children see her easily. She says: "Ducks Fly," and raises her arms to represent flying. The children imitate her as long as she mentions creatures that fly. If she names a creature that cannot fly, as "cats fly," or "elephants fly," and any child makes a movement, he has to sit down. The teacher, of course, moves her arms every time, so that the children can not tell by what she does whether they ought to fly or not. The children have to think for themselves and have to think quickly.

Sharp Eyes. The children stand with arms by their sides, facing the front of the room. One child is chosen for leader, and he stands where all can see him, facing the other children. 'The teacher acts as judge. At a signal from the teacher the leader executes some simple gymnastic movement; at another signal he resumes ordinary standing position. The children now try to imitate exactly the movement of the leader. The leader executes another movement, and the play continues until six or less exercises have been imitated. The play may then be sumed with a new leader. The main purpose of this game is to bring out originality on the part of the leader, and to teach the other children to see quickly and correctly.

re

LITTLE GLISTEN.

Once upon a time in a beautiful lake lived some dainty little creatures. They were so happy playing together, for there were so many of them. The sun shone upon the lake and they were never tired of looking up into his face. It was a bright, sunny day when one of these little fellows, after gazing at the sun, said he would like so much to go with him as he traveled around.

The sun smiled and said he would take him, and, what do you think? The little creature and some of his brothers and sisters found themselves lifted out of the pond and carried up, up, through the air.

They were soon joined by others, and they all decided to take a ride in a beautiful carriage of soft gray. They enjoyed it very much, passing over the country, the trees, and the houses. By and by they began to feel chilly, it was so much cooler riding up high.

Our little friend said: "I am cold." "So am I," said an"You must put on your warm coats," a kind voice re

other.

plied.

"Let us all put on our white coats," they cried.

Each one stretched out his arms, and what do you think happened? They did not look one bit like they did when they started on their journey from the lake.

"Oh, look at that beautiful star coat!" and "that lovely one with six arms!"

"Over there is one with eight sides," exclaimed these little creatures as they looked from one to another in surprise.

Our little friend from the lake had such a shiny white coat they all called him Glisten. He was very much astonished at his handsome, glittering wrap.

The

After they had put on their winter coats they continued their ride and joined a number of other gray coaches which now covered the sky. It was noon, and school was just dismissed. boys and girls noticed, as they came out, the beautiful gray carriages floating in the air, and while they were watching themı down came Glisten with his friends. There were so many of them they made the ground white. They kissed the faces of the

children and covered their cloaks and hats.

"It snows! It snows!" cried the happy children.

"Oh," said the boys, "if it only snows enough so we can make

a snowman after school."

Little Glisten wondered what that could be and asked one of his companions. "Wait and see," said he.

When school was over, out came the boys, and they began rolling a large snowball. Little Glisten, sitting on a fence post, watched them very closely. The boys made the body, then they said they must have some very nice snow for his head.

"Oh, here is just the thing!" exclaimed one and picked up the snow from the post on which was little Glisten, and made the head and face. There was Little Glisten looking out of the snow-man's face, and how he enjoyed watching the children's play.

One March day the sun grew warmer and Glisten wanted to lay aside his winter coat, and those beside him said they were too too, and wondered what to do, so they concluded to run

warm

>

down the snow-man, and when they reached the ground, lo! their lovely white coats were gone. They ran into the street and down into the river, which carried Glisten and the other little creatures back to their home in the beautiful lake. How glad Little Glisten's mother and brothers and sisters were to see him and to hear about his trip with the sun. What was Little Glisten?

A snowflake.-M. Estelle Martin.

3 *

M

FROM SUNSHINE TO FIRELIGHT.

beautiful tree. It was so strong, tall, and graceful that the ferns mosses beneath loved it dearly, and nestled close to its big

any, many, many years ago, in a great forest, there grew a

and

trunk.

ne day two little sunshine fairies coming from their far-away

home in the great, warm, shining sun, flew straight to this beautiful tree. And as they sat on a leaf resting, after their wonderful journey through air and clouds, one of them said: "Isn't this a lovely tree? Let us go inside and see if we can help to make it even stronger and taller."

So they found a tiny door in the leaf and crept in. There were a great many of their fairy cousins inside, little fairies of the sunshine, busily at work doing their part toward building up new leaves, twigs, and branches, and all so happy that the little sisters knew that they, too, were glad to be there.

In company with some carbon fairies, whom they learned to love very dearly, the little sisters were sent to give strength to a twig which was beginning to sprout, and there they lived a long, long time, so long that the twig became a large branch, and their dear old tree grew so strong and tall that it was called the king of all that wonderful, great forest which stretched for miles.

