It is

THE SICK THRUSH. HRUSHES and blackbirds will not injure fruit when slugs, snails, and worms can be had. Last year I saw a young thrush in the public road; he was injured and unable to fly. I caught and carried him home, and turned him loose in the stable, where he had room, light, and air. There he hopped and fluttered about for above a month, increasing in health, size and strength, very rapidly. He was fed chiefly on earthworms, eating about 134 each day. They were of all sizes, from the largest lobworm downwards. When able to fly he was liberated, and we saw with regret the beautiful and graceful creature depart for the wild woods and to sweet liberty again. There may he enjoy many years of happiness'!

The number of worms consumed by this bird (they were carefully counted every day för many days) would, at the above rate, amount to 48,910 a-year, and will give an idea of the great benefits done by thrushes alone. GEORGE G. JESSE.

TIMOTHEUS AND PHILEMON.
(Continued from p. 219.)

CHAP. V.-THE SLAVE-MARKET.

EARLY two years passed away. Selim had become attached to the boys and no longer thought of selling them. But his wife was not so fond of them.

We have bought the children,' she said one day, and kept them till now. But it is time to think of selling them again. Their food and clothing are too expensive. They are now

able to earn their bread otherwise. time for them to leave our house.'

But avarice was not the only reason why she wished to sell the boys. Almost every one who entered the house praised the beauty and gentleness of the boys very much, but said little or nothing about her own children. This made her jealous. She now dressed her children in the most beautiful clothes, but the slave-boys in the coarsest cloth which she could get.

The two

Once a

But all this was of no avail. boys pleased people still better. strange lady came to the house to purchase some cloth. Timotheus and Philemon were

sitting at the end of the room sifting corn. The lady looked at the boys, and cried out in amazement, What beautiful childrer those are! You are, indeed, a mother to be envied !' Now the two Turkish children came into the room. 'Whose are those two ugly little creatures?' said the lady. 'I suppose they belong to one of your neighbours. It seems to me that, with their fine but dirty clothes, as if they were regularly spoiled children. spoiled children. What a contrast to those two lovely boys!'

6

After this the Turk's wife could no longer bear the two boys. I cannot bear the sight of them,' she said to her husband; they must go, and the sooner the better.'

A few days after, in the distant city where the Pacha's seat of government was a great fair was held. Then the woman said to her husband, You must take those two brats to the fair and sell them there. I cannot any longer endure them in the house. I will, however, do them one more act of kindness. I will dress them in new clothes, so that they will sell better; and then we shall get rid of them.'

Selim the Turk did not like this at all. But he was a good-humoured man, who allowed himself to be entirely ruled by

his quarrelsome wife; so he obeyed, got into a carriage with the two boys, and drove away. He betook himself, with the boys walking hand-in-hand before him, to the large market-place which stood before. the Pacha's house, and which was crowded with people. A throng at once gathered round the two boys. Such sweet-looking children, and so like each other, pleased every one. Several purchasers came up. But they said, "If the boys were only not so young and little, then they would be worth something, but for the work of slaves they are still too weak,' and so they passed on.

Two purchasers, however, a Turk and a Moor, bargained for the boys, representing that they were not fit for any service.

'Well,' said Selim, they can light their future master's pipe and bring him ris coffee, or pick up the fallen lemons in his garden As in Christian countries great nobles think it an honour to have a black servant, so do the Moors like to have a white slave in their service, even if he is not fit for much but to make a show.'

The Moor and the Turk bought the boys.

The Turk said to Selim,' You know me, come and fetch the money from me,' and he took Timotheus by the hand to lead him to his home.

The Moor said to the merchant, Bring the other boy to my house, then I will pay you the money.'

But when the boys found that they were to be separated from each other they began to sob and weep aloud. "No! no!' cried one, embracing his brother; 'no, no, dearest Timotheus, I will not be separated from you; I will live and die with you.'

The other said, 'Our dear mother is dead, we have been stolen from our beloved father. I have no one else on earth but you, dearest Philemon! I cannot, cannot forsake you. God will not allow this.'

