Zom pays a Visit. 131

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round brown basket, with a handle. Archie
hung it on hisarm. Tom ledthe way. The
hedge was all newly green, and so was the
grass, and the birds were singing loudly
among the new green leaves of the trees.
They. seemed to say, “Summer is coming,
roses are coming, strawberries are coming,
and the violets are already here!”

Tom jumped and danced. Archie did not
jump or dance, because it made his back ache,
but he felt just as happy inside. They
crossed the field, and went into the lane. It
was quite quiet, very few people walked along
it, This was the place.

“Violets, violets!” called Tom.

Archie stopped immediately, and pulled
his basket off his arm, and set to work to
look. All the banks were covered with the
little green shields. ‘Tom ran up and down
peeping underneath them. They did not
talk, because they were too busy. Archie
filled his basket, long before Tom’s was half-
full; then he helped Tom to fill his. They
did not put too many in, for fear of hurting