But

"Very well, dear," said Mrs. Jones, trying to quiet her. she did not get better, and toward evening she lapsed into unconsciousness, with occasional tossing and muttering.

Mrs. Jones was in a quandary as to what to do concerning her. As she sat watching her that evening she wondered what the trouble was at home, or if June had been sick and had become delirious and had escaped them and wandered away. "But how did she manage to get away down here, and alone, after dark? She ought to have a doctor, at least, I have no one to send for one; the children are all too small and they are all in bed. I can not leave her and go for one, for she might wander off again. It's fully two miles to town or to the nearest doctor's and it is past 9 o'clock now. I must send for her mother, whether she likes it or not, for I can not let her lie here and die" She was interrupted in her thoughts by a loud rapping on the outside door. (To be continued.)

Little Stories of the Chil-
dren.--Part VIII.

THE BABY AND THE POODLE.

OME time ago, Mr. Speaker, I was invited by the young men to deliver an address at a meeting in the building of the Young Men's Christian Association in this city. The notice came by telephone, and I responded immediately and without any preparation, so that I ought not perhaps to have been held strictly accountable for anything I said on that occasion. My audience, however, was composed entirely of men-of young men and I tried to say something to them that would be of benefit to them in the strife that comes to every man in this life. They were unmarried men, and among other things, I advised them that they ought to get married, and that to be a husband and father was the noblest ambition of every male human being.

I told them why I believed it was necessary for young men who wanted to be patriotic and do good to their country and to humanity to be married and raise children. I called attention to the fact that many wealthy people were raising more poodle dogs than children, and I told them of an incident that came under my observation when walking down Connecticut avenue one day, when I saw a door of a residence open-a residence that had cost perhaps a couple of million dollars-and a well dressed woman came out, and there drove up in front of it a carriage with two men in uniform sitting up in front and one man in uniform sitting on the seat in the rear, and as the woman came down the walk those men got down and took off their silk hats and bowed almost to the sidewalk as they opened the carriage door and put her into the

carriage. She carried in her arms a beautiful poodle dog, all decked out in ribbons, trinkets, and flowers.

I watched her as they drove down the avenue, and my heart bled in pity for this woman of wealth, who I supposed was childless and who therefore was compelled to waste her affections on a poodle dog. They had not gone very far, however, until the door of that mansion opened again and a colored woman came out, wheeling a little baby carriage. I crossed the street in order to ascertain exactly how the baby was dressed, and from the way

it was dressed and the expensive trinkets and playthings that were about it, I came to the conclusion that it was the child of the woman who had gone away caressing the poodle dog while her own flesh and blood was left in the care of a colored servant; and as the colored woman pushed the baby across into the park I felt, for a while, sorry for the little baby. But I told the young men that, after thinking it over, my sorrow went to the poodle dog, because I believed, under all circumstances, the baby was in the best company. (Laughter and applause.)

I had no intention, Mr. Speaker, of telling who the family was, but, since I told the young men that it was on Connecticut avenue, I learned that I had come very nearly identifying the family, because, as I was told afterwards, it was the only baby in that part of Connecticut avenue, and it was an unwelcome accident. (Laughter.)

But I told these young men that I believed that it was better to live in a sod house, where God's sunshine might come through the windows and shine on the dimpled face of your own little baby that was held in the arms of your own wife, than to live in the lazy luxury of marble halls that had never resounded to the rippling laughter of innocent childhood. I told them that in my younger days, about a year after I was married and had become a proud father, I had been invited to a banquet and had been given.

the proper subject, and how under the enthusiasm of the occasion, I had become poetical and had said:

Of all the joys that life can give,

The baby is the best.

I've learned to laugh and cry and sing,
And miss at night my rest.

And when at night from heavenly dreams
I'm brought to earth a spell,
It's all because I think it seems
I've heard that baby yell.

To music of inferior brand,
All clothed in robes of white,
With baby in supreme command,
I march the floor at night.
But when those little eyelids close
In slumber, peaceful, sweet,
I kneel beside my slumbering rose
And kiss her on the cheek.

And kneeling there, in accents mild,
I send up thanks to God,

And ask him to protect my child
When I'm beneath the sod.

Then fill the flowing goblet well
And drink with joy serene

To her whose charms I love to tell,

My pride, my love, my queen.

-Representative Norris, from Nebraska, before the United States House of Representatives, July 12, 1911.

EDITOR'S CORNER

AUTUMN LEAVES is published monthly for the youth of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Price $1.00 per year in advance. Herald Publishing House, Lamoni, Iowa.

ELBERT A. SMITH, Lamoni, Iowa.

People Whom Jesus Commended.

THE WOMAN WHO ANOINTED HIM WITH SPIKENARD.

Jesus met with many rebuffs, cruelties, and persecutions. Yet there were times when he received marked evidences of love and personal devotion that must have been very precious to him. Such an incident occurred on the occasion when he sat at meat in the house of Simon the leper.

A notable company was present, including Lazarus, who had recently recently been raised from the dead. Many came not alone to see Jesus, but also to behold Lazarus, so strangely returned from the mysterious land of shadows. The busy Martha

was there, characteristically at work waiting upon the table. Presently entered Mary, she who had made choice "of that better part." She bore an alabaster box of ointment which she broke and poured the contents upon the person of Jesus, filling the whole room with perfume.

For this she was rebuked by Judas Iscariot, who argued that the ointment should have been sold and the money distributed to the poor; not that he cared for the poor, John assures us, but because he was a thief and carried the bag.

But Jesus commended her, saying: "She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

Even as the wise men came to the cradle of Jesus at his birth with gifts of perfume, so came Mary and anointed him in preparation for his sacrifice and burial. How pleasant that he could par

take of this one meal in peace among his disciples, with the whole room fragrant with the perfume of spikenard, a gift prompted by a loving and generous heart.

The gift that Mary brought was costly. It is said that the alabaster box filled with ointment probably cost her fifty dollars. Gladly she expended this money for her Lord and Master, who had restored her brother Lazarus to his home and to whom she looked as her Savior and the Savior of the world. No mean or cheap gift would express her feeling.

It was characteristic of her that she not only poured the ointment upon his person; but she also broke the costly alabaster box that contained it. Having consecrated it to Jesus she was determined that it should never be used for baser purposes. Here is a lesson for us. We are consecrated to Jesus and pour out our lives in his service-better be broken in his service than to return to the service of the world.

It is pleasant at this Christmas time to think of that memorable group assembled in the home of Simon, and of the pure and fragrant gift that Mary brought to her Master. Well may it be told of her as a memorial. While others plotted (Judas went from this very room to bargain with the chief priests) she loved and served, a living proof that the world was not all bad.

Of her Jesus said: "She hath done what she could." Shall we so conduct ourselves that we may merit a similar commendation?

The Conversion of Alma.

(See Frontispiece.)

Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless he became a very wicked and idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people: therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities. And he became a great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the hearts of the people, causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them.

And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God: for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king; and as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood; and so great was their astonishment, that they