7. Whispering to the serf, he said, "They are after Get ready your musket and pistols; I will do the same. We may yet escape. Drive on! drive on!"

us.

8. The man drove wildly on; but nearer, ever nearer, came the mournful howling which the child had first heard. It was perfectly clear to the nobleman that a pack of wolves had got scent, and was in pursuit of them. Meanwhile he tried to calm the anxious fears of his wife and child.

9. At last the baying of the wolves was distinctly heard, and he said to his servant, "When they come up with us, single you out the leader, and fire. I will single out the next; and, as soon as one falls, the rest will stop to devour him. That will be some delay, at least."

10. By this time they could see the pack fast approaching, with their long, measured tread. A large dog-wolf was the leader. The nobleman and the serf singled out two, and these fell. The pack immediately turned on their fallen comrades, and soon tore them to pieces. The taste of blood only made the others advance with more fury, and they were soon again baying at the sleigh. Again the nobleman and his servant fired. Two other wolves fell, and were instantly devoured. But the next post-house was still far distant.

11. The nobleman then cried to the post-boy, “Let one of the horses loose, that we may gain a little more time." This was done, and the horse was left on the road. In a few minutes they heard the loud shrieks of the poor animal as the wolves tore him down. The remaining horses were urged to their utmost speed, but again the pack was in full pursuit. Another horse was cut loose, and he soon shared the fate of his fellow.

12. At length the servant said to his master, "I have served you since I was a child, and I love you as I love my own life. It is clear to me that we can not all reach the post-house alive. I am quite prepared, and I ask you to let me die for you.'

66

No, no!" cried the master, "we will live together or die together. You must not, must not!"

13. But the servant had made up his mind; he was fully resolved. "I shall leave my wife and children to you; you will be a father to them: you have been a father to me. When the wolves next reach us, I will jump down, and do my best to delay their progress."

14. The sleigh glides on as fast as the two remaining horses can drag it. The wolves are close on their track, and almost up with them. But what sound now rings out sharp and loud? It is the discharge of the servant's pistol. At the same instant he leaps from his seat, and falls a prey to the wolves! But meanwhile the posthouse is reached, and the family is safe.

15. On the spot where the wolves had pulled to pieces the devoted servant, there now stands a large wooden cross, erected by the nobleman. It bears this inscrip"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

tion:

1. THE farmer sat in his easy-chair,
Smoking his pipe of clay,

While his hale old wife, with busy care,
Was clearing the dinner away :

A sweet little girl with fine blue eyes,
On her grandfather's knee was catching flies.

2. The old man laid his hand on her head,
With a tear on his wrinkled face;

He thought how often her mother-dead-
Had sat in the self-same place;

And the tear stole down from his half-shut eye:
"Don't smoke," said the child: "how it makes you
cry!"

3. The house-dog lay stretched out on the floor, Where the shade after noon used to steal; The busy old wife by the open door

Was turning the spinning-wheel;

And the old brass clock on the mantel-tree
Ilad plodded along to almost three;

1. Still the farmer sat in his easy-chair,
While close to his heaving breast
The moistened brow and the cheek so fair
Of his sweet grandchild were pressed;
His head bent down on her soft hair, lay-
Fast asleep were they both that summer day.

9.-LADY-BIRD! LADY-BIRD!

1. LADY-BIRD! Lady-bird! pretty one, stay:
Come sit on my finger, so happy and gay.
With me shall no mischief betide thee;
No harm would I do thee, no foeman is near:
I only would gaze on thy beauties so dear,
Those beautiful winglets beside thee.

2. Lady-bird! Lady-bird! fly away home!
Thy house is afire, thy children will roam.
List, list! to their cry and bewailing.
The pitiless spider is weaving their doom;
Then, Lady-bird! Lady-bird! fly away home:
Hark, hark! to thy children's bewailing.

3. Fly back again, back again, Lady-bird dear!
Thy neighbors will welcome thee merrily here;
With them shall no perils attend thee.
They'll guard thee so safely from danger or care,
They'll gaze on thy beautiful winglets so fair,

And comfort, and love, and befriend thee.

ad-vent'ur-ous, liking to take risks, ex-haust'ed [egz-hawst'ed], weary,

daring.

at-tract'ed, drew, called forth. bar'gain [-gin], agreement between two persons, one to buy, the other to sell.

cu'ri-ous, strange.

tired out.

gal-lant', polite to ladies.

guard'i-an [yard'i-an], one who
guards or protects.
mys'ter-y, a deep secret.
re-flect'ed, thought.

dis-po-si'tion [-zish'un], turn of re-proached' [re-procht'], blamed.

that he never paid the least attention to any thing she said, but was careless, lazy, and wasteful. His follies were not owing to a bad disposition, but to his mother's foolish fondness. In a short time he spent all that she had, and scarcely any thing remained but One day, for the first time in her life, she re

a cow.