80 A DOG OF FLANDERS.

One day her father, Baas Cogez, a
good man, but somewhat stern, came
on a pretty group in the long meadow
behind the mill, where the aftermath
had that day been cut. It was his
little daughter sitting amidst the
_ hay, with the great tawny head of
Patrasche on her lap, and many
wreaths of poppies and blue corn-
flowers round them both: on aclean, k
smooth slab of pine wood the boy
Nello drew their likeness with a stick
of charcoal.

The miller stood and looked at the
portrait with tears in his eyes, it was
so strangely like, and he loved his
only child closely and well. Then
he roughly chid the little girl for
idling there whilst her mother needed