y is turned in the school-room lock,
And I've given old Time a terrible knock,
For the head of the Week is broken.

At four of a Tuesday afternoon,
The hour that cometh none too soon,
I strap my books to a merry tune,
For the neck of the Week is broken.

As the four glad strokes on Wednesday ring,
My cap in the air I gayly fling,
And homeward run as I loudly sing,
"The grip of the Week is broken."

Ah, welcome the sound of the Thursday's four,
And the joyous thought of "but one day more
That opens and shuts the school-room door,"
For the back of the Week is broken.

But sweeter than story in prose or rhyme
The musical notes of the Friday chime,
For the Week lies dead in the arms of Time,
And the school-boy's chains are broken.

L. H. BRUCE.

KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS.

II.--THE SWORD.

"Now while the lords and their followers were gathered in the great
church," the Story-teller said, as Jack and Mollie began to show some
curiosity as to what this miracle for which Merlin hoped might be,
"there was discovered in the church-yard near the altar a great black
stone, about four feet square, on the middle of which stood a steel
anvil a foot in height. Thrust into this, with its shining point
visible, was a beautiful sword, and about it, written in letters of
gold, were these words:

"'WHOSO PULLETH OUT THIS SWORD OF THIS STONE AND ANVIL IS RIGHTWISE KING
BORN OF ENGLAND.'"

"Who put it there?" asked Jack.

"I don't know," said the Story-teller. "It was there, and that is all I
know about it, and the people when they saw it were full of wonder, and
marvelled greatly to read the words written about it. I imagine,
however, that Merlin and the Archbishop had something to do with it, for
when the people went into the church, and told the Archbishop what they
had seen, he did not appear to be at all surprised, but commanded all
to remain within the church and not to touch the sword until the service
was over. The people and the gathered knights and all their followers
obeyed the Archbishop's command, for they did not dare do otherwise;
but, when the service was over, they all rushed out into the church-yard
to see the stone and the anvil, with the wonderful sword stuck into it.
And then, when the lords had read the golden inscription upon the stone,
each made an effort to pull the sword out of its anvil-sheath, but n