mouth, and led her to the gate she had formerly passed.

Here he stopped; and as the dog kept a tight hold, she rang the bell. On the servant opening the gate, the animal quietly trotted in. Then the lady found that he belonged to the house, and had been shut out. What was it that the dog knew the lady could do?*

generally washerwoman

wig
shirt

bound jump

A SENSIBLE DOG.

sprang seized

A MAN had a wig which generally hung on a peg in his room. One day he lent the wig to a friend. Some time afterwards, he called on him, but, on his leaving, the dog stayed behind.

For some time the dog stood looking full in the man's face. Then, with a sudden bound, he sprang on his shoulders, seized the wig, and ran off with it as fast as he could. When he reached home he kept jumping up, trying to hang up the wig in its place.

The same dog was one after-noon passing through a field near Dartmouth, where a washerwoman had hung out her linen to dry. He stopped and looked at one of the shirts with attention. He then seized it, and dragged it to his master, whose shirt it proved to be.†

THE first rabbit I ever had was a wild one.

I well remember the time when this little animal was given to me. I was at work in the garden, when Robert Wade, the gardener, beckoned me † Bingley.

* Jesse.

aside, saying, in a low voice, "Miss Kate, I have something pretty to give you, if you will come along with me. Only do not say a word to the other young ladies."

Now, I never could exactly understand the reason for this secrecy; and had I been older (for I was but seven years of age) possibly I might have been wise enough to decline accepting the gift on such terms. As it was, I had no such scruples, but willingly followed Robert to the coach-house.

Raising me from the ground in his arms, the gardener bade me look into the great tub. Inside I beheld, to my delight, four nice little grey rabbits, munching some carrot-tops and parsley. On our approach, they reared up on their hind legs, and begged for the fresh greens which Robert had supplied me with.

I had never kept rabbits, scarcely even seen hese pretty animals, and I was so pleased and mused by watching them, that it was with some difficulty I could be persuaded to leave hold of the

tub.

One rabbit in particular attracted my attention; it had a white spot on the forehead, and white feet. This rabbit Robert said should be mine. But I was not to tell my sisters or brothers, for, if I did, he was sure they would want to take it away from me.

The summer passed away, and the autumn was already far advanced. I had enjoyed in secret the possession of Whitefoot upwards of five months, during which time he had grown a fine creature, and very tame. He would lick my fingers, rub his head against my hand, and nestle closely to me, when I took him on my lap. His skin was as soft and glossy as grey satin, and he was the darling of my heart. I was already looking forward

The

to the time when he would be all my own, for Robert had hinted at the probability of his fitting up a hutch for Whitefoot in the root-house. prospect of my rabbit being brought into the roothouse, and placed under my own care, was truly delightful to me. But alas the end of our hopes does not always match with the beginning.

One cold foggy afternoon, in the month of November, I sat on a little stool beside mamma, hemming the bottom of a new slip for my baby sister. We were suddenly interrupted by the abrupt entrance of Thomas, my youngest brother, who ran into the room, quite out of breath.

"What is the matter with my dear little boy?" asked mamma. "Dear mamma," he replied, "I am so vexed, for the boy William has just killed a nice, dear hare, that was feeding among the cab.bages. It was such a tame one, that I do think I could have caught it, for it did not run away when we came to look at it. But William struck it with the handle of his hoe, and now it lies on the ground, looking so bad that I felt quite frightened. Do, Katie, come and see the poor thing!" And here my tender-hearted little brother wept aloud.

no

At the very first, a faint suspicion struck me that this tame hare, as Tom called it, was other than my pet rabbit, Whitefoot. I hastily threw down my work, ex claiming, "Oh! I know that wicked William has killed my pet rabbit, my dear Whitefoot; " and without waiting to explain myself, I hastened to the spot, followed by little Tom,

On reaching the cabbage-bed, the first object that I saw was my beloved Whitefoot, lying on the dewy ground, and struggling in the pains of death. At this terrible sight, my tears flowed fast.

The lad who had been the un'thinking cause of my distress, on hearing that the rabbit he had killed belonged to me, seemed very much vexed. He said: "Indeed, Miss, if I had known, or could have had a thought that the rabbit belonged to you, I would not have killed it for all the world."

"Dear Katie, is it your rabbit?" asked my brother, in some surprise: "how did you come by it? I wish you had showed the nice dear to me, and then I should have known it was not a hare. Then William would not have killed it, for I should have told him it was sister Katie's rabbit.'

I now saw my folly in having concealed my rabbit from my brothers and sisters. Had I not done so, it is probable my little pet would not have been killed. I learned, however, by this day's experience, that the straight forward path is the easiest and the best.*

THE BEETLE.

Poor hobbling Beetle needst not haste;
Should traveller traveller thus alarm?
Pursue thy journey through the waste,
Not foot of mine shall work thee harm.

Who knows what errand grave thou hast,
"Small family," that have not dined?
Lodged under pebble, there they fast,

Till head of house have raised the wind!

And if thy wife and thou agree

But ill, as like when short of victual,

I vow the public sympathy

Thy for tune meriteth, poor Beetle.†

* Narratives of Nature.

+ Carlyle.

ONE day a terrier named Jack entered the drawingroom where his mistress was sitting, and made signs for her to go to the door. She did not heed his request; upon which he pulled her gown with his teeth, and she, thinking he must have some weighty reason for it, followed him. The moment she opened the door, he squatted himself in the middle of the mat placed there. He kept thumping the floor with his tail, and before him lay six dead rats, which he had killed and brought to be seen.

Jack went to Torquay with his young mistress, where he was one day lying at the window enjoying the sea breezes. An Italian came past with his organ, and a monkey. He stopped before Jack and allowed his monkey to climb up to the window. Jack never tamely suffered the entrance of strangers; but such a stranger as this was not to be thought of. He seized the monkey and shook him, the poor monkey squealed; the Italian bawled out in despair, and Jack's mistress rushed to the window. She clutched the poor creature just in time to save him from Jack's final gripe.

Some days after this, Jack was walking out with his mistress when the sound, of an organ saluted his ears. In one moment he was up with it, seized the monkey between his teeth, and dashed away with the hind legs of the creature hanging out on one side and the feathered hat on the other. In vain did his mistress call! Jack either did not hear or did not heed. He took his way to the stable, where the groom luckily managed to save the monkey.*

*Mrs. Lee.