'Ay, indeed!' sighed young Kate Merridew. But they say she's left badly, and if some of her people don't come forward there's little but the workhouse before her. But here's James; he knows best, being second cousin to poor Tom Mitton himself.'

James Merridew was a carpenter by trade, a hard-working, cheerful young fellow; he threw down his tools, took the baby out of his wife's arms, and then, after whistling to it a bit, said somewhat seriously:-

Is it Mitton's funeral you are talking of, Kate? Ay, that was fine enough if you can call black feathers finery; but it's poor sort of comfort for the widow, I reckon, and when it's taking the bread out of the mouths of the living I call it downright wicked.'

Kate stared, and Mrs. Stubbs and Mrs. Haydock shook their heads, as if much shocked at the young man's words.

Tom Mitton had been a drunken fellow, and met his death through a fall when he was returning one night from the beerhouse. So Mrs. Haydock thought it well to change the subject, by remarking that it was a sore trouble to Mrs. Mitton that Tom had not died in his bed.

'I don't hold so much, Mrs. Haydock, with dying in your bed,' said honest James: 'many a good man has gone to Heaven straight out of battle, aye, and from the roadside too; and I agree with a bishop I have heard about, who prayed to die at an inn, that none of his own kin might disturb his thoughts at the last, and that Ire might go down to the grave quietly. As for Tom, poor fellow, we'll say nought about him; it's best so but for myself, I'd as soon die when about my day's work as lying in my bed. It seems as if that would be as much watching for my Lord as anything. But you'll think I'm after taking our parson's work out of his hands if I go on, and I'm

more for tea than preaching to-night; so good evening, neighbours.'

And James stepped in at the door, Kate following him. When they were quietly in their own little kitchen James laid the infant in the cradle and put his hand on his wife's shoulder.

6

'Katie, dear,' he said, we never know what may happen; but in case I ever was called away suddenly, don't make such a fuss over me as they did over poor Tom to-day it made my heart ache.'

'Oh Jim, don't talk of such a thing!' said Kate, half crying. You're not ill, are you ?' 'Never better, thank God!' said her hus band; but remember what I say. And now my tea, sharp, there's a dear; I must be of again in a hurry, to measure Mr. Strong's new house for the doors.'

That evening was one to be long remem bered in Haughton village; far and near the people gathered round one spot of ground where in the morning had stood a nearly finished new house, but which now was only a heap of rubbish.

The building, from some mistake in the foundation, had collapsed and fallen almost without warning. As it was after the usual work hours, few men were on the spot, and all had escaped safely save James Merridew. He, report said, was buried beneath the bricks and timbers. Poor Kate! the news was hastily brought her by a village child. She rushed to the place. leaving her babe unheeded in the cradle, and with hands strengthened by anguish she tried to drag aside the beams that hid her husband from her. There were ready and kind helpers in the work near her, too, but she was first to come on the crushed form of poor James, lying as he had fallen with his hammer in his hand. The working men beside her knew that all was over, , and

put the poor woman aside while they carried their comrade to his cottage home.

Kate had been very calm, very still, from the moment she had found him. She had her baby on her knee when the clergyman came in, pale and shocked himself, to grieve with this smitten one of his flock. He looked surprised when she met his first remark with almost a smile.

It is hard, sir,' she said, and yet it is as he wished he died at his work; I saw the hammer in his hand. I can't fret so much when I remember that.'

Yes, James had his wish; he had neither been called from the battle-field nor laid in long suffering on his bed, but he had gone straight from his daily work to the Master's home.

His fellow-workmen carried him to his grave; carriages and feathers there were none, nor Mr. Blackman either. Kate, with her white-robed baby in her arms, was the chief mourner; but there were sweet spring flowers on the coffin, and white wreaths laid on the grave, speaking more plainly of the Resurrection and the Life Eternal than any trappings of woe could have done.

There was a small store of money laid by, which kept Kate and the baby for awhile till she was strong enough to go and

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE EAST.

SHIPS.

HE first boats that men ever used were perhaps made out of the trunks of trees, or large baskets of wicker-work covered with the skins of wild beasts. These boats could not hold many people, nor were they fit for rough water, so when men wished to sail on the wide sea they built ships of planks, fastened together with bolts or larger nails. In calm weather they rowed them with oars, but if there was any wind, they put up a sail on the mast, and made it fast with cords. When the captain wanted

his ship to stop he rolled up his sails, and threw overboard an anchor, that is, a heavy iron weight tied on to a long chain, shaped so that it would stick into the sand as the ship dragged it after it along the bottom of the sea. That part of a ship which is deepest in the water is called the keel. The front of a ship is called the bow, or prow, and the other end is the stern. A man at the stern steers the ship by the help of a piece of wood or iron called a rudder, which stands out from the stern of the ship.

DOG WITH BROKEN LEG.

H. A. F.

over by a carriage, had his leg broken, and a humane surgeon passing had the animal. brought home, set his leg, and having cured his patient, discharged him, aware that he would return to his old master; and the dog, whenever he met the surgeon afterwards, never failed to recognise him by wagging his tail, and by other signs of joy. One day a violent barking was heard at the surgeon's door, which was found to be made by this dog, who, it appeared, was striving to procure admittance for another dog, who had just had his leg broken.