By and by he heard an answer to his song, and he knew that it was the great sea, calling “Come!  Come!  Come!” And when he reached the shore where the blue waves were dancing up to the yellow sands, he clapped his hands with delight; for there, rocking on the billows, was a beautiful ship with sails as white as a lady’s hands.

“I knew there would be a way!” said the little boy, as he sprang on deck and went sailing over the deep blue sea,—­sailing, sailing, sailing, day after day, night after night, over the beautiful sea.

At night the stars would look down, twinkling and blinking; and as the little boy watched them, he would say:—­

“Little stars, little stars, shining so bright!  Carry a message for me to-night:  My love to my mother, wherever she be; I know she is always thinking of me.”

The little boy went on sailing, sailing, day and night, until he came to a land beyond the sea,—­a land so full of delight that the little boy felt that his journey was ended, until one day when a great storm came.

The wind blew, the thunder crashed, the lightning flashed, the rain came pouring down, and the little boy wanted to go home.

“I will find a way!” he cried at last; and, just as he spoke, the sun came bursting out, the storm clouds rolled away, and there in the sky was a rainbow bridge that seemed to touch both sky and earth.

Then the little boy’s heart leaped for joy, and he ran with feet as light as feathers up the shining bow; and when he reached the highest arch, he looked down on the other side and saw home and his mother at the rainbow’s end.

“Mother!  Mother!” he called, as he ran down into her arms.  “Mother, I’ve always been thinking of you, and God has taken care of me.”

THE OPEN GATE

MOTTO FOR THE MOTHER

Early teach your child, through play, to guard
that which is dear to him from the danger of loss.

         FROEBEL.

One bright summer afternoon, Fleet, the good old shepherd dog that helped to take care of the farmyard, decided that he would step into the barn to see his friend Mrs. Muffet and her two little kittens, for he had not been able to chat with them for some time.

On his way, Fleet looked around to see that all was right.  The weather was warm and the hens were taking a dust bath under the apple tree, and the brindle calf was asleep in the shadow of the barn.  The ducks and geese were at the pond, the horses were at work in a distant field, the cows and sheep were in pasture, and only the brown colt kicked up his heels in the farmyard; so Fleet barked with satisfaction, and walked into the barn.

Inside he found Mrs. Muffet washing her face, while her two little kittens slept in the hay; and she gave Fleet a warm welcome.

“Good evening, Mrs. Muffet,” said he.

“Good evening, Friend Fleet,” answered she.