Joan D'Arc. IERCE wars were waged against the French in the reign of Henry VI. England obtained several victories. France seemed about to be vanquished. Its hopes, however, were suddenly revived by a country young woman, named Joan d' Arc. She had been a servant at a small inn, and she bore a good character, but had not been known to possess any such qualities of courage and enterprise as she afterwards manifested. Brooding over the miserable situation of her country, she felt strongly impelled to attempt its deliverance. These impulses she thought were of divine inspiration. She offered her services to some of the authorities. After some trials of her pretended supernatural powers, her offers were accepted. She was fully armed and invested with what was deemed the miraculous sword of St. Catherine de Firebois. Placed at the head of the army, the French through her won some conquests, and became confident of final triumph. But at length they were defeated, and Joan, as a prisoner, fell into the hands of the Duke of Bedford. She had been regarded as a saint by both the English and French armies, but, in her changed position, as a prisoner, she was considered as a sorceress, forsaken by the peculiar demon who had secured for her a short and deceptive triumph. She was tried at Rouen, in France, was found guilty of heresy and witchcraft, and sentenced to be burnt alive. The sentence was executed with the most ignorant and malicious cruelty. This has been looked upon as a disgrace to England; but there is much excuse on the ground of the spirit of the times in which the event took place. Thanks to the glorious gospel of the biessed God, such superstition and barbarity could not be exhibited in our days. Let us learn to prize more and more that Gospel which shall continue to multiply its triumphs, 'Till o'er our ransomed nature, The Lamb for sinners slain, Returns in bliss to reign. T. B. Something that a'u't Bread. HO do you s'pose lives in all the rooms, Teen? I counted three doors 'sides ours when we came through the entry. A'n't it a very long entry without any windows? I'm 'most afraid in this house." "Afraid!-of what, Lil? I wouldn't be afraid anywhere." "It a'n't pretty, Teen. It's ever so far down into the street, and we can't see anything out of the window but just that old black house 'cross the way. and we haven't got anything pretty inside to 'muse ourselves with, and mother is gone all the days. I don't like it half as well as I did our other house where we lived. What made us come away from there?" "'Cause mother couldn't pay so much rent-money, and so the man wouldn't let us stay. It's pretty enough here. if we only had something to do ;" and Teen looked around to find beauty where there was none. "No," said Lil, shaking her head, "It isn't pretty any. way. The walls are all black, and the floor's got big cracks in it, and there's mice nibbling in the ceiling, and the window is full of holes. I wish mother would stay at home; it don't look near so bad when she's here!" "I know that," said Teen, "but if mother didn't go to work, we shouldn't have anything to eat; so it's no use to wish. When I get a year older, I'm a going to earn money, and we'll be rich. I wish mother 'd let me begin now.” "How old are you, Teen? دو "Seven, and you're six. I should think you might remember that, Lil. When I get eight I shall buy a basket, and sell candy, same as other boys do." "And p'r'aps you'll give me some," insinuated Lil. "Once I had a whole stick, and it was real sweet. Let's play candy now-will you Teen?" A deep groan, that seemed to come from the corner of the room, put a sudden period to Lil's proposition, and brought the children nearer each other. "What was that noise? gasped Lil, with frightened eyes. "I don't know-I guess-" "It was right up in the corner," interrupted Lil, “and it sounded awful." "It wasn't in this room," said Teen, re-assuringly; "don't you be scared, Lil.” "A'n't you scared, Teen?" "I was just a little speck at first, but I a'n't now. tell you what, L I'll I've just thought 'twas in somebody else's house, and I shouldn't wonder if 'twas a sick man.” "I don't like it," said Lil, shivering. time for mother to come home?” 66 "When will it be Pretty soon; don't be a baby, Lil. Let's play candy now. I'll have the pail for a basket, and you must be ever so many rich folks, and buy heaps of sticks! If Teen and Lil could have looked through the very thin partition, that separated their garret from the next, they would have seen a poor deformed lad stretched upon a bed, and a single glance at his face would have satisfied them It was that the sudden, startling groan came from him. not often that poor Dick was surprised into a betrayal of his pains like that, but it was a hard day with him to-day, and turn whichever way he would, he found neither relief nor rest. Chryssy, his sister, sat sewing by the window. She was a hard-featured woman, for she had battled with poverty and the world upwards of thirty years, and they had got the better of her straight along, but she had one warm place in her heart for Dick, the poor boy who had hung like a dead weight on her shoulders ever since she was able to bear a burden or earn a penny. When her ear caught that groan, she dropped her sewing, and, straightening herself with an effort, shuffled across the room to his bedside. "What's the matter, my beauty ? That was what she always called Dick, and she meant it-for love finds beauty where indifference sees only ugli ness. "Is it hurting you bad?" "Awful!" said Dick, in a hoarse whisper. "Did I scream?" "No, you gave a groan-that's all." "I wish I had something," said Dick. "What do you want! S'posin' you had your choice say I was a queen-what do you want, my beauty?" 66 Something that a'n't bread! I don't know, Chryssy— no matter-never mind me—I'm better-only give me a drink." She brought him some water in a tin cup. The cup was rusty, and the water warm, but he drank it at a draught, and shut his eyes. Chryssy could not spare time to watch by him, so she went back to the window, and sat down on what had been a choir, but was now only a three-legged stool. She'. oughts in her heart-this poor ig 1 needle flew in and out across the long seams, she wanted to say hard things about everybody. "Some folks has oranges," she burst forth, presently, "and other folks has lemons. Money 'll buy 'em, and there's money enough in rich folks's pockets. I should like to know what business they have to keep it there, when Beauty wants something that a'n't bread! That means oranges and lemons. I know what Beauty wants; but where's the money? where's the money "Never mind, Chryssy, I've got over it now," said Dick. "Don't you talk so! Sing, Chryssy, sing." Now, Chryssy had about as much voice for singing as a blue-jay, but she never thought of refusing Dick, when he demanded a song. So Teen and Lil, in the midst of their candy-play, were again brought to a period by a sound that somewhat resembled the grinding of a coffee-mill. "What is that?" cried Lil, in a frightened whisper. “O dear! how horrid dreadful it is here! " "It come out of that other room, just as it did before," said Teen." Keep still a minute." Lil obeyed, and they both listened. Chryssy sang on, unconscious of any other auditor than Dick. And Dick, poor fellow, laughed and applauded, though he had to bite his lips to keep from groaning again, the pain in his back tortured him so. Teen and Lil did not see anything to laugh at, but they soon found that no harm was likely to come to them from the uncouth sounds, and so resumed their play. Chryssy kept on singing and sewing, but the hard thoughts were still in her heart, and Dick's little attempts at cheerfulness only made them harder and more bitter. care. "See my Beauty, trying to make me believe he don't He can't cheat me though. Don't I know what he wants? Something that a'n't bread-something that a'n't bread Yes, and he shall have it if I live! I know places enough where I can get it, and I'll do it—yes, I will, and |