this the best means of escape, I darted toward it like an arrow. It was hardly a hundred yards distant, and the swallow could scarcely have excelled me in fleetness; yet, as I

turned my head to the shore, I could see two dark objects dashing through the brushwood, at a pace nearly double my own in speed. By their great speed, and the short yells which they occasionally gave, I knew at once that these were the much dreaded gray wolves.

4. I had never met with these animals; but from the description given of them, I had little pleasure in making their acquaintance. With their long

gallop they pursue their prey, never straying from the track of their victim; and, though perhaps the wearied hunter thinks that he has at last outstripped them, he finds that they have but waited for the evening to seize their prey.

5. The bushes that skirted the shore flew past with the velocity of lightning almost, as I dashed on in my flight to pass the narrow opening. The outlet was nearly gained-a few seconds more and I would be comparatively safe; but in a moment my pursuers appeared on the bank above me, which here rose to the height of ten feet. There was no time for thought-I bent my head and dashed madly forward. The wolves sprang, but, miscalculating my speed, fell behind, while their intended prey glided out upon the river.

6. Nature turned me toward home. The light flashes of snow spun from the iron of my skates, and I was some distance from my pursuers, when their fierce howl told me I was still their fugitive. I did not look back; I did not feel afraid, or sorry, or glad; one thought of home, of the bright faces awaiting my return, and of their tears if they never should see me, and then all the energies of body and mind were exerted for escape.