ls except
my knife."

* * * * *

Little Johnny Botts found a garter snake in the park the other
day and he brought it home and hid it in the piano. When his sister's
young man opened the instrument that evening to play "For Goodness Sake"
he thought he had 'em and yelled like a Piute on the war-hath. They
won't believe in Johnny's innocence somehow, and his father said that
after dinner he'd attend to his case. When the family sat down to table
Johnny solemnly entered the room in his stocking feet and carrying a
pillow which he placed on his chair before sitting down. "What new
monkey shine is that?" growled old Botts. "S-s-s-h, pa," said Johnny
anxiously; "I was playing fireworks with Billy Simson this afternoon and
I swallowed a torpedo." "Did, eh?" "Yes, and if anything should touch me
kinder hard I might go off and all bust up."

* * * * *

THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS

in prizes is offered by the YOUTH'S COMPANION for the best
short stories either for boys, for girls, humorous stories, or stories
of adventure, to be sent them before May 20th, 1884. The terms and
conditions of the competition are issued in a circular--for which all
who desire to compete are invited to send.

* * * * *

Sin is very much like the ordinary North American mule. It may
be very tame and docile at the front, but in the rear there is always a
sly kick hidden away and you'd better be on your guard.

OUR BOOK TABLE

BOOKS RECEIVED.

ARIUS THE LIBYAN: AN IDYL OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. Author unknown. NEW
YORK: D. Appleton & Co. CHICAGO: Jansen, McClurg & Co. 12mo. Cloth.
Price, $1.50.

This is a romance of the church in the latter part of the third and the
beginning of the fourth centuries. The scene is laid near Cyrene, A.D.
265. It is an exquisitely written idyl of primitive Christian life, and
can not fail to attract a great deal of attention, especially now that
the public mind is being turned in the direction of early church
history. It deals in a powerful, yet simple, manner with that subtle
question, the Trinity of the Godhead, and gives the reader many new
thoughts in connection with it. The characters portrayed awaken an
unusual degree of interest, being as they are, persons eminent in
history, both secular and religious. As one follows the story to its
close he can not but agree with the author, that Arius, the hero and
arch-