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against my hand and pen, as though resolved to draw my attention and make me leave off.

As soon as she had accomplished this point, she leaped down on the carpet and made towards the door, with a look of great uneasiness. I opened the door for her, as she seemed to desire; but, instead of going forward, she turned round and looked earnestly at me, as though she wished me to follow her, or had something to communicate. I did not fully understand her meaning, and, being much engaged at the same time, shut the door upon her, that she might go where she liked. In less than an hour afterwards she had again found an entrance into the room, and drawn close to me; but, instead of mounting the table and rubbing herself against my hand as before, she was now under the table, and continued to rub herself against my feet; on moving which I struck them against something which seemed to be in their way, and, on looking down, beheld, with equal grief and astonishment, the dead body of her little kitten, covered over with ashes, and which I supposed had been alive and in good health.

I now entered into the entire train of this afflicted cat's feeling. She had suddenly lost her beloved kitten, and was resolved to make me acquainted with it-assuredly that I might know her grief, and probably, also, that I might inquire into the cause; and finding me too dull to understand her expression, motioning that I would follow her to the spot where the dead kitten had been thrown, she took the great labour of bringing it to me herself, and laid it at my feet. I took up the kitten in my hand, the cat still following me, made inquiry into the cause of its death, which I found, on summoning the servants, to have been an accident, in which no one was much to blame: and the fond mother, having thus obtained her object, and got her

master to enter into her cause, and divide her sorrows with her, gradually took comfort, and resumed her former station by my side.-CASSELL'S NATURAL HISTORY.

THE HORATII AND CURIATII.

Tullus Hostilius, a man of brave and warlike character, was chosen to succeed Numa. Disputes soon began to arise between Rome and Alba; their peace-maker was no more, and each side prepared for war. King Tullus proposed to the Alban general to end the quarrel by a single combat between themselves; but the general, who it seems was not remarkable for personal courage, proposed to select three champions from each camp, who might decide the dispute, and spare the lives of the chiefs. Tullus accepted the proposal.

There was great emulation among the young warriors for the honour of being chosen a champion on this occasion. Three brothers were selected from each army, remarkable for strength and dexterity in the use of their weapons. Horatius, the father of the Roman youths, left them to follow their own inclinations, and, being informed of their resolution to accept the challenge, embraced them, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, exclaimed, "I am a happy father!"

On the day appointed for the combat the several champions appeared upon the plain between the two armies, each to meet his adversary. At the moment that the spectators expected to see them engage in fierce encounter, they quitted their arms, and ran to embrace each other.

Charmed with the action, and grieved that such generous spirits should waste their lives in rivalry so cruel, the people began to murmur at their kings; but a new scene claimed their attention. The combat began, and long continued

equal. The eldest of the Horatii at length received a mortal wound; the second shared the same fate, and expired upon the body of his brother. The Alban army raised shouts of exultation, while despair spread amid the Roman camp. Such hope as bloodshed and death can afford yet rested upon the Alban brothers being all wounded, while the third of the Roman youths was still unhurt and undaunted.

Unable to sustain the attacks of three at one time, the Roman youth pretended fear, and hastily fled before his pursuers, endeavouring to separate them-he succeededhe turned round upon the first and slew him; the second shared the same fate. The third was in no condition to fight, being scarcely able to support himself on his shield. Horatius exclaimed, "To the glory of Rome I sacrifice thee!" and thus perished the last of the three Curiatii.— STORIES FROM THE HISTORY OF ROME.

THE TAME BEAR.

Some years ago a boy of New Hampshire found a very young bear near Lake Winnipeg, and carried it home with him. It was fed and brought up about the house of the boy's father, and became as tame as a dog.

Every day its youthful captor had to go to school at some distance, and by degrees the bear became his daily companion. At first the other scholars were shy of the creature's acquaintance; but ere long it became their regular playfellow, and they delighted in sharing with it the little store of provisions which they brought for their sustenance in small bags. After two years of civilisation, however, the bear wandered to the woods, and did not return.

in vain.

Search was made for him, but

Four succeeding years passed away, and in the interval

changes had occurred in the school alluded to. An old lady had succeeded the ancient master, and a new generation of pupils had taken the place of the former ones. One very cold winter day, while the schoolmistress was busy with her humble lessons, a boy chanced to leave the door half-way open on his entrance, and suddenly a large bear walked in. The consternation of the old lady and her boys and girls was unspeakable. Both schoolmistress and pupils would fain have been abroad; but the bear was in the path, and all that could be done was to fly off as far as possible behind the tables and benches. But the bear troubled them. He walked quietly up to the fireplace and warmed himself, exhibiting much satisfaction in his countenance during the process.

He remained thus about a quarter of an hour; and then walked up to the wall where the bags and baskets of the pupils' food were suspended. Standing on his hind feet he took hold of these successively, put his paws into them, and made free with the bread, fruit, and other eatables therein contained. He next tried the school mistress's desk, where some little provisions usually were, but finding it firmly shut, he went up again to the fire, and, after a few minutes' stay before it, he walked out by the way he entered.

Several

As soon as the schoolmistress and her pupils had courage to move, the alarm was given to the neighbours. young men immediately started after the bear, and, as its track was perfectly visible upon the snow, they soon came up with it and killed it. Then it was that by certain marks upon its skin some of the pursuers recognized the old friend of their school days. Great regret was felt at the loss of the creature. It was like killing a human friend rather than a wild animal.-ANECDOTES IN NATURAL HISTORY.

THE FLEA, THE GRASSHOPPER, AND THE CRICKET.

The flea, the grasshopper, and the cricket, had once a mind to see who could leap the highest, so they invited the whole village, and whomsoever else might choose to come, to see the sight. And three famous jumpers they were, who were assembled in the room.

"I will give my daughter to whichever leaps the highest," said the king; “for it would be too bad if these folks jumped for nothing."

The flea came first. His manners were very elegant, and he bowed to everybody, for he had noble blood in his veins, and was accustomed to the society of human beings, which makes all the difference.

Then came the grasshopper, who was certainly somewhat heavier, yet displayed a good figure that was set off by a becoming green dress. Moreover, this personage maintained that he belonged to a very ancient family in Egypt, where he was thought very highly of. He had just been taken out of a field and put into a summer-house, made of playing cards, with the figured sides turned inwards. "I sing so well," said he, "that sixteen native crickets who had whistled from their early youth without being able to obtain a summerhouse, fretted themselves still thinner than they were already, when they heard me."

Both the flea and the grasshopper duly proclaimed who they were, and that they considered themselves fit to marry a princess.

The cricket said nothing, but he did not think the less, it is said, and when the watch dog had merely sniffed him, he answered for it that the cricket was of good family, and was made out of the breastbone of a real goose. The old senator, who had obtained three orders for holding his tongue, main.

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