and the sun came slanting in through the willowbranches, and telling of locking-up near at hand.

"I'm coming down, keeper," said Tom at last with a sigh, fairly tired out. "Now what are you going to do?"

"Walk 'ee up to School, and give 'ee over to the Doctor; them's my orders," says Velveteens, knocking the ashes out of his fourth pipe, and standing up and shaking himself.

"Very good," said Tom; "but hands off, you know. I'll go with you quietly, so no collaring or that sort of thing."

Keeper looked at him a minute. Werry good," said he at last; and so Tom descended, and wended his way drearily by the side of the keeper up to the Schoolhouse, where they arrived just at locking-up. As they passed the School-gates, the Tadpole and several others who were standing there caught the state of things, and rushed out, crying "Rescue!" but Tom shook his head, so they only followed to the Doctor's gate, and went back sorely puzzled.

How changed and stern the Doctor seemed from the last time that Tom was up there, as the keeper told the story, not omitting to state how Tom had called him blackguard names. "Indeed, sir," broke in the culprit, "it was only Velveteens." The Doctor only asked one question.

"You know the rule about the banks, Brown?" Yes, sir."

"Then wait for me to-morrow, after first lesson." "I thought so," muttered Tom.

"And about the rod, sir?" went on the keeper; "Master's told we as we might have all the rods-"

cr

'Oh, please, sir," broke in Tom," the rod isn't mine." The Doctor looked puzzled, but the keeper, who was a good-hearted fellow, and melted at Tom's evident distress, gave up his claim. Tom was flogged next morning, and a few days afterwards met Velveteens, and presented him with half-a-crown for giving up the rod claim, and they became sworn friends; and I regret to say that Tom had many more fish from under the willow that may-fly season, and was never caught again by Velveteens.

myr-i-ad, a countless number Greek, murias, the number of ten thousand.

ló-tus, a shrub, whose fruit caused sleepiness or forgetfulness.

sòl-emn (sol-em), serious, grave. pro-hib-i-tion, forbidding, bidding or ordering one not to do something. Lat. pro, "before," and habeo, "have or hold."

de-po-sit, lay down. Lat. de,

T. HUGHES.

thòr-ough-ly dréar-i-ly black-guard

this keeper a short time
before, and the keeper had
hitherto got no opportunity
to punish him.
dis-còn-sol-ate-ly, without con-
solation, or comfort, in low
spirits.

stol-id-ly, without energy or
hurry, taking it coolly.
pèr-se-cu-tor, one that perse-
cutes, or follows another
steadily and vexatiously.
Lat. per, "through," and
sequor, secutus, "to follow."
rès-cue, set free, deliver.
cùl-prit, person in fault. From
Lat. culpa, "fault."

*

TO DAFFODILS.

FAIR daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon :
Stay, stay,

Until the hastening day,
Has run

But to the evensong;

And having prayed together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you;
We have as short a spring:

As quick a growth to meet decay
As you, or any thing:

We die,

THE ANGLER AND THE LITTLE FISH.

A MAN was angling in the river one day, and caught a small perch. As he was taking it off the hook and going to put it into his basket, the fish opened its mouth and began to implore his pity, begging that he would throw it into the river again. "And why should I have pity on you and throw you into the river again?" asked the man. "Why," said the fish, "because at present I am but young and little, and therefore not so well worth your while as I shall be if you take me some time hence, when I am grown larger." That may be," replied the man, "but I am not one of those fools that give up what they have for certain, in the mere hope of gaining something that is altogether

ONE of the most important and valuable products of the island of Timor, in the Malay Archipelago, is bees'wax. This is formed by the wild bees, which build huge honeycombs, suspended in the open air from the under-side of the lofty branches of the highest trees. These are of a semicircular form, and often three or four feet in diameter. I once saw the natives take a bees' nest, and a very interesting sight it was.

In the *

valley where I used to collect insects, I one day saw three or four Timorese men and boys under a high tree, and, looking up, saw on a very lofty horizontal branch three large bees' combs. The tree was straight and smooth-barked and without a branch, till at seventy or eighty feet from the ground it gave out the limb which the bees had chosen for their home. As the men were evidently looking after the bees, I waited to watch their operations. One of them first produced a long piece of wood, apparently the stem of a small tree or creeper, which he had brought with him, and began splitting it through in several directions, which showed that it was very tough and stringy. He then wrapped it in palm-leaves, which were secured by twisting a slender creeper round them. He then fastened his cloth tightly round his loins, and producing another cloth wrapped it round his head, neck, and body, and tied it firmly round his neck, leaving his face, arms, and legs completely bare. Slung to his girdle he carried a long thin coil of cord; and while he had been making these preparations one of his companions had cut a strong creeper or bush-rope eight or ten yards long, to one end of which the wood-torch was fastened, and lighted at the bottom, emitting a steady stream of smoke. Just above the torch a chopping-knife was fastened by a short cord.

The bee-hunter now took hold of the bush-rope just above the torch and passed the other end round the trunk of the tree, holding one end in each hand. Jerking it up the tree a little above his head, he set