TO A FRIEND. As the pale primrose, sheath'd in tender green, On high, while yet it sparkles with the dew, TOPICS OF THE TERM. I dare say many in the school would like to know how our Christmas Tree at the Industrial School went off. I may begin by saying that it was a great success. On Saturday, December 24, and Monday morning we decorated the tree, and early on Monday afternoon everything was ready. At five o'clock the tree was lighted and the children came in; I wish you could have see their faces of delight. Many of them had never seen anything of the kind before. First of all we gave them the clothes which we had made at school, and then all the children marched out and put them on and came back to let us see how they fitted, and really they seemed as if they were made for them. After that we gave them their toys, with which they seemed highly pleased. The Rev. J. R. King, the President of Trinity, and the Rev. A. Christopher, then made short speeches, speaking very kindly of us and our work. The children sang one or two hymns, and then we stripped the tree and distributed the ornaments among them. The entertainment came to an end with the distribution of buns and oranges, the former being kindly supplied by the Rev. G. Sturton Ward. The children gave us a few hearty cheers and then we dispersed, and I think we had all passed a very happy evening. We owe our hearty thanks to Isabel Tollit, Rose Carr, and Ethel Mallam, for their kind contributions to the tree, and also to Mr. and Mrs. Williams, the master and mistress of the school, for their great kindness and help to us during the time we were arranging the tree. Those who helped to distribute the things off the tree were Mary Max Müller, Violet Bonner, Bessie Percival, May and Nellie Ward, and myself. The next event of any importance is the establishment of the Tennis Club which was arranged about a month ago. The court is an excellent one, and we must heartily thank Miss Bishop for her kindness in providing us with a net and balls. The club ought to prove a great source of pleasure to both old and present girls. We hope soon to be able to have matches. The rules of the club are as follows: 1. Each set of four girls may keep the court for threequarters of an hour. 2. Girls must only come for their time of play. 3. Each form must settle fairly the precedence of players for its own day. 4. Girls must only come with express permission from their parents or guardians, and must not allow their play to interfere with their work or home-duties. 5. The senior girl must be responsible to the Head Mistress for the maintenance of order; she may fetch the balls &c., and bring them back, but no other girl must enter the house. 6. Balls must be replaced by the Form that loses them. 7. Rackets must not be left at school. ETHEL M. ARNOLD. THE LIBRARY. WE have to express our thanks for books presented to the Library: Myths of the Odyssey; by T. Harrison. Presented by the Rev. G. Sturton Ward. English Humourists; by Thackeray. Presented by Gertrude Drage. Religio Medici; by Sir T. Browne. Wheeler. Presented by A. We have also to thank I. Iles for her kind offer, which we gratefully accept, to have the Library copies of the Magazine bound. NOTICE. IT has been proposed to start a Debating Society, in which Old Girls and present members may join. We think that if our powers of expressing ourselves were thus cultivated, it might render writing easier to us, and that a Debating Society might indirectly exercise a beneficial influence on the contributions to the Magazine. We shall be very happy to receive suggestions on this subject, and we hope that the names of girls who may wish to join will be sent in to M. Rolleston the first week of the term. EDITING COMMITTEE. WE are very glad to be able to say that we have at last paid off all debt on the Magazine, and have even a small balance in hand, which however must considerably increase before we shall feel ourselves justified in offering any more prizes. Miss Huckwell has very kindly offered a prize to Form i, and to any members of Form ii under twelve years of age, for the best story or the best paper on any subject they like. The papers must be sent to Miss Huckwell, Museum Cottage, on or before the day after the half-term holiday. Miss Thomas offers a prize next term to Form v for the best paper on Macbeth. Questions will be set on the subject-matter of the play, and great credit will be given for accurate knowledge of the text. Any answer of special merit will be printed in the Magazine, and also the name of the successful candidate. The questions will be set Nov. 3, and must be sent in to Miss Thomas not papers later than December 2. At a meeting of the Magazine Committee, held at the end of this term, the Editing Committee for next term was с с elected, and consists of the following: Julia Arnold, Louey Eagleston, B. Stockton, K. Cooke, and C. Vavasseur. Miss Selby has very kindly consented to become a member of the Committee in the place of Miss Huckwell who has resigned. As the Editing Committee for next term will contain only one present member of the School, contributions will be received by Clara Vavasseur, or by any member of Form vi, who, as arranged last term, will constitute the Magazine Committee. Editing Committee: MISS HUCKWELL. E. ARNOLD. M. ROLLESTON. R. MAYHEW. PROVERBS. 'Full of wise saws and modern instances.' 'A proverb,' says Erasmus, 'is a well-known saying remarkable for some elegant novelty.' It is, writes Camden, 'a concise witty and wise speech, grounded upon long experience, and containing for the most part some woeful caveat.' Daniel Heinsius says, 'Proverbs are nothing else but abridged remains of the wisdom which is not comprehended in books, and which is conveyed down from hand to hand like an heirloom.' Synesius, a Christian writer of the early part of the fifth century, quotes the following description of a proverb from a work of Aristotle now lost : 'A proverb is a remnant of the ancient philosophy preserved amidst very many de |