But he had a very great temptation one morning: it was in the early part of the year, and while he was looking out of the window he saw a young sparrow, which had just left its nest, fluttering about the garden. It tried to get to the top of a wall, but fell to the ground, and poor Johnny stood trembling for its safety, for he saw a large black cat watching the sparrow, and presently he saw it rush towards the little bird to seize it, but having to pass over a grass plot to catch it, the grass was very long and very much entangled, and somehow the cat was caught in the grass, and turned heels over head.

This was a very fortunate thing indeed for the little sparrow. Another thing also was very fortunate; Johnny's father had been transplanting a dahlia the day before, and to keep the sun from it had turned over it a large flower-pot. Now Johnny's father might have placed a hundred other flower-pots over the dahlia, but none would have done so well as this flowerpot, for it was a large flower-pot, and it had a small piece broken out just big enough to admit the sparrow, and into which he popped, and was saved.

Oh, how glad was little Johnny to see the bird

creep into the hole and escape! But there sat the cat watching, and there stood Johnny breathless with fear lest the sparrow should come out. The cat went round and round the flower-pot, and then got on the top of it, then sat and looked at the hole, and put its nose to the hole to smell if the bird were there. Then it put its paw to the hole, and tried to pull the pot aside; then it went round and round again. At last Johnny could restrain his fears no longer, and he ventured to tap at his father's door, and to ask if he might go into the garden, to which his father consented.

Oh, how quickly did he then hasten down stairs, taking his father's walking-stick to drive away the cat. Pussy was so earnestly bent on having her prey, that Johnny had got up to her and given her a severe blow before she saw him.

Johnny now felt that the sparrow was his, but he knew not how to secure it; so he waited till his father was up, and then having thrown a large cloth round the flower-pot, he put his hand under, and gently took hold of the trembling bird.

Such, my little friends, was the commencement of

that friendship which existed between Master Sparrow and his young master. Perhaps if the sparrow had been cheated, and caught in a brick trap, he would not have felt that attachment and confidence that he showed for Master Johnny. He seemed to feel, that a connexion that had begun with such kindly feelings must be sincere.

One other thing must be told of the sparrow, which is as singular as anything else in his singular life. Soon after the sparrow became Johnny's companion, a little kitten was also admitted into the same family. It was quite little, and could scarcely walk, and Johnny would often have the kitten and the sparrow together in the same room. The kitten was too young to take much notice of the sparrow, and the sparrow seemed not to fear the kitten much, and they lived together quite happily. They were both very well fed, and they did not want anything; and the sparrow would sometimes hop on the back of the kitten, and the kitten gently put out its paw and patted the sparrow, but without hurting it at all. Once the sparrow did get a bit of a pat too hard, which made him start, and he seemed very shy for a day or two after. I will

tell you what it was. He was making himself quite familiar, and had hopped on the back of the kitten, as usual, when suddenly he seized hold of some of the kitten's hair in his beak, and pulled away furiously at it. I cannot say what was his reason for this, but I will say it was play, for he seemed a very good-natured bird. But the kitten was a good-natured kitten too, and took no notice of the affair the next time the sparrow came near, which he did in a day or two.

Well, things went on very comfortably with the boy, the bird, and the kitten; they were real friends, and they lived together for two years or more, and the little boy was becoming a big boy, and the simple young sparrow was becoming a respectable and experienced bird, and the kitten had become a cat, when an affair took place which may teach many of you, my dear little children, a lesson of true friendship, and a lesson which you must prize the more as it comes from two dumb animals; yes, and from two dumb animals not distinguished amongst the creatures of our heaven`ly Father for that wonderful instinct which the horse, the elephant, the dog, and some other animals have. One day the street door of the house in which these

three friends lived was standing open, and all was quiet and still, and the master of the bird and cat was sitting in the parlor, and the cat was sitting there too-and of course the sparrow was one of the party -when suddenly in rushed a large dog through the passage, and, running round the room, terrified every one in it. It was done so quickly that the dog was scarcely seen before he was out of the house again.

Well, now, what do you think the cat did when she saw the dog come in? Cats, you know, always stick up their backs and swell out their tails, and make a savage noise whenever they see a dog coming towards them, and prepare to give him a good scratch on the face. But this cat did not do so. What did she do

then? you will say. Why, she instantly rushed at the bird, seized him in her mouth, and carried him off, no one knew where.

Ah, me! little Johnny was now full of grief. His playfellows were both gone at once and for ever!

Full half an hour passed, and nothing could be seen of them. "Tim-Tim-Tim!" (for that was the cat's name) was called all over the house, and out of the house, but no Tim came near; and Johnny's eyes were