ed
many yards before Neptune suddenly stopped, and, listening intently,
galloped furiously in the direction of a stream that in summer time was
a favorite haunt of Toddie's. On reaching the water he stood still, and,
uttering a long, sorrowful howl, remained, evidently waiting for his
master.

Mr. Chillingworth hastened up; and there was Toddie, lying to all
appearance quite dead. In scrambling up the river bank he had been
apparently overcome by the deadly cold and sleep from which few ever
waken to life again. He had a bunch of scarlet berries in his hand, and
it was pathetic to see the cold stiff fingers still clutching their
treasure. Being so near the Rectory, Mr. Chillingworth just lifted the
lad and bore him rapidly to his house. What was his joy, after half an
hour's untiring effort to revive him, to see Toddie slowly open his
eyes, and, by the time old Jones and his neighbors reached the Rectory,
Toddie was able to sit up and relate his experiences. It was as the
Rector thought; in reaching after the berries he fell, and remembered
nothing afterwards. Poor old Jones and Toddie were heroes ever after
that, and I am glad to say the village boys ceased to call him "old red
Johnnie."

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THE HORSE

SUGGESTED BY A LITTLE GIRL OF FOUR.

Oh a strange and curious thing is a horse,
Believe or not, as you choose.
For he takes it quite as a matter of course
That he goes to bed in his shoes.

And his shoes, which are iron and not soft leather,
Are nailed to his feet with pegs
And he falls asleep without minding the weather,
As he stands upright on his legs

And his hair doesn't grow in the proper place
But out of his neck instead
And his ears are not at the side of his face,
But stand on the top of his head.

F. W. H.

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THE TINKER'S VAN.

"Ronald! Ronald! our van has come! John saw it go past the gate whilst
we were in school."

"Has it!" exclaimed Fred Norton, no less excited at the news than his
brother; "then let's go down at once and have a look at it."

Off ran the two little fellows, and were soon in the village; and there,
sure enough, drawn up in a side street, was the van of a travelling
tinker. The old horse had been taken out of the shafts and was standing
patiently on one side, while the tinker's wif