Year: 1869

was only in play, mamma )" and Alice
seemed to think that was quite enough


" But you should not do wrong things
even in play. Do you think you should I"


don't think it matters much if we are
only In play, mamma


Alice's mother had often to tell her that
1t did matter, aud that only in play was
never an excuse for doing wrong things.
Sometimes she would hold the cat by the
tail, aud say it was only in plSy. Sometimes
she took her baby sisters rattle, and when
she cried said the same thing Sopetimes
she rao away when her mother wanted her,
aud this is the excuse she made even then.
1t was not good one, as [ hope you under
stand.


One day she did a worse thing than even
these that | have told you about Children
often like strange toys to play with, and
Alice liked playing with fire. She would
light straws or sticks, and run about the
room with them, or burn paper slowly, or
strike lucifer matches. She liked to see a
blaze. BuI fire is very dangerous thing to
play with. Her mother had often told her
so, and had said that she must be punished
"a SUI "OuAN w sum uduRulO luluSss DuL,
though Alice must have known that her
mamma. would certainly do as she said, even
that did not make Der leave off.


So, on the day about which have to tell
you, Alice saw lying in the kitchen box of
matches; and looking around to see if any
one was watching, she put the box into her
pocket, and went out. At first she intended
calling her brother, and asking if be would
like to join her; but then she remembered
that most likely he would not be willing to
play with fire when his mother bad told him
not, so she decided to go alone.


" will strike them one by one," she said
to herself. and see them burn, and then
will come home


So she looked out for quiet place where
she would not be disturbed, and where sho
would be hidden from the house. Aud she
also thought it would be better to have a
sheltered place, as, if the wind blew, the
matches would not burn so long.


l wonder if Alice had quite forgotten how
wicked it was to disObey her mother |
wonder if she had never learnt that little
but solemn text from the Bible, Thou,
God, seest me-


She found just the place she wanted. 1t
was on the other side of the hay stack, which
had lately been made at a little distance from
her fathers house. 1t seemed like a nice
place, it was quiet, and RETIRED and shelter
ed, and she would be quite hidden from all
the windows of her home. But really, as
you no doubt know, it was one of the worst
and most dangerous places which she could
possibly have chosen, as she soon found.


She had lighted about half the matches
when she accidentally let one drop before it
was quite burnt out. But she took no no
tice of it, The only thought she had abont
the matter was, well, one doesn't make
much dffereIce; | have plenty more to
burn She did not look to see what had
become of the still burning match which
she had dropped. But it fell upop some
hay that lay quite close, and as it was very
dry, it took fire instantly, and before Alice
had time to cry out, the fame run up the
side of the stack and set The whole in blaze.
At first she was so frightened, that she
could neither speak nor move. And while
she sat STILL bit of the burning hay fell on
her pinafore, and in moment she was in
a blaze too. Then, without waiting TO try to
put it out, she ran shrieking across the field
towards her home, crying, Mamma, mamma
as loudly as she could.


But the faster she ran the more rapidly
the FIRE spread over her. The flames spread
along her pinafore and frock, and singed her
beautiful long curls, and her throat was so
badly burned that she did not know bow to
bear the pain. So were her arms and
hands, and even her face.


Her father was first to see her. He ran
out of the house and rolled her on the ground
and put out her burning things with his
hands Then he took her at once to the
doctors, not stopping 10 attend to the hays
stack, which the fire was burning all away.


How did it happen p he said.


But Alice was too bad to answer, and, in
deed, it was many weeks before she spoke
again.


She had long illness, and suffered great
deal, and it was feared that she would never
get well.


Even when she was better, her>face was
so marked that she was never the same
beautiful Alice again.


Oh, if she had but minded what her,
mother said. and never played with FIRE =
Christian World.


BEEF-STEAK SMoTHERED WITH ONIONS.