My Books.

A motley gathering are they ; Some fairly Avorth their weight in gold j Some just too good to throw away ; Some scarcely Avorth the place they hold . Yet Avell I love them , one and all ,

These friends so meek and unobtrusive , AVho never fail to come at call , Nor ( if I scold them ) turn abusive !

If I have favourites here and there , And , like a monarch , pick and choose , I never meet an angry stare That this I take and that refuse ; No discords rise 1113 ' soul to A'ex Among these peaceful book-relations , Nor envious strife of age or sex To mar my quiet lucubrations .

And they have still another merit , Which otherwhere one vainly seeks , Whate ' er may be an author ' s spirit , He never uninvited speaks ; And should he prove a fool or clown , UnAvorth the precious time your spend

iug , How quickly you can " put him down , " Or " shut him up " without offending !

Here—pleasing sight!—the touch y brood Of critics from dissension cease ; And—stranger still!—no more at feud , Polemics smile , and keep the peace . See ! side by side , all free from strife ( Save Avhat the heavy page may smother ) . The gentle " Christians " AVIIO , in life , For conscience' sake had burned each other .

I call them friends , these quiet books , And Avell the title they may claim , AVho always give me cheerful looks , ( What living friend has done the same ) % And , for companionship , IIOAV few , As these , my cronies ever-present ,

Of all the friends I ever knew Have been so useful and so pleasant ? - —Michigan Freemason .

Naming The Baby.

NAMING THE BABY .

I have lately attended a christening Avhich produced a great effect , from various circumstances , on 1113 ' OAVH mind , and I think Avell to describe it , if possible , for my readers . My young friend Front de Bcouf Pugmore ( they are a very romantic and novel-reading family the Pugmores )

, married some time back a very charming Miss Baliol , AVIIO has lately presented him Avith a remarkably fine son and heir . This interesting event has caused great excitement in the two families of Pugmore and Balioland great preparations had been

, made for the ceremony , at Avhich the Bishop of Barnstaple had kindly consented to officiate . I may remark here that as a great friend of both the tAvo estimable families , I am habitually consulted on those many little questions whichthough

, unimportant in themselves , and uninteresting to others , are so very serious often in their consequences to all well-regulated domestic circles !

Life is made up of trifles some one has said , and most true it is ; but trifles neglected or disregarded may become very stern and unpalatable realities . For of course Avhen this little howling Pugmore had appeared , the next question was what Avere they to call the red and

roaring brat ? There Avere many family consultations , and many select conclaA'es , but all in vain ; for once in the " multitude of councillors " there was not " Avisdom , " "too many cooks spoiled , " as too many cooks do generallythe " broth , " and the

, result of many anxious confabulations Avas " confusion worse confounded . " I had originally suggested that this pugnosed specimen of conjoint Baliols and Pugmores should be called Thomas , after a grandfather , but the name Avas considered

low , and Mrs . Pugmore said decisively that she would not have her boy called Tommy . As she said this with much dignity and determination , elements belonging to the Baliol character in marked measure , the subject was at once droppedthe more so

, as Front de Bceuf Pugmore pathetically observed , that he could not have his darling Juliana agitated iu her present maternal anxieties and duties . Mrs . Baliol , senior , proposed Gamaliel as an old Baliol name , but this Avas stoutly objected to by