Amongst the buildings of great interest which London contains, the Tower is one of the chief. It was first a Norman fortress, founded by William the Conqueror, and has been used as a palace, a prison, and a mint; and is now an arsenal 5 where the regalia are kept for safety. Westminster Abbey is historically interesting as the scene of the coronation and burial of many of our kings since the time of Edward I., and of great national interest, as containing many monuments of great men, many of whom are buried there.

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St. Paul's Cathedral; the British Museum; the Mint, where our coins are made; the Houses of Parliament, where our laws are made; and the New Law Courts, in which those laws are enforced, are among the "sights" to be seen by all who visit London. St. Paul's Cathedral is the largest Protes15 tant church in the world.

Previous to the Great Fire of 1666, a large portion of London was built of wood. The ravages made by the fire extended over hundreds of acres, thus leaving the great city literally in ruins. But much good came out of this great 20 evil. It cleared the city of the Great Plague, which had swept away so many of its inhabitants during the previous year, and led to the rebuilding of London in a much better style. In the short space of four years, London was rebuilt on an entirely different plan which helped greatly to promote 25 the health and welfare of its inhabitants.

142. THE STORY OF A MATCH BOY.

Nor long ago, in the city of Edinburgh, two gentlemen were standing at the door of an hotel one very cold day, when a little boy with a poor thin blue face, his feet bare and red 30 with the cold, and with nothing to cover him but a bundle of rags, came and said, "Please, sir, buy some matches."

"No, we don't want any," the gentleman said. "But they are only a penny a box," the poor little fellow pleaded. "Yes, but you see we don't want a box," the gentleman said again. 35 “Then I will sell you two boxes for a penny," the boy said

at last; and so to get rid of him, the gentleman who tells the story says, "I bought a box; but then I found I had no change, so I said, 'I will buy a box to-morrow.' 'Oh, do buy them to-night, if you please,' the boy pleaded again; ‘I will run and get you the change, for I am very hungry.' So 5 I gave him the shilling, and he started away. I waited for him, but no boy came.

"Then I thought I had lost my shilling; still there was something in the boy's face that I trusted, and I did not like to think badly of him. Late in the evening I was told a little 10 boy wanted to see me. When he was brought in, I found he was a smaller brother of the boy that got my shilling, but if possible, thinner and more ragged. He stood for a moment, diving into his rags as if seeking for something, and then said, 'Are you the gentleman that bought the matches 15 from Sandie?' 'Yes.' 'Well, then, here's fourpence out of the shilling; Sandie cannot come; he's very ill; a cart ran over him and knocked him down, and he lost his cap and his matches and your sevenpence, and both his legs are broken, and the doctor says he will die; and that's all.' And then, 20 putting the fourpence on the table, the poor child broke out into great sobs.

"So I fed the little lad, and I went with him to see Sandie. I found that the two little things lived alone, their father and mother being dead. Poor Sandie was lying on a 25 bundle of shavings. He knew me as soon as I came in, and said, 'I got the change, sir, and was coming back; and then the horse knocked me down, and both my legs were broken. "And oh, Reuby; little Reuby! I am sure I am dying, and who will take care of you when I am gone? What will 30 you do, Reuby?' Then I took his hand, and said I would always take care of Reuby. He understood me, and had just strength to look up at me as if to thank me; and the light went out of his blue eyes."

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143. THE OLD SAILOR'S SHIP.

"WHEN I was a little boy," says a banker, whose name is well known in all parts of the world, "I lived in a large city. Like most boys, I took great delight in gazing in at 5 the windows of the shops, as I passed along the streets.

Day after day, on my way to school, I went through a narrow street or alley, in which lived an old sailor. His house was a low, dingy building, but in the window was an object which had a very great charm for my eyes. It was a model of a 10 ship, made in wood. It was a tiny bit of a thing, but all its little masts and spars were neatly carved, and it was rigged with sails small enough to match the masts and yards. Oh, how pretty it looked to my eager eyes, and how often I wished, as I leaned against the window, that the dear little 15 treasure were my own. How charming it would be to see it floating in a pond; how all my little playmates would enjoy it. "One day, half-a-dozen of us boys came bounding down the street, as full of fun and frolic as most boys are when just let out of school. The kind old sailor sat at his door 20 as we came up. came up. He was a good man, and the bigger boys began to tease him to give them the little ship. He smiled, and they grew bolder and bolder.

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“Oh, yes, give it to me,' said one.

"No, no; to me, to me. I spoke first,' said a second. old sailor, give it to me,' shouted a third.

"I say,

"I was

a timid little fellow, and stood apart without speaking a word. I know I thought the other boys were very rude, to make such a demand in that shameless way, and yet they were the sons of persons of high standing in 30 the city. While they were speaking the old man took the little ship from the window, and, holding it in his hand, came out. Seeing this, the boys crowded round him and were more noisy than ever.

"Oh, go away with your noise,' said he, rather crossly 35 pushing them aside; 'I shall give it to none of you.' Then coming up to where I stood, he said to me, with a kindly smile on his face, 'It is yours, my lad, if you would like it,