after watching him for some time I came to the conclusion that he was trying to get to the vane on the spire. A very idle ambition it seemed, for although he succeeded again and again in getting to within a few yards of the point aimed at, he was on each occasion struck by a fresh violent gust and driven back to a great distance, often quite out of sight in the gloom. But presently he would reappear, still struggling to reach the vane. A crazy bird! but I could not help admiring his pluck, and greatly wondered what his secret motive in aiming at that windy perch could be. And at last, after so many defeats, he succeeded, and grasped the metal cross-bar with his crooked talons. The wind, with all its fury, could not tear him from it, and after a little flapping he was able to pull himself up; and then, bending down, he deliberately wiped his beak on the bar and flew away! This, then, had been his powerful, mysterious motive just to wipe his beak, which he could very well have wiped on any branch or barn roof or fence, and saved himself that tremendous labor!

"This was an extreme instance of the tyrannous effect of habit on a wild animal. Doubtless this bird had been accustomed, after devouring his first mouse, to fly to the vane, where he could rest for a few minutes, taking a general view of the place, and wipe his beak at the same time; and the habit had become so strong that he could not forego his visit even on so tempestuous an evening. His beak, if he had wiped it anywhere but on that lofty cross-bar, would have seemed not quite clean."

92.

Assignments on Character.

A. In the following narrative what are the principal traits of character of the registrar? of the registrar's mother? How are these traits brought out in the story? Can you see the registrar's face as it appeared, first, when he caught up the piece of turf, and

second, when his mother rushed out of the cottage? Describe his expression at each of these junctures.

The Registrar's mother lived in the fishing-village, two miles down the coombe. Her cottage leant back against the cliff so closely, that the boys, as they followed the path above, could toss tabs of turf down her chimney; and this was her chief annoyance.

Now, it was close on the dinner-hour, and she stood in her kitchen beside a pot of stew that simmered over the wreck-wood fire.

Suddenly a great lump of earth and grass came bouncing down the chimney, striking from side to side, and soused into the pot, scattering the hot stew over the hearthstone and splashing her from head to foot.

Quick as thought, she caught up a besom and rushed around the corner of the cottage.

"You stinking young adders!" she began.

A big man stood on the slope above her.

"Mother, cuff my head, that's a dear. I couldn't help doin' it."

It was the elderly Registrar. His hat, collar, tie, and waistcoat were awry; his boots were slung on the walkingstick over his shoulder; stuck in his mouth and lit was a twist of root-fibre, such as country boys use for lack of cigars, and he himself had used, forty years before.

The old woman turned to an ash color, leant on her besom and gasped :

"William Henry!"

"I'm not drunk, mother; been a Band of Hope these dozen years." He stepped down the slope to her and bent his head low. "Box my ears, mother, quick! You used to have a wonderful gift o' cuffin'."

"William Henry, I'm bound to do it or die." "Then be quick about it."

Half-laughing, half-sobbing, she caught him a feeble cuff, and next instant held him close to her old breast. The Registrar disengaged himself after a minute, brushed his eyes, straightened his hat, picked up the besom, and offered her his arm. They passed into the cottage together.

QUILLER-COUCH: "When the Sap Rose" (in The
Delectable Duchy).

B. What traits of character are brought out most clearly in each of the following anecdotes, and by what methods? Describe the expression and appearance of the little girl when she says, "I don't believe the story about the wolf;" of William Penn and the king, when the king makes his reply; of Wendell Phillips when the slave gives his reason for remaining; of the ancient monk when he sees that the lamp has been extinguished. Find for each story a title derived from the traits of character exhibited by the actors.

1. Here is an interesting anecdote of Jacob Grimm. Some of our readers will remember that one of his prettiest tales ends with the words "whoever refuses to believe this story owes me a thaler." One winter morning a little Jewish girl rang the door-bell and asked the servant if Herr Professor Jacob Grimm was at home. When informed that he was not, she said politely, "Will you please hand him this thaler when he returns?" The servant took the coin, glanced at it curiously, and inquired who sent it and what it was for. "I owe him the money myself," said the little girl. "Why? What for?" "Because I don't believe the story about the wolf."

2. Charles the Second once granted an audience to the courtly Quaker, William Penn, who, as was his custom, entered the royal presence with his hat on. The humorous sovereign quietly laid aside his own, which occasioned Penn's inquiry: "Friend Charles, why dost thou remove thy hat?"

"It is the custom," he replied, "in this place for one person only to remain covered."

3. Before the civil war Wendell Phillips, the distinguished abolitionist, went to Charlestown, and put up at a hotel. He had breakfast served in his room, and was waited upon by a slave. Mr. Phillips seized the opportunity to represent to the negro in a pathetic way that he regarded him as a man and brother, and, more than that, that he himself was an abolitionist. The negro, however, seemed more anxious about the breakfast than he was about his position in the social scale or the condition of his soul, and finally Mr. Phillips became discouraged and told him to go away, saying that he could not bear to be waited on by a slave. "You must 'scuse me, massa," said the negro; "I is 'bliged to stay here 'cause I'm 'sponsible for de silverware."

4. Mahomet made the people believe that he would call a hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers for the observance of his law. The people assembled. Mahomet called the hill to come to him again and again; and when the hill stood still he was never a whit abashed, but said, "If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill."

5. A certain traveller of practical mind once visited a famous shrine where a holy lamp had been kept burning for five and, as some said, for eight hundred years.

An ancient monk showed him the lamp. "Yes, noble Pilgrim," he said, "I have watched it for sixty years, and the good father who was before me, he tended it for seventyone, so that the everlasting flame has had but two guardians in a hundred and thirty years."

"And before that?" asked the traveller.

"Before that, noble Pilgrim? Ah! we do not know. All we know, for the books show it, is that the everlasting

flame has not been out for five hundred years; it is said, indeed, for eight hundred, but that is tradition. Here is a copy of the book — would his excellency like to see it?” and the monk turned to reach down the volume.

"Never been out?" Puff. "Well," added the traveller reflectively, "any way, I guess that it is out now!"

C. Observe how the characters of Lord Dudley and Washington are brought out in the anecdotes below. Try to exhibit in an equally striking way, by means of a similar anecdote, the character of an acquaintance.

1. Lord Dudley was regular as clock-work-not only in his hours but also in his habits. He could not dine comfortably without apple-pie, which, properly made, is a wholesome and excellent dish. Dining, when Foreign Secretary, at Prince Esterhazy's a grand dinner - he was terribly put out on finding that his favorite delicacy was wanting, and kept murmuring, pretty audibly, in his absent way, "God bless my soul, no apple-pie!"

2. When Stuart was painting Washington's portrait, he was rallied one day by the General for his slow work. The painter protested that the picture could not advance until the canvas was dry, and that there must be yet some delay. Upon arriving next morning, Stuart turned his canvas and discovered, to his great horror, that the picture was spoiled. "General," said he, "somebody has held this picture to the fire."

Washington summoned his negro valet, Sam, and demanded of him, in great indignation, who had dared to touch the portrait. The trembling Sam replied, that, chancing to overhear Washington's expression of impatience at the slowness of the work, and the response of the artist that it must dry before he could go on, he had ventured to put the canvas before the fire. Washington, with great