REVIEW.

Have you ever played the game, "Throwing Light"? We will each one describe some character and the others will name the person described. We will not try to give too much light at first.

To-day we will select our characters from the articles beginning with the "Little Midshipman" and ending with the "Use of Flowers.' Authors may be included in the characters. To begin:

"The character of whom I am thinking is a well dressed person, with dark hair and keen eyes, and is very observing. His face has something about it which is unpleasant; he looks at people only when they are not looking at him, his eyes turn away from you when you speak to him; he listens to all that is said by those around, but he does not wish it known he is listening. indeed he loves money better than

"He loves money work. He is cruel "

Perhaps long before we have reached this point, the class have called out- "You mean the man who tried to rob the boy as told in the "Little Midshipman." Yes, the would-be robber is the man meant, and all that was said about him may be gleaned from the story except that he had dark hair and eyes.

Other characters that may be used are the little midshipman himself, the farmer who carried the boy to his father's door, the author, Jean Ingelow, and the people who gave the boy a drink.

"A Race with a Locomotive" is full of characters that will tax your powers of description. Study "The Three Heavy Stones" and "Turning the Grindstone," for char

acters.

THE QUEST OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

Phryxus, son of the king of Thebes, received from his mother a ram of golden color, or, according to fable, a ram with a fleece of pure gold. Some years later he and his sister Helle, to escape from a cruel step-mother, decided to run away. They seated themselves on the back of the ram with the golden fleece and flew away over the country of mountains, valleys, and plains; but when crossing an arm of the sea, Helle lost her balance and fell into the water. She was drowned, and that part of the sea has ever since been known as Hellespont, or the "Sea of Helle."

Phryxus arrived in safety at Colchis, where he sacrificed the ram to Jupiter, who placed it among the signs of the Zodiac. The fleece was hung up in a grove sacred to one of the gods, where it was guarded by bulls who breathed flames of fire from their nostrils, and, also, by a sleepless dragon.

Jason, by right, was king of Thessaly, but his uncle Pelias had usurped the throne and wished to continue in the government. So when Jason asked his uncle to let him take his own place on the throne, the uncle persuaded him to undertake an expedition for the recovery of the Golden

Fleece, saying that when Jason returned with it he would give him his throne.

Being an adventurous as well as a brave young man, Jason agreed to the plan of his uncle. He first had built a large ship with fifty long oars. This ship was called the Argo, after the builder, Argos. Jason then sent word throughout Greece of his plan, and soon he had forty-nine brave men to go on the quest with him. The crew that manned the Argo were called the Argonauts.

They set out on their journey, and for many days, propelling the Argo by oars, and using the sails to catch the wind, they traveled east and north. After passing through the Hellespont they came to another strait. There they found their path blocked by two great rocks that clashed together with the waves and ground to pieces the ships that tried to pass between them.

After waiting for many days, trying to devise a means to get the ship through in safety, and seemingly with no result, a wise man of the vicinity told the Argonauts to watch for the flight of a dove about to go between the rocks. This they did. The dove passed through with only the loss of its tail feathers, so they determined to venture.

They waited until the wind was very strong, in order to fill the sails, and then all the men worked hard and faithfully at the oars. Between the crashing rocks the Argo slipped, with the loss of only a few ornaments from her stern. After passing this danger, the Argonauts were soon in the land of the Golden Fleece.

Jason went at once to the king and told him of his

perilous voyage with his band of heroes. Then he asked him for the fleece.

The king was a crafty man, and while he had no idea. of giving the Golden Fleece to anyone, he told Jason he might have it, if he would accomplish two tasks which the king would assign him.

These Jason agreed to do; but when he learned what the tasks were, his heart sank within him, for indeed, they were very difficult.

When Jason was nearly discouraged, Medea, the king's daughter, came to his aid, and by the help of her enchantments he was able to perform both tasks.

To harness two mighty bulls, whose hoofs were of solid brass, and whose breath was of scorching fire, and with this team plow a field that had never been tilled, was one of the tasks. Medea gave him a magic ointment to rub over his body. This protected him from the fiery breath and gave him great strength for one day. She also instructed him to anoint his sword and shield with the same ointment or salve. The next morning Jason used the magic salve as directed, and then entered the field of Ares, looking as noble and majestic as the god of war himself. The mighty bulls with fiery breath were easily subdued by Jason, and the first task was safely accomplished.

A still more difficult undertaking was before him. He must sow in the furrows he had made with his plow, the teeth of a dragon, and kill the armed men who would spring up out of the ground. This Jason could not do alone, so he again obtained Medea's assistance.

Medea said to Jason: "When the armed men spring up, throw a stone among them, and they will at once fall to fighting each other." Jason obeyed; and the warriors, instead of attacking him, fought among themselves until they were all dead. Thus was the "Field of Ares" plowed and the crop gathered.

The king discovered by what means Jason had accomplished the tasks, and he was very angry with both him and Medea, and refused to give up the Golden Fleece. After all, Jason would have failed had not Medea aided him once

more.

At night they went to the grove of Mars, where the Fleece was kept, ever guarded by the dragon. But Medea put the dragon to sleep, and then Jason took the Fleece and together they hastened away to the Argo. The ship was ready for sea, and Jason immediately set sail, taking Medea with him.

The journey home was most exciting, for Æetes, the father of Medea, sent after them men and ships to bring them back. Medea knew her father's anger and dreaded to return to his kingdom.

The Argo had escaped many dangers, and Jason and Medea began to think themselves safe, when they came in sight of a most perilous looking passage. On one side was the black, seething, foaming whirlpool of Charybdis, and on the other the mighty rock from which the monster Scylla swooped down upon the unfortunate mariners.

A kind goddess sent to them a guide, who conducted the Argo safely through the dangerous strait.