A FISHER-BOY IN NAPLES. ALF a fish himself in the summer-time, living more in the water than out of it, the fisher-boy of the Mediterranean is a bold, bright, happy little fellow. He has not much clothing to boast of; but what does that matter in so pleasant a climate? And he has a load of baskets to carry, but they are light now; and if they were heavy they would be so much wealth to his father or his master: so that would be all right, too. He has his stormy days, though, and his dangers, and to protect himself against these he carries about with him, hung round his neck, a scapular-a picture of the Virgin and the Holy Child. The fisherboy's mother sitting at home is better content for her child when she thinks he is under the care of that most blessed Mother, and he has the utmost confidence in the charm. They are very ignorant, these poor people, but what they do know of holy things they reverence; and we, who think ourselves wiser, should be careful how we despise their simple faith. H. A. F. THE RAINBOW AND THE SUN. MOST beautiful Rainbow was lighting A the clouds; every one who saw ad up mired it, and so much praise made it vain. 'I am much handsomer than the sun,' it exclaimed; 'for, bright as he is, he has only one colour, and I have so many.' The Sun heard this, and, without entering into a dispute with the conceited rainbow, he quietly smiled. Then, hiding his beams in the clouds, he concealed himself for an instant, and the rainbow also disappeared. sons who are vain and ungrateful forget Whose hand it is that has made them prosperous. Is it not just that He in His turn should dry up the sources of their pros perity? Per J. THE LITTLE COLONISTS. (Conluded from page 131.) HE fun was still at its height, though the sun was beginning to sink, when Allan thought about his duty of timekeeper. He looked at his watch. It was getting late. If we had at once packed up and trudged off to the moorings we would be still in time to get home by eight. But Allan was enjoying himself, and so he could not bear the idea of bringing it to an end. Like many foolish people, he did not think that pleasure, when properly indulged in, is good and promotes happiness; but when it can only be obtained by neglecting a duty it is bad and wicked, and leads to unhappiness. So when Kate asked him the time he pretended that it was earlier than it really was, and said, "You need not be in such a hurry to get back, there's plenty of time.' Kenneth was tired, so I wrapped him in a waterproof and laid him on the rug. The younger children soon found that the spirit was not in their play; they continued for about twenty minutes, and then came clustering round us to watch the packing up of the things. So, notwithstanding Allan's remonstrance at Kate's crossness as he called it, we all marched off towards the place where the boat had been left, expecting that a few minutes of exertion would bring us safely home. Wonder what was our astonishment and fright!-the boat was nowhere to be seen! Where can it be?' cried Malcolm. Without the boat we could not possibly get home; we were, in fact, imprisoned on the island, and must remain there until help came. What would our mother think? And our promise must be broken! 6 Are you sure you fastened the boat safely?'inquired Kate of Malcolm. As certain as that I breathe,' said he: 'it's some fellow playing a foolish game on Have any of you been playing in the us. boat while we were on the other side of the island ?' 'What will mother do when we don't come home? I am afraid to think,' said Kate. 'Well, what are we to do?' said Malcolm; we can't stay here all night.' I am afraid we must do so,' said Kate, 'unless mother finds out and sends for us.' Allan whistled, and walked away with his hands in his pockets. He could not help feeling that he was partly the cause of their trouble: he was self-accused of having deceived them about the time; and, for anything he knew to the contrary, that twenty minutes of play had cost them all the annoyance. However, he said nothing. After some further conversation between Kate and Malcolm, they agreed that the best thing we could do was to go back to the tent and prepare to wait until help was sent us, or, if the worst came, to stay there till morning. Poor little Kenneth was getting tired and sleepy, and began crying that he wanted to go to bed. This would be thought good fun,' said Malcolm, if we did it from liking; but it is a very different thing when we are obliged to do it.' "This is being colonists with a vengeance!' said Allan, in no very good humour. 'I don't mind it in the daytime, but at night it is no joke.' They all busied themselves in preparing a couch of dried leaves, with the rug, and waterproof, and other things they had brought, and placed them under the tree where they had been playing in the daytime. Kenneth laid down on his sister's lap, and Charlie crept close to him, and they two, quite tired out, soon fell asleep. We elder ones were too much excited to do 80. After going back to the landing-stage again, and returning to divide among us the fragments of our feast, we gave up all hope of being fetched, although we wondered much that neither our mother nor the servant had been after us. At length, even conversation ceased, and in a curious group we all dozed and nodded, and at last slept. How long I had slept I know not, but I suddenly awakened by some drops of was water falling on my face. I put out my hand-there was more on my dress. I sat up: all was dark, and it was raining. I remembered at once where we were. Oh, dear! what should we do? A burst of lightning revealed for a moment the whole scene, and as suddenly left us in darkness. The heavy thunder burst overhead, and rumbled away in the distance. We were all on our feet in an instant. At the same time a shout arose from the river-bank; it was father's voice. Malcolm shouted in return. We watched a lantern which was bobbing to and fro along the bank, then it was reflected in the water, and as it neared the island we made our way towards it. Father was angry, as well he might be, but his joy at discovering us all safe smothered it for the time. Allan was silent, knowing the part he had taken. Kenneth and Charlie were still wrapped up, and were carried to the boat by my father and a man he had brought with him. It appeared afterwards that one of the men who worked on the farm belonging to the landlord of our cottage had come down the river just about the time when we ought to have been on our way home, and seeing the boat and knowing that it had no business where it was at that hour, he had thoughtlessly (as it turned out) taken it in tow and taken it home, little thinking that he was thereby imprisoning us. My father's presence was easily accounted for. The postman brought a letter from him to mother to go to meet him, with a spring-cart from the farm, at a town about five miles away from us, and from whence all our provisions had to be obtained, and he and mother had been detained there later than they expected, and indeed they had only just arrived in time, as they thought, to escape the storm which they had observed to be brewing all the evening. We were all sent to bed at once; our wet clothes were taken down and dried at the kitchen fire: and those who were not too tired and sleepy had some hot gruel to prevent their taking cold. Father was, as I said, very angry, and especially so with Allan for having kept |