Her Birthday

sound asleep to notice; delightful to hear
her little screams of ecstasy when she has
discovered something she has not seen be-
fore. It is singular how keenly she notes
every fresh object, and in what quaint and
pretty terms of phrase she expresses her
glee and wonderment. “ Oh, father, have n’t
the bushes got their hands quite full of
flowers?”? “Aren’t the buds the trees’ little
girls?”

This morning the sun was blissfully warm,
and the air seemed alive with the sparkle of
the dew, which lay thick on every blade and
leaf. As we went round the gravel walks
we perceived how completely.all the earlier
flowers had vanished ; even the lovely sweet
peas were almost over. We have still, how-
ever, the single dahlias, and marigolds, and
-hasturtiums, on whose level leaves the dew
stood shining like globules of quicksilver ;
and the tall Michaelmas daisies make quite a
white-topped thicket along the paling, while
the rowan-berries are burning in big red
bunches over the western hedge.

In the corner near the limes we came
upon a marvellous spectacle —a huge old

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