her own hens. These she dropped into boiling water. Last of all she
cut thin slices of delicious ham.

When everything was ready, Betty went to the porch and invited the
strangers in. Her cheeks were now the color of the red rose by the gate.

The visitors ate heartily of all the good things Betty had prepared. As
the tall, handsome gentleman rose to go, he leaned over and kissed her.
"My pretty little cook," he said, "you may tell your brother Robert that
you saw Washington before he did, and that he kissed you, too."

You may believe that Betty did tell it. She told it to her children, and
they told it to their children, and I am telling it to you to-day.

--MRS. L.A. McCORKLE.

ROCK-A-BY, HUSH-A-BY, LITTLE PAPOOSE

Rock-a-by, hush-a-by, little papoose,
The stars come into the sky,
The whip-poor-will's crying, the daylight is dying,
The river runs murmuring by.

The pine trees are slumbering, little papoose,
The squirrel has gone to his nest,
The robins are sleeping, the mother bird's keeping
The little ones warm with her breast.

The roebuck is dreaming, my little papoose,
His mate lies asleep at his side,
The breezes are pining, the moonbeams are shining
All over the prairie wide.

Then hush-a-by, rock-a-by, little papoose,
You sail on the river of dreams;
Dear Manitou loves you and watches above you
Till time when the morning light gleams.

--CHARLES MYALL.

THE TAR WOLF

I

Many hundreds of moons ago, there was a great drought. The streams and
lakes were drying up. Water was so scarce that the animals held a
council to decide what they should do.

"I hope it will rain soon and fill the streams and lakes," Great Bear
said. "If it does not, all the animals will have to go to a land where
there is more water."

"I know where there is plenty of water," said Wild Goose.

"I do, too," said Wild Duck.

Most of the animals did not wish to go away. "It is well enough for the
ducks and geese to go," said Wild Cat; "they like to move about. It is
well enough for Great Bear to go; he can sleep through the winter in one
hollow tree as soundly as in another. But we do not wish to leave our
hunting grounds."

"If we go to a new country," said Gray Wolf, "we shall have to make new
trails."

"And we shall have to clear new land," said Big Beaver, who had to cut
down the trees when land was cleared.

All this time the Rabbit said nothing