Read: "The Book," in Forman's Stories of Useful Inventions; "The First Printer" in Baldwin's Thirty More Famous Stories Retold; "The Printing Press," in Mowry's American Inventions and Inventors.

Sing: "Come, Come, Come," from Kellogg's Best Primary Songs; "Let's Higher Climb," from Uncle Sam's School Songs.

Birthdays: Franz Schubert, a celebrated German musician, born near Vienna, Austria, January 31, 1797; died November 19, 1828.

James G. Blaine, an American statesman; born at West Brownsville, Pa., January 31, 1830; died January 27, 1893.

If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old.-Lord Chesterfield

HOW ABRAHAM LINCOLN TAUGHT HIMSELF

WHEN Abraham Lincoln was young he had not the chance which the boys and girls of to-day have of attending school. But he was very anxious to learn, and wherever he was, at every chance he could get, he was reading or studying.

In the winter evenings he sat in the chimney-corner and ciphered on the wooden fire-shovel, by the light of the blazing logs. When the shovel was covered with figures, he would shave them off with his father's knife and begin again.

"He read every book he could lay hands on," said his step-mother; and when he came across a passage that struck him, he would write it on boards, if he had no paper, and keep it there until he was so fortunate as to get some paper. Then he would look at it, write it, and repeat it until he committed it to memory.

Birthday: David Porter, an American naval commander, born in Boston, Mass., February 1, 1780; died in Constantinople, Turkey, March 28, 1843.

2 A WONDERFUL WEAVER

There's a wonderful weaver
High up in the air,

And he weaves a white mantle

For cold earth to wear.

With the wind for his shuttle,

The cloud for his loom,

How he weaves, how he weaves,
In the light, in the gloom.

-From "A Wonderful Weaver," by George Cooper

3 COMPANY

Birds of a feather flock together.-R. Burton

BAD COMPANY

A FARMER'S corn was destroyed by cranes that fed in his field. Greatly annoyed, he declared that he would find a way out of the trouble. A net was set in which the cranes were snared. There was also a beautiful stork among them who had been visiting with the cranes, and had come to them from a neighboring roof.

"Spare me," pleaded the stork. "I am innocent; indeed I am. I never touched any of your belongings."

"That may be true," answered the farmer; "but I find you among thieves and I judge you accordingly."

The only safe way is to keep out of bad company.

Read: "Good and Bad Apples," from Scudder's Stories From My Attic.

Birthdays: Albert Sidney Johnston, an American soldier, born at Washington, Ky., February 3, 1803; killed at the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862.

Joseph Eccleston Johnston, an American general, born in Prince Edward County, Va., February 3, 1807; died in Washington, D. C., March 21, 1891.

Felix Mendelssohn, a famous German musician, born in Hamburg, Germany, February 3, 1809; died in Leipsic, Germany, November 4, 1847.

Horace Greeley, a noted American writer, born at Amherst, N. H., February 3, 1811; died November 29, 1872. Special Day: Arbor Day in Arizona (Friday following first day of February or April). (See Arbor Day, April 19 and 20, this book.)

4 COURTESY

To be polite is to do and say

The kindest things in the kindest way.

THE READY ANSWER

A VERY wealthy man, arriving in Boston, was met by a dirty-faced boy, who was shouting: "Morning paper, two cents!"

The man bought a paper and gave the boy in payment a five-cent piece. While the boy was getting the change, the man said, "Keep the three cents and buy a cake of soap with which to wash your face.'

The boy had by this time found the money, which he handed to the man, saying: "Take the money and buy a book on politeness."

The man was very much ashamed of himself and hurried away, while those near by smiled at the boy's ready answer.

Read: "For the Little Boy Who Will Not Say Please," from Burt's Stories from Plato.

Read: "Bernard of Tuileries" and "A Tribune of the People," from Marden's Stories from Life; Bible, Luke 9:62.

Sing: "In Life's Morning," from School Song Knapsack.

Birthdays: Ole Borneman Bull, a noted Norwegian violinist, born at Bergen, Norway, February 5, 1810; died August 17, 1880.

Dwight Lyman Moody, an American revival preacher,

born at Northfield, Mass., February 5, 1837; died at East Northfield, December 22, 1899.

I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none.-Shakespeare

TEN THINGS TO REMEMBER

THERE are ten things for which no one has ever yet been sorry. These are: For doing good to all; for speaking evil of none; for hearing before judging; for thinking before speaking; for holding an angry tongue; for being kind to the distressed; for asking pardon for all wrongs; for being patient towards everybody; for stopping the ears to a talebearer; for disbelieving most of the ill reports. -Selected

Birthday: Sir Henry Irving, a noted English actor, born at Keinton, England, February 6, 1838; died at Bradford, England, October 13, 1905. [His real name was John Henry Brodribb.]

7 SUCCESS

It is when our budding hopes are nipped beyond recovery by some rough wind, that we are the most disposed to picture to ourselves what flowers they might have borne if they had flourished.-Dickens

"WHATEVER IS WORTH DOING"

ONCE when Charles Dickens was asked for the secret of his success, he replied that it was due to hard work and a motto which he had faithfully tried to live up to: "Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well." His son said of him: "Whatever he did, he put his whole heart into, and I did as well as he could. Whether it was for work or for play, he was always in earnest." One of Dickens' sayings