TIIE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
135 
“ There's another pail of water somewhere, I should 
say,” observed Kitty, with a muffled explosion of laughter. 
“ Pail of water! It’s the ocean ! ” ejaculated Ralph, 
who, being in advance of the others, had occasioned the 
splash by inadvertently plunging into a large mud-puddle, 
“ and there’s a whale in it, too. I haven’t got so far as 
his stomach yet, but I’m stuck fast enough in his mouth,” 
and Ralph struggled out of the “ocean” and displayed 
an old tin fruit can into which his foot was stuck. Its 
ragged edges had cut into his boot and it was not easy to 
remove it. 
“ We can’t complain of having had a dry time this 
evening, at any rate ! ” observed Kitty. 
After more laughter and more choking Ralph was ex¬ 
tricated from the clutches of the “ whale,” and the four 
pleasure-seekers were soon in the street. 
Charlie and Kitty now started off arm in arm, and 
Ralph, falling back where the astonished Serena brought 
up the rear, offered her his arm. 
“ Thank you,” replied Serena, coldly, “ I will walk alone, 
if you please. I was not aware that I was breaking the 
rules of the school, but now that I do know it, I shall 
break them no further.” 
Ralph bowed and left her without another word. 
“ What have you done with Serena ? ” demanded Kitty, 
as Ralph hurriedly passed them and strode rapidly toward 
home. But he made no reply. 
“ Do look at him ! ” exclaimed Charlie ; “ he carries his 
cane as if it were a club and he was about to knock some¬ 
body down with it, and he doesn’t limp any more than I 
do ! Where’s his rheumatism ? ” 
“ Perhaps Serena can tell,” suggested Kitty. They 
waited for her to come up with them, but she refused to 
join them, or to answer any questions. 
But when the two girls had retired to their room for the 
night, Serena told Kitty what had passed between herself 
and Ralph. 
“ No wonder he was offended,” cried Kitty; “ no young 
man likes to get the mitten ! ” 
But Serena declared that she could not do otherwise 
that she had ignorantly broken the rules of school, and 
the least she could do was to stop at once when she found 
it out. 
It was a curious fact, that from that night Ralph Mor¬ 
timer never limped or manifested the slightest symptom, 
of rheumatism. He maintained a persistent silence on the 
subject, but the others chaffed him unmercifully about it. 
Charlie insisted that it was the “mitten” which cured 
him, and that in the cause of philanthrophy the matter 
ought to be made public, like any other valuable dis¬ 
covery. 
Kitty suggested that, although the mitten might have 
cured rheumatism if seated in the sufferer’s arm, it was 
very doubtful if it could have affected his walking appa¬ 
ratus, and therefore she was of opinion that it was a clear 
case of cold-water cure ! 
But Serena insisted that the credit of the cure doubtless 
belonged to the “ whale,” and that it was not the first 
instance in which a whale had proved a benefactor to the 
disobedient! 
The jury never agreed in the case, but the fact of the 
cure remained. M»RS. Susie A. Bisbee. 
COMPENSATION. 
S HE folded up the worn and mended frock, 
And smoothed it tenderly upon her knee, 
Then through the soft web of a wee red sock 
She wove the bright wool, musing thoughtfully : 
“ Can this be all ? The great world is so fair, 
I hunger for its green and pleasant ways.” 
A cripple prisoned in her restless chair 
Looks from her window with a wistful gaze. 
“ I can but weave a faint thread to and fro, 
Making a frail woof in a baby’s sock; 
Into the world’s sweet tumult I would go, 
At its strong gates my trembling hands would knock.” 
Just then the children came, the father too ; 
Their eager faces lit the twilight gloom. 
“ Dear heart,” he whispered, as he nearer drew, 
“ How sweet it is within this little room ! 
“ God puts my strongest comfort here to draw 
When thirst is great and common wells are dry. 
Your pure desire is my unerring law; 
Tell me, dear one, who is so safe as I ? 
Home is the pasture where my soul may feed, 
This room a paradise has grown to be ; 
And only where these patient feet shall lead 
Can it be home for these dear ones and-me.” 
He touched with reverent hand the helpless feet, 
The children crowded close and kissed her hair.. 
“ Our mother is so good and kind and sweet, 
There’s not another like her anywhere !” 
The baby in her low bed opened wide 
The soft blue flowers of her timid eyes, 
And viewed the group about the cradle side 
With smiles of glad and innocent surprise.. 
The mother drew the baby to her knee 
And, smiling, said, “ The stars shine soft to¬ 
night ; 
My world is fair ; its edges sweet to me. 
And whatsoever is, dear Lord, is right! ” 
—May Riley Smith. 
