her little sled and letting him pull her quickly over the thick black ice, but, tired of sitting in the same position, she had jumped up and skated away in the opposite direction. Norman was watching another party, and did not notice what she had done, till he heard a scream, and some one calling his He looked quickly round, but could not see anything

name.

of Lilian.

'She must be hiding somewhere,' he thought, but another call for help sent him flying towards the spot whence the sound came. He soon discovered what had happenad. Lilian was a good skater, and had managed to get some distance from him, but she had not been looking where she was going, and had skated right into one of the holes cut in the ice for the purpose of spearing fish.

He hastily pushed the sled across the opening, thus giving her something to hold on to instead of the cold ice. A loud whistle and a call for help soon brought the rest of the party, and, by means of a rope, she was speedily extricated from her unpleasant position.

Of course there was nothing for it but to pack up and go home, which was at once done as quickly as possible; though Lilian declared that, if she did get a wetting, it did her no harm, and that in her opinion their sleigh drive had been a decided success.

DER TOD ALS FREUND.

By an open window an old man sat,

Watching the golden sun

Sink down in the West as it seems to rest,

When its daily course is run.

The day had been long, and toilsome, and hot,
His face was white and wan,

He could not work as he used to work,

His strength was almost gone.

A gentle breeze caressingly played

Among the old man's hair,

And over his sunken and furrowed cheeks,
And his forehead wrinkled with care.

And the fragrance of many a summer flower
Was wafted in on the breeze,

And the song of a bird came from over the fields
With the scent of the chestnut trees.

Ah, whose is the hand now laid on the latch !
Who opens the door so wide?

It is Death, who with slow and noiseless step
Comes to the old man's side.

For all mortal men in Death's dark cloak
Must sometime hidden lie,

As the sombre veil of night is thrown
Athwart each evening sky.

He looks into the yearning eyes
Lit up by the sun's warm glow-
Exulting? No, he pities, loves,
He comes as Friend, not Foe.

He tolls the knell of the parting soul,
But soon flings the rope from his hand,
For that soul is ready to fly with him
Into the sunset land.

A NIGHT'S WATCH.

THE lighthouse threw its beams upon the water,
The cold dark water, heaving up and down;
And many a gaze of anxious woman sought her,
But still she never neared the little town.

How cold it is! and how the waves are moaning!
How rough it grows! How will she stem the tide?
Ah! tossing now, sails torn and timbers groaning;
No harbour near, no cove where she may hide.
We watched the angry redd'ning of the morning,

We saw how lowering looked the Eastern light;
Why laughed they so, and set at nought our warning?
We knew the tempest that would break ere night.
Too late, too late! how cold it is and dreary!
Where is the lighthouse? O, shine out, shine out!
They'll be too sad to steer, too cold and weary
To heed the rocks all scattered round about.

'Too hard for patience! Much too hard for praying! We can but stand, and wring our hands, and weep; The wind's too rough to hear each other saying

How all the children have been left asleep ;—

How all the cottage doors are waiting ready-
How all the fires shall kindle if they come,
We know it's hopeless, but we'll stay here steady,
And watch on still to see the boat come home.'

O weary night! O timeless hours of mourning!
O watch the sun's new smile should never cheer!
O agony of gazing through the dawning!

To see the little bark draw slowly near.

Poor hearts, that learnt to struggle through such yearning!
Poor weary women watching through the night!
Poor tired eyes! no little bark discerning,

As slowly o'er the water grew the light.

They murmured not, they gave no look of sorrow;
They turned them home-no bitter word they said;
No time for weeping! On the coming morrow
Their children would be crying out for bread.

GENERAL TOPICS OF THE TERM.

At the beginning of the term we heard that our late HeadMistress was engaged to be married; we offer her our hearty congratulations through these pages, and our best wishes for her happiness throughout her future life.

The next event we come to is the foundation of a School Magazine. This idea was conceived two years ago, but was unfortunately not carried out till now.

The Sewing Class, which has been established by Miss Bishop, is a great success. The hour from 3 to 4 on Friday could not be more profitably spent.

The children at the Board School in St. Aldate's will have some warm clothing this Christmas, and we hope that the clothes will give them as much pleasure in the wearing as they gave to us in the making. Miss Bishop has read to the Sixth and Fifth Dickens' 'Cricket on the Hearth,' and they found Tilly Slowboy' most amusing. Miss Bain has read to the Fourth and Third and Miss Disney to the Second several delightful stories, which they enjoyed greatly.

On October the 24th the successful candidates in the examination of the Science and Art Department, held on the 1st of last May, went to the Town Hall to receive their prizes and certificates. The list of these will appear in the 'Honours' at the end of this Magazine.

The examiner's report was received in the middle term, and Miss Bishop kindly read parts of it to us. on the whole very satisfactory.'

of the

It was

The numbers in the Gymnasium Class have greatly increased; it attracts numerous spectators, who seem to find it very amusing. More work might be done in the hour if there were less talking.

In the beginning of the term we heard that the Company had given us a Scholarship, to be awarded according to the result of the Board Examination. The names of the Scholars are to be put up in the Hall of the new School.

As this number of the Magazine will be a Christmas number, we wish everybody

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

HONOURS.

Four of our girls went in for the Senior Local Examination in May. Their names and classes are as follows:

Mary Max Müller. Ninth of the Second Division of the General List: First Division in Languages; First Division in English; First of the First Twenty in German; Second of the First Twenty in French; Passed in Mathematics.

Lily Roberts. Twenty-sixth of Second Division of the General List: Second Division in English; Second Division in Languages; Eighth of the First Twenty in French; Twelfth of the First Twenty in German; Passed in Mathematics.

Mary Mapleton. Twenty-eighth of the Second Division of the General List: First Division in English; Second Division in Languages; Sixteenth of the First Twenty in French; Twelfth of the First Twenty in German; Passed in Mathematics.

Alice Lewis. Third Division of the General List.

Mary Mapleton, Lily Roberts, and Mary Max Müller are excused from the Preliminary Examination for Women over Eighteen Years of Age.