All three bowed low before the window. The slave-dealer followed the servant with the two boys, and presented them to the lady. She paid the man a great deal more than he had expected. He said farewell to the lads, not without tears in his eyes; but then went away, much pleased at his good bargain.

The lady at once began to talk with the two boys, and wished to hear their story. They told her all that they knew. They could not indeed always express it quite right in the Turkish language. However, she understood all that the boys said very well, though she could not help smiling now and then at their strange words. As she was very fond of children, but had none herself, she determined to adopt the boys. She hoped that her husband, who was travelling on business, would consent to it.

She had both boys, who were now dressed neatly, but as slaves, richly attired in thorough Turkish costume. When they were brought to her in their long Turkish robes she was quite delighted.

'That dark red robe,' she said, 'over which the fair curls hang down, becomes them admirably.'

But the boys looked sad, for they did not like to be dressed as Turks. The lady said, however, Children, be comforted. I won't make you into Turks, but I will be to you a second mother.'

(To be continued.)

MISS MEREDITH'S

STORY.

OLLIE, late again!" said Miss Meredith, the governess, in a tone of reproach to a little girl of ten, who stole, looking rather ashamed, into her place in the schoolroom at Tracy Grove.

A bad mark, I am sorry to say. And now I should wish to hear what has kept you.'

And

of one very terrible time to-day.' Dollie felt that Miss Meredith was looking at her, she didn't know why.

'Anything will do; your tales are all good,' said lazy Marian, choosing a soft leafy seat for herself. Dollie, give me my sewing, quick, and let her begin.'

But there was no beginning yet. Marian had to be corrected for speaking of any one except the cat as 'her,' without a nominative case; and then there were hems to be turned down, and needles and cotton to be chosen, so that ten minutes had passed before all was quiet, and the two children anxiously exclaimed, Now,

'Reading your new story-book, Settlers at Home, I suppose ?' said Miss Meredith, severely. Now, Dollie, this has happened so often-I mean, your not hearing the school-bell through being so taken up with a book—that I must check it by insisting that all story-books are forbidden to you till after four o'clock in the day.'

Poor Dollie sighed. Reading was her great pleasure and snare; for it she would leave her frock unmended and her lessons half learnt. And yet in other respects she was a good, well-meaning girl, and secretly rather a favourite with Miss Meredith.

It was a hot afternoon, and instead of the usual walk, the governess proposed that the girls should take their sewing into the Tracy Woods, which adjoined the gardens.

Dollie and Marian were delighted. 'Shall you read to us?' asked Marian. 'No, dear, we shall talk,' said Miss Meredith.

You tell us something about your home,' pleaded Dollie, taking the heavy basket out of her governess's hands.

The story is for Dollie to-day,' said Miss Meredith; it is about a dreadful thing I did six years ago. I don't like to speak of it now, but I think it may be good for her to hear it, and it may, perhaps, explain why I seemed so strict in punishing her for being late to-day.'

Dollie here stopped sewing, and put her hand softly on Miss Meredith's knee. She said nothing, but her governess knew what she meant, I didn't mind your being strict, because I love you.'

'Go on, please,' said Marian, "I love dreadful things; but I'm sorry you don't like to speak of it. I'm afraid you'll make it too short.'

'Well, then, Dollie,' said Miss Meredith, I was just like you once; so fond of reading stories, and so wrapped up in them, that I heard, saw, and felt nothing else at the time: the girls at school used to pinch me when I was in the middle of a very enticing book, and I hardly knew When I was at home, no one warned me not to give way to this, as there were only my father and my old nurse (mother died when I was a very little girl), and they thought if I was quiet and amused it

it.

had a dear little girl to take care of called Lilias Pardie. She lived with her aunt, Mrs. Bertram, as her parents were in India. Mrs. Bertram was very good to me, and made me sit with her and talk to her when Lily was in bed; for, being only seven years old, she went to bed at seven, and did not learn many lessons. I loved Lily dearly; but all the same, that did not prevent me once doing her a terrible injury. Mrs. Bertram had found me once