wd. And yet these poor people work
hard to give pleasure and delight to both great and little folk.

Truly they exemplify the old proverb, "Some must sow, that others may
reap."

M. H.

[ANSWER TO "OUR IMAGINARY DISSOLVING VIEWS"--VI. (_See Vol. XIX., p.
351._) 1. Henrietta, Maria. 2. Vandyke's picture of Charles I. and his
queen: the children were afterwards Charles II. and James II. 3. The
Fronde. 4. Trial of Charles I. in Westminster Hall.]

A PRACTICAL JOKE.

'Twas noon-tide on a summer day,
And in a hammock Bruin lay,
Studying the price of pork and veal,
And wondering how to get a meal,
And what his little ones would do
If all the papers said was true.

The sun was very warm that day,
And having trudged a weary way
In search of food, 'twas no surprise
That Mr. Bruin shut his eyes
Now and again, and did not see
Two monkeys o'er him in the tree.

"Hurrah!" they whispered, "here's a chance
Of making Mr. Bruin dance!
Oft has he put us in a fix:
We'll pay him out now for his tricks,
And let him know that, though we're small,
We're not so harmless after all!"

[Illustration: "'TWAS NOON-TIDE ON A SUMMER DAY, AND IN A HAMMOCK BRUIN
LAY."]

[Illustration: "UPON THE GROUND, WITH ACHING BONES, POOR BRUIN MINGLED
SIGHS AND GROANS."]

Then, knife in hand, one monkey passed
From branch to branch, until at last
He reached the bough wherefrom was hung
Old Bruin's hammock, firmly slung;
And made one sudden vigorous slash
Through all the ropes: then--crash, crash, crash!

Upon the ground, with aching bones,
Poor Bruin mingled sighs and groans,
Compelled to linger there and hear
The monkeys' frequent taunt and jeer,
While "What's the price, of bear's grease, please?"
Went echoing through the forest trees.

G. W.

LITTLE TOILERS OF THE NIGHT.

I.--THE PRINTER'S READING-BOY.

It is a gusty Friday night just after Easter. A night full of wind which
comes in sudden blasts and drives the sharp shining rain along the
streets so that it seems to pierce through coats and umbrellas, and
makes such a quick pattering sound upon the pavement that people who are
indoors, and just going to bed, pull aside their window-curtains, look
out at the flickering lights, and feel glad to be at home.

Looking up from between the tall flat walls of the houses in a narrow
court in Fleet Street, London, any one who has eyes can see the gleam of
the mo