"Erie" grew very tired and set the
basket down on the pavement to rest his mouth a moment. At this moment
a large black dog was passing, who, smelling the meat, thought he
would like a piece for his own dinner; so walking up to the basket he
attempted to thrust his nose in and help himself. "Erie" gave one of
his ferocious warning growls, which said as plain as words, "Take
care, take care." At first the other dog retreated a little, but being
very hungry he again approached the basket.

"Erie" seemed really to reason about the matter. He knew that the
other dog was determined to steal the meat which was especially
entrusted to _his_ care. It was as if he thought to himself, "Now if I
stop to fight with this dog, some other dog may come and run away with
my meat, my only safety is flight," so seizing up the basket he fled
as fast as his legs could carry him toward home. The large dog pursued
him a little way, but "Erie" out-ran him and reached home in safety,
As soon as he had deposited the basket in the hands of his mistress,
he turned and ran down street again as fast as he could, in search of
the thieving dog, whose dishonesty he seemed to think he must punish.
After searching a long time he found him playing with a number of
other dogs, and I never saw a dog take a worse whipping than "Erie"
gave him.

Now my dear children as you read this story, ask yourselves if you are
as honest and trustworthy as this noble dog was. You know that you may
be much better than he; for God has made you wiser and given you power
to do much, more than any animal.

* * * * *

THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE.

Josiah Martin was a young man of whom any mother might have been
proud. He was an only child, and had been the support of his widowed
mother for five years; though at the time when we first knew him he
was not twenty.

And this was not all. He was so frugal, and industrious, that he was
able, besides providing for himself and mother, to contribute largely
toward the support of his aunt Eleanor and her daughter, who were very
poor, and without his help, might have suffered oftentimes for want of
the necessaries of life.

In return for his care, he had a wealth of love bestowed upon him by
mother, aunt and cousin, who often said, and often felt in their
hearts, that Josiah was as good a boy as ever lived. He enjoyed
perfect health, and had naturally a merry heart, so that every day of
his life