whilst in butterflies,
which fly in the daytime, they are wanting.

W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

TWO WAYS OF READING A SENTENCE.

People in high stations of life often receive from authors presents of
their works, and are expected to say something flattering about them in
return. They do not like to hurt the author's feelings if the book is
worthless, and so Benjamin Disraeli, when Prime Minister, used to answer
those who approached him in this way: 'I have received your book, and
shall _lose no time in reading it_.' This sentence, as you can see, is
capable of being read in two ways, but the sender of the book was, of
course, intended to understand the more flattering reading. It was a
kind of deception, and was not very honest, but it was done out of
kindness.

A musical composer found another way of answering the many applicants
for his opinion: 'I have received your music,' he would write, '_and
much like it_.'

S. CLARENDON.

RUDEL AND LISBETH.

By the Author of 'The Silver Flagon,' 'The Red Rose Knights,' &c.

Rudel and Lisbeth were a little girl and boy who lived many years ago in
a beautiful gabled farmhouse on the edge of a forest in Germany. The
forest was far from any town, and the children were dressed in the
quaint and pretty costumes of German peasants at that time. Lisbeth
looked like a tiny copy of her old grandmother, except that her own hair
hung down in two long, tight flaxen plaits, while her grandmother's was
completely hidden under a high cap.

The forest, which was many miles wide, lay on one side of the farmhouse;
on the other it was open country, and from the top of a low hill in the
neighbourhood you could see villages and churches for miles round. This
hill was a favourite playground of the children, for it was full of
caves and hiding-places; it was in fact the great 'show-place' of the
neighbourhood, but the children only thought how delightful it was to
play houses in.

Rudel and Lisbeth were very strictly brought up, and were punished for
the slightest fault. They seldom spoke to their grandparents unless
spoken to, and were never talked to about anything that was going on.
Like other children, however, they had a good deal of curiosity about
their elders, and it puzzled Rudel very much one day when he saw that as
his grandmother went about her household work, the tears were running
down her face.

About this time Rudel stopped playing at houses, and took