belonged to him. Then turning to the judge, he reprimanded him severely and bade him learn from the child how to do his duty in the future. Before leaving, he embraced the boy and sent him home to his parents with a purse of a hundred gold pieces.

From "The Arabian Nights."

A NOBLE WOMAN

ONE day in May, in the year 1780, a little girl named Elizabeth Gurney was born in the cathedral town of Norwich. Her parents belonged to the Society of Friends, but were not of the stricter sort; and Elizabeth grew up a gay, lively girl, fond of attending balls and concerts, and of wearing fine clothes.

When she was about seventeen, however, a good American gentleman visited her home, and the talks she had with him led her to make a more earnest use of her life. She began to wish to do good, and she set about helping the poor and the sick around her home. She even started a school, and

had wonderful skill in teaching the seventy poor children who attended it.

At the age of twenty she became the wife of a Mr. Fry, and left her country home for London. There she still helped the poor and wretched, and her name after a time became especially connected with work in prisons.

She heard from some of her friends of the terrible state of the female prisoners in Newgate jail. At that time the laws were far more severe than they are to-day, and there were many more criminals. Newgate was crowded with a vast number of prisoners, both men and women, and their condition was shocking in the extreme.

Three hundred women, some of them with little children, were crowded into a very small space, where they lived more like wild animals than human beings. They were given no work to do; some of them had scarcely any clothes; they cooked, ate, and slept in the same rooms, and at night lay on the bare and filthy floor without bed-clothes to cover them.

Old and young were huddled together,

those who had committed but slight offenses with those who had been guilty of the most dreadful crimes. The cells rang with the yells of violent women and the cries of their children; and even the governor and the jailers of the prison were afraid to venture into the place.

Mrs. Fry was sick at heart when she heard of this misery. She made up her mind to visit the jail, and do what she could to improve the condition of the poor women. Her friends tried to keep her back, warning her that she would be robbed and hurt; but her pity was stronger than her fears. With one friend she visited the prison, and was admitted to the women's wards.

"It was like a den of wild beasts," she afterwards said. Fierce women were struggling together, some were singing, some dancing, and others were drinking and quarreling over their games at cards.

The appearance of two quiet, gentle, neatly-dressed ladies struck silence into this noisy crew. When Mrs. Fry began to read, in her clear, impressive voice, some

passages from the gospels, the din was hushed, and the women listened with attention.

That was the beginning of the wonderful work done by Mrs. Fry for the prisoners. She did not merely read to them and pray with them, she provided clothes and work for them, and started in the prison a school for the children. She got the governor to separate the hardened criminals from those who were not so bad, and to allow her to put in force a plan for keeping the prisoners employed. They were soon tamed: the change made in their conduct was marvel

ous.

When her good work became known, many people were eager to help her, and everybody praised her. One day, old Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, said she would like to see her, and Mrs. Fry, by some chance, went into a room at the Mansion House where a large a large meeting was being held, at which the queen was present.

The queen stepped forward and spoke in the most kindly way to Mrs. Fry, and all

the people, seeing these two good women together, burst into hearty cheers.

The government asked Mrs. Fry's advice as to the best way of reforming the prisons of the country. Foreign nations consulted her on the same matter, and once the King of Prussia, when visiting England, went with her to Newgate to see the improvements she had brought about, and afterwards took tea in her house, like one of her own family.

Before her death, in 1845, this noble woman did much good work in other ways at home and abroad. Her patience, selfdenial, and unfailing kindness won the love and respect of all who knew her; and she deserves to be always remembered as a benefactor to mankind.

Selected.

THE LIGHT OF STARS ·

THE night is come, but not too soon;

And sinking silently,

All silently, the little moon

Drops down behind the sky.