s rose the wilderness shall smile,
And every tender, living thing shall feed by streams of rest,
Nor lamb shall from the fold be lost, nor nursling from the nest.'"

"That reminds us of what the prophet said about the time when all the
beasts even shall lose their cruel traits and live at peace with each
other, and even play with little children."

"Could that ever be true, mamma?" interrupted Harold.

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[Illustration]
ON GUARD
[End illustration]

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"Well, even now, my dear," replied mamma, "wild and fierce animals
have been wholly tamed by kindness. We cannot tell what beautiful
things might happen if all evil and unkindness should be driven from
the world and men should live as Christ taught us to live.

"Here are the prophet's words: 'And the wolf shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and
the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall
lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones
shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And
the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned
child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt nor
destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'

"These verses are from the Psalms and the Proverbs:--

"'For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a
thousand hills.

"'I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the
field are mine.'

"'The merciful man doeth good to his own soul; but he that is cruel
troubleth his own flesh.'

"'A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; but the tender
mercies of the wicked are cruel.'

"And here are some of the words of Jesus about animals and birds
and about kindness:--

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"'Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.'

"'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.'

"'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the
Son of man hath not where to lay his head.'

"'Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye
shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than
the raiment? Behold the birds of the heavens, that they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and you