Se eee A MOTHER WATER-RAT. —o— WAS standing on a bridge oyer a small Hampshire brook with a trout- rod in my hand, when I saw a water- rat swimming up the stream to- wards: me, and making for the archway. The animal did not see me, for I lowered my rod and touched it with the top, when it dived and disappeared ; but, on re- turning towards the same spot shortly afterwards, L caught sight of the rat coming from under the arch with something in its mouth, and swim- ming quickly towards me. Close at hand was a rail with an upright post, around which clung a good deal of floating weed. To this the rat made her way, still carrying her burden, which she laid upon it, and then began to climb up herself. When she was fairly up I saw that her burden was a young one of about three inches long, which nestled under the mother, till, a slight shower coming on, they both made for the rail, the mother pushing her child up on to it first in safety, and then getting up on the rail herself and nursing it as before. I crept so close to them that I could nearly put my hand on them, and could see the sharp black eyes of the little one watching me intently; but as I was now drawing too near, the mother at once took a header into the brook, and the little one flopped in after her, swimming down stream a short way to another piece of floating weed, _ and then the anxious mother came back, and again took her little one in her mouth, and swam away with it down stream. I walked by the side of the brook for more than a hundred yards, watching the mother carrying her child in her mouth, and when I lost sight of her she was still swimming onward with her babe. Is it possible that she was moving her family one by one to a more favourable spot ? W.S. OwEn. PARLIAMENT. ‘Tne following words are contained in the letters spelling ‘ Parliament.’ Aim Impale Mar Neap Plat Rental Apart In Mail Nare Plain Real Amen Tre Mint Nile Plane Rapine At frate Mite Napier Planter Rapier Ae Inert Mile Natal Primate Rampant~ Alarm Lamp Main Pie Plate Riplet Ape Lair Mane Pen Panel Tap Arm Liar Map Pear Prate Tare 2 Lame Mean Pare Penal Tear Lain Meant Pair Petal Ten Lane Meal Pliant Pert Tail Air Lime Met Palm Pane Tale Ale Tine Man Pan Pain Tea Ail Lien Melt Pat Par Tin Alien Leap Milt Pail Pearl Team Art Limp Me Pale Pant Tip Ailment Lap Mitre Pin Plaint Tape Alert Lleman Miner Pile Rap Tame Antler Lint Malt Pine Rant Tile Area — Lent Mat Pint Reap Tiler Alpine Late Mate ‘Pent Rain Tier April Lip Mire Plant Rail Teal Alter Lean Mien Part Rent Tire Altar Lie Merit Pier Ram Tine Aliment Lea Mantle Plea Rein Tie Arena Learn Mantel Pea Rat Trim Entail Learnt Metal Peal Rite Trip Eat Leant Martin Pate Ripe Trail Earn = Let Marten Plan Rip Time Ear Lit Mine Pit Rim Tar Elm Later Neat Prim Rime Train Emir Linear Nape Prime Ran Tramp Entrap Lampern Nail Paint Rate Tripe Era Meat Nap Painter Rape Tan Earl Men Net Palmer Remain Trial Impair Mart Near Print Retain ‘larn Impart Mare Nip Pet Retail Tamper Imp Male Name Peat Ream Taper It Mental Nitre Plait Rile Triple Inter JOHN FLINT’S DREAM. . NE cold evening in December, 2 John Flint was returning Ver heme with his donkey and ie cart from the town of Old- bury, where he had been all day hawking firewood, and as his customwas hedropped in at the ‘Fox and Hounds’ to drink and gossip, leaving his donkey outside thedoor. There was a keen east wind blowing right against the front of the house, and a scud of rain dashed now and then upon the rough pavement, freezing as it fell, and covering every- thing that it touched with a coat of ice. The poor animal had been in harness for eight hours, and had not eaten a morsel of food since the morning, so he moved anxiously from side to side in search of something to satisfy his hunger ; but, finding nothing, he turned his tail to the wind, dropped his ears almost to a level with his eyes,.and began to groan and. shiver. ‘Your donkey’s got the ague, John,’ said an acquaintance of his, who entered the house just as John was ordering his second pint of beer; ‘his very bones were rattling and shaking as I passed him just now, and the poor brute groaned as if he’d got seme heavy trouble on his mind.’ ‘It’s bruises on his body instead of troubles on his mind that makes him groan, replied John, with a savage grin, ‘Look at that stinger ;’ and he held up a thick ashen stick, tipped with a sharp iron point. ‘ He’s had a touch or two to-day that he wort forget, the lazy brute !? Thereupon John drained his mug, lighted his pipe, and left the house. Presently heavy blows from the aforesaid ‘stinger’ were heard above the noise of the wheels, as John drove off from the door of the ‘ Fox and Hounds,’ belabouring his jaded beast almost at every step. Then there was silence suddenly, and the donkey stood still in the road. John had fallen as he was attempting to take his seat in the cart, and fractured his leg, so it was now his turn to groan. Whether the donkey kicked him down in return for PS; vo