and whose days of truant playing many, began to take a new interest in school. He was even seen carrying a basket of clothes for Widow Nelson on the hill, and Mrs. Nelson gave

"The children marched over the hill."

him ten bright pennies. Herman only spent four cents for candy and gave six cents for the flag.

Now little folks, have you guessed the secret of the brown bundle? Yes, yes, you are right. A beautiful real silk flag did Papa Sloan bring from the great city.

What a happy Washington's Birthday in Everton that year!

Everyone for miles around had been invited to see the flag raising. "If only it will be a bright warm day," said the children, and kind Mother Nature seemed to hear and grant the wish.

The snow had melted early and mild days in February took the place of the January cold.

When the flag was first displayed in the school-room, the boys sent up a cheer, "Hurrah for George Washington!" and "Oh! Oh!" was heard from the girls.

"It's just too lovely," cried Alice Wood; "My! feel how silky it is," said big Herman whose hands were really clean for the occasion.

"It is prettier than the flag in the picture, I do believe," said Ruth Sloan, drawing a long breath, while little Tommy and the twins - the babies of the school- stood on tiptoe in their seats.

Now shall we take a peep into the school-room the afternoon of February 21st, and see how the busy hands had turned it into a place of beauty. The tall boys and girls were hard at work hanging the wreaths of evergreen across the sides and back of the school-room, and around the picture of George Washington.

"I tell you I love George Washington," said Tommy who always had a word in season and out. Miss Earle gave him a bright smile and I suspect she had a deeper love herself for the noble president, a love born of the children's enthusiasm.

"Now run home, children," she said "and have a good sleep and be all ready early to-morrow morning. Sleepalas! what a hard thing to expect of the children of Everton that night, when their dreams of a year were SO near

"We'll hand you the flag," cried eager Tommy and his best comrade Harry Hunter. In every wreath were tucked some little flags and looped from wreath to wreath were bright streamers of red, white and blue bunting, the gift of one of the rich ladies of Everton.

Now, girls ready for the letters," said Miss Earle, from the top of the step-ladder? Quick hands held up the letters one by one, and Miss Earle fastened them to the wall. These letters were made of tiny silver stars cut out by the A class, and pasted on cardboard.

Under this in letters of evergreen, crossed over the sword, lent them by Dr. Grey, were the words

"Unselfish, loyal, brave like thee, Washington, our Washington."

"Isn't that perfectly splendid?" cried the children, clapping their hands, as they stood off to catch the effect.

the silk flag floated gaily in the breeze. After the salute to the flag;

"I Give My Head And My Heart to My Country; One Country, One Language, One Flag."

the children recited these lines in concert ;

"We would thy grateful children be."

"Flag of the sun that shines for all,

Flag of the breeze that blows for all, Flag of the sea that flows for all.

Flag of the SCHOOL that stands for all. Hail, flag of Liberty all hail!

Hail glorious years to come."

The school-room door opened and the guests were invited by two stately looking persons in powdered wigs and dress of Washington's time, to enter. Led in by the pupils who marched in twos came the minister, Dr. Grey and many people of the village. After singing "My Country," Miss Earle said, "We can scarcely find words to tell you to-day of our thanks to all who have helped us to get our beautiful flag. One look into the children's happy faces will tell you more than words." If you can spend a few moments with us, the children have some little exercises ready."

Hand in hand to the platform came the six year old twins and in timid but clear little voices, said;

"We would thy grateful children be,
Washington, our Washington,
Unselfish, loyal, brave like thee
Washington, our Washington."

Loud applause followed the twins' first efforts and all the flags on the pupils' desks were waved eagerly.

Next came a class of ten boys and girls with slips of paper written in their own hand, and this is what some of them said.

"This is the birthday of George Washington.

George Washington was our first president.

He loved our country.

He was brave, true and kind.

He was a great general.

He led the armies wisely in the Revolutionary war, and brought victory and freedom to our country.

George Washington's home was called Mount Vernon.

He left his pleasant home to fight for our country.

The people loved him and made him president.

We saw the Mt. Vernon home at the World's Fair.

It was a house like the house of Washington and had many things in it once used by Washington.

George Washington planned our country's flag and had it made by Mrs. Betsy Ross of Philadelphia.

Our new flag in the school is real silk like the first flag."

Taking their seats they were followed by Ruth Sloan, Charlie Edwards and Ellen. Ruth, dressed in pure white carried a banner with the words;

"White, symbol of truth and hope. It is the language of of truth and purity."

