“I have just hired this church and begun steady work.  I shall sleep and eat in this church until about May 1, next.  The material?  Yes, it does take considerable.  I have already used up 967 cigar boxes and 300 laths.  It will take in all 1,800 cigar boxes, 500 laths, and 500 feet of lumber.  The cigar boxes I get for one cent each.  I used no tools except my knife.”

* * * * *

Little Johnny Botts found a garter snake in the park the other day and he brought it home and hid it in the piano.  When his sister’s young man opened the instrument that evening to play “For Goodness Sake” he thought he had ’em and yelled like a Piute on the war-hath.  They won’t believe in Johnny’s innocence somehow, and his father said that after dinner he’d attend to his case.  When the family sat down to table Johnny solemnly entered the room in his stocking feet and carrying a pillow which he placed on his chair before sitting down.  “What new monkey shine is that?” growled old Botts.  “S-s-s-h, pa,” said Johnny anxiously; “I was playing fireworks with Billy Simson this afternoon and I swallowed a torpedo.”  “Did, eh?” “Yes, and if anything should touch me kinder hard I might go off and all bust up.”

* * * * *

THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS

in prizes is offered by the YOUTH’S COMPANION for the best short stories either for boys, for girls, humorous stories, or stories of adventure, to be sent them before May 20th, 1884.  The terms and conditions of the competition are issued in a circular—­for which all who desire to compete are invited to send.

* * * * *

Sin is very much like the ordinary North American mule.  It may be very tame and docile at the front, but in the rear there is always a sly kick hidden away and you’d better be on your guard.

OUR BOOK TABLE

BOOKS RECEIVED.

ARIUS THE LIBYAN:  AN IDYL OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH.  Author unknown.  NEW YORK:  D. Appleton & Co.  CHICAGO:  Jansen, McClurg & Co. 12mo.  Cloth.  Price, $1.50.

This is a romance of the church in the latter part of the third and the beginning of the fourth centuries.  The scene is laid near Cyrene, A.D. 265.  It is an exquisitely written idyl of primitive Christian life, and can not fail to attract a great deal of attention, especially now that the public mind is being turned in the direction of early church history.  It deals in a powerful, yet simple, manner with that subtle question, the Trinity of the Godhead, and gives the reader many new thoughts in connection with it.  The characters portrayed awaken an unusual degree of interest, being as they are, persons eminent in history, both secular and religious.  As one follows the story to its close he can not but agree with the author, that Arius, the hero and arch-heretic of the