"I _know_ he didn't," spoke up a big splendid dog. "Bose is a good fellow!" Then all the dogs barked out, "Hear! hear!" so loudly that Patsy awoke. The dogs had vanished; the morning sun was shining. She heard her father call, "Patsy, come and see the fox! We've trapped the rogue. It was he that killed the goose!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A DOG LYING DOWN.}]

[Ill.u.s.tration: {THE BAKER AND FRIENDS OFFER BEER TO THE HORSE.}]

A TEMPERANCE HORSE.

He belongs to a baker. His master went into a restaurant to deliver some pies. I was sitting at a window opposite. He stayed so long in the place that I thought he had forgotten his faithful beast.

After a while he came out carrying a great mug full of foaming beer.

There were two other men with him. All their faces were red, and they walked unsteadily, and they were laughing loud, and shouting. Then the baker went up to his beautiful horse, and offered him the beer to drink.

Do you suppose he took it? No, indeed! He gave it one sniff from his smooth, brown nostrils. Then he turned his head away with a jerk so sudden that he knocked the gla.s.s, beer and all, upon the pavement. He looked at his master as if to say, "Don't insult me again in that way, sir!"

So his bad master had to pay for both the beer and the gla.s.s.

Wise old horse, he was not afraid to give his opinion of beer.

CLARA J. DENTON.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {TWO CHILDREN FLYING KITES.}]

HOW THE WIND BLOWS.

High and low The spring winds blow!

They take the kites that the boys have made, And carry them off high into the air; They s.n.a.t.c.h the little girls' hats away, And toss and tangle their flowing hair.

High and low The summer winds blow!

They dance and play with the garden flowers, And bend the gra.s.ses and yellow grain; They rock the bird in her hanging nest, And dash the rain on the window-pane.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A GARDEN WITH BEEHIVES.}]

[Ill.u.s.tration: {HAYSTACKS IN A FIELD.}]

High and low The autumn winds blow!

They frighten the bees and blossoms away, And whirl the dry leaves over the ground; They shake the branches of all the trees, And scatter ripe nuts and apples around.

High and low The winter winds blow!

They fill the hollows with drifts of snow, And sweep on the hills a pathway clear; They hurry the children along to school, And whistle a song for the happy New Year.

M. E. N. H.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {CHILDREN IN A SNOWY FIELD.}]

DIME AND BETTY.

Bow-wow! Who are you? I am only a little dog. My name is Dime. I am not a cross dog. I have been a pet dog all my life. Shall I tell you what I can do? I can sit up and beg. I can shake hands. I can jump over a stick, O yes; and I can run very fast. I can run as fast as Pomp, the baker's dog; and Pomp is a big dog.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {DIME AND POMP RACING EACH OTHER.}]

I like to run races with Pomp. He never bites a little dog. We like to run after birds. But we never catch any birds. They fly away when we come near. I wonder how the birds fly. Pomp and I cannot fly.

My master has a cow. Her name is Betty. She is a good cow. She gives nice, white milk. I do not care much for milk. I like a bone better.

But old Tab, the cat, likes milk. I like to see Tab drink milk. She laps it up very fast.

I drive Betty to pasture every day. John goes with me to shut the gate. John is the boy who milks the cow. I wish I could open and shut that gate. Then John would not go to the pasture. I should like to go all alone. I think it would be fine.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {DRIVING BETTY TO PASTURE.}]

I take good care of Betty. When any one comes near her, I say, "Bow-wow" very sharply.

S. E. SPRAGUE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {BOBBY AND THE RAM.}]

SAVED FROM FREEZING TO DEATH.

When Bobby Smart was six years old, he was left to the care of his Uncle James, who lived in the country. His aunt took him to his future home, and at the depot he saw his uncle for the first time.

Bobby was lonely and sad; his uncle often treated him with harshness and even cruelty. The cold winter had come on early. Bobby was the only boy about the farm, and he had to work very hard. His clothing was unfit for the winter weather, and he often suffered from the cold.

Among the duties which this poor boy had to perform was that of tending a flock of sheep. One afternoon, when there were signs of a snow-storm, he was sent to drive the flock to the barn. He started for the field, but his clothes were so thin that he was benumbed by the intense cold. He sat down on a large rock to rest himself. He felt strangely tired and cold. In a little while he began to feel drowsy.

Then he thought it was so nice and comfortable that he would stay there awhile. In a very few moments he was asleep, and perhaps dreaming.

Suddenly he was aroused by a tremendous blow which sent him spinning from his perch on the rock to the ground. Looking about him, he saw an old ram near by. The creature looked as though he had been doing mischief, and Bobby was no longer at a loss to know where the blow came from; but he thought the attack was an accident, and in a short time he was again in the land of Nod.

Again the ram very rudely tumbled him over into the snow. He was now wide awake, and provoked at the attack of the beast. He began to search for a stick to chastise his enemy. The ram understood his intention, for he turned upon Bobby as if to finish the poor boy.

Bobby was forced to take to his heels, and ran towards home.

The ram chased him, while the rest of the flock followed after their leader. The inmates of the farm-house were surprised to see Bobby rushing towards the house as fast as his little legs would allow him.

His hair was streaming in the wind, and he was very much terrified.

Close upon him was the old ram, kicking up his heels in his anger.