Bolax, Imp or Angel-Which?

p to the

e, suffering from Chorea; she had grown thin and pale, a

lantic City?" she asked one day when they were

le. I will take Amy down, but you know it is impossible for me to stay awa

of the Sacred Heart, begging them to

red the letter, saying she would gladly care for the little

s being afraid to meet so many strange girls, but when she saw a nice little trunk packed with ev

take a very early train, so as to arrive in a strange t

ocuring tickets and seeing her pretty trunk labeled; she wondered if she would be as well equipped as the other girls in the convent, but she need not have wondered, as there are so many little girls and boys, whose treasures bear ample evidence of Mother's loving hands. Those little touches of motherhood, hardly noticed by those whom they

ing the waves come in on the white sands and break over her bare feet. Sometimes she donned her bathi

had so far recovered that her mother, who had come to visit her, thought to take her home, but Mothe

my, and she to them, and dear Mother Evans b

ntic City, this time, to bring her little girl home. She took board i

-the story of the gallant De Soto and his brave company of six hundred men, the flower of Spanish chivalry, leaving the sunny slopes of his native Estramadura, sailing across these unknown seas, and landing upon these western shores; day after day pressing on through pathless wilds, on towards the sunset, in pursuit of that fabled El Dorado in which they thoroughly believed. And then that sad death upon the banks of the river which his eyes first of all Europeans had beheld-the sorrowing band who resolved to hide his body in th

all its luxuriant vegetation of a Southern spring, with breath and beauty of flowers. What better name could the romantic h

ar over the flowery sunset land, whisper to you that, instead of youth

ll say how we think; by what subtile art a thousand pictures pass swiftly on before one

t poet speaks, all the dumb world recognizes what

h some might think dull for one so young, but she was always a dreamy child, from the time she used to lie in her baby crib and watc

a hasty preparation so as to return home on the same train, happy in being able to avail herself of her dear friend's company

mmer Ad

unting for wild flowers and curious stones, going into swampy places for specimens of

luncheon, and off they went to have a day of it in the woods. It was the last week of August

stones. But today it was much swollen, owing to a heavy shower, which had fallen the pr

to pick their way through the noisy current, but Bolax stopped them

d, "I guess I can beat you

ined Bo, "just wait a min

ree, which grew on the opposite side, prepared to swing himself across. He pulled the branch as far towar

weight tore it from the tree, so, instead of swinging

fell from the stones on which they stood. As soon as they could speak, Ned cried:

e brook, with the water almost up to his chin. Seeing him so still, Wal

a wet place; why don

l his fun, was not without some thoughtfulness, and fearing lest Bolax's we

n and dry myself," repl

im to run home, but he

tle today, and I'll leave you

may both go to the

he Patent Brook Crossing Company,"

r I'll throw yo

iven him a chill, and made him nervous. Ned, the peace-mak

e, Bo, or Hetty will never give

but his mother caught him on the stairs, such a sight as

, horrified at the con

eadful. Dat's de second big scrape you

hope you are not keeping things from your mother, my son. I fear som

a fellow, who did a couple of mortal sins, and the fel

tell you what

ked at me with such a face

hould not ha

n't dare to go to confession, if he got put out for only two morta

commit the sins? I was sure you told me

e not been having many talks with you at night f

I am sorry if my negligence has caused you to be careless a

lie, but I twisted the truth. Ma, dear, if I tell you all about that da

care of my own conscience,

the train to come home, a freight car passed and slowed up. I heard a fellow say, "He

iend of

en I am waiting at the station; his name is

isobedient! Getting on trains when y

e you the little kid that helped me stoke the fire last fall?" I said I wasn't a kid now; I was ten years old. "That's so," said he, "come to look at you, you're round as a barrel, but you ain't growed taller." Then I told him to shut up, and he said: "Oh

r you were not killed! Oh, how could yo

that neighborhood. Suddenly it came to my mind to pray to the Angel Guardian, for the Engineer on the next passenger train that would pass, to make a stop. Oh, how I prayed! even more fervently than when I am sick, and you know how wonderfully I can pray then. Well, after a long wait in the pitch dark, for it was cloudy, and not even a star to be seen, I heard the welcome sound of a whistle, a bell rang, and I knew a train was coming. Sure enough it did come and stopped. The conductor and three men got out, each with a lantern, began examining the wheels; I jumped on the car, and when the conductor came in, I walked up to him and to

not tell me a

as sick and Amy and Aunt Lucy away from home. It's

nything from your mother. That good conductor should have been seen by

to him and pay my fare. Kiss me, darling mother, and forgi