Jack's most delightful present last Christmas was a red wooden gun, with arrows that would shoot very hard indeed. At least Jack thought it was delightful, but his mamma did not; those little pointed wooden arrows that flew so far and hit so hard made her very uneasy, for fear her little boy would presently hurt somebody. But mammas hate to spoil their little boys' fun, and Jack's mamma made an arrangement by which it was agreed that he was to have his gun, provided that he never pointed it at anybody, even in play. Jack was quick enough to promise; he meant to keep his promise, too; and I think would have kept it if it hadn't been for his master. You didn't know Jack had a master? No more did he know it till the day he had to give up his gun. You see, Jack had a little brother, two years younger than himself, who was a very spirit of mischief, and loved above all things to tease big Jack. One day, when the two boys were playing together, pretending to be wild Indians out in the woods. Will began to tease Jack by saying: "There was a little man, and he had a little gun," and all the rest of that little song. I don't know why this teased Jack, but he got madder and madder, until, alas! in spite of his promise, he pointed his gun--not at the "duck--duck--duck," but at Will, and struck him on the cheek. Now it was not the wooden arrow with which his gun was loaded this time, but one leg of a sharp steel hairpin, and it went into the cheek and stuck there like a little dagger. Half an hour later the red gun was in ashes on mamma's hearth, while mamma herself and both boys sat sorrowfully by its grave. "Mamma," said Jack, "I didn't mean to shoot Will, but somehow I couldn't help it." "No," said mamma, shaking her head: "I forgot when I let you keep the gun that you had a master." "A master?" asked Jack, in surprise. "Yes," said mamma, "you obey Bad Temper's orders, though you don't always obey mine." "Mamma," said Jack, presently, "I think I'll leave Bad Temper's service. He gets me into a heap of trouble." "Do, Jack," she said, smiling brightly at him. "And while you are getting rid of a bad master, remember that you have a good one, the Lord Jesus, on whose banner is written, 'Putting away all wrath and clamor.'" Little Will listened very soberly to all this, with a red hole in his cheek, and both chubby hands resting on his bare knees. I hope he made up his mind, too, to choose the good Master.--_Selected_. * * * * * WHAT MAKES MEN? What care I for cold or snow? School bell rings, and off I go! I am ready for the storm, And my heart is light and gay; Mother's hand has wrapped me warm, As I trudge along the way. Mother says, "Learn all you can, Then you'll be a better man." So I pack my books and go. Through the rain or wind or snow; For I hope some day to be Just the man she'd like to see.