The Editor requests that all inquiries and replies intended for insertion in LITTLE FOLKS have the words "Questions and Answers" written on the left-hand top corner of the envelopes containing them.]

PRIZE COMPETITIONS, &c.

J. S., TODDIE, E. F. D.-[Full particulars, including the rules, &c., of the LITTLE FOLKS Humane Society, were given on page 52 of the July Number of the Magazine. --ED.] GUINEA PIG. [The "Prize Scripture Questions " are the same in both the Senior and Junior Divisions.-ED.] LILY OF THE VALLEY. You must use your own discretion as to the size of the dolls. It is better for the clothes to be made to put on and take off. The Pencil Drawing must be strictly original.-ED.]

· PUSS CAT. The work in all the competitions must be done, entirely unaided, by the competitors.-ED.]

L.-[See the answer to RED RIDING HOOD in the April Number.-ED.]

LITERATURE.

TOPSY writes, in answer to DELTA'S question as to the author of the hymn beginning

"Hark, hark, my soul,"

that it was the Rev. Frederick William Faber, D.D. Answers also received from HAWTHORNE, ERIN, ANITA, FLORRIE MAUD, N. P. SMITH, A PUMP HANDLE, ELSIE, A READER, AJIDAUMO, TEA-ROSE, ANDROMEDA, LILY, RITA, MARY, J. E. BOLTON, BETA, E. E. SEAVILL, H. STANES, K. S. C., A. ALLEN, M. C. SONGE, TADPOLE, ICEBERG, A. A. FALCONER, VIOLET, LILY OF THE VALLEY, LADY JANE, J. OGILVIE, M. HERBERT, HEARTSEASE, KITTY CLOVER, REGINA, PUSS CAT, BIRDIE, JUNE, H. E. GIBSON, EMPRESS MAY, R. MORRELL, G. W. B. ALLEN, and L. E. WILKINSON.

"

SNOWDROP asks if any of the readers of LITTLE FOLKS can tell her the author of The Cataract of Lodore," and where it is to be found.

MABEL JACKSON writes, in answer to ETHEL MURRAY, that the poem commencing

"The swallows leave me out of sight,"

appeared in one of the Lancashire papers, and is called "The Buttercup." The author signed himself "Frank." GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS.

LOTTIE and WILLIE will be glad to know how to play the game of "Bell and Hammer." [The rules of the game of "Lotto" were given in the July, 1881, Number of LITTLE FOLKS. ED.]

REGINA Would be glad to know how to play the game of "Consequences."

NELLIE GRANDAGE writes, in answer to CAPITAL FRANCIE'S inquiry as to how to play "French and Eng

lish:"- "Two persons choose sides, and each side take up their stations some way apart, placing a boundary between them, leaving some room for each to run about. Each side takes eight (or more) stones and places them far back in their own grounds, in or by something. The aim of each party is to get all the stones on the opposite side, for having done this you win. If you catch any of the other side before they reach the hob where the stones are kept you may keep him prisoner until any of his side run in and fetch him away. While one side has a prisoner, the side to whom he belongs may not take any of your stones. This game is also called 'Greeks and Trojans,' and 'Prisoner's base.' Answers also received from NAPOLEON, A. A. FALCONER, CUCKOO, R. NEWDICK, SWEETBRIAR, IVY, A PRIMARY COLOUR, A PEPPERMINT DROP, M. O., ANDROMEDA, and A PUMP HANDLE.

WORK.

A. N. C. F. F. would be glad to know if any reader of LITTLE FOLKS can tell her how to make a watch-guard with beads.

COOKERY.

HONEYSUCKLE writes, in answer to YE ESTHETIC MAYDEN, that "the best way for making lemonade is to take six lemons, one quart of boiling water, one or two ounces of clarified sugar. Grate the peel of the six lemons, pour the boiling water on it, and let it stand some time; then add the juice of the lemons (taking care not to let the lemon-pips fall into the water), sweeten it with the clarified sugar, and run through a jelly-bag. Time, two hours." Answers also received from A. C. BARRETT, PILLAR, CORNFLOWER, FLOSS, F. W. ANGUS, A TABBY KITTEN, A COMMONPLACE YOUNG GIRL, SUNFLOWER, KATE, POLLIE, KATINKA, NITA, ANDROMEDA, JUMBO, LIEBIG'S ESSENCE, J. JONES, SUNFLOWER, NELLIE MAUD, A PRIMARY COLOUR, BACCHUS, AJIDAUMO, H. E. GIBSON, and C. M. SIMPSON,

GENERAL.

AN EAR OF BARLEY wishes to know if any of the readers of LITTLE FOLKS can tell him how to preserve moss. LITTLE FROGGIE ROUSE asks if it is possible to paint on coloured American cloth, in water-colours; and if so, how is the cloth prepared?

VICTOR'S LITTLE ONE and TODDIE ask if it is possible to paint in water-colours on a sateen parasol; and if the paint will crack in the sun.

BUNNIE would like to know if any of the readers of LITTLE FOLKS can describe the flower called Black-eyed Susan.

TWILIGHT wishes to know if any of the readers of LITTLE FOLKS can tell her how to bleach skeletonised leaves; also how she can remove blight from some greenhouse plants.

ELIANE writes, in answer to BLUE BELL, that Albert means nobly bright; Bessie, oath of God; Feodora, God's gift; George, husbandman; Herbert, bright warrior; Isabel, the Spanish form of Elizabeth, which means God is her oath," or "worshipper of God" (same as "Bessie," above); Kate, pure; Mabel, beloved