cut the flowers. They ran directly towards the spot where the little daisy sat, sad and silent with drooping head, little dreaming what their intentions were.

"Here we can cut a beautiful piece of turf for our lark," one of the boys said; and he began to cut out a square piece of turf, in the middle of which the daisy grew.

"Pluck that flower," one of the boys said; and the daisy trembled with fear, for to be plucked was to lose its life, and just now it very much wished to live, for it was to go into the cage of the lark.

"No, let it remain," the other said, "for it makes it look pretty." So it remained, and was put into the cage of the lark.

The poor bird loudly lamented its lost liberty, striking its prison bars with its wings, and the little daisy could not speak a word to comfort him. Not a word could it utter, much as it wished to console the poor prisoner. Thus passed the whole morning.

"They are

"No water," the lark complained. all gone out, and have forgotten me: they have not given me a single drop to drink. My throat is parched and burning, and the air is so oppressive. I shall die, and shall leave for ever the warm sun, the green fields and trees, and all the beautiful things God has created. And in despair it bored its beak deep into the cool turf.

Its eyes then fell upon the daisy, to which the bird nodded, and whispered, "You, too, must

wither here, you poor innocent flower. They have given me you, and this little piece of turf, instead of the whole world, which I possessed. Each blade of grass shall be a green tree to me, and each of your white leaves a sweet-smelling flower. Oh, you only recall to me how much I have lost!" "Oh! if I could but comfort the sweet singing bird," the little daisy thought. But it could not move a leaf. It gave, however, much more of its scent to please the lark, than it used to do when it grew wild in the fields. The bird noticed this, too; for although it was dying of thirst, and in its sufferings bit off the blades of grass, it took care not to do the flower any injury.

It was evening, and still no one came to give the poor bird any water. It stretched out its beautiful wings, which shook with the heaving of its breast. Its once joyous song was now only a mournful "Pip-pip.' Its head drooped down towards the flower, and the dear little bird's heart broke from longing, and from want. The flower, too, was so withered, that it was unable to fold its leaves and sleep quietly; it hung on its stalk, drooping to the earth.

The next morning the boys appeared, and when they saw the bird lying dead in its cage, they cried bitterly. They dug a grave under a rose-bush, and strewed it with the leaves of flowers, for it was to have a royal funeral. While it was alive and sang to them, they forgot it, and let it die shamefully of want in its narrow prison; but now that it was dead, they thought to honour it with tears and pomp.

The piece of turf with the daisy in it was thrown into the road in the dust, and no one thought of the modest, loving little flower, which, however, had felt most for the bird, and because it was unable to help it, or to cheer it, had died with it.

THE GRAVES OF A HOUSEHOLD.

They grew in beauty side by side,

They fill'd one home with glee;
Their graves are severed far and wide
By mount, and stream, and sea.

The same fond mother bent at night,
O'er each fair sleeping brow;
She had each folded flower in sight--
Where are those dreamers now ?

One, midst the forests of the West,
By a dark stream is laid;
The Indian knows his place of rest,
Far in the cedar's shade.

The sea, the blue lone sea, hath one—
He lies where pearls lie deep;

He was the loved of all, yet none

O'er his low bed may weep.

One sleeps where Southern vines are drest,

Above the noble slain;

He wrapt his colours round his breast,

On a blood-red field in Spain,

And one-o'er her the myrtle showers
Its leaves, by soft winds fanned;
She faded midst Italian flowers,
The last of that bright band.

And parted thus they rest, who played
Beneath the same green tree;
Whose voices mingled as they prayed
Around one parent knee.

They that with smiles lit up the hall,
And cheer'd with song the hearth!-
Alas! for love, if thou wert all,

And nought beyond, O Earth!

F. IIemans.

MR. GREATHEART AND THE LIONS.

9

So they went on till they came within sight of the lions. Now Mr. Greatheart was a strong man, so he was not afraid of a lion; but yet when they were come up to the place where the lions were, the boys that went before, were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the lions; so they stepped back and went behind. At this their guide smiled, and said, "How now, my boys, do you love to go before when no danger doth approach, and love to come behind so soon as the lions appear?"

Now as they went up, Mr. Greatheart drew his sword, with intent to make a way for the pilgrims in spite of the lions, Then there appeared one

that it seems had taken upon him to back the lions, and he said to the pilgrims' guide, “What is the cause of your coming hither?" Now the name of that man was Grim, or Bloody-man, because of his slaying of pilgrims, and he was of the race of the giants.

Then said Mr. Greatheart, "These women and children are going on a pilgrimage; and this is the way they must go, and go it they shall, in spite of thee and the lions."

The giant replied, "This is not their way, neither shall they go therein. I am come forth to withstand them, and to that end will back the lions."

Now, to say truth, by reason of the fierceness of the lions and of the grim appearance of him that did back them, this way had of late not been used by travellers, and was almost all grown over with grass.

Then said Christiana, "Though all the highways have been not occupied in the time past, and though the travellers have been made to walk through by-paths, it must not be so now I am risen. Now I am risen a mother in Israel.'

Then the giant swore by the lions that it should; and therefore bid them turn aside, for they should not have passage there.

But their guide made first his approach unto Grim, and laid so heavily on him with his sword. that he forced him to a retreat. Then said he that attempted to back the lions, "Will you slay me upon my own ground?"