Half an hour later the red gun was in ashes on mamma’s hearth, while mamma herself and both boys sat sorrowfully by its grave.

“Mamma,” said Jack, “I didn’t mean to shoot Will, but somehow I couldn’t help it.”

“No,” said mamma, shaking her head:  “I forgot when I let you keep the gun that you had a master.”

“A master?” asked Jack, in surprise.

“Yes,” said mamma, “you obey Bad Temper’s orders, though you don’t always obey mine.”

“Mamma,” said Jack, presently, “I think I’ll leave Bad Temper’s service.  He gets me into a heap of trouble.”

“Do, Jack,” she said, smiling brightly at him.  “And while you are getting rid of a bad master, remember that you have a good one, the Lord Jesus, on whose banner is written, ’Putting away all wrath and clamor.’”

Little Will listened very soberly to all this, with a red hole in his cheek, and both chubby hands resting on his bare knees.  I hope he made up his mind, too, to choose the good Master.—­Selected.

* * * * *

What makes men?

    What care I for cold or snow? 
    School bell rings, and off I go! 
    I am ready for the storm,
      And my heart is light and gay;
    Mother’s hand has wrapped me warm,
      As I trudge along the way.

    Mother says, “Learn all you can,
    Then you’ll be a better man.” 
    So I pack my books and go. 
    Through the rain or wind or snow;
    For I hope some day to be
    Just the man she’d like to see.

Well I know that boys must learn
To be ready for each turn,
Never idle nor afraid. 
By rough struggles men are made. 
So each morning, off I start. 
With a merry, willing heart.

          
                            —­Selected.

* * * * *

Lucile’s surprise.

It was a bitter cold day in January, so cold that the children ran all the way to school.  It was snowing, too, and blowing as hard as it could.  A very small crowd was in the classroom that morning, and everyone began to wonder why.

“Not on account of the cold, surely,” declared Edith Watts.  “Why, it’s just fine to be out to-day.  And I know Lucile would never stay away because it was cold.  She has too much spunk for that.”

But still Lucile didn’t come, and everyone wondered:  for she never was sick, and had said nothing the day before about staying away.

[Illustration:  “I want her to awaken from a nap and find the kittens swinging in the basket.”]

At the last moment Polly Dalton came hurrying in, saying, “Girls’ there’s a scarlet fever sign on Dayres’ door, so Lucile must be sick.  The nun was putting the sign up as I came by.”

Later in the day it was found that several other children had fever, or were afraid to come out lest they should get it, so the Hill School was closed for a week.  Edith Watts was very lonely without her little friend, and spent much of her time writing letters to her, or in thinking of nice things to do for her.