They talked over the new plan while old Hannah cleared the table; then out came the four little workbaskets, and the needles flew as the girls made sheets for Aunt March. It was uninteresting sewing, but to-night no one grumbled. They adopted Jo's plan of dividing the long seams into four parts, and calling the quarters Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and in that way got on capitally, especially when they talked about the different countries as they stitched their way through them. 8L. M. Alcott.

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1those hard times; this refers to the condition of N. America during the civil war of 1861 to 1864. The southern states wanted to form an independency of their own, the northern states objected to it; hence the war. It resulted in victory for the north. 2 home-sickness, sorrowing for home. camp, lodging in tents or huts. rebel, one who makes war upon his rulers. The Southerners were called rebels because they took up arms against their government. Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory written by John Bunyan, one of the most popular religious writers of any age. He wrote the book in Bedford jail, where he spent twelve years of his life. He was imprisoned on account of his religious opinions. It is supposed that no other book, except the Bible, has gone through so many editions, and attained so wide a popularity as the Pilgrim's Progress. literal, according to the letter; following the letter or exact words; not figurative or metaphorical. 7 romance, literally a fictitious and wonderful tale; here used to express a novelty or new and fanciful way of regarding our daily duties. 8 L. M. Alcott. This extract is taken from a book entitled "Little Women," written by Miss Lousia M. Alcott, an American authoress now living. Miss Alcott has written many lively, interesting, and instructive stories for the young Cousins and An Old-fashioned Girl are great favourites.

The calendar hath not an evil day

For souls made one by love.

Eight

THE FRIARS' ISLANDS.

con-spic'-u-ous per'-ma-nent spec-ta'tors

ex-ist'-ence

al-lowed'

im-ag'-ine

In the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, is a group of three small rocky islands called the Friars' Islands. They are often of great advantage as landmarks for sailors; for they are quite conspicuous, and lie about thirty miles west of the "Golden Gate," that beautiful entrance to the bay of San Francisco.

These islands have a large population of seals, "shags, and sea-gulls. Human beings are there sometimes, but only as visitors.

The seals, some of which are so large that they are called sea-lions, are the most permanent residents, for the shags and the sea-gulls will sometimes fly away.

The seals are objects of great interest to the people of San Francisco. Near this city is a rock called Seal Rock, which is generally covered with seals sporting there for their own amusement, and to the great delight of the spectators on shore.

No one is allowed to molest them, and the seals seem to know this, for they never show the least fear. There are few animals more easily tamed than seals but let them once become aware that in a certain place they are likely to meet with harm, and not one will ever be found there.

It is a pleasant trip from San Francisco to the

Friars' Islands. Here the seals seem to spend a curious existence. They climb out of the water, and slip into it again. They sleep in the sun, and then wake, and bark, and slip into the sea. They seem to slip, and slide, and climb, and sleep, and bark all their lives long. Most people have heard seals bark in a 'menagerie, and they can imagine the effect of hundreds of these creatures barking all at once.

The sea-gulls and shags have a more lively time, for they can fly. They are very graceful birds on the wing, and they must be delighted when the hatching season is over, and they can fly over the ocean and over the land, sweeping and circling, and diving and rising all day, as free and almost as swift as the wind.

But these poor shags and gulls have their troubles. Men come to the islands, and carry away their eggs, to take to the San Francisco market; and as for the very young gulls, they are killed and salted like herrings. They are considered good eating; not so the old gulls, who take so much exercise that their flesh is very tough.

1 California, a country in the west of North America, very rich in minerals. (see app.) 2 conspicuous, easy to be seen; prominent; obvious to the eye. 3 San Francisco, the chief city of California. When gold was discovered in 1847, the matchless harbour of San Francisco became the grand mart on the Pacific, and the population rapidly increased. 4 seal, an animal inhabiting the coasts of cold and temperate countries. (see app.) 5 shag, a kind of small cormorant. A sea-bird of the pelican family, noted for its voracity. sea-gulls. Birds common on the coasts of temperate countries. (see app.) menagerie, a collection of wild animals kept for exhibition.

THE WATERFALL AND THE

EGLANTINE.

"BEGONE, thou fond, 'presumptuous 'elf!" Exclaimed an angry voice,

"Nor dare to thrust thy foolish self Between me and my choice!

A small 'cascade, fresh swollen with snows,
Thus threatened a poor briar-rose,

That all-bespattered with his foam,
And dancing high and dancing low,
Was living as a child might know,
In an unhappy home.

"Dost thou presume my course to block?
Off, off! or, 1puny thing!

I'll hurl thee headlong with the rock
To which thy fibres cling."
The flood was tyrannous and strong ;
The patient briar suffered long,

Nor did he utter groan or sigh,
Hoping the danger would be past;
But seeing no 'relief, at last

He ventured to reply.

"Ah!" said the briar, "blame me not;

Why should we dwell in strife?

We, who in this 'sequestered spot

Once lived a happy life!

You stirred me on my rocky bed—

What pleasure through my veins you spread!
The summer long, from day to day,
My leaves you freshened and bedewed;
Nor was it common gratitude

That did your cares repay.

"When spring came on with bud and bell, Among these rocks did I

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Before you hang my wreaths, to tell
That gentle days were nigh;
And, in the 1osultry summer hours,

I sheltered you with leaves and flowers ;
And in my leaves, now shed and gone,
The linnet lodged, and for us two
Chanted his pretty songs, when you

Had little voice or none.

"But now proud thoughts are in your

What grief is mine you see.

breast:

Ah! would you think, e'en yet how blest

Together we might be !

Though of both leaf and flower "bereft,

Some ornaments to me are left

Rich store of scarlet hips is mine,

With which I, in my humble way,
Would deck you many a winter day,
A happy eglantine."

What more he said I cannot tell,
The torrent down the rocky dell

Came thundering loud and fast :
I listened, nor "aught else could hear;
The briar 1quaked—and much I fear
Those 15accents were his last.

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Wordsworth.

1 Presumptuous, presuming; forward; arrogant. 2 elf, a fairy, supposed to delight in mischievous tricks. 3 cascade, waterfall. *puny, weak; small. fibres, threadlike portions of plants, or slender rootlets of plants. tyrannous, cruel; unjustly severe. relief, lessening, or removal of the evil. ventured, dared; had the courage. 9 sequestered, living apart from other things; 10 sultry, hot; oppressive. bereft, deprived. 12 hips, 13 aught, anything. "quaked, shook. 15 accents, sounds

retired.

berries.

of words.

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