THE VALUE OF A GOOD NAME JUST as the Civil War commenced, soldiers were enlisting, and going away from almost every home in the land. A young man had volunteered, and was expecting daily to be ordered to the seat of war. One day his mother gave him an unpaid bill with the money, and asked him to pay it. When he returned home at night, she said, "Did you pay that bill, George?" "Yes," he answered, "I paid it." In a few days the bill was sent in a second time. "I thought," said she to her son, "that you paid this."-"I really do not remember, mother; you know, I've so many things on my mind."-"But you said you paid it."-"Well,” he answered, "if I said I paid it, I did.' He went away to his company, and his mother went herself to the store. "I am quite sure, " she said to the merchant, "that my son paid this bill some days ago. He has been very busy since, and has quite forgotten about it, but he told me that he had paid it the day I gave him the money; and he says, if he said then that he had paid it, he is quite sure that he did."-"Well," said the merchant, "I forgot about it; but, if your son ever said he paid it, he did. I have known George all his life, and his word is as good with me as a receipt.' Read: "How the Camel Got His Hump," in Just-So Stories, by Kipling; "The Image and the Treasure," from Scudder's Book of Legend; "The Story of Truth," from Bakewell's True Fairy Stories; "The Stolen Corn," from Bailey and Lewis' For the Children's Hour. Birthdays: George Gordon Meade, "The Victor of Gettysburg," born in Cadiz, Spain, where his father at the time was United States consul, December 30, 1815; died in Philadelphia, Pa., November 6, 1872. Rudyard Kipling, an English writer of stories, novels, and poems, born in Bombay, India, December 30, 1865. 31 NEW YEAR'S EVE Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring out the false, ring in the true. -From "In Memoriam," by Alfred Lord Tennyson Sing: "Good-bye, Old Year," from New Common School Song Book, JANUARY 1 NEW YEAR'S DAY Every day is a fresh beginning, Only the new days are our own; -Susan Coolidge NEW YEAR'S DAY CUSTOMS THE custom of celebrating the first day of the year is a very ancient one. The exchange of gifts, the paying of calls, the making of good resolutions for the new year and feasting often characterize the day. The custom of ringing the church bells and the blowing of horns is of the widest extent. The old-world custom of sitting up on New Year's night to see the old year out is still very common. Read: "A Chinese New Year's in California," from Our Holidays: Retold from St. Nicholas; "Paul Revere's Ride," by Longfellow. Sing: "January," from Songs in Season. Birthdays: Edmund Burke, a famous British statesman and writer, born in Dublin, Ireland, January 1, 1730; died at Beaconsfield, England, July 9, 1797. Paul Revere, an American patriot, born in Boston, Mass., January 1, 1735; died in Boston, May 10, 1818. Anthony Wayne, an American general in the Revolution, born at Waynesborough, Pa., January 1, 1745; died in Presque Isle, December 14, 1796. 2 WHAT SHALL THE NEW YEAR BE? A glad New Year or a sad New Year; O what shall the New Year be? I cannot tell what it hath in store, But God knows well and I need no more; -Selected Read: "New Year's Message," from Proudfoot's Child's Christ Tales. Birthday: James Wolfe, an English general, born at Westerham, Kent, England, January 2, 1726; died September 13, 1759. 3 FAITHFUL TO TRUST To thine own self be true; And it must follow as night the day, Thou can'st not then be false to any man. -Shakespeare A CRUEL BOY ALMOST SURE TO MAKE A CRUEL MAN THERE was once a boy who loved to give pain to everything that came in his way, over which he could gain any power. He would take eggs from the mourning robin, and torture the unfledged sparrow, cats and dogs, the peaceable cow and the faithful horse; he delighted to worry and distress. I do not like to tell you the many cruel things that he did. He was told that such things were wrong. An excellent lady with whom he lived used to warn and reprove him for his evil conduct-but he did not reform. When he grew up he became a soldier. He was never sorry to see men wounded, and blood running upon the earth. He became so wicked that he laid a plan to betray his country, and to sell it into the hands of the enemy. This is to be a traitor. But he was discovered and fled. He never dared to return to his native land, but lived despised and died miserably in a foreign clime. Such was the end of the cruel boy, who loved to give pain to animals. He was born at Norwich, Conn., and the beautiful city of his birth is ashamed of his memory. His name was Benedict Arnold. -The Spirit of Humanity Birthdays: Benedict Arnold, an American general and traitor, born in Norwich, Conn., January 3, 1740; died in London, England, June 14, 1801. Larkin Goldsmith Mead, an American sculptor, born at Chesterfield, N. H., January 3, 1835; died in Florence, Italy, October 15, 1910. 4 WORK AND PLAY If a task is once begun, Never leave it till it's done; -Phoebe Cary Sing: "Work and Play," from Kellogg's Best Primary Songs. 5 IDLENESS He is not only idle who does nothing, but he is idle who might be better employed.—Socrates THE VOICE OF NATURE AMONG the disciples of Hillel, the wise teacher of the sons of Israel, was one named Saboth, whom every kind of labor displeased, so that he gave himself up to idleness and sloth. Hillel was grieved for the youth, and resolved to reform him. To this end he conducted him out one day to the valley of Hinnon, near Jerusalem. Here there was a large pool of stagnant water, full of reptiles and vermin, and covered with slimy weeds. When they reached the valley, Hillel laid aside his staff, and said: "Here we will rest from our journey." But the youth was |