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little soldiers are administering wholesome punishment. In default of firearms and the death-penalty, they bethink them of the town-pump and the horse-trough, and they are bringing him, in spite of his cries and unavailing resistance, to purge his guilty head in the flowing water, and then to tell him, with jeers and shouts, "See if you'll desert any more!" Boys and girls are arand girls are arrayed under the mimic banner, and seem to enjoy the work as much as he is tortured by

it.

If, as the Church and church-goers would suggest, it is Sunday, these children have permitted their sense of even-handed justice to lord it over Christian charity, and seem to think, with the old adage, "the better the day, the better the deed."

As probably the worst that can happen to the young deserter is a good washing and a wholesome lesson, the spectator is not much concerned as to the moral aspect of the affair, and is even disposed to think that present justice may be the truest charity for the future. Perhaps, should war again comewhich God forbid !-the recollection of that ducking may save the afflicted youth from a deserter's grave, and thus he should continually bless his tormentors.

HABITS OF THE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS.

FROM "A TRAGICAL COMEDY OF ALEXANDER AND CAMPASPE," PUBLISHED IN 1584.

MELIPPUS. I had never such ado to

warn scholars to come before a king. First I came to Chrysippus, a tall, lean, old madman, willing him presently to appear before Alexander. He stood He stood staring in my

face, neither moving his eyes nor his body.
I urging him to give some answer, he took
up a book, sat down again and said nothing.
Melissa, his maid, told me it was his manner,
and that oftentimes she was fain to thrust
meat into his mouth, for that he would rather
starve "then" cease study. Well, thought
I, seeing bookish men are so blockish and
great clerks such simple courtiers, I will
neither be partaker of their commons nor
their commendations. From thence I came
to Plato and to Aristotle, and to divers other,
none refusing to come saving an old, obscure.
fellow who, sitting in a tub turned toward
the sun, read Greek to a young boy. Him
when I willed to appear before Alexander,
he answered, "If Alexander would fain see
me, let him come to me; whatsoever it be,
let him come to me."-" Why," said I, "he
is a king." He answered, "Why, I am a
philosopher."-" Why, but he is Alexan-
der."-"I, but I am Diogenes." I was
half angry to see one so crooked in his
shape to be so crabbed in his sayings.
So, going my way, I said, "Thou wilt
repent it if thou comest not to Alexan-
der.'
der."-" Nay," smiling answered he, "Al-
exander may repent it if he come not to
Diogenes virtue must be sought, not of-
fered." And so, turning himself to his cell,
he grunted I know not what, like a pig under
a tub. But I must be gone; the philoso-
phers are coming.

ALEXANDER, HEPHÆSTION, DIOGENES.
ALEXANDER. Diogenes!

DIOGENES. Who calleth?

ALEX. Alexander. How happened it that you would not come out of your tub to my palace?

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DIOG. Because I would have none of Diogenes' mind, but Diogenes.

ALEX. If Alexander have anything that may pleasure Diogenes, let me know, and take it.

DIOG. Then take not from me that you cannot give me the light of the world. ALEX. What dost thou want?

DIOG. Nothing that you have.

ALEX. I have the world at command.
DIOG. And I in contempt.

ALEX. Thou shalt live no longer than I will.

DIOG. But I shall die whether you will

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NOTHING ON EARTH PERMANENT. HEN Wisdom again

THEN

His treasury of words unlocked, Sung various maxims,

And thus expressed himself: "When the sun

Clearest shines,

Serenest in the heaven,
Quickly are obscured
Over the earth
All other stars:

Because their brightness is not
Brightness at all,
Compared with
The sun's light.

When mild blows

The south and western wind
Under the clouds,
Then quickly grow
The flowers of the field,
Joyful that they may :
But the stark storm,
When it strong comes
From north and east,
It quickly takes away
The beauty of the rose.
And also the northern storm,
Constrained by necessity,
That it is strongly agitated
Lashes the spacious sea
Against the shore.
Alas! that on earth
Aught of permanent
Work in the world
Does not ever remain."

From METRES OF BOETHIUS.
Trans, of ALFRED THE GREAT.

DELIGHTFUL task to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea how to shoot!

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HEAVEN'S SUNRISE TO EARTH'S BLINDNESS.

T is the hour for souls,

"And second, sapphire; third, chalcedony;

That bodies, leavened by the The rest in order; last, an amethyst."

will and love,

Be lightened to redemption.

The world's old,

But the old world waits the

hour to be renewed

Toward which new hearts in

individual growth

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING.

THE UNBIDDEN GUEST.

I

COME! Ye have lighted your festal hall,

And music is sounding its joyous call,

Must quicken and increase to And the guests are gathering-the young,

multitude

the fair,

In new dynasties of the race! With the flower-wreathed brow and the

of men;

Developed whence, shall grow spontaneously New churches, new ceremonies, new laws Admitting freedom, new societies

braided hair.

I come, but so noiseless shall be my way Through the smiling crowds of the young and gay

Excluding falsehood. He shall make all Not a thought shall rise in a careless, breast

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We have met before. Ay, I wandered here
In the festal hours of the parted year,
And many a beautiful form has bowed

To the sleep that dwells in the damp white shroud:

My voice shall be sweet in the maiden's ear As the voice of her lover whispering near, And my footstep so soft by the infant's bed He will deem it his mother's anxious tread, And his innocent eyes will gently close

They died when the first spring blossom was As I kiss from his bright young lips the

seen,

rose:

They faded away when the groves were Oh, the good and the pure have naught to

green,

fear

When the suns of autumn were faint and When my voice in the gathering gloom they brief

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hear.

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