"I'll write it down on my paper, (The one that I hand to you) But when I die I shall find the Lord, And ask Him if it's true." The classes were called without her, And the schooldays come and go, And other children wonder and wait-- It is hers alone to know. Sometimes, in the empty schoolroom, The teacher is left alone With the echoes that linger about the place And call from stone to stone. And, lo, with this world's learning Before his wondering view, He goes to his Lord--his all-wise Lord, And asks Him if it's true. --From Child-Study Monthly. COMETS AND METEORS. A few evenings later Mary had a wonderful story to tell her brother about some visitors from space who often visit the kingdom of Giant Sun. "They are called comets, or hairy stars, but I rather enjoy calling them 'celestial tramps.'" "What are they like?" asked Harry. STORY OF COMETS. "They usually have a bright golden head, sometimes as large as the earth, and as they approach the sun they adorn themselves with a glittering train millions of miles in length. Some of the comets are regular visitors, and we know just when to expect them; others come, and do not return for hundreds of years, while a few visit the sun never to return again." "Where do they come from?" asked Harry. [Illustration: A COMET.] "We scarcely know," replied Mary, "except that it is from outer space, just like tramps on earth. We do not know where tramps come from, nor do we expect to see them again. If they do revisit us, however, we can usually recognize them. Do you remember the old man who came to the kitchen door the other day and begged for food? You felt so sorry for him. You would know him if you saw him again on account of his long white beard, white hair, and shabby clothes. "When a celestial tramp returns, however, it is not so easy to recognize it. When it first greeted us it may have had a large head and a gorgeous train millions of miles in length. Next time we see it, how it has changed! Its head may be small, its train may have vanished, or it may be the proud owner of three or four trains. A comet usually changes its appearance at every visit. Just as if the old man we saw the other day were to cut off his beard, dye his hair black, and wear Uncle Robert's dress-suit. We should not know him, should we, Harry?" [Illustration: OLD PICTURE OF A COMET.] "I should think not," said Harry, laughing at the very idea. "Then how can you tell when the same comet visits us again?"