I REMEMBER a very pretty story about a pet lamb. It belonged to some little children whose father was dead. These orphan children loved the lamb very tenderly. It made one in all their sports, and seemed to enjoy them as

Questions. Whose was the pet lamb? What can you say of it? Why did their mother think to sell it? Why did she not tell the children? How did

well as the children. I think they used to share their bread and milk with it.

But the mother of these little children was poor. She found it very hard to get food and clothes for them; and she had to sell one thing after another, to get money to buy with. At last she thought she should be obliged to sell the pet lamb. She did not dare to mention this to her children, for she knew it would grieve them. She had spoken privately to a butcher about it, and he had made a bargain for it.

One day the children saw the butcher and his boy coming towards the house. They did not think, at first, what his business might be; but when he ordered his boy to put a rope around their dear little lamb, all at once the truth flashed upon them that it was going to be led away to be killed. How it made their hearts ache! One little boy stoutly resisted, and put himself right before the lamb, to keep him; but the butcher's boy was stronger than Willy, and he forced him away. The little children hung around their mother, and begged her not to let it go. Her own

the children learn that it was to be killed? What did Willy do? What did the little girls do? What kind act did the butcher do? Do you love pets?

heart was so full she could hardly speak; but she asked the butcher to leave the lamb, and call another time.

The man who had bought the lamb said, "Though I am a butcher, my heart is no harder than other men's." He was quite melted in pity for the poor orphans; and he said, "I have bought the lamb and paid for it; now I make a present of it to the children."

You may be sure the children were very thankful; and they told the whole story to their little pet, and tried to make him understand what a narrow escape he had had from being butchered. The poor little lamb could not understand that; but he was happy with the children.

Henry has his dog Fido, and I have some chickens and a kitten. I wish we had a lamb; I am sure we would love it and be very kind to it. I would put a pink ribbon round its neck, and it should play with us out in the yard, and no butcher should come after it.

Our father says, if we lived on a farm we should have a lamb; but it is not convenient here; our yard is not large enough, and it would not do to let it run in the garden.

If you had a lamb, how would you treat it? Should you be kind and gentle to all creatures? Do you love to have the birds build about your house? Do

He says he wishes to have us exercise love and kindness towards every living creature.

We are very much pleased when the birds build their nests in our trees, or in the shrubbery in the yard or garden. Last summer, some robins built their nest in the cherry tree. We used to watch the old birds, day after day, bringing bits of straw and hay to make the nest; and then, after it was done, one day, our father helped us to climb up the steps and to look into the nest, for it was not very high, and there were two beautiful sky-blue eggs in it. They were very delicate, but we did not touch them; and our father took pains to show the nest to us when the old birds were gone, so that it need not trouble them.

We are always very careful that we do not frighten the birds which come around the house and yard. A beautiful goldfinch built its nest very high up in the elm tree, and we could not get up to look into its nest, but we could hear it sing very sweetly in the early morning.

Mother says, if our kitty was older, there would be dan

you love to watch the birds as they are building their nests? Would you take away their eggs? What time would you choose to look at their nests? Why? Would you be gentle to the birds which come around your house? Who

ger of her finding the way to the robin's nest in the cherry tree. If they build there next year, I shall have to watch my kitty, or else keep her a prisoner till the young birds are grown.

But sometimes naughty boys rob the birds' nests. Such boys must have very hard hearts. If they had taken pleasure, as we have, in watching the birds build their nests, and had seen how happy they were, how much pains they took, and how it troubled them when any one came near their nest after it was finished, I am sure they could not be so hardhearted. It must be that such boys have not been taught to think and to feel kindly; and I believe, too, they forget that the same God who made them also made the little birds, and intended they should be happy.

Our parents are very desirous that we should grow up kind and gentle, and have pleasant manners. They say, if we do so, it will be worth more to us than gold; for money alone can never make us happy; but amiable people, with pleasant ways, spread a sunshine every where they go.

sometimes rob birds' nests? What can you say of such boys? Can those who rob the birds be thoughtful and kind? What do they forget? Ought you to grow up kind and gentle? What can you say of amiable people?