tion, he gently knocked the ashes from his pipe, and said, with a sigh, "Peg, Simeon Green has killed me!" "What do you mean?" said his wife, dropping her knitting with a look of surprise. "You know, when he first came into this neighbourhood he said he would kill me," replied Reuben; "and he has done it. The other day he asked me to help his team out of the bog, and I told him I had enough to do to attend to my own business. To-day my team stuck fast in the same bog, and he came with two yoke of oxen to draw it out. I felt ashamed to have him lend me a hand, so I told him I wanted none of his help, but he answered just as pleasant as if nothing contrary had happened, that night was coming on, and he was not willing to leave me in the mud." "He is a pleasant spoken man," said Mrs. Black, "and always has a pretty word to say to the boys. His wife seems to be a nice neighbourly body, too." Reuben made no answer; but after meditating awhile, he remarked, "Peg, you know that big ripe melon down at the bottom of the garden? you may as well carry it over there in the morning." His wife said she would, without asking him to explain where "over there" was.

But when the morning came, Reuben walked backwards and forwards, and round and round, with that sort of aimless activity often manifested by fowls, and fashionable idlers, who feel restless, and do not know what to run after. At length the cause of his uncer

tain movements was explained.

"I may as well carry In my

the melon myself, and thank him for his oxen. flurry down there in the marsh, I forgot to say that I was obliged to him."

She could

He marched off toward the garden, and his wife stood at the door, with her hand shading the sun from her eyes, to see if he would carry the melon into Simeon Green's house. It was the most remarkable incident that had ever happened since her marriage. hardly believe her own eyes. He walked quickly, as if afraid he should not be able to carry the unusual impulse into action if he stopped to re-consider the question. When he got into Mr. Green's house, he felt extremely awkward, and hastened to say, "Mrs. Green, here is a melon my wife sent to you, and we think it is a ripe one." Without manifesting any surprise at such unexpected courtesy, the friendly matron thanked him, and invited him to sit down. But he stood playing with the latch of the door, and without raising his eyes said, "Maybe Mr. Green is not in this morning?"

"He is at the pump, and will be in directly," she replied; and before her words were spoken, the honest man walked in, with a face as fresh and bright as a June morning. He stepped right up to Reuben, shook his hand cordially, and said, "I am glad to see you, neighbour. Take a chair-take a chair."

He

"Thank you, I cannot stop," replied Reuben. pushed his hat on one side, rubbed his head, looked

out of the window, and then said suddenly, as if by a desperate effort,-"The fact is, Mr. Green, I did not behave right about the oxen."

"Never mind-never mind," replied Mr. Green. "Perhaps I shall get into the bog again, one of these rainy days. If I do, I shall know whom to call upon."

"Why, you see," said Reuben, still very much confused, and avoiding Simeon's mild clear eye-"you see the neighbours here are very provoking. If I had always lived by such neighbours as you are, I should not be just as I am."

If

"Ah, well, we must try to be to others what we want them to be to us," rejoined Simeon. "You know the good Book says so. I have learned by experience, that if we speak kind words, we hear kind echoes. we try to make others happy, it fills them with a wish to make us happy. Perhaps you and I can bring the neighbours round in time to this way of thinking and acting. Who knows?-let us try, Mr. Black, let us try. But come and look at my orchard. I want to show you a tree which I have grafted with very choice apples. If you like, I will procure you some cuttings from the same stock."

They went into the orchard together, and friendly chat soon put Reuben at his ease. When he returned home, he made no remarks about his visit; for he could not, as yet, summon sufficient greatness of mind to tell