See the elder girl, taking the little one upon her back, to carry her across the brook! See with what care she puts her arms around her little feet, and poises her on her shoulders. See, too, the true smile of affection and satisfaction, the real bliss, upon her face, in the exercise of this act of care and kindness. Do you not see there the force of that beautiful word, _sister_? And the infant too――look at that! Mark the clinging of the little arms around the neck! mark the anxiety pictured in the face, yet softened into trust and confidence. Does not the child feel the meaning of that word, sister? [Illustration] Burning of the Tower of London. The Tower of London is one of the greatest curiosities in that famous city. It stands on the north bank of the river Thames, in the eastern part of the city. It consists of several buildings, erected at various times, all enclosed by a high wall, on which cannon are mounted. The wall encloses twelve acres of ground. The middle building is at once the oldest and tallest of the group: it is a large quadrangular structure, with a number of large rooms, and having a tower at each corner. This is called the White Tower, and measures 116 by 96 feet, and is 92 feet high. Connected with this great building, are the grand storehouse, ordnance office, jewel office, and the chapel, beside many other edifices. In the chapel lie the remains of many celebrated persons, who have been executed here or who died in prison. Among the rest, are Anne Boleyn, the unfortunate; Katherine Howard, the guilty; Essex, the brave but rash favorite of queen Elizabeth. The tower of London was begun by Edward III., in the thirteenth century, by the construction of the white tower. It was designed as a royal palace, and as such was occupied for a time. In the time of Henry VIII., it had acquired a horrid celebrity as a state’s prison. Here many persons have been incarcerated for years by the government; and it is curious to remark, that many of those who have even perished by the axe in this prison, are now regarded as among the greatest and best of mankind. In the dungeons which are beneath the white tower, it is said that Sir Walter Raleigh wrote his celebrated history of the world. The whole of the white tower may be termed a storehouse, at the present day. It contains many thousand stand of arms, all kept in perfect order, and beautifully arranged; vast military stores, beside a multitude of papers and documents in what is called the round office. The armories in the tower consisted of three vast collections, viz., the “_Horse Armory_,” “_Queen Elizabeth Armory_,” and the “_Small Arms Armory_.” The two first are collections of ancient armor; and though chiefly kept as objects of curiosity, they are exceedingly interesting. Here are to be seen almost every kind of armor, from the earliest period of English history.