He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.— Lukk 16:10. 



MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS. 



And Oofi sairt, Let lis make man in our image, 

 after our likeness: and let them have dominion 

 over the tisli of tlie sea, and over the fowl of the air, 

 and ovi'r tlie cattle, and over all the earth, and o\er 

 every creei)ing- thing: that creepeth upon the earth. 

 —Gen. 1:26. 



WONDER, little friends, if it is wana 

 and sunny around your home as it is 

 here. Is the ^rass .u'reen, and sparkling- 

 with liright yellow dandelions V and are 

 the l)ees' hiiniining- merrily in the open- 

 ing fruit-lilossoms, so that even the horses 

 and cattle and sheep and chickens, and the 

 dogs and cats too. are rejoicing and hap- 

 \}y V Is it not a grand thing to have colil icy 

 winter a while, just so we can appreciate tlie 

 glorious l)eauty of si)riugV Well, pcrhai^s 

 two months ago. one morning wlieii I started 

 over to breakfast it was raining and freez- 

 ing. It did not look a l)it as it does now. 

 As I passed along I noticed a poor forlorn- 

 looking cat that iiad been out in the lain and 

 snow until she was wet and cold. As I look- 

 ed toward her she gave a sort of sorrowful 

 mew, indicating that she did not feel happy, 

 just that cold icy morning. Of course, niy 

 first impulse was to say, 'Toor kittle I'' 

 and I stretched out my 'liand toward her ; 

 but she backed off, wondering, evidently, 

 whether I was not of the kind of people who 

 played tricks on cats by making believe I 

 was kind and friendly, only to turn about 

 and scare them out of their poor little wits. 

 I talked to her soothingly, and I remember 

 wondei'ing whether T was equal to the task 



of disarming her prejudice toward the cold 

 world. 



I have been told that I have a faculty of 

 disarming almost anybody, if 1 can get a 

 chance to talk with them. I have told yon 

 soniethiiig about disarminghorses when they 

 get stubborn ;ind uglv. and bent on mischief. 

 I did not succeed enough so that I could pat 

 her with my hand : but she was in so poor a 

 plight, and felt so miserable and forlorn, she 

 jiroliabh concluded she could not do much 

 l)etter than to follow tlie only kind voice she 

 had heard that morning, aiiyhow. She fol- 

 lowed after me, mewing plaintively up the 

 stone walk, and up on to the ])orcli. She 

 caught a glimpse of the wai'ni stove, and 

 doubtless smelled the prejiarations for break- 

 fast. She couldirt (iiiite overcome her 

 scruples suthcienllv to come in. though kind- 

 ly invited. Mrs. lioot gave me a bit of meat, 

 and I managed to get lier to come and stand 

 on the i)orch while she ate it. and Iluber 

 opened his blue eyes, looked at his jiapa, and 

 then at the cat, aiid gave one of his iiuiuir- 

 ing grunts. I can't spell it in letters, but it 

 was something like -'eh V". Papa told him it 

 was a poor kitty that was wet and cold and 

 hungry, and he' ]n\{ out his little fat hand, 

 and asked a great many (piestions. evidently 

 having his sym])athy aroused because mine 

 was. I do not siijjpose >ou could understand 

 his (piestions; but his' papa was very much 

 edilied by them. 



After she ate her meat she Ment off down 

 the walk again, and I thought no more about 

 it until some of the hands were making re- 



