u may retain your position."

The members of the band were perfectly willing to rob in the new way,
for it seemed quite novel and exciting to them. The first place they
robbed was their own cave, and as they all had excellent memories,
they knew from whom the various goods had been stolen, and every
thing was returned to its proper owner. The ex-pupil then led his
band against the other dens of robbers in the kingdom, and his
movements were conducted with such dash and vigor that the various
hordes scattered in every direction, while the treasures in their
dens were returned to the owners, or, if these could not be found,
were given to the poor. In a short time every robber, except those
led by the ex-pupil, had gone into some other business; and the
victorious youth led his band into other kingdoms to continue the
great work of robbing robbers.

The Queen never sent for the collection of curiosities which the
robbers had stolen from her. She was so much interested in the new
museum that she continually postponed the re-establishment of her old
one; and, as far as can be known, the button-holes are still in the
cave where the robbers shut them up.

CHRISTMAS BEFORE LAST;

OR, THE FRUIT OF THE FRAGILE PALM.

* * * * *

The "Horn o' Plenty" was a fine, big, old-fashioned ship, very high
in the bow, very high in the stern, with a quarter-deck always
carpeted in fine weather, because her captain could not see why one
should not make himself comfortable at sea as well as on land.
Covajos Maroots was her captain, and a fine, jolly, old-fashioned,
elderly sailor he was. The "Horn o' Plenty" always sailed upon one
sea, and always between two ports, one on the west side of the sea,
and one on the east. The port on the west was quite a large city, in
which Captain Covajos had a married son, and the port on the east was
another city in which he had a married daughter. In each family he
had several grandchildren; and, consequently, it was a great joy to
the jolly old sailor to arrive at either port. The Captain was very
particular about his cargo, and the "Horn o' Plenty" was generally
laden with good things to eat, or sweet things to smell, or fine
things to wear, or beautiful things to look at. Once a merchant
brought to him some boxes of bitter aloes, and mustard plasters, but
Captain Covajos refused to take them into his ship.

"I know," said he, "that such things are very useful