Charlie was dressed in a red suit carrying a banner on which were the words, "Bravery in War."

Ellen dressed all in blue, held a banner with blue letters, "Loyalty, sincerity and justice." As the little ones held high their banners the school recited the second verse of "Washington."

"O may our hearts and hands be pure,
Our lives unstained, our honor sure;
So may our blessed land endure
Washington, our Washington."

Other songs followed; then a march; a story of Washington's boyhood; another of his life as general and the night sail on the Delaware river, (told by the older children) and at the close, a story of Mt. Vernon written by Esther Grey.

A hanging of red cheese cloth, which had seemed to cover something on the side wall, was then drawn aside by Herman and Walter Niles. A dainty drawing of Mt. Vernon, with the road leading to the entrance and the waving trees near it, was a pleasant surprise to the pupils and teacher. Mrs Nelson from her grand home, had sent this as a gift. Perhaps Herman's work last summer meant more than carrying a clothes' basket.

The happy exercises of the morning closed with the song, "Mt. Vernon Bell's," sung very softly, and as the friends and children dispersed, the sweet chimes of these bells seemed to ring in their ears and ring away all the long century between them and Washington. And the influence of his life seemed very near to all and went with them into the morning sunshine as they passed out into the battles of the day and of life.

Through Magic Spectacles.

BY THE EDITOR.

"My grandmother sent me to school, but I looked at the master, and saw that he was a smooth, round ferule, or an improper noun, or a vulgar fraction, and refused lo obey him. Or he was a piece of string, a rag, a willow-wand, and I had a contemptuous pity. But one was a well of cool, deep water, and looking suddenly in, one day, I saw the stars." George William Curtis, in "Prue and I."

TH

Valentines.

HE little teacher at the "Corners" had twelve children on her "books "but she was fortunate to get ten in their seats daily. But she had "ways" with her that stamped her as the born "friend, counsellor and guide" of little children.

Among her individual ways of "doing things" was a wise management of Valentine day in her little school-room. She had lifted it up from the silly sentimentalism that had always clung around it in this isolated locality, where the sending of a valentine was an equivalent for an offer of marriage, and had made it a beautiful custom for the exchange of pleasant remembrances.

She was in the habit of finding dainty little souvenirs of the day upon her desk when she came to school in the morning of February 14th, and her smile of pleasure was enough to make the school-room sunny all day.

There was one rich family in that sparsely settled section, who were the envy and admiration of the whole town, and one little girl from this wealthy home came to this country school.

One Valentine morning the teacher found an immense bouquet of half-opened yellow rose-buds upon her desk, tied with huge bows of satin ribbon of the same lovely tint. What a picture! The teacher caught her breath in the surprise and pleasure of it. Just her color! And the daintiness went straight to her beauty-loving soul. A radiant glance at Edith who had ordered them from the city conservatory was reward enough for that adoring young lady.

But there were other "valentines " also. There was one a little bit of conventional lace paper-bought at the village store for one cent. It was soiled, half crushed and told the story of a boy's crowded pocket and dirty hands.

But it told something else, too. It was signed only, "from Peter," but that P! How they had worked together over that P, or rather how the teacher had worked with the indifferent, unambitious little foreign boy who lived in the only shanty in the town, and who had seemed as dull and stolid as a stone, to all her pleadings. But here was a capital P that was a recognition, crude and imperfect though it was, of every little twist and turn of it she had tried to teach him.

Her face was transfigured with a gratitude that no mere enjoyment of beauty could ever call out. She said not a word but she stole a look and such a look - - at that ragged little self-conscious boy in the high-back seat in the corner, that it was never forgotten. It woke to life and activity a human soul.

Through Magic Spectacles.

"I wonder what she'd say if she knew I made them P's all over the kitchen floor last night and on the side of the house, and on the fences and everywhere I could get a chance to put one in.

"I could see 'em when I got into bed in the dark. They was a dancin' before my eyes the last thing before I went to sleep. If she'd scolded because I couldn't make 'em, I'd never made a letter for her in all my life. But she used to look so sorry and hurt like that I wanted to s'prise her. But, jiminy, wasn't I scared when I saw them yeller roses from the city! I wished then I could a got mine back. But when she see it and looked at me-I-I thought I'd choke! I'll do everything she wants me too, jest as long as I live. Jest wait till I grow up you'll see. My! but she's the kind of a teacher that makes you want to do do things, she is!"