with one of its long arms, and with the other was climbing up the rigging as fast as it could.

You may fancy the distress of the poor mother, when she saw her baby in the monkey's clutch, and

the monkey climbing higher and higher at each moment, as though he meant to get to the very top of the main-mast. She tried to speak, but the shock had taken from her the power of speech, and

when she was laid upon the deck fainting she looked like one dead.

The captain did not know what to do. If he sent a sailor up the rigging he was afraid that the monkey would drop the child in trying to escape from one mast to another; and he knew very well that if the child were dropped from that great height it would be dashed to pieces.

All at once the baby began to cry, and at first it was thought that the monkey was hurting it; but the monkey immediately began to dandle and soothe it, and hush it to sleep just as a nurse would.

By this time it had been found necessary to take the lady down into the cabin. When she came to her senses her cries were most distressing, and the sailors had to use force to prevent her from rushing up on deck and climbing the rigging herself.

All kinds of plans were tried to tempt the monkey to come down, but in vain. At last the captain thought that if the sailors went below, the monkey would come down of its own accord. So he ordered all the sailors to go below. In a few minutes he had the pleasure of seeing the monkey descend and replace the baby on the sofa from which it had been taken.

I need not tell you how pleased the poor mother was to get her baby back again, and how earnestly she thanked God for having preserved its life.

Accord, will; e.g., he did it of his own accord.

Preserve, save; e. g., we were preserved through many dangers. Descend, come down ; e. g., we ascended on one side and descended on the other.

A FRENCH boatman, being unable to pay the dogtax, determined to get rid of his dog, and offered him for sale. But the dog was not of a valued sort, and, as it was suffering at the time from some disease, his master failed to find a purchaser for him. He then made up his mind to drown him. So, early one morning, he tied a stone round the dog's neck, rowed him out into the middle of the river, and then threw him in.

The stone, however, was not heavy enough to sink the poor animal, which continued to swim after the boat. The boatman tried to keep him off, and in endeavouring to push him away fell overboard and disappeared. The dog then broke the string by which the stone was suspended, laid hold of his master by the collar of his coat, and brought him safely to land. What a noble example does this poor brute furnish to us of the forgiveness of injuries!

I will tell you a story of another French dog. A French merchant once set out on horseback, accompanied by his dog, to receive some money that was due to him. Having received the money, he put it in a bag and set out on his homeward journey. On the way he alighted for a short rest, taking the bag of money with him and laying it down by

his side. On remounting he forgot to take up the bag. The dog noticed this, and tried to draw his master's attention to it by barking and howling. Not succeeding in this, he tried to stop the horse by running before it, but the merchant failed to make out the dog's meaning, and began to think him mad. The merchant was confirmed in his suspicion by noticing that when they crossed a brook, the dog did not stop to drink of it, the fact being that the dog was so anxious to attract his master's attention that he forgot his own thirst.

The merchant, at last, grew so alarmed that he made up his mind to kill the dog, and, drawing a pistol from his pocket, shot it. The poor animal fell wounded, but still strove to crawl towards his master. Unable to bear the sight, the merchant rode off, with a heavy heart; but he could not get the dog out of his mind. "I would rather," said he to himself, "have lost the bag of gold than the dog." As he said this his eyes turned towards the place where he had kept the bag. It was gone. All at once the truth flashed upon his mind. He had left the bag at the place where he had alighted, and his dog had been only trying to call his attention to it. He straightway turned his horse and rode back to the spot where he had shot his faithful attendant, but the animal was nowhere to be seen. All he could see were some traces of blood along the road in the contrary direction to that by which he was returning home. Following these traces he came at last to the spot where he had alighted, and there he found the poor bleeding dog watching over the bag. In spite of his wound he had managed to

crawl back to the place where his master's treasure had been left.

When he saw the merchant he showed his joy by wagging his tail, but he could do no more. He tried to rise, but his strength was gone, and he sank down exhausted. He still tried to lick his master's hand, as though to assure him of his forgiveness, and died with his last gaze fixed upon his master.

Dogs are capable of strong attachments, that survive even the death of the persons who are the objects of them. In the year 1858 a dog was observed following the funeral of his master into the Grey-Friars churchyard, Edinburgh. The next day he was found there again. Dogs not being allowed to remain in the churchyard, he was turned out, but every morning he returned and took up his station at the grave of his old master. At last a kind-hearted tradesman who lived close by made friends with him, and got him to take up his abode with him at night. His story became known, and a handsome collar was presented to him by the Lord Provost. He was known by the name of "GreyFriars Bobby." At his death, in 1871, the Baroness Burdett-Coutts caused a handsome granite fountain to be erected to his memory. It is provided with a basin, only a few inches above the ground, as a drinking-place for dogs, and bears a bronze plate on which Bobby's story is told. EDITOR.

Determine, make up one's mind; e. g., he determined to go. Endeavour, strive; e. g., endeavour to do your duty. Disappear, go out of sight; e. g., the rabbit disappeared. Contrary, opposed to; e. g., they went in contrary directions. Exhausted, worn out; e. g., he was exhausted by his exertions.