Magnum Bonum

bantam for strut

aloons that he fan

decorum caus

e chicken for c

acock

when Jessie looked in at five o'clock, with a few choice flowers covering a fine cucumber in her bas

what?" a

y made the room look

. "You see we have as many hands as othe

kindly creature, but slow of apprehension;

Janet, leaping

raw cockneys, who go into raptures over p

ly," said Jessie; "but fancy taking s

g up?" asked Janet. "A big dahlia,

prizes for hyacinths and forced roses last week, and we should have had the first for forced cucumbers if the gardener at Belforest had no

t heeding whether any one entered into it or replied to it; but she was surprised at Allen's

n the wood, not the

vie," said Allen, "and saw something s

tiful terrace, and a fountain-only that doesn't play except when you give the gardener half-a

s of Blarney,"

goddesses

s, and Nebu

naked in th

d, diverted her attention by as

r there. He is an old miser, you know-what they

he French for the o

a look of infinite displeasure at his sis

wn nephew and niece for marrying. Only think Mrs. Watson at the grocer's told our Susan that there's a little girl, who is his own great-niece, living down at River Hollow Farm with Mr. and Mrs. Gould, just brought up by common farmers, you k

hich his sister took for more earnest than it was, and she said, scornfully, "I should like to see him lite

Jessie; "you kn

ling in gold means, but I

not so stupid, are we, Jessie? Come and show

a moment or two after, and finding her staring blankl

likes it, and won't have it stopped! I can't think what ma

y creature," said Ca

Janet. "What has

have to find out in the cou

oolish people car

t for us to think so,

s much or more than if you were a great handsome,

r a cab,"

n a slightly sentimental tone. But she returned to

e truth. You must make up your mind to it. It is only very exceptio

her, ever

t of those exceptional people, and we are cast out of it now!" s

" said the girl, in quite another ton

?" said h

again, and show what we

that's nothing n

?" Jane just checked herself, as s

ff, and, to come back to our former subject," she added, recalling herself with a sigh, "it will b

ugly, and owlets ver

e opinion of the Beast Epic," said she, and the en

the reserve at first made it seem as if an avowal would be a confession, and to this she could not bend her pride, while the secrecy made a strange barrier between her and her mother. In t

f brightness and playfulness which nothing could destroy. If Carey had chosen to unveil the truth to herself, she would have owned that Allen, who was always ready, tender and sympathetic to her, was a

flowering trees. "They said they would show me the Americans," she said. "Why was it, mother? I thought Americans were like the gentleman who dined with you one day, and told me about the snow birds. But there were only these flower-trees, and a pond, and statues standing round it, and I don't think they were Americans, for I k

y, exclaiming, "O mother, Essie says Aunt Ellen says Janet and I a

she can't pronounce French, and she never heard of terminology, and she thinks Edward I. kille

when I told her I heard you say that I half taught myself by teaching Juliet. And so the poor dolls have no advantages, mother, and are quite stupid for want of education,

wish to make Babie like!

ach me but you, dear, dear Mot

ir evening meal, full of the bird's nest that they had been visiting in th

got the garden engine, and h

hole cataract against the house, and

whole family off into a laugh, and Jock f

Buff to a

Buff to

er laughs

rries

ery good

her, recovering a little, said, "I

all her gravity; "she is like King

soon became aware of them, for on the next half-holiday Jock crept in with unmistakable tokens of combat about him, and on interrogation confessed, "It was Johnnie, mother. Because we wanted you to come out walking with us, and he said 'tw

arent on Jock's torn and sta

opinion that a mother no better than a tomboy was not a bad possession, for the three haunted t

n which he was apt to be signally unsuccessful, to his own great surprise, though to that of no one else. For instance, two or three days later, when his mother and Allen were eating solemnly

ven then Carey was struck by the ominous absence of boys. The poultry house door was shut-locked-but the noises within were more and more frightful-of convulsive cocks and hysterical hens, mi

the yard, cackling her displeasure, and instantly dashing to the top of the wall, followed at once by a stately black Spaniard, decorated with a lac

de as much noise as the outraged chickens, though one shrieked with dismay, the other with diversion. At last the Colonel, slower of foot than the rest, arrived on the scene, just as the pride of his heart, the old King Chanticleer of the yard, made his exit, draped in a royal red paper robe and a species

lapping rabble of chickens, behind whom, when the mist cleared, were seen, looking as if they had been tarred and feathered, various black and grey figures, which developed into Jock, Armin

in his mother's dress, and burst out crying; but Jock stepped forth and, with that impish look of fearlessness, said, "I did it, Uncle Robert! I wanted to make Aunt Ellen laugh. Did she laugh, mother?" he asked in so comical and innocent a manner that, in spite of

er victim, sprang forward with eager, tearful pleadings, declaring it was all Jock's fault, and he did not know how na

ging. He cowered back on his mother, and put his arm round her waist, while she said, "Jock told

h a look as if her consent would