his Divine Master.

When he was too

old to preach, it is said that he used to come out on the altar and repeat the words, "My little children, love one another." But this short sermon tained more than is found in many long

ones.

con

It was pleasant and edifying to see the venerable Bishop of Ephesus, with tottering form and gray head, come forth, Sunday after Sunday, to preach the selfsame short sermon to his people.

St. John was the favorite apostle of our Lord. His head rested on Christ's bosom at the Last Supper. He was entrusted with the care of the Blessed Virgin after her Divine Son's death on the Cross. Of all the apostles, he alone stood near the Cross when Christ died; the others having fled in terror. Just as Peter was distinguished by faith in his Divine Master, John was remarkable for his love for Him.

He was Bishop of Ephesus, and preached the religion of Christ in Asia Minor. He was arrested here, taken to Rome,

and thrown into a caldron of boiling oil. The Lord cared for him, and the hot oil did not burn him.

After this, he was banished to the island of Patmos. While on this island, he saw visions of Heaven.

St. John wrote the last of the four gospels and other portions of the New Testament. His gospel contains a fuller report of the discourses of Christ than any of the others.

He presents proofs in the strongest manner to show the divinity of Christ. He died at a great age in the year one hundred.

St. John's feast is on the twentyseventh of December.

LANGUAGE LESSON.

1. Where was St. John born?

2. What did his father do?

3. Where is the river Jordan? Learn something of it.

4. Why did the oil not burn St. John?

5. Look on your map and find the island of Patmos.

6. What did St. John write?

7. When did St. John die?

THE FOX AND THE LAND-CRAB.

A young land-crab once crept out of his pond to take a little walk in a meadow, and see what was going on in the world.

A fox who happened to be passing at the moment noticed the crab as he crept slowly along, and, after having wished him good-morning, added, in a mocking tone, "Where are you going so slowly? When do you hope to get to the other

side of this field? It seems to me that you go backward instead of forward.”

Now, this young crab had heard how sly foxes are, and he thought there could be no harm in playing this one a trick, so he answered politely, "I am only a crab, it is true, and I cannot walk so gracefully as you, Mr. Fox, but I can run much faster."

Mr. Fox sneered, "Indeed ?"

"Well," said the crab, "as you appear to doubt my speed, suppose we run a race for a wager."

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," returned the fox.

"Suppose we try half a mile, or say a mile; that will not be too much for either of us," said the crab.

"A mile!" echoed the fox, as if he thought, "What is a mile to me? I can run that while the crab is getting ready to set off."

"I will offer you one advantage,” added the crab, "which you must accept if I am to race with you."

"Well, let me hear what it is," said