Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1890-02-14

thing from her, for all her petting and
coaxing."
1t seemed relief to Judson to pour out
her woes, and could hardly refuse to
listen to her. She was evidently attached
to her mistress, with whom she had lived
since her marriage; but she was one of
those helpless beings who are made the
butt of other peoples wills and passions;
she had no dignity of mind to repel even
childish impertinence; her nervous, vacil-
lating ways would only increase Rolls
tyrannical nature.
l could understand how q high-spirited
boy would resist any command enforced
by that plain'ive voice. A few quick con-
else words would influence him more
than a torrent of feeble reproaches from
Judson. He was not without generous
impulses-what English boy isi-he had
grasped at once my meaning when I re-
buked him for his want of gentlemanly
honor, but he was too precOcions and over
bearing, and had lived too much in the
society Of grown-up people.
MY knowledge of the world was not
great, but know how deficient in reti-
cence many grown-up people are In the
presence of children; the stream Of talk
that is poured into the little pitchers IL
often defiled with low conventional views
of duty and painfully uncharitable re-
marks; the pure mirror of child's mind
and how pure that mind often isis
frequently sullied by some unchristiau
observations from lips that to the child
are half divine. ''See how ye offend one
of these little ones," was the Masters
warning; and yet if we could look into
one of these young minds. we should Of
ten see its placid serenity broken up and
ruffled by some unthinking speech, and
flung like pitiless pebble into its bright
ness.
After all, we spent q pleasant afternoon
on the beach, and 1 do not believe the
children enjoyed themselves more than
Hannah and I.
1t was not a long walk to the shore il
we had followed the direct route; but l
wanted to see the pretty village of Meth
erton more closely; SO we walked past the
church and down the main street, aul
turned off by the row of bungalows that
skirted the cliff, and, crossing the corn
fields, made our way down the narrow
cutting to little strip Of shingly beach,
with its border of yellow sands washed by
the summer surf. l would willingly have
sat under the break-water all the after.
noon, watching the baby waves tapping
upon the sands, and laying driblets of
brown and green seaweed on the shore,
while Reggie brought me wet pebbles and
little dried-up crabs and empty Mussrl
shells. but Rolf wanted me to help with
his sand castle; indeed. we were all
pressed into the service: even Reggie dug
up tiny dabs Of sand and flung them at
us, under the belief that he was helping,
too.
What pretty scene it was, when the
castle was finished, and its ramparts
adorned with long green festouns AMI
pennants OF brown ribbon seaweed; and
Reggie sat at the top kicking his little
bare legs with delight, while Rolf dug
the trench down to the sea, which filed
and bubbled over in q minia,ur lake,
in which disported the luckless crabs AMI
jelly fish which he had collected for his
aquarium.
There is something sad in the iransitori-
ness of children's play on the shore; they
and mounds. When the feeble structure
Is finished the little work people give =
cry Of joy, as though some great task
up stealthily: there is little cold lisping
outside the Out-wOrks, as though the
treacherous foes were lurking around: in
. few seconds the toy castle Is in ruins.
The children look at the gray pool that
has ingulfed their treasure with wide,
disappointed eyes
''Oh, the greedy sea-" they say, ''it has
destroyed our castlei'' But tomorrow
they will come again with beautiful child
ish faith and build another, and still an
other, until some new game Is proposed.
or they are weary Of play.
1t was quite late in the afternoon when
we turned our faces homeward. Joyce
was tired, SO we put her in the perambu-
lator, and carried Reggie. Rolf hung
behind rather sulkily; fatigue evidently
made him cross; but he frightened up in
an instant when the sound of horses
hOofs struck on our ears, and in another
moment little cavalcade came in sight
Miss Cheriton mounted ON her pretty
brown mare Brownie. and her father aud
Mr. Hawtry on either side of her.
She smiled and waved her hand to m.
and Mr. Hawtry raised his hat slightly.
They would have passed on, but Rolf ex.
claimed, "Oh, do take me up for ride,
Mr. Hawtry, am so tiredi' aud Mr.. Haw.
try looked at Miss Cheriton, and pulled
up at once.
"Put your foot on my boot, then, and
can reach you" he returned: and rs Han
nah lifted him up, not without difficulty.
he threw his arm round him. and kept
him steady. Now, then, hold tight; we
must overtake the Others" / heard him
say, and they were soon out Of sight
1T must be VERY nice to be Rolf"
sighed Joyce. enviOusly, as Hannah
wheeled her up the dusty road.
think we were all glad when we hal
reached the cool nursery, and found y
plentiful tea spread ON the round table.
The children were so sleepy that we were
obliged to put them to bed as soon as they
had finished their tea.
Rolf did not make his appearance until
later, and then he burst into the room
with his arm full of paper and string.
and we were very soon hard at work on
the window seat, constructing the tail for
his kite.
He was in high spirits, and talked volu-
bly, all the time.
Il told mother about bread and salt"
he began, land she liked the idea very
much. She made me repeat It again to
grandpapa. and he patted me on the head.
and gave me half q crown. When grand
papa is pleased about anything he always
gives people half q crown. think he
ought to give you one, Fenny. Do You
mind my calling you Fennyf 1t sounds SO
nice. rather like funny. and you are 10
funny sometimes"
1T sounds much more like Fanny"
returned.
"Oh, do you think soi ! will ask Aunt
Gay what she thinks. Aunt Gay is so
fond of you; she told me SO to-day. only
she said it was secret, so you must keep
1t. told Mr.. Hawtry the stsry about
the robber servant this evening after dim
ner, and he said that he was . plncky
fellow, in spite of his being robber; and
30 I think. Do you like Mr.. Hawtry,
Fenny"
II do not know him, DEAR"
"Oh, no, of course. you are only nurse.
and SO you don't come In the drawing
room like other people; you would not
know how to behave, would your Mr..
Hawtry said something about you this
oyoninO MNhar uYaa talk iuty tn hin, Won