ox, and
said if I put ten cents into it every week, I could begin taking you
in November. That was in March. Sometimes, I could not get the ten
cents, but I made it up the next week, and more, too, if I could; and
before July, I had more than enough to pay for you. After that, I
saved nearly enough to buy me a suit of clothes. I am working for you
for another year. My age is twelve.--From your constant reader,

W.H. PERRY.

* * * * *

The following is sent to us from Josie C.H., aged eleven years, as her
own composition:

SOME THINGS WHICH WE EXPECT IN YEARS TO COME.

Some boys, when they go to school, expect to learn. When they are a
little older, they expect to go to college; and then, to learn trades
and professions, and to become men. The farmer, when he plants his
seed in the spring, expects a harvest. The merchant, when he buys his
goods, expects to sell them at a profit. The student expects to become
a lawyer, minister, etc. All boys expect to become men. We often
expect things that never happen, but what we expect we cannot always
get; yet we can try for them, which is a good rule to go by.

* * * * *

THE TRUE STORY OF "MARY'S LITTLE LAMB."

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I want to tell you what I read lately in a
newspaper about Mary and her lamb. Mary herself is now a delightful
old lady of threescore and ten, and this is her story:

"I was nine years old, and we lived on a farm. I used to go out to the
barn every morning with father, to see the cows and sheep. One cold
day, we found that during the night twin lambs had been born. You know
that sheep will often disown one of twins, and this morning one poor
little lamb was pushed out of the pen into the yard. It was almost
starved, and almost frozen, and father told me I might have it if I
could keep it alive. So I took it into the house, wrapped it in a
blanket, and fed it on peppermint and milk all day. When night came, I
could not bear to leave it, for fear it would die. So mother made me
up a little bed on the settle, and I nursed the poor little thing all
night, feeding it with a spoon, and by morning it could stand. After
this, we brought it up by hand, until it learned to love me very much,
and would stay with me wherever I went, unless it was tied. I used,
before going to school in the morning, to see that the lamb was all
right, and securely fastened for the day.