Her Birthday

a St. Bernard that saved travellers in the
snow, but that was exceptional. The word
“twins ’’ she adapted prettily enough. Try-
ing once in an emotional moment to put her
love for me into terms of gold currency, she
added: “And I love mother just the same ;
you two are twins, you know.” A little while
after the University boat race she drew my
attention to a doll in a _ shop-window:
“Ts n’t it beautiful? And look at its Oxford
eyes!” To “fussle one,” to disturb one by
making a fuss, seems at once fresh and use-
ful; “sorefully” is an acutely expressive
adverb; when you have to pick your steps
in wet weather the road may be conveniently
described as “ picky ;” don’t put wild roses
on the cloth at dinner lest the maid should
“crumb” them away; and when one has a
cold in the head how can one describe the
condition of one’s nose except as “‘ hoarse”?
“Lost in sad thought,” “ Now I have some-
thing to my heart’s content,” “ Few tears are
my portion,” are among the story-book
phrases which she has assimilated for week-
day use. When she was being read to out
of Kingsley’s “Heroes,” she asked her

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