Now Rover was hugged! And blue eyes were wet, As Minnie said, low, "I shall never forget! When I've anything good He shall have a big part; And a _great big place_ All his own, in my heart." S. R. SILL. [Illustration: ROVER, DRESSED UP.] _Volume 13, Number 25._ Copyright, 1886, by D. LOTHROP & CO. _April 24, 1886._ THE PANSY. [Illustration: Deep within the frozen earth, Fairest seeds of bloom are sleeping. Waiting May's re-echoing mirth-- April's days of tender weeping. Palest blooms and richest dyes In these close-shut cells are hidden Fragrance rare, all breathless lies, E'en its gentlest sigh forbidden. Are there not lives sad and drear Fairest seeds of heart bloom holding, Waiting for kind words of cheer, Waiting Love for their unfolding? LINDA M. DUVALL. HIDDEN BEAUTY.] ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. BY MARGARET SIDNEY. VI. BETSEY, the farmer's wife, put up a lunch large enough to last a couple of voyagers for a two days' journey, and bustled around in her quickest style, so that she ran out to the barn with her big basket as Farmer Bassett drew a long breath and declared himself ready to start. "Do hurry, John," she begged, setting her basket within the sleigh, "those poor creeters must be half-starved, let alone their crying theirselves eenamost to death." Then her motherly heart that had taken up entirely the cause of the boys, allowed throbs of pity to be felt on Thomas' account as she saw the effect of her words upon him, and she hastened to add--"You'll make pretty quick time after you git on the road, and boys always know how to have a good time as long as daylight lasts, at any rate." "You better believe, Betsey," declared Farmer Bassett, "that we will not let the grass, or the snow rather, accumulate under our feet, will we, Jack?" caressing his horse. "There, Mr. ---- what'd you say your name was?" turning to the man beside him. "Thomas, sir--Thomas Bradley. But I'm better known as Mr. Bangs' man, bad luck to the day I shirked a bit. But I'll catch it enough when I get home, though"-- "And serves you quite right, Thomas," observed Farmer Bassett; "well, get in, and we'll be off. Good-by, mother!" He didn't kiss her; it was not the New England way in which they had both been reared, but he did look at her round, comely face with such an expression in his gray eyes that a smile went back to him from the lips firmly folded together--"Take care of yourself now, an' the house, I'll be along in the mornin'." Then he got into the sleigh, and tucking up the well-worn robes around his companion and himself, signified to Jack by a loud "_g'lang!_" that he was expected to start.