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weather and muttering in a most disagreeable manner, as if nothing pleasant had ever come into her life. Teddy's sweet little song floated down to her. "What a darling he is," she said and smiled.

After a long time the mother's work was done, and she came on the porch for her little son. "Have I helped, mother?" asked Teddy. "You do not know how much you have helped," said his mother as she took him in her arms.-Second Grade.

A DEED OF COMPASSION

At a railroad station there was a large pool of water. Close by stood a cattle train in the hot sun. The cattle lowed dismally, and the sheep tumbled about to reach the blessed air.

Two little girls who had been "berrying" came along. One emptied her pail, filled it with water, and trudged back and forth to the thirsty animals. The other girl gave them bits of grass, and would fill time and time again her "picking dish" with water and throw on the sheeps' dusty noses.

These tender hearted children showed a beautiful compassion for the helpless.-5A Grade.

SAMARITAN

"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

"And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

"And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.

"And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

"And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee."-Third Grade.

THE PEASANT AT THE FLOOD

More than a century ago, terrible floods were experienced in the neighborhood of Verona, owing to heavy snow in the Italian Alps, followed by rapid thaw. The rivers came dashing down the mountain sides overflowing their banks and carrying everything before them.

Among other disasters a bridge over a river was carried away, all except the middle part on which was built the house of the toll gatherer. He and his family might at any moment be swept away by the raging torrent. They appeared at the window screaming to the on-lookers in the distance to rescue them from peril.

A nobleman of the district came forward and offered a reward of fifty pounds to any one who would rescue the family, but no one would undertake the dangerous task.

At this moment a peasant came to the spot, jumped into a boat and began to pull out to the bridge house. It was with great difficulty that he succeeded in reaching the house.

Courage, my friends!" he shouted to the family and they climbed into his boat. He landed them safely on shore.

The crowd broke out into a loud cheer and the count came forward holding out his purse by way of recompense; but the peasant declined the reward saying: "I should certainly not expose my life for money. I can work for all I need to meet the wants of my family. Give the money to those poor people who have lost all.”

And so the brave man not only rescued the family but by his generosity was able to supply them with sufficient money to buy a new home.

-Fifth Grade.

A MOTHER TO MANY

In addition to her two daughters, Mrs. Jane Durham, who recently died here at the age of 74 years, was "mother" to thirty-two children, orphans, whom she had reared as her own.

Mrs. Durham was a native of Platte County, Missouri, where she spent most of her life. Because, as she often declared, she could not bear "to see motherless and fatherless children shifted about in the world," Mrs. Durham adopted most of the little orphans of her community during her long and useful life and reared them to maturity. At one time she had ten orphan children in her home.-Seventh Grade.

A HERO IN BLACK

Jack Mason, a splendid Afro-American soldier, is known to his comrades as "the human sieve." He has been wounded 350 times. Literally riddled with bullets, he still manages to look life squarely in the face and smile. He sings at his work-sings the folk-songs of his race in a rich baritone which helped to coax $8,500,000 out of American pockets for Liberty and Victory Bonds and has helped him to persuade many an "almost persuaded" to enlist in the Army, Navy and Maine Corps.

Mason received all his wounds in the service of his country. He got all but ten of them in the single engagement of Belleau Woods. The rest he achieved in the Philippines, Mexico, and China during his fifteen years' service in the regular army. He has practically all of the decorations and acknowledgments of courage, efficiency and resourcefulness that three grateful nations could bestow. He wears the Distinguished Service Cross of America, the Croix de Guerre and Dedaille de Legion d' Honeur of France, and a British badge of courage. He also wears a special badge or medal issued by the United States Treas

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