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M THE PRESBYTER!
For the Children
BY AND BY.
Is there a boy or is there a girl
Who thinks "by and by" is just as well,
When duty calls from pleasure away?
Is it you, is it you?who can tell?
You were having fun with your doll.
When your mamma called to you
And asked your help. You gave no heed,
Thinking "By and by will do."
You were reading a story, my lad,
And I'm sure you can't deny
You knew when your papa spoke.
You thought, "Yes, by and by."
You ought to have pleasure and fun,
But if duty calls, you must hear
And answer at once. "Bv and bv"
Is never so well, my dear.
If you wish to succeed in life
The motto "now" you must try;
You will surely fail to win,
If you trust in "by and by."
DOT'S WORLD.
By L. M. Montgomery.
"Oh, dear me!"' said Dot, crossly, "this is a horrid
old world. It's the very worst world ever was!"*
Aunt Meg smiled.
"I've been thinking it was a real nice world, Dot.
What is the matter with it?"
"It rained all the morning," said Dot, "and I couldn't
go down to play with Nellie; and I've nuffin to do, and
I'm tired of all my books and games. Nobody pays
any 'tention to me, and it's a horrid old world."
Aunt Meg laid down her work and looked seriously
at seven-year-old Dot. Dot liked to have people look
seriously at her, it made her feel so nice and grown up.
"I don't really think it is a horrid world, Dot," she
said. "It is just the kind of world we make it.
Would you like a recipe for making it a nice world?"
" 'Course I would." said ^)ot, promptly.
"Then," said Aunt Meg, decidedly, "you must go
and do things for other people."
"What things?" asked Dot. nnpnincr
^ - ? -f~ &
"Oh, I can't tell you that. You must find out what
things for yourself." . ^
"Are you in earnest?" demanded Dot.
"Indeed I am. Just try my recipe. You'll see that
it will change your opinion about the world."
Privately Dot didn't believe it would. Sne wasn't
at all sure she knew just what Aunt Meg meant, but
she thought it over carefully as she went downstairs.
In the sitting-room she saw grandma getfing ready
to wind a skein of yarn over two chairs. Dot knew
it made grandma's arms and rheumatic fingers ache to
wind yarn; but Dot didn't like it, either, and she was
just slipping out when she thought of what Aunt Meg
had said. Was this what she meant?
"Grandma, I'll wind your yarn for you," she said.
And wind it she did. When it was done grandma
gave her a kiss and a pineapple drop.
AN OF THE SOUTH. March 10, 1909.
"I'm ever so much obliged to you, dearie. You're a
thoughtful little girl." ^
Dot slipped out to tl\c kitchen, and there was Nora
getting ready to bake a cake.
"Can't I seed those raisins for you, Nora?" she said.
"Sluire. and it's meself that'll he obliged to yez if
yez will," said Nora, heartily. "I've trot fortv other
things to do this blessed afternoon. If ye'll seed the
raisins for me, I'll bake yez two little pattypans out ot
the cake for your doll-house.*'
"Where is Ethel?'' said mamma, coming into the
kitchen when the raisids -were done. "1 want her to
amuse Bobby while I stitch up her shirt-waist."
"Ethel is busy doing her arithmetic for Monday,"
said Dot. "I'll play with Bobby, mamma."
So for an hour Dot played woolly bear and building
house with two-year-old Bobby.
When Bobby fell asleep six-year-old Teddy strayed
in with tears on his face.
"I tan't learn my letters," he.sobbed.
"Oh, yes, you can," said Dot, brightly. fT'll help
you. Come along, we'll go up to the hall window seat
and find out all about them."
In half an hour's time Teddy had got his alphabet
so well straightened out that he knew every letter in
it. Then Dot ran down to the Corners and did an errand
for Ethel, for the rain had stopped and the, sun
was shining gloriously. The flowers in Dot's garden
plot were all wide open and fresh when she came back.
"I b'lieve I'll pick a bunch and take them down to
old Mrs. Drown," said Dot to herself. "I know she
likes flowers, and she hasn't any."
That evening Aunt Meg came into the little white
bedroom where Dot had just gone to bed.
"Well, Dot, what do you think of the world now?"
she asked merrily.
"It's a nice, splendid world," said Dot. "I'm ever so
much obliged to VOU for vour rerine Ann* ??
,?, . >u?v lucg, auu
I'm going to use it every day."?Zion's Herald.
THE SAW OF CONTENTION.
"Oh, Frank, come.and see how hot my saw gets!
When I draw it rhrough the boards a while, it's 'most
hot enough to set fire to it."
"That's the friction," said Frank, with all the superior
wisdom of two years more than Eddie boasted.
"Yes," said sister Mary, who was passing, "it's the
friction; but do you know what it makes me think
about ?"
"No; what?" asked both boys at once.
"Of two little boys who were quarreling over a trifle
this morning, and the more they talked, the hotter their
tempers grew, until there is no knowing what might
have happened, if mother had not thrown cold water
on the fire by sending them into separate rooms."
The boys hung their heads, and Mary went on:
"There is an old proverb which says, 'The longer the
^c?vy wi vvjuiciuion is nrawn, tne hotter it grows.'"
"I tell you what, Frank," said Eddie, "when we find
ourselves getting angry, let's run out and use the saw
uncle brought me, and then we won't find time for the
saw of contention."?Christian Age.