smiling face, and she lives in a happier home than many children of rich parents."

"I know, mamma," said Joshua, "Martha always looks pleasant, even in a shabby dress."

"Mr. Kelly is a very kind and good man," said Mrs. Payson; "and I hope, before another Christmas, he will be able to give his family a better home.

"They look happy because they have good thoughts and try to do their duty. None can be happy, even in beautiful homes, unless their thoughts are right.

"I hope you will select a pleasant book for little Martha, my daughter, and I will send some articles to her mamma."

"It is now your bedtime, my darlings. To-morrow we will begin to prepare our Christmas gifts for the poor."

The children kneeled down and thanked God for being so good to them, and asked him to help them to be kind and obedient, and to speak the truth.

After they had said their prayers, Newton ran to his mamma and kneeled down again by her side, and said, "Will God please to help the hungry little children to smile, for Christ's sake?"

CHAPTER II.

FRITZ DEAD, YET LIVES.

The next day, after the children had finished their lessons, Mrs. Payson said, "I will tell you a little story, showing how a child can do much good.

"Many years ago, I knew a little boy who could not walk. His nurse let him fall, when he was a baby, and hurt his back, so that he grew out of shape, and could not stand on his feet.

"The little boy's name was Fritz Ritter. His parents lived in a pleasant home, and did all they could to make their darling lame boy happy.

"They taught him to read, and write, and to draw pictures.

"But Fritz said, 'That is not enough. I have dear friends, who do every thing for me. Now, I must do something too.'

"His father kept a man to draw him about in a little wagon; so Fritz knew all the streets in town, and visited the machine-shops and mills to see how things are made. Almost every one looked kindly on his sweet, pale face, and wherever he went the people would talk with him and show him what he wished to see.

"As he rode about the city he saw many poor houses, and hungry and ragged children.

"One night, when his mamma laid him in his little bed, she saw that he was sad and quiet.

"'What is the matter with my little boy to-night?' she asked.

"'I have seen so many poor little children on Stone Alley to-day,' said Fritz, 'who were ragged and dirty, I wished they had good homes and good mammas.'

"'I am sorry for all poor little children who are ragged and hungry,' said Mrs. Ritter. 'But, as we can not give them pleasant homes we must do what we can for them; for you know Christ says, "The poor ye have always; and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good."'"

"Fritz turned his face away and shut his eyes as though he was tired. But he was not tired; he was only thinking.

"He had stopped many times at a little shop, in the edge of town, where baskets were made; a man, and a woman, and several children worked there, and they made many kinds of baskets; some of them very fine and pretty.

"Fritz had sat in the shop a long time that day, and he asked the man if he might come every day, and