race of beings, descended from parents who had once inhabited a lovely spot, where they were perfectly happy, but who, by their disobedience, had not only brought sorrow upon themselves, but had entailed it upon their posterity. Many were the tales related of this wonderful and interesting race of beings; and whenever the Great Geni visited that land, he knew, at a single glance, which among his hitherto happy children felt the desire to leave their home in order to become an inhabitant of the planet Earth; and he was filled with sadness, for he knew they would have much to suffer ere they should return content to remain where they were so happy.

And now the time had come round again for the Great Geni to visit his favourite spot, and he looked round with a benignant smile; and at that smile the flowers grew brighter, and the air sweeter, and the waters more limpid, and all the nature of that lovely land grew lovelier still. But many hearts throbbed with intense inquietude as they hailed the coming of the Great Spirit of good, for they knew he would detect their wish to depart and visit this world: they were not afraid that their wish would not be complied with, for the Geni loved them too dearly to deny them any thing not positively wrong, but they were fully aware that the wish would give him pain,-pain on their

account, as he was well convinced they would never be so happy any where as they were there; and they were sorry to grieve him; nevertheless, the desire having once entered their hearts they could not dispel it, and so they looked up to him with longing eyes as he singled them out and assigned to each the form chosen to appear in here on earth.

Some, the most impatient, departed immediately on the mission they had undertaken; others, who gave up every idea of self, and who only sought to be the ministers of good, to console, to cheer, to dispense happiness wherever they went, remained to make a provision of seeds of the lovely flowers that grew in their planet, and which they knew contained the germ of healing and consolation for many woes spread over the earth: aloes for the wounds of the mind, evergreens of hope, balm of charity, immortals of every kind that could please the eye, and exhale the sweetest perfume.

On the occasion of the Geni's present visit, one dear little spirit came nearer and nearer to the great Presence, until she nestled in his bosom; and he, regarding her with a look of ineffable love, said softly, 'And what form would my daughter assume when she visits the earth?'

'I would fain be a sunbeam,' answered the bright one.

'But to be a sunbeam my daughter must be

content to resign all visible shape; only in the dreams of those she takes an interest in can she appear in a form which may in some measure indemnify her for the sacrifice she must make.'

But I should remain near the Great Geni, and receiving strength from him, I should be able to give more consolation to those who need it; besides, as a sunbeam, my sphere of usefulness would be greater. Fain would I be a sunbeam.'

'Be it so!' said the Geni complacently; 'yet my Sunbeam must not imagine she will be without discouragement in the world to which she is repairing. Clouds will sometimes intercept her light at the very moment she most wishes to send her vivifying ray into some unhappy bosom; but one promise I make her if she will but look up to me in the moment of distress, her light shall never be lost; it shall do the work of love elsewhere; and one of her fellow-labourers who set out on the same errand of charity shall complete the task she had begun. She shall possess, moreover, the gift of speaking to the soul; of awakening memories of the past, and revealing pictures of the future; and her light shall bring comfort wherever it falls; her kiss of love shall enkindle the genius of greatness or goodness wheresoever it lights, and this because she has been unmindful of self, and thoughtful only for others.'

The spirit looked gratefully up into the eyes of the Great Geni; she felt a strange sensation creeping over her, a sort of drowsiness, and closing her eyes, she fell asleep. When she awoke, she was seated on the wings of the Spirit of Good, and hovering over our earthly planet. So, you see, Sunbeam came from a land a long way off. She travelled far and wide, doing good wherever she went. Much she saw in the course of her travels to excite her wonder, and to give her pleasure ; somewhat, too, to grieve her; but she bore up bravely; and steadily and lovingly did she perform the task she had imposed upon herself, like a good little spirit as she was. Would you like to hear some of her adventures?

I will tell them to

you as she herself related them to me.

CHAPTER III.

SUNBEAM'S FIRST ADVENTURE.

N a vast city, filled with all sorts of people, rich and poor, healthy and sick, clean and

dirty, Sunbeam tried to make her way

through a dense fog, which was hanging over the houses and hiding the light even of the great and powerful Geni himself. How then could she hope, poor little weak creature that she was, to pierce the darkness that enshrouded her? Had she not been in earnest to do good, she would doubtless have contented herself with playing about among the clouds and amusing herself by taking a survey of all the beauties that surrounded her. But that was not her mission; it was no idle curiosity that had tempted her to quit her peaceful and happy home, her own lovely planet; she had determined to do good, and her only thought in the present moment was how that good was to be effected.

Looking up, as she had been directed, to the