LEON TOLSTOI is a Russian novelist and reformer who was born in Tula, Russia, in 1828. After he had secured a University education he served in the army and took part in the storming of Sebastopol during the Crimean War. After the serfs of Russia were freed he lived on his estates, working with the peasants and trying to improve them. His leisure he employed in studying and writing. Some of his novels have been translated into several European languages and widely read in other countries besides Russia. In almost all of his books he tries to bring some needed reform to the attention of the reading world. Among his works are "War and Peace," "Sebastopol," "The Cossacks" (composed while he was in the army), "Childhood, Boyhood and Youth."

THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL

"Come, take up your hats, and away let us haste
To the butterfly's ball and the grasshopper's feast,
The trumpeter, gadfly, has summoned the crew,
And the revels are now only waiting for you."

So said little Robert, and pacing along,
His merry companions came forth in a throng,
And on the smooth grass by the side of a wood,
Beneath a broad oak that for ages had stood,
Saw the children of earth and the tenants of air
For an evening's amusement together repair.

And there came the beetle, so blind and so black,
Who carried the emmet, his friend, on his back.
And there was the gnat and the dragon-fly too,
With all their relations, green, orange, and blue.
And there came the moth, with his plumage of down,
And the hornet in jacket of yellow and brown;

Who with him the wasp, his companion, did bring,
But they promised that evening to lay by their sting.
And the sly little dormouse crept out of his hole,
And brought to the feast his blind brother, the mole.
And the snail, with his horns peeping out of his shell,
Came from a great distance, the length of an ell.

A mushroom their table, and on it was laid
A water-dock leaf, which a table-cloth made.
The viands were various, to each of their taste,
And the bee brought her honey to crown the repast.
Then close on his haunches, so solemn and wise,
The frog from a corner looked up at the skies;
And the squirrel, well pleased such diversions to see,
Mounted high overhead and looked down from a tree.

Then out came the spider, with finger so fine,
To show his dexterity on the tight-line.
From one branch to another, his cobwebs he slung,
Then quick as an arrow he darted along,
But just in the middle-oh! shocking to tell,

From his rope, in an instant, poor harlequin fell.

Yet he touched not the ground, but with talons outspread, Hung suspended in air, at the end of a thread.

Then the grasshopper came with a jerk and a spring,
Very long was his leg, though but short was his wing;
He took but three leaps, and was soon out of sight,
Then chirped his own praises the rest of the night.

With step so majestie the snail did advance,
And promised the gazers a minuet to dance;

But they all laughed so loud that he pulled in his head,
And went in his own little chamber to bed.

Then as evening gave way to the shadows of night,
Their watchman, the glowworm, came out with a light.

"Then home let us hasten, while yet we can see, For no watchman is waiting for you and for me." So said little Robert, and pacing along,

His merry companions returned in a throng.

T. ROSCOE.

min'u-et, an old time dance. ten'ants, dwellers.

em'met, a small insect like an ant. dor'mouse", a small animal which lies torpid in winter.

re-pair', to betake one's self.

ell, length of the forearm.
vi'ands, foods.
haunch'es, hind legs.

di'ver'sions, sports.

dex-ter'i-ty, skill.

T. ROSCOE (1790-1871) was an English author and translator. He wrote poems and tales, and translated some books about literature and art into English. "A Tour in the Isle of Wight" is the name of one of his books. "The Butterfly's Ball" is a gay little poem that children are very fond of.

Separate the complex sentences into simple sentences:

1. The blind and black beetle, who carried the emmet on his back,

came.

2. The hornet, who brought with him the wasp, his companion, came in jacket of yellow and brown.

3. On their table was laid a water-dock leaf, which made a table-cloth. 4. Their watchman, who was a glowworm, came out with a light.

5. The emmet, who is the friend of the beetle, came with him.

Find or make, and write out ten complex sentences whose dependent clauses are introduced by who, whose, whom, which, or that. By what mark are dependent clauses generally set off?

MUIRTOWN SEMINARY BOYS

It was Bulldog's way to promenade the empty schoolroom for ten minutes before the reassembling at two, and it was rare indeed that a boy should be late. When one afternoon there were only nineteen present and forty-three absent, he could only look at Dowbiggin, and when that exemplary youth explained that the school had gone up to the top of the Meadow to bathe, and suggested that they were still enjoying themselves, Bulldog was much lifted.

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Bathing is a healthy exercise, and excellent for the mind, but it's necessary to bring a glow to the skin afterwards, or there might be a chill," he said, as he searched out and felt a superior cane kept for the treatment of truants and other grievous offenders.

It was exactly 2:15 when the door opened and a procession of forty-two entered panting and breathless, headed by Duncan Robertson, who carried his head erect, with a light in his eye, and closed by Peter McGuffie, whose hair was like unto that of a drowned rat, and whose unconcealed desire was for obscurity.

"I've had charge of the departments of writing and mathematics in the Muirtown Seminary," began Bulldog, "for fiftyfive years laist Martinmas, and near eighteen hundred laddies hae passed through my hands. Some o' them were gude and some were bad❞—Mr. MacKinnon spoke with a judicial calm that was awful-" some were your grandfathers, some were your fathers; but such a set of impudent, brazen-faced little scoundrels What have you got to say for yourselves, for it 'will be three weeks before I am over with you all?"

For a while no one moved, and then Duncan Robertson rose in his place and made speech for his fellows like a gentleman's son. "We are sorry for being late, sir, but it was not our blame; we had been bathing in the golfers' pool, and were dressing to run down to school in good time. Little Nestie-I mean Er

nest Molyneux, sir,—had stayed in a little longer, and some one cried, 'Nestie's drowning!' and there the little chap was, being carried away by the current."

"Is 'Nestie' drowned?" and they all noticed the break in Bulldog's voice, and remembered that if he showed indulgence to anyone, it was to the little English lad that had appeared in Muirtown life as one out of due place.

"No, sir, Nestie's safe, and some women have taken him home; but he was very nearly gone," and Dune was plainly