At last the little fairies grew sleepy; they hardly noticed that their beautiful tree was no longer crowned with leaves, and that when wind storms came the branches cracked and fell. They nestled together close to their friends, the carbon fairies, and fell into a sound sleep.

While they were sleeping many wonderful things happened. One day the wind blew such a gale and shook the tree so hard that there was a crack, a snap, and with a great crash it fell over upon the ground. After a while some soft green moss and lovely gray lichens crept over it. Then the leaves and twigs and seeds from other trees slowly, slowly covered it.

So many years rolled by and so many wonderful things took place, that by and by a lovely lake glistened in the sunshine just where the great forest had been. Even then the little fairies did not awaken, and they never knew that the water was washing stones and sand and clay far over their beautiful tree and crushing it, so that it was not at all like a tree any more, but was slowly turning black.

They slept on and on, while the lake passed away and another great forest grew where the first one had been; but the fairies were far, far beneath the ground now.

muffled "boom!"

At last they were almost awakened by a then the tap, tap, tap of miners at work, and they dreamed that they were in a dark, dark coal mine hidden far away from the sunshine and the deep, green forest, with its wild flowers and creeping vines, and that their beautiful tree had been changed into a big, black, shiny lump of coal.

And, sure enough, their dream was true, for in a little while they were taken up, up, out of the darkness into the fresh, cool air, and sent away to a city where a little girl lived; and soon the lump of coal, which was now their home, was put into a fireplace

in the very room where the little girl was playing with her Christmas toys.

Then, as they grew warmer, and warmer, the tiny fairy sisters slowly awakened. They noticed a bright glow all around them and soon discovered that it came from a great number of their fairy cousins who were beneath the lump of coal singing a low, peaceful chant, and, somehow, as the coal began to crackle and splutter, they grew happier and happier, and commenced to dance and sing.

Then they sang a joyful good-bye to their little friends, the carbon fairies, whom they had long loved so dearly, and saw them slip into curious gowns of some invisible material and flit away up the chimney. Next they clung together and danced with joy while they burst out into a glad new song, telling how, long ago, they had come from the sun just tiny bits of sunshine, how they had loved their beautiful tree and had worked so patiently for it, and now, after their long, long sleep, they were so happy because they could give brighness and warmth to the little girl sitting before the fire.

Do you think she heard the song they were singing, the song of countless ages? Do you think she saw the dear little fair? sisters as they danced before her, while she gazed and gazed into the leaping flames? Do you think she guessed that it was real sunshine in the fireplace which made her so warm and glad?— Susie M. Willison.

Little by little, sure and slow,

We fashion our future bliss or woe,
As the present passes away.

Our feet are climbing the stairway bright,
Up to the region of endless light,
Or gliding downward into the night;
Little by little, and day by day.

True worth is in being, not seeming,
In doing each day that goes by
Some little good, not in dreaming

Of great things to do by and by.

Attempt the end and never stand in doubt;
Nothing's so hard but search will find it out.

-Herrick.

Teachers' Reading.

Life of Christ.-Farrar.

TEMPTATION OF JESUS.

Matt. 4: 1-11; Mark 1: 12, 13; Luke 4: 1--13.

Jesus goes into the Wilderness-fasts-He is tempted; the first temptation-the reply-the second temptation-the replythe third temptation-the reply-Jesus overcame temptation.

ALINE'S AMBITION.

"Oh, I should like to do something grand and brave. I wish I could go out and rescue a perishing crew, like Grace Darling, or lead an army like Joan of Arc. If I'd lived in the times of the Reformation I should have been a martyr-I should have gone to the stake"

"Aline, dear!"

was

"Yes, mother, I'm coming," replied the child, as she put down her book and hastened to the room where Mrs. Beaumont sitting with her baby on her knee and a tiny boy, two years old, by her side.

"I've just received a letter, dear, from Aunt Jessie," she said. "She is going to Silerlea next week to stay with Kate and Florence Desmond at the cottage their father has taken again this summer, and Mrs. Desmond kindly told her to invite you to spend two months with them there."

"Oh, mother! do you really mean it? Two whole months at Silverlea-the dearest, prettiest spot you can imagine! Oh, it is so good of Mrs. Desmond (you would love her if you knew her), and Kate and Florence are such nice girls and-but what is the matter? You look troubled. Don't you want me to

go?"

"Yes, dear, of course I do, but I cannot help wishing Beth could have gone. She is so pale and languid, and has such a poor appetite. Change of air might do her so much good, and, as you know, we cannot go away this year. We shall have to be careful."

"Yes," said Aline, thoughtfully, "but about Silverlea, couldn't Beth go as well?"