ut that would be cowardly and Marjorie
detested a coward, so she decided to stand her ground.

At last the door opened, and Marjorie looked up eagerly, into the face
of a kind grandmotherly looking old lady standing there.

"Good-morning!" The old lady smiled invitingly at the child, who stood
there with flushed cheeks and happy brown eyes. "Did you want something
of me, dear?"

"Yes'm," replied Marjorie, catching her breath, "I want to adopt you!"

"To adopt me! Why, dear child, what do you mean?"

"I want to adopt you for my grandma. You see, I haven't even one grandma
and some little girls have two. I don't think that's fair, do you?"

"No, really that doesn't seem fair," answered the old lady, her eyes
twinkling with amusement.

"I'm lonesome without a grandma, and I thought maybe you hadn't any
grand-children, or even if you had some, p'raps you wouldn't mind having
one more. So I came over to adopt you--that is--if you please!"

Quickly the twinkle left the old lady's eyes and she put her arm close
around Marjorie. "You dear child!" she exclaimed, "of course you can
adopt me. I haven't a grandchild in the whole world but even if there
were a dozen of them, I'd still have room in my heart for you!"

"We cannot be free from unkind words unless we are free from unkind
feelings."

THE FIVE CASTAWAYS.

BY COE HAYNE.

When Lena Stuart sprained her ankle the doctor told her that she could
not walk on it for at least ten days.

"Just think, mamma, ten whole days!" she cried in despair.

"But the time will pass quickly if you make up your mind to be
cheerful," said Mother Stuart.

"But I cannot go to the picnic to-morrow," said Lena sadly. "And just
think! it was a picnic that I helped to plan for."

"But you can watch the children as they play their games on the island,"
said Mother Stuart.

"Why, sure enough!" exclaimed Lena. "I can see them as they cross in
Cousin Rob's boat, right from our front windows. I hadn't thought of
that."

Just then a fine black spaniel ran up to Lena and pushed his nose
against her hand.

"And I have you, Waggy, to keep me company," said Lena more cheerfully
as she stroked the silky ears of the dog. "And, mamma, isn't it lucky
that I taught Waggy to go to the post office for the mail and to the
market for meat?"

"Very lucky for me," laughed Mother Stuart. "That will save me a few
extra steps."

Waggy had learned his lessons well. When he went to the