Once a bright, new silver shilling, just from the mint, said "Hurrah! now I can go out into the wide world, see the people, and learn for myself."

Soon into the wide world it went, little thinking it would learn some sorrowful lessons, and meet all sorts of people.

The little child who received it first smiled, and thought it beautiful; the miser held it tightly in a cold, hard palm; the poor old man turned it over many times before parting with it, while the careless young people gave it away lightly.

When it had been a whole year in the world, that is to say, in the country in which it had been made, it started with a gentleman on a long journey to other countries.

One day the gentleman found it in his purse, and knew it was the last native coin he had, and he said, "Oh, here is a silver shilling from home, and the last native coin I have, and it shall stay with me through this long journey."

The shilling jumped for joy, it was so pleased to be put back into the purse. There it lay among strange companions, who came and went, each making room for another, but the shilling always stayed in the purse.

Soon it was not satisfied to stay in the purse but wished to look about and see the people and countries through which they were traveling.

"I am tired of staying in this purse. Here I only learn what my strange companions choose to tell me, and that does not give me any idea of the world. I will just peep out the first time I get a chance," thought the shilling.

He who has his head in a bag sees nothing. That was the case with the shilling.

The purse was left open that afternoon, so it crept out to take a peep. Now it should not have done this, but it was inquisitive, and people often have to pay for being inquisitive. While taking that peep, it fell into the pocket of the trousers,

and when the trousers were brushed that night, it fell out upon the floor; no one saw or heard it.

"This is fine, now I shall see the world, and learn of the people and their ways," thought the shilling.

Alas for the poor foolish shilling! It soon learned more of their ways than was pleasant to learn.

The next morning the gentleman went on his journey, and the shilling was left behind.

This is the story as it was told by the shilling itself:

"The next morning I was found and examined. 'Do you think this is a shilling? No, indeed! It is not a coin of this country. It is bad, false! Good for nothing!'

"How these words hurt me.

neither bad nor false.

I knew I was

"I must get rid of this coin in the dark,' said the man who had found me; so I was passed at night and abused in the daytime.

"How unhappy I was! Of what use was my pure silver when I was thought to be worthless?

"In the eyes of the world one has only the value it chooses to give. The world does not value all men at their true worth, and what could a friendless coin expect?

Later, I was paid to a poor woman for a hard day's work, and she could not get rid of me at all. How sorry I was for the trouble I caused her.

เ

"I must pass this shilling to some one,' she said. The rich baker shall have it; he can bear the loss better than I can. But that is not the right thing to do. No, I will not deceive any one with you. You may be a lucky shilling for some I will bore a hole in you, so every one will know you are not a coin of our country.'

one.

"She bored a hole through me, passed a thread through the hole, then said: 'I will give you to my neighbor's little son. He will wear you around his neck, and I trust you will be a lucky coin for him.

"So saying, she gave me to the boy, and I truly meant to be a lucky coin. He gave me a kiss, and I was glad some one liked me. The boy's mother came, and said: 'So you are a lucky coin, are you? Well I will soon try you.'

"She then took her scissors, and cut the string, and put me in vinegar until I was green all over; then she filled up the hole. In the evening she carried me out to buy a lottery ticket.

"The ticket seller took me, gave the woman a ticket, and threw me into a box with other coins. I never learned whether or not the ticket drew a prize; but the next morning I was picked out as a false shilling, and sent on my way to deceive again.

"Thus for a year I went from hand to hand, always abused and always unwelcome; no one trusted me. O, how I wished to be home again!

"One day I was passed to a traveler, a strange gentleman; soon he went to pass me on and again I heard the horrid words, 'No, false, - this is not a coin of our country.'

"I received it as a good coin,' said the gentle