LAKES IN A STORM.

"NOW FOR IT! OVER WITH YOU!"

Some minutes before sunrise we went aboard our boat and took our places for a long pull up the lakes. There were two sets of rowlocks, with oars to match. Fred took one pair and Farr the other. Spot lay down on Farr's coat behind his master. I took the stern seat and steering oar. Scott had the bow seat and a paddle.

"All ready!" cried Fred, cheerily. "Give way! one, two, three, and away we go!"

By the time we were fairly out on the lake there was quite a "sea."

We made for Birch Island. The swells threw us about amazingly. There is much strength and friskiness in these fresh-water surges. Those were wild moments. Fred, Farr and Scott were pulling with might and main. The spray flew over us; the spatters drenched us. I expected every moment that we should be swamped. And as we drew near the island our case seemed not much improved. The waves broke against it fiercely.

"It won't do to let her run on there!" exclaimed Farr. "It will swamp her."

"Yes," said Fred; "but it is not deep water. Sit still and pull till I give the word, then jump out, everybody, and ease her ashore.

"Now for it! Over with you!" he shouted, a moment afterwards.

We leaped out, and carried the boat by main strength high upon the land.

FRITZ.

FRITZ COVERING UP HIS FOOD.

Fritz is a beautiful light-blue grey cat. He is the especial pet of his master's little daughter, and therefore has many privileges about the house not usually accorded to cats. Among these special privileges is that of having his food in the dining-room. Fritz has many peculiarities, the chief being that he thinks that he is covering up the food that remains after he has eaten all he wishes, a habit of wild cats which is well known.

He stands over the plate which contains the remains of his repast and scratches perfectly imaginary dust or mould over it.

This he does all round the plate, and after a curious look at it to see that it is all right, and it is covered up, he walks leisurely away. How strange it is that these traces of a wild state are so often to be seen in animals which have been domesticated for long generations! Fritz had no need to cover up his food, even if the dirt or mould were there for the purpose, for he is sure of getting plenty more when he wants it. It was simply from the force of habit, a habit not his own, but his ancestors, that he went through the motions.

What a forcible illustration of the power of habit!

NAUGHTY WILLIE.

NAUGHTY WILLIE.

Willie got punished at school to-day!
What did he do?
Why, he drew on his slate, in a comical way,
Pictures of horses and oxen, and they
Seemed to be dancing a real Irish jig!
Yes, and he, too, had a little wee pig
Down in the corner, as cute as could be;
All of us laughed such a picture to see!

That was the morning before recess,
When he threw paper balls at sly little Bess;
And one hit her plump on her fat little nose,
And made us all laugh, as you may well suppose;
And he pulled some one's hair as they went out to spell,
But who cried out nobody would tell.

And then, let me see; why he stepped on my toes,
And balanced his book on the tip of his nose
When the teacher wasn't looking, and then, O, dear me,
He made some whiskers as black as could be
With the cork of the ink-bottle rubbed on his cheek,
And we all laughed till we hardly could speak.

The teacher caught him, and punished him well;
Not half the words that were his could he spell;
And in the arithmetic he had to guess
Half of the answers and wished they were less.
All he has gained by his actions to-day,
Is a black mark and his ill-timed play.

NED BENTLY'S TEMPTATION.

NED REFUSING TO DRINK WITH THE MINERS.

When Ned Bently was a boy of about fifteen years of age he lost both of his parents by yellow fever, in New Orleans. The only remaining relative he had was a bachelor uncle, living in the mining regions of California. Ned worked his way on board a ship, as a sailor boy, to San Francisco, and finally arrived at the diggings where his uncle was engaged in mining. In those early days of California mine digging the miners were generally a very rough class of men. So it happened that soon after Ned's arrival a great gruff "digger" offered to treat Ned to a drink of liquor, and became very angry because he refused to touch it.

Ned scarcely shut his eyes all that night, for he was dreadfully afraid that the miners might yet force him to drink of that which he had been taught was certain ruin to body and soul. But to Ned's great surprise and joy, next morning the very man who the night before had offered to treat him took a bold stand in his defense against the other miners' attempts to force him to drink.

"The lad's about right," said the gruff old digger. "If he can live out here without drinkin' liquor, he'll be able to buy and sell the whole of ye by'n'by." And so it proved, for Ned held fast to his resolution not to drink, and became one of the wealthiest mine owners in California.

"HODGE."

DR. JOHNSON AND HIS CAT.

Many have a dislike to cats; but when boys say they hate cats, it is to be feared that they mostly do so that they may have an excuse for hunting and ill-treating them. In some cases, however, there is a natural antipathy which those who possess it cannot help, though it seems very foolish and unreasonable.

James Boswell tells us