The last act of this wonderful circus was perhaps the best. The manager arranged the stage by placing two very fine entomological pins about four inches apart, connecting them by a slender silver wire, and then announced that Signor _Pulex Irritanici_, the world-renowned tight-rope performer, would attempt his wonderful feat of dancing upon the wire at a "dizzy height" (compared to the size of the performer). The Signor was then brought out in a small bottle of cut-glass; his only ornament was a little jacket of tissue-paper. When fished out and placed upon the pin-head, he boldly started out upon the wire over which his little clawed toes seemed to fit. In the middle, and over the terrific abyss, he balanced up and down for a second, stood upon his longest legs, and then moved on, crossing in safety, and thus ending the circus, at least for that occasion. ROCK-A-BYE. BY MARY N. PRESCOTT. "Rock-a-bye, babies, upon the tree-top," To her young the mother-bird sings, "When the wind's still, the rocking will stop, And then you may all use your wings." "Rock-a-bye, babies, under the eaves," The swallow croons to her brood, "Here you are safer, my children, from thieves Than if I had built in the wood." "Rock-a-bye, babies, the river runs deep," The reed-bird trills to her flock, "The river stirs only to sing you to sleep, The wind your green cradle to rock!" WHAT BERTIE SAW IN THE FLOWERS. BY L. G. R. [Illustration] Buttercup! Buttercup! Hold your shining clusters up! In each little house of gold, What is this that I behold? Twenty soldiers, straight and slim, Golden-helmeted and prim. All day long so still they stand, Never turning head or hand; No one guesses where they stray In the moonlight nights of May. When the fairies are abroad, These small men keep watch and ward; Round the fairy ring they pace All night long, to guard the place; But when morning comes again, Back are all the little men. KEEPING THE CREAM OF ONE'S READING. BY MARGARET MEREDITH.