"Mamma," said Amy, pointing to a painting of Ecce Homo, "I do so love that sad face; sometimes when I sit here and look at it intently, the eyes seem to open. Once I was so sure of it, I got Hetty to take the picture down. Oh, I feel so sorry for our dear Lord, especially his crown of thorns. Why, oh why, couldn't they have taken it off while he was carrying the cross. He must have struck His sacred head against the cross as he staggered under its heavy weight up that awful road to Calvary," and the gentle, tender-hearted girl sobbed aloud. Bolax, at this, jumped up, dashing a book against the wall and kicking his chair, he exclaimed: "Oh, if I had been there I would have gotten a crowd of boys and thrown stones at those awful executioners! Surely lots of boys must have known and followed Jesus--what cowards they were! You don't hear of any one offering to help Him; every one was afraid except brave, glorious St. Veronica." "My dear impetuous boy, I am comforted to know you think of and feel for our suffering Savior." "What you would have done had you been present at the awful scene on the road to Calvary, do now, by making sacrifices of your own will, suffering something for the love of Jesus." "You must not compare the American boy with the boys of those long ago times; the Roman soldiers who were driving Jesus were naturally cruel and rejoiced in having a victim on which to exercise their cruelty. They would have exterminated even a crowd of men had they dared to interfere, and boys would have been crushed to death instantly. Mercy was an unknown virtue to the people of those days." "Mamma," said Amy, "thinking of my general Confession, I feel I must ask your advice on one subject; is it a sin to pray for animals?" "Oh, Ma, dear," interrupted Bolax, "I want to ask about that too." "Elmer Mullen laughed at me when I told him I always prayed for poor horses, dogs and cats that I saw badly treated. Sometimes I beg men and boys to cease their cruelties; often I fight those that won't stop tormenting animals, then when all fails I just pray for the poor things. And Ma, dear, while I think of it, did you ever see a nanny goat faint?" Serious little Amy burst out laughing at the odd question, and Bo's earnest expression of countenance when asking it. "It's nothing to laugh at, Sister. I'll tell you how it happened. Tom Burk and Dan Donavan were trying to make their goat pull them in a little wagon, but she was not able; they beat her and she fell over and shut her eyes. I stooped over her and rubbed her head. Then a man came, and after a long wait she came to, and he ordered the boys to take poor Nanny into the stable." "My dear, kind boy, we will have to make you President of the 'Prevention of Cruelty Society.' Several people have told me what a little champion you have shown yourself on many occasions."