An Old, Old Story.

" Confound his impudence , " began the Colonel , but he added quickly , " Beg your pardon , ladies—excuse an old soldier , who can ' t do with these free and easy manners of our young men . I'd send them , " said the gallant old boy , refleetingly " to heavy

marching drill for a few days , it would do them all a deal of good . I never did see in my life such a round-shouldered , lounging , drawling , stable-boy-jacketed lot of chaps in my life . " And here the old Colonel stopped for

want of breath , and Miss Margerison took up the running . " Well , " she said , " I have had a lesson , and one I will never forget to the hist hour of my life . To think that that young jackanapes should venture to talk of proposing

to me , an old ivornau !" Colonel Mackintosh said nothing , but looked most knowingly at the two younomen , though as Miss Margerison spoke in a very decided and stately way , her old

friend did not venture to contradict her statement or to say anything more . As he went home that evening , though , smoking his cigaret , he communicated his belief to Mr . Mainwaring and Mr . Carruthers that "there was no knowing what mi ght have

happened had we not all entered the room when we did . AVonien , my boys , " ho added confidentiall y , " are very queer to deal with , and bad to manage , and I for one do not feel quite sure that if my good old friend had a regular offer , she would

have refused it . They say clergymen declare ' nolo episcopari , ' but I have hardly ever met any woman in my life who would say ' nolo hymenari . '" But Mr . Mainwaring being then very " bad indeed , " and full of Lucy , and Mr . Carruthers equall

y occupied with Emily Monckton , would not hear of any such thing , and the Colonel declared as he left them that they were a " couple of spoons , ' ' which in all human probability they most undoubtedly were .

Life's Lesson.

LIFE'S LESSON .

I STOOD and watched a schoolboy group One day upon the smooth ice sliding , And as with laughter , jeer and whoop The little folk went gaily gliding ,

I heard one nrchin in the crowd , His hands and arms in glee upthrowinn Cry , in a shrilly tone ' and loud : — b ' " Boys keep the mill a-going . " 0 young philosopher 1 be such Your motto through your whole

existence , And none will beat you running much , Though rough the road aud long the distance ; And few will pass you iu the race , However loud may be their crowing

, Provided you in every case Should keep the mill a-going . Should malice strike you with its dart , Should envy in your pathway follow ,

Should slander pierce you to the heart , Should friends' professions prove but hollow , These all exhaust themselves at length—Fierce blasts are not forever blowing ; Keep up your nerve , keep up your strength ,

And keep the mill a-going . They win the most who win by care , And patient toil and purpose steady ; The tortoise often beats the hare , For swiftness is not always ready . Less good from genius we may find , Than that from perseverance flowing , So have good grist at hand to grind , And keep the mill a-going .

Life's Roll-Call.

LIFE'S ROLL-CALL .

BY W . IV . HIBBEN . From the " Masonic Advocate . " " There are changes , constant changes , In this busy world of ours ; Life has clouds as well as sunshine , Earth has thorns as well as flowers

. Life ' s bright scenes are ever shifting , As the hours are flitting past . And our visions of the future Are too beautiful to last . —Tiffany THERE is always something frightful m individualitwhen viewed in the light of

y , human responsibility . Each man , in life s relations , must stand for himself , must act suffer and answer on his own account , just as though he was the only actor in the