BOTH tragedies occurred in Hertford- shire. The first was on life-boat day in St. Albans. A little girl had been sent out by her mother to do some shopping. She had a florin ready in her hand. At the corner of the road she met a life-boat collector. She put her florin in the box and waited.

Nothing happened, and the collector started to move away. At that, the little girl burst into tears. She had meant to give a penny and was waiting for her change. As soon as the col- lector understood she gave back one shilling and elevenpence. However, in the end the little girl's contribution was two shillings, for when the story was told at the Town Hall, one of the workers there refunded the money from his own pocket, instead of taking it out of the collecting box.

At Watford the life-boat day was held on a Saturday. A boy was re- turning from work. It was the end of his first week at work, and he had two coins in his pocket, half a crown and a penny, his first week's wages. He saw a life-boat collector; produced, as he thought, the penny ; put it in the box.

Too late he discovered that it was the half-crown. He said nothing, but went home and presented the penny to his mother as his first week's wages. When she discovered what had happened she wrote at once to the honorary secretary and the half-crown was returned..