boy,
and, in spite of the soot and the dirty clothes, she recognised her
little son, whom she had lost so long ago. A man had stolen him and made
him become a little sweep; the boy was so young that the sweep fancied
that after two years he would quite have forgotten his father and mother
and home, and that it was quite safe to send him to the house when he
was all black with soot.

So the little boy was sent down the chimney, for in those days they were
cleaned from the top. When he got into the room, which was his mother's
bedroom, he looked about and seemed to remember it. Then he knew that he
was very cold and tired and hungry, and he went and lay down on the bed
and fell fast asleep, till his mother woke him.

That is said to be the reason why the chimney-sweeps kept May Day--in
remembrance of the boy who was stolen. But Jacks-in-the-Green are not
often seen now, and that horrible way of sweeping the chimneys has
disappeared.

If you do not see Jack-in-the-Green on May Day, you are sure to see the
cart-horses all decked out in braid and ribbon of different colours; and
if you live in London, you ought to go and see the procession of carts,
which look very grand indeed, being decorated even more than the horses.

ONE THING AT A TIME.

A great landowner was remarkable for the pompousness of his manner. He
was one day riding leisurely through a small village, when he happened
to meet a rough-looking farmer's lad, who was pulling a calf along with
both hands, by means of a rope attached to its neck. When the boy saw
him approaching, he stood still, and, opening both eyes and mouth,
stared him full in his face.

'Do you know me, boy?' asked the great man.

'Yes sir,' answered the boy.

'Then what is my name?' he asked.

'Why, you are Lord X----,' was the reply.

'Then why don't you take off your hat to me?' said Lord X----,
pompously.

The rustic, still tugging at the rope, replied, 'So I. will, sir, if you
will hold the calf!'

[Illustration: "'Why don't you take off your hat to me?'"]

[Illustration: "Stepping down from the vase and crowding round Hugh's
bed."]

CONSCIENCE AND THE CHINA FIGURES.

[Illustration]

Only that morning, Mother had said she was proud of her boy, and Hugh
had felt he deserved her praise. He was very rarely naughty, and he
loved to see his mother's face light up with joy, when she heard how
pleased his teacher was with him. But, somehow, since the morning