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THE CHILD NOBODY KNEW ABOUT.

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A LITTLE girl of eight came one night through the snow, and through the dreary pine woods, barefooted and half naked, to the house of a poor man, and joined herself with the children of the house, who were playing at the door before going to bed. She went about with them, laughed and made fun with them, went into the house with them, and had no thought of going away-just as a little lamb that has lost itself, and is bleating on the hill side, has no more care or sorrow if it meet again with a flock. The poor man asked the child where it came from. "From Frankfort." "What is your father's name?" "I have no father." "What is your mother's name?" "I have no mother." "To whom do you belong, then?" "I belong to nobody." All they could get from her was that she had been stolen by beggars, that she had gone about with them for years, and that she was now where she was.

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When the poor man took his supper with his children that night, he set the strange child also at the table. When it was time to sleep she lay down by the stove, like the others, and slept. It was the same the next day, and still the same the day after. Then the man thought, "I cannot put out this child again into the cold, though it will be hard for me to keep one more than my own." On the third day he said to his wife, "Wife, I shall go and tell all about it to the minister." The minister praised the man for his kindness. "But the girl," said he, "must not divide the bread with your children, else there will be too little for them. I will seek a father and mother for her." He therefore went to a well-to-do and kind man in his parish, who had little children of his own, and said to him, "Peter, would you like a present ?" "Who has sent it?" said he. "It comes from the good God," answered the minister. "If it come from Him there can be nothing wrong," said the good man. Then the minister showed him the poor child, and told him the story. "I will speak to my wife," said the good man; "it will all be right." The two took the child with joy. "If she be good," said the kind man, "I will bring her up till she can earn her own bit of bread; if

she be bad, I shall take care of her till spring, for no one could send away a child in winter."

Four winters and four summers have now passed, and the child is still with him, for she behaved well, did what she was told, was grateful, and is very busy with her lessons at school. And meat and drink are not the greatest gifts this good man and woman have given her; they have taught her what it is to be a good girl, and have been a father and mother to her. Any one who sees the little foundling in the school would not know her, so well does she look, and so neatly is she dressed.

WRITING COPY.-18.

Rash youth, rueful age.

What

goes

out into its neighbour's

field, stuffs both its pockets full, and off and stores it up in its barn?

then runs

The barn is in the ground, and the little thief has its pockets in its mouth.

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A GOOD man came once to a village, but the gates were shut. No one would open to him, and so he had to sleep on the ground, hungry and thirsty as he was. But he said to himself, "Whatever God sends is best," and he lay quietly down.

His ass stood beside him, and he kept his lantern burning because the place was so full of wild beasts. But a strong wind blew out his lantern, and a lion came and ate up his ass. He woke and found himself all alone, but said, "What God sends is best," and waited for the dawn of day.

When it was light he came to the gate of the village again, but it was open now, and no one was to be seen. A band of robbers had come in the night, and had killed or carried off every one, and had taken all they had. When he saw this, and thought how he was saved, he felt how true it was that all is for the best that God sends. "We see in the morning," said he, "why He refused us something at night.”

WRITING COPY.-19.

Shut lips catch no flees.

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Care is better than cure.

Child, if you blush, God warns you.

Do good if you would get good.

Early good, always good.

Forgive every one but yourself.

Goodness is the best greatness.

Hope on, hope ever.

Idle youth, sad age.

Jokes should make all laugh, none cry.

Kind words cost nothing, but are often above all

cost.

Liars are never trusted.

Mend your own faults before you mend Tom's.

Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.

No good boy swears.

Out of debt, out of danger.

Pride goes before a fall.

Quarrels are easy to begin but hard to end.

Reckless youth makes rueful age.

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