at which had been given to me by
Eliza at Mr. Baker's farmhouse, but at least it did not prevent me from
sleeping the moment my head touched the pillow. I did not reopen my eyes
until Mrs. Riddles brought me a can of cold water and a basin, with soap
and a towel, on Saturday morning.

'It is seven o'clock,' she said, 'and breakfast is ready when you are.'
For Mrs. Riddles' credit I must confess that I have seldom enjoyed a
breakfast more. It consisted of dry bread, oatmeal porridge, and coffee.
Oddly enough, the coffee was delicious, and the porridge was equally
good, so that, thoroughly refreshed by a long night's sleep and an ample
breakfast, I brushed my knickerbockers, cleaned my boots, and went forth
into the main street of Polehampton feeling fit for anything that might
happen.

(_Continued on page 74._)

THE GENEROUS BAKERS!

A deputation of a guild of bakers once presented themselves before the
chief magistrate, asking for permission to raise the price of bread,
which in those days was regulated by the corporation. When the time came
for leaving, one of the deputies dexterously left upon the table a bag
containing six hundred pounds in money. Some days afterwards they came
again, fully believing that the purse had pleaded very powerfully for
them. But the magistrate said to them, 'Gentlemen, I have weighed your
reasons in the scales of justice, and have not found them of sufficient
weight. It has not seemed just to me to make an entire town suffer by an
advance so ill-understood. Besides, I have had distributed between the
two hospitals in the town the money which you left me, not doubting that
you would wish it to be put to such a use. I also believe that, being
rich enough to make similar alms, you cannot be losing in your trade as
you say.'

W. YARWOOD.

AFFECTIONATE EAGLES.

A True Anecdote.

A man working on a farm one day saw an eagle fluttering over the
barn-yard, no doubt meaning sooner or later to swoop down in search of
prey. He determined to save his chickens, and fetching a gun, fired at
the would-be robber. But he only succeeded in hurting its wing. Instead
of falling to the ground it flapped about in the air in a helpless sort
of way, uttering loud cries of pain.

The man was just going to fire again when he noticed another eagle
coming up in the distance. It was evidently the mate of the one he had
wounded, for it came straight to its rescue. Seeing that the first eagle