Pleasing Pictures and Stories - The Mother's Comforters.

THESE three are alone in the world now; the father who had supported them is dead, and they must soon be leaving their old home.  But the boys had talked it over, and resolved to do what they could to support their mother ; so when she sat by the fire after tea, filled with melancholy thoughts, the lads, coming close to her, did their best to comfort her in her trouble, and telling her their plans, made her for awhile forget her grief.  She was touched with their care for her, and called them her comforters ; and the boys, who dearly loved their mother, were glad to be a comfort, and hid their own sorrow for the father just gone from them, that they might the more look after the parent who was left to their charge, and be a comfort to her in her declining years.

Pleasing Pictures and Stories - The Old Potato Man.

MATTHEW ASHBY was to be seen early and late,all through the autumn and winter days, with his can of hot potatoes for sale, and had grown old in his trade.  He was civil and sober, and had his regular customers, chiefly among the boys, who are always to be found near the great railway stations.  But old Matthew had overtaxed his strength, when one cold morning he set out, feeling weak, for his accustomed place.  When he got there he could only sit down on a chair, too feeble to stand. Soon two kind-hearted boys came to see what was the matter; and they got him a cup of hot coffee, which did him a little good ; and then finding he lived not far off, they took him home and left him under the care of his daughter, who promised to send for a doctor if her father got no better.