to tell Dolly, the maid, where she was going, but her father's message was quite forgotten.

After their pleasant ramble through the lane, chatting and gathering flowers, the two girls reached the curate's cottage, where they found dinner awaiting them, and Mary's little brothers eagerly looking for them. After dinner they went into the garden to play; and at five the round table was put out upon the lawn, and bread and butter, plum bread, and strawberries, for an out-door tea, were placed upon it.

They were just finishing tea when Mrs. Fairly said,

'I don't like hurrying you, Minnie dear, but I'm afraid a storm is coming on, and your father would not like you to be out in it. Miss Smith is going your way, and is so kind as to say she will take charge of you.'

'A storm! do you think so?' And poor Minnie turned pale.

Are you frightened, dear? If so, you can stay here.'

Oh, no! it is not for myself, but I promised father to tell James to put Old Jack in the gig instead of White Bess, and I quite forgot, and father said he wouldn't like to be out in a storm with her. I will run home this very minute and send Old Jack. Oh dear! oh dear! I am so very sorry!' And she sobbed bitterly.

But it was too late, for at that moment there was a flash of lightning, followed by distant rumble of thunder. Another flash and the rain came down. By-and-bye there was the sound of a galloping horse coming up the lane; Mr. and Mrs. Fairly and Miss Smith ran out into the road, fearing what it might be, and they saw Mr. Gray in the gig vainly trying to hold in White Bess, who, wild with fear, was tearing madly up the road.

When Mr. Fairly and Minnie reached

the cottage-gate shortly afterwards a sad sight met their eyes-the broken, shaftless gig lying by a heap of stones, and her dear father stretched upon the grass! The sight was too much for the child, and she sank down insensible.

Thanks to the soft grass upon which he fell, Mr. Gray was more stunned than hurt. Mr. Fairly helped him up and took him into the house, where he persuaded him to rest quietly for a few minutes, and take something to restore him. Mrs. Fairly and Miss Smith carried Minnie in and laid her upon the sofa. Her first words were :'Where is dear father? have I killed him ?'

Say no more about it, my child,' said the father; I am sure it will be a lesson to you, and that you won't forget again: but let us rather thank God for His goodness in sparing my life.'

And Minnie said no more, but when her father at family prayers that night said the General Thanksgiving (making a pause after the word 'preservation'), she joined in it with all her heart; and Aunt Mary afterwards used sometimes to say, smiling, ‘I can't think what has come over my Minnie. I used often to have to remind her of anything I wished her to remember twenty times, but now once is all that is needed.'

M. F.

'A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH

THE

AWAY WRATH.'

. From the French.

HE rat, when plump and well fed, we are assured, is not a meat to be despised. During the siege of Paris, these little animals were sold for three or four francs each. So this reminds me of a story that was told to me by an old English officer.

In 1815,' he said to me, 'the regiment to which I belonged was disbanded, and all the officers put on half-pay. They must now live cheaply, and this could be done more easily in France than in England. Along with two sub-lieutenants, my friends, we settled ourselves at Montauban.

"We took very humble rooms, brushed our own clothes, cleaned our own boots, and cooked our food.

'Some French officers in the garrison of Montauban occupied the rooms next to ours: we often met each other in the passages and on the staircase. The battle of Waterloo, a recent event, had excited very bitter feelings between the two nations, and when these gentlemen passed us they would grind their teeth with anger, clench their fists, and stamp with the heels of their boots, with a provoking air; we, on the other hand, restrained our tempers, and passed with faces proud and haughty, whistling or humming as if in bravado. Evidently a storm was brewing, and its outbreak could not be long delayed; each of us foresaw it, and lived in anxiety.

'One morning we heard a strange noise in our neighbours' room, and we afterwards learnt that they were chasing an enormous rat, which had had the impudence to show itself. We attributed this noise to French petulance, and we touched our foreheads, as much as to say they were a little crazy.

After the noise had ceased we heard whisperings mixed with loud laughs, and we did not doubt that they were plotting something against us.

In fact, very soon a packet was thrown to us through the window, and bore this address: "For the dinner of the English gentlemen;" it contained the rat which had just been killed. At this sight my

wrath was aroused; I rushed to the door with a resolution to make our neighbours pay as dearly as I could for their insult. One of my friends was as excited as myself, and followed me; but the other prevented us by shutting the door and taking the key. He said to us, "A moment, a moment, dear friends: do not be so hasty; true gentlemen should not give way to coarse words and quarrels. Let us give our neighbours a lesson in politeness, which they deserve, but let us give it to them politely."

'It would have been better,' continued my old Englishman, to appeal to our sentiments as Christians, and to put before us the command of our Saviour, to return good for evil; but we were young fools, who prided ourselves little on being Christians, but who prided ourselves much on being perfect gentlemen. We therefore attended to our friend.

The rat was neatly folded up in a piece of white paper, tied with a bit of pink ribbon, and accompanied with a note properly written, folded, sealed, and with these words: "The English gentlemen present their compliments to the French gentlemen, and are very sensible of their politeness, but they do not wish to deprive them of such a distinguished dish." The packet was given to one of the servants, who carried it to the French officers.

Ten minutes had scarcely passed when there was a knock at the door: our neighbours entered, shook hands with us, asked