frolic at all suitable times, social, witty, and sharp; but he could not be persuaded or cajoled into wrong- doing. He showed his colours at once.

The other incident illustrates his kindness to animals. The old cat and James were particular friends, and appeared to understand each other perfectly. He was in the garden with James one day, in whose society he seemed to find real pleasure. The same boy we have spoken of, David, came along, and observing the cat, began pelting him with stones, frightening puss so that he fled to the house. David might as well have pelted James with stones. Stone his cat, and he was stoned.

“That’s outrageous!” exclaimed James.

“Only a cat,” answered David.

“Only cruelty, that will stone a cat,” responded James.

“I didn’t think it was your cat.”

“It don’t make any difference whose cat it is; a cat is a cat.”

“And a rat is a rat,” added David, designing to make fun of the affair.

“I can’t bear to see an animal abused,” continued James.

“I didn’t hit him,” pleaded David.

“No thanks to you; you meant to hit him. You frightened him half out of his wits.”

“He hasn’t any wits to be frightened out of,” retorted David. “Nothing but a cat.”

“And so you might abuse any animal in the world, and say, ‘Nothing but a dog’; ‘Nothing but a horse’; ‘Nothing but an ox.’ I wouldn’t abuse any creature so.”

“I don’t think you would, Jim. You are too tenderhearted for that. A mouse could play on your chin safely if he only knew you.”

“He wouldn’t play on yours, Dave, If he knew you, that’s certain. It would be the most dangerous place he could find.”

“Well, Jim, ask pardon of your cat for me, will you? I’m sorry that I offended his majesty. I’ll befriend cats for ever now.” And David went on his way, leaving James to his reflections.

This was another good trait of James’s kindness to animals. He was kind to them as he was to human beings. He could see no reason for abusing any creature, however insignificant. Abuse was cruelty, in his view.

Still another incident may be rehearsed here as well as any place. James was a boy of spirit, though he was neither pugnacious nor malicious. He wanted to see the rights of the smallest boy respected, and he would contend for it if necessary. In school there was a fatherless boy, like himself, and no big brother to take his part. Some of the larger boys were in the habit of teasing him, and James declared that it should stop. James was older than the boy, though not as old as the boys who teased him.

“It’s too bad,” exclaimed James; “and if you tease him any more, you tease me.”

“Tease you it is, then,” answered one of the boys, with a motion and remark indicating the attempt.

“Just as you like,” continued James. “You can operate on me; but you shan’t on that little fellow, unless you are stronger than I am. Take boys of your size, or none.”