THE HARDEST THING. 


Forgive Fanny




“CAN say it tonight, auntie," said Carrie, earnestly.  "Say what, dear?"  inquired her aunt.

"The whole of the Lord's prayer."

"I thought my darling niece had repeated that prayer entire night and morning ever since she lisped it first at auntie's knee."  "I have, auntie, till last week, when Fannie Mayville ruined my beautiful bird book. Since then I didn't like to say,' Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us,' so I left out that part. Only think, auntie, Fannie was angry with me because I wouldn't tell her the answers in the geography class, and when we were coming down the walk after school she gave me a push, and my book fell into the gutter.

Then Fannie said she was glad of it. That was the last present papa ever gave me; and I had been so careful of it, and only took it to school because Miss Ball wished to see it."

Carrie's aunt put her arm lovingly around her niece, and the little girl, brushing away her tears, said warmly, "I can pray it now, auntie, but it was the hardest thing to do." Seeing her aunt's questioning look, she went on, "It has been vacation this week, and I haven't seen Fannie until today. I went on an errand for mamma, and was coming home with Florence Mills and her cousins, when I looked across the street, and there was Fannie in front of her father's house. At first I thought I would walk straight on and not even notice her; but that seemed a rude thing to do, and I knew my polite mamma would not   approve; she is always careful to speak to every one she knows. Still I could not make up my mind to notice Fannie, it was such a hard thing to do, auntie, until something spoke right in my heart the sweet hymn you once taught me, about the Saviour being our 'childhood's pattern,' and Christian children all should be 'mild, forgiving, good as he.' Then, too, I remembered what Jesus once said, that our Father in Heaven would not forgive us if we did not forgive those who had done us harm, and I crossed right over to where Fannie stood. Florence called to me to come back, but I stopped and spoke to Fannie as kindly and pleasantly as I could, though I couldn't make the smile come." "But," said Carrie's aunt," you felt much happier for having spoken to Fannie? ""Oh, yes!" was the quick reply. "And I am going to try to love her, too, just as I want the Saviour to love me." 




Selected.





A WORK SONG.




To work and to win I am trying,

From day to day; 

Because the moments are flying 

Swiftly away, 

And this of my day is the dawning,

When I must sow 

The seed that if sown in the morning

Is sure to grow. 

So I'll sow and sing, 

In my youth's bright spring; 

And I'll sing and sow, 

For my seed must grow!





THE Peking Gazette is one thousand years old. The editor has never had a visit from the man who has "taken your paper ever since it started."