and afterwards knelt down while the good woman made a short prayer. Among other things she prayed that her little Bell might be helped all day to keep from sin; that she might look to Jesus Christ the Saviour, and, through faith in him, might have all her sins forgiven; and that she might be made, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, an obedient child of God.

When the chapter and prayer were ended, the old lady and the little girl sat down to breakfast. It was only a simple breakfast: bread and milk for Bell, and bread and tea for the old lady; but they were quite content with it. Bell had a good appetite this morning; she had been up long enough to get very hungry.

Bell only waited to wash the cups and put the room in order, then she kissed her grandmother, took up her basket, and was off.

There was a group of boys and girls standing round the school-house door when Bell reached it. They had watched her coming down the lane, and had wondered a good deal what she was carrying so carefully.

'Oh, mulberries! mulberries!" cried the boys, as she came up. “Where did you get such beau

ties?

Give us some." Martha stood among the girls; she was still very fond of eating, and found it hard to keep her hands off anything good. She stepped quietly up to Bell, and whispered, "Won't you give me just one ? There's a lovely big one on the top; give me that."

"No, no, Martha. Please don't touch one," said Bell. "I want Miss Gordon to see them just So. I picked them for her."

'Stingy! stingy!" cried a big boy, coming up;

and with that he struck the basket a hard blow from beneath. Out flew the berries on every side,

and scattered on the ground.

Oh, Richard! how could you? Richard, you're a bad

Bell stopped; she remembered her promise. After waiting a moment to cool down, she said gently

"Richard, I wish you hadn't done that. They were for Miss Gordon. I didn't give you any, because I thought it wouldn't be nice to offer teacher less than a basketful. You can come to our tree any time and get some."

now.

You may be sure Richard felt ashamed enough He really liked Bell; all the scholars did. He had only knocked out the berries because he thought it would be a good joke, and make the boys laugh.

All the children felt so sorry for what had been done, that not one of them thought of eating the scattered fruit. They called out that Richard ought to be ashamed of himself.

The boy had a heart easily moved, though he was sometimes rude. He went up to Bell and

said

"I was a mean fellow to do that, and you are a kind little girl not to be angry with me. If you'll let me, I'll come to your house to-morrow and

pick you a beautiful lot, and may be they'll do to give to Miss Gordon.”

How glad Bell was now that she had not been cross to Richard. She answered

66

Thank you, Richard; that will do very well. Come to-morrow morning and pick some. I won't tell Miss Gordon that I brought her any today."

Now Bell could have picked more berries as well as Richard; but she knew it would be more kind to let him make what amends he could for his rudeness.

The girls now gathered round Bell and offered to help her to collect the berries and put them back in the basket; but she told them never mind, that Richard was going to pick her some more in the morning, and they might eat those if they liked.

Bell then picked up her basket and went into the house.

In a few minutes Miss Gordon came through the gate. When she saw the girls on the grass eating the mulberries, she wanted to know where they had come from. At first the children did not like to answer; but as she stood waiting, one of them took courage and told her the whole story.

When it was finished, Miss Gordon said nothing, but went hastily into the school-room. Bell was at her desk. Miss Gordon went up to her, and putting her hand softly on the little girl's head, she said, “Bell, you have made me very happy this morning."

Bell knew that her teacher must have heard the story from the girls outside, so she only said—

“I am glad, Miss Gordon, that I was kept from getting angry. Richard is not a bad boy, only rough sometimes.”

The scholars now began to come in and take their places, so Miss Gordon said no more about the matter. Bell's heart was very light; she would have lost more than one basket of berries to get the kind and approving word from her teacher.

After school-time the children gathered round Bell to talk over the events of the morning. They scolded Richard roundly for what they called his meanness, which scolding he bore very meekly. He told them they might call him any names they had a mind to; for he felt truly sorry. When they found he was so, they let him alone; but they all agreed in saying that Bell had set them a good example. They had never before seen a girl teased so much without getting angry.

Richard next day faithfully kept his promise of gathering the mulberries, and ever after this he was Bell's firm friend. During the following winter, the little girl's grandmother often had reason to thank him for a kind and thoughtful act-such acts as young boys are not always found ready to do for old grandmothers. He would clear away the snow from the door, and make a path to the wood-pile; he would bring water from the spring, and do many a little errand; he was always at hand to protect Bell from the wild, rude boys, when they tried to annoy her.

Thus Bell's gentle ways found her many a friend, and made her of great use to her schoolmates. The little girl after this was so glad of the good result of her watchful and prayerful care of her temper, that she felt encouraged to go on in the good way. Though only one of the youngest scholars in a plain little country school, Bell did a great work. She herself walked in the narrow path, and helped many another child to do the same; but the strength for this great work came from above; it was not Bell's own. She had asked in prayer, and in the name of Jesus, for grace, and it had been given her.

FIRST DISCIPLES OF JESUS.

ST. ANDREW.

ST. ANDREW was the son of Jonas, a fisherman of Bethsaida, and brother to St. Peter. Bethsaida was situated on the Lake of Gennesaret where the Jordan united with its waters, and flourished long after our Saviour's time.

St. Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, but meeting our Saviour, and hearing that he was the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world," he wished to follow him, and asked where he dwelt; Jesus answered, “Come and see.” What passed then is not revealed to us, and we may never know in this world; but enough was said to convince Andrew that this was indeed the Christ, for he went to his brother Peter, and told