"Oh, busy bee," the boy began,

"Stay with me now you've come at last; I love to see across the sun, Like gossamer so finely spun, Your wings go sailing past."

But with a slow aud surly hum,
The bee into a blossom flew,
As if the living creature dumb
Had answered short, "I cannot come,
I've something else to do."

"Oh, bee you're such a little thing,"
The idle boy went on to say;
"What matters all that you can bring?
You'd better rest your silver wing,
And have a bit of play."

But with his sullen hum and slow,
The bee passed on and would not stay,
As though he murmured, "Don't you know
That little things must work below,

I know not if the idler caught,

This lesson from the busy bee,

But through his mind there came a thought, As it flew by him, " Is there nought,

No work for me to do?"

My sister asked me on the wall
To nail her rose's low green shoot;
The rose she likes the best of all,
Because the lady at the hall,

In autumn gave the root.

"Poor baby has been hard to cheer,
All day he would not sleep or smile,
I may go home and fetch him here,
And pluck him flowers, while mother dear
Should rest a little while.

"Go dive into the clover red,

Old bee, and hum your surly tune,
And pack your honey close," he said,
Upspringing from his grassy bed;
I'll be as busy soon."

66

Little Pilgrim who art travelling on to heaven, keep thine eye on the way, that thou mayest not wander from it. Jesus hath said, "I am the way,' John xiv. 6. Fix, then, thine eye and thine heart on Jesus Christ in every step of thy pilgrimage, and whether the road be long or short, wet or dry, no

matter

The path may be stony,

The hill may be steep,
The hedge thick and thorny,

The stream strong and deep.

But never mind this; for the precious promises of God are intended to support and comfort pilgrims,

and they will cheer thy young heart like a cordial. Fear not to be alone, for God hath promised to be with thee; mind not how rugged thy road may be, for He can make the crooked road straight, and the rough places plain; and as to the streams, He will not suffer the deepest of them to overflow thee.

Little Pilgrim, take courage, for many younger than thou art, have got safe to glory. He who carries the lambs in his bosom will guard, and guide, and support thee on thy pilgrimage. As I told thee before,

The path may be stony,
The hill may be steep,
The hedge thick and thorny,

The stream strong and deep.

But the Saviour will keep thee through all thy troubles, and exceedingly increase thy joys; yea, He will guide thee with his counsel, and bring thee to his glory.

Old Humphrey.

Alfred the Great lived in England about a thousand years ago. When he was a very little boy, his mother wished him to learn to read, and she used to show him beautiful pictures in her prayer book, and to tell him what the pictures were about. Little Alfred was always pleased when the time came for seeing the book; and one day, when his mother was talking to him, she said that she would give him the book to keep, as soon as he could read it. Then he began to take great pains, and very soon learned to read the book, although it was in Latin, and his mother gave him the beautiful book. When he grew bigger, he loved to learn the old Saxon songs by heart, and to sing them to his mother, who loved to hear Alfred sing, and play the harp.

But when Alfred grew up he was obliged to leave off reading and singing for a long time. The people of Denmark who were called the Danes were his enemies, and at the beginning of his reign they did much mis

D

chief, and Alfred had more than fifty battles to fight, before he could drive them away from England.

When he was first made king, he had not one town where the people dared to obey him, for fear of the Danes; and he was obliged to disguise himself in poor clothes, and live with a farmer, who did not know him, as a servant.

This farmer lived in a part of Somersetshire, called the Isle of Athelney. While Alfred was there some of his best friends used to go and tell him how the country was going on, and take messages to him from other friends; and they all begged him to stay where he was till they could collect English soldiers enough to fight the Danes in that neighbourhood.

While he was staying at the farmer's house, the farmer's wife scolded him one day very heartily.

She had just made some very nice cakes for supper, and laid them on the hearth to toast, and seeing Alfred sitting in the house doing something to his bow and arrows, she desired him to look after her cakes, and to turn them when they were toasted enough on one side, that they might not be burnt. But Alfred had heard some news about the Danes that day, which made him forget the cakes, for he could think of nothing but how to save England from the cruel Danes. When the farmer's wife came into the house again, she soon saw the cakes on the hearth, quite black and burnt, and began scolding Alfred very severely. Just then her husband came in with some of Alfred's friends, who told him that they had beaten the Danes, and driven them out of that part of the country, and the people were asking for him, and it was time to appear as their king. You may fancy how surprised the farmer's wife was, and how she asked the king's pardon for scolding him. He only smiled, and said, if she forgave him