THE OLD GUN.

'Mid the smoke and the heat of battle,
Where men fought for wrong or right,
'Mid the clash and the roar and the rattle,
Where fiercest raged the fight,
Stood the old gun,
Hurling his bolts of thunder
Into the ranks of those
Who dared to brave his anger,
Who dared to be his foes,
Dared face the gun.

'Mid the daisies and clover growing
On that long-ago battle plain,
Kissed by the soft winds, blowing
Over the graves of the slain,
Lies the old gun.
Around him frolic the children,
Noisy with innocent glee,
But silent and still he lies there,
Who helped make a nation free,
Asleep in the sun.

COMPENSATION.

BY GEORGE COOPER.

For every leaf of green,
A golden leaf;
For every fading flower,
A ripened sheaf.
For every parching beam,
A drop of rain;
For every sunny day,
The stars again.

For every warring wave,
A pretty shell;
For every sound of woe,
A joyous bell.
For every passing care,
A mother's kiss:
And what could better be,
Dear child, than this?

AN ANCIENT TRAVELLER.

BY ELLA RODMAN CHURCH.

The oldest book of travels in Asia that has been preserved was written by Marco Polo, an Italian, who was born nearly two hundred and fifty years before his famous countryman Christopher Columbus discovered America.

The father and uncle of Marco, who were merchants in Venice, had already been to China, then called Cathay, and spent some years at the court of the Emperor Khubla Khan, who became their warm friend. On their return to Venice they had many wonderful stories to tell of the mysterious country they had explored, and the strange sights and adventures they had met with; and two years afterward they started again on their travels, with letters and presents for the Chinese monarch from Pope Gregory X. Marco, then a young man of twenty, went with them on this journey.

They travelled over land and water and desert, and had many hardships and dangers to encounter; but finally they reached the city of Cambalu (which was discovered in the seventeenth century to be Pekin), after a journey of four years! When the Khan heard that they were coming, he sent people to meet them a month and a half before they arrived, and directed that they should be received with every possible honor.

At last they reached the royal city, and were conducted at once to the Khan, before whom they prostrated themselves, after the fashion of the country; then they were invited to a magnificent banquet. The throne, which stood on a platform at the head of the long table, sparkled and glittered with precious gems; and on this was seated the monarch of Cathay, sparkling and glittering likewise in his festal robes, with his four wives around him, and a long string of attendants for each of the ladies.

Everybody who was considered to be in good society in Cambalu was present at this feast of welcome to the returned travellers; and jewels, and plumes, and gold, and precious stones, and brilliant colors, and beautiful faces were mingled together in bewildering confusion. After the company had left the table, jugglers and acrobats and musicians were brought in to entertain them; and very likely the tired