"We will take care of our own soldiers, of course," said the officers; "but surely you do not expect us to take care of the enemy's wounded soldiers, do you?" "Yes," said the kind people, "we do." "After a soldier has been shot down in battle and is suffering and perhaps dying, we think he should no longer be thought of as an enemy. He should be thought of as a suffering brother who needs care."

It was a long time before these kind people could make the governments and the army officers agree with them, but after a great deal of talking it over, the countries of Europe came to believe these people were right. Then each country sent a man to meet the other men from the other countries, and they all sat down and wrote out a long paper. This paper was called a "treaty."

In this treaty they agreed to do just what the kind people had wanted them to. "Henceforth," so the treaty read, "no soldier shall be left dying upon the battle-fields, no matter whether he was friend or foe. Nurses and doctors should go up and down the battle-fields, and all the wounded should be gathered up and be taken to the hospital. Then they should all have the kindest care. The nurses and soldiers should never be harmed by either the soldiers of friendly armies or of unfriendly armies. Both should be bound to treat the nurses and doctors with respect and courtesy as they went from field to field."

Then the people began to wonder what they should call this new society, which all the best European countries had joined. And after a long time they decided to call it the "Red Cross."

"We must have a flag," said the Red Cross people. So then they made their beautiful flag with the Red Cross upon it. This flag floats always over their hospitals, and they carry it with them on to the battle-fields, and every man or woman who serves on the battle-field or in the hospital wears a badge with the Red Cross upon it. By this, the armies

always know the Red Cross workers and so do them no harm. Often these Red Cross people would gather up dying soldiers from both armies and carry them to the same hospital. Often these foes would lie there side by side, watched over by the same Red Cross nurses.

ica.

After this war was over, Clara Barton came back to Amer- "We, too, must join the Red Cross," she said. And then for years and years she worked to try to make the United States Government understand it, and help to form a Red Cross Society here in America. It was a long time before she succeeded; but the society was formed at last, and Clara Barton was made its president.

We have had no wars since then and we hope we never shall have, but the Red Cross of America uses its money to help suffering whenever they find it, and if there should be another war, the Red Cross nurses and doctors would go on to the battle-fields ready to help any poor soldier who was suffering, whether friend or enemy, just as they did in the European war, where Clara Barton first served so bravely as a Red Cross nurse. Clara Barton is an old lady now. She is nearly seventy years old, but she will never give up her work for the Red Cross as long as she lives.

It is only a little time ago since she set out from America to help some suffering people in a far off country called Armenia. Her friends begged her not to go. "You have done so much," they said, "and you have worked so many years. Let somebody else do this work this time." But Miss Barton's heart was full of love for these people; and although she knew the work would be hard, and that there would be danger, yet she went and worked for the poor Armenians. -Primary Education.

Tell about the work Clara Barton has done for the starving Cuban people, and ask them to find out where she is at present and what she is doing.

THE CHILDREN OF CUBA.

BY DOROTHY WELLS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Just at this time, while the older people are discussing the present and future condition of Cuba, children will be deeply interested in their brothers and sisters of this West Indian island. What do the children look like, and what do they do, are questions that can easily be made to suggest themselves to the boys and girls who have heard Cuba talked about at the table, on the street, and, more or less, in school.

What do Cuban children look like? Quite like other children. Their eyes are large, dark, and very pretty. Their hair is also dark, and they have the olive complexion so general in southern lands. Yet they like the same kind of goodies, and they play the same games, they study the same lessons, and, in fact, they differ very little from the boys and girls farther north. Save for the difficulty in speaking the Spanish language, children of the United States could have a delightful time with the Cubans across the Gulf of Mexico, or the Cuban boys and girls would enjoy a visit here equally well.

Cuba is often spoken of as the Garden of Eden. When the children look from the windows of their homes, they might easily believe they were in the old-time Eden, for fruits are ripe, and quantities of flowers are in blossom the whole year round. Besides oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, and pineapples, the children of Cuba have many fruits of which we have hardly even heard the names. There are the mango, with leaves like those of our peach trees; alligator pears, with their peculiar blossoms, and grape fruit as large as a baby's head, and as yellow as gold.

THE HOMES THEY LIVE IN.

Cuban houses are usually surrounded by a garden. The house itself is built about an open court, which is the children's favorite playground. Most of the houses are only one story high; none of them more than two. The rooms are a

sitting-room, dining-room, parlor, sleeping rooms and stable, all connected. The front entrance is used in common by the family, servants, visitors, and horses. The building is of wood or brick, with floors of stucco or marble. The prevailing color for the outside is a dingy yellow. There is no occasion for much of a kitchen, for the cooking is all done out of doors, charcoal being the only fuel used. There are no carpets, but a long, narrow rug is spread between the two rows of comfortable rocking chairs, that are part of the furniture of almost every parlor in Cuba. The windows are built nearly as high as the ceiling, and they always reach down to the floor. It is so warm that there is no need of having any glass, so the only protection from rain or dust is given by lace curtains.

THE GAMES THEY PLAY.

But the most enjoyable part of the house to the boys is the roof; at least, in kite time. Cuban boys are so skillful in managing their kites that they are not satisfied with simple flying. Two boys, or two companies of boys, stand on the roofs of neighboring houses, from each of which a kite is sent up, on whose tail are fastened pieces of broken glass or old knife blades. Each boy tries to move his kite in such a way as to cut the string of the kite above the other house, allowing it to float or fall to the ground.

Marbles, and other out-of-door sports, have their season, as is the case in our country; only Cuban seasons are but two, a wet and a dry, instead of four, as with us. Fishing about the coast of the island ought to be very good sport, for six hundred varieties of fish live off the shore. Swimming in the open ocean is dangerous, on account of the sharks which are found, both singly and in schools; but swimming baths are found almost everywhere.

Girls are not allowed to play in the streets, or to walk out. alone. They usually stay in the house or in the courtyard, where they have their dolls and other playthings. They play