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who love a good slide as much as Charlie did can tell.

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Not very long after Charlie reached the shop, he was sent out to take a parcel home. His road lay through the town again, and as he passed the school-house door, he saw several boys going slowly in, though it was almost half-past nine, and he wondered if Willie had been in time. he came out of the town on to the high road, he thought to himself, "I shall have to pass that pond again, but I don't think it'll be half as hard as it was last time, it always gets easier to keep out of temptation as one goes on trying; I found that out when I was trying to cure myself of being late for school."

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Just as he was twenty yards from the pond, he heard a scream, and ran on as fast as he could to the spot; there were several boys standing at the edge, and one, turning round as he heard Charlie's footsteps, shouted, Eh, Charlie Davies, come quickly, here's your brother in th' pond!" In a moment Charlie was on the ice, from which the other boys had run when the crack came. There was a dark hole a few feet distant, but no signs of Willie. Cautiously he approached the hole, the ice cracking under his feet at every step; and as he did so, he untied the comforter from round his neck. It was a good thought, for he had only just pulled it off, when his little brother rose to the surface, his arms wildly thrown up for help, but out of reach of Charlie's hand.

"Catch hold of this, Willie," he shouted, and threw one end of the comforter so skilfully, that it touched the child's hand, and he grasped it convulsively as he was beginning to sink again. A moment more, and Charlie had drawn him out of the water. Little Willie was saved, but so much exhausted that one of the other boys had to help Charlie to carry him home to his mother.

When Charlie came back for his dinner Willie was asleep, and in the evening he did not seem much the worse for his fall.

When Mrs. Davies had seen him safely in bed, she was surprised to find that Charlie, who was alone in the kitchen, was sobbing violently.

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Why, Charlie, what ails thee, lad? Thee shouldst feel very happy and thankful to-night, that thee hast been able to save thy little brother's life."

"Oh, mother, if he had been drowned, I should never have been happy again; it would have been all my fault."

"Your fault, dear? How's that?

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"Yes; I used to take him on the pond last winter. Many a morning, when you thought we were in school, we were sliding there, and now, if I had not come up just in time this morning, he would have been drowned, and I should never have been happy again, as long as I lived," and Charlie hid his face in his hands again, and sobbed as much

as ever.

"It is a lesson for thee, indeed, dear Charlie; I

did not think thee hadst ever done so bad as that; I never heard nought about it till now."

"I told Willie not so tell," sobbed out poor Charlie. "I didn't think so much about its being so bad not to tell thee when I'd done wrong, till that day the lady talked to me in school; and indeed, mother, I have tried to be a better boy ever since,"

"I know thee hast, dear, thee hast been a good little son to me this winter, which has been such a hard time for all of us, But I have some good news for thee, Charlie. Father sent word to-day that he should be out of th' infirmary in a week at most, and th' doctor says he'll soon be able to use his arm again as well as ever."

"Oh, mother," and Charlie's eyes sparkled with pleasure, as he jumped up from his seat by the fire, and threw his arms round his mother's neck, "I am so glad of that."

"Yes, dear," said his mother, kissing him fondly, 66 we have much to be thankful for to-day. God has been very good to us."

Willie's fall into the pond cured him of the bad habit of playing on his way to school, which he bad learned from Charlie, and his little brother's accident showed Charlie how great consequences sometimes come from what seem only little faults, and made him try hard er than ever to be a good boy.-New York Observer.

BIBLE ENIGMA.

FIRST find a sleeper in a cave call'd forth from slumber deep;

A patriarch around whose bier a multitude did

weep;

One of the twelve disciples next, whose faith was very small,

And one who greatly did oppose the builders of a wall;

Of Thyatira's city next name one who purple sold; A priest who by the wayside watch'd when heavy grown and old.

A counsellor who well advised a city in uproar; A saint renown'd for faith, once named in Scripture and no more;

Next name the wife of one who fill'd the office of a priest;

A king whose wrath wax'd hot against a courtier at a feast;

A prophet next whose parable convinced a sinning king,

And one who parted with a great for a most paltry thing,

One who unto a praying band did joyful tidings bring.

Now, little gleaners, search them out,
They all may in the word be found,
What their initials form, no doubt,
To you is oft a welcome sound.

M. B.

THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION

SCENE.

WHILE waiting for an omnibus at the corner of the City Road, a group of ragged boys were near me, all eagerly listening to two lads in the midst of them, who were both talking. The words "Great Transformation Scene" were often repeated, and the only phrase that I heard distinctly. Looking at the speakers, I saw that their clothes were not so much worn as dirty and torn; their faces grimy for want of washing, and sickly from the use of drink and tobacco. I understood that they were talking about some playhouse scene, and the one thought their words and looks prompted in me was-they, poor fellows! indeed want a "A Great Transformation," an entire change to something quite different from what they are-dirty clothes, sodden skin, idle ha nds in empty pockets, was not the condition they need be in; but as long as the pipe and pot, the theatre and the tavern, took their time and money, they would keep their foulness of garb, look, and life; for Satan is a hard taskmaster. Suddenly the group were startled, and, looking across the road, I saw a policeman approaching. The two lads who were talking, in an instant went different ways, and were lost to my sight in the great tide of the crowded street, as swiftly as tw o drops of water melt into a river. The omnibus was to me " A Transformation Scene;" I could not forget either the words or the poor lads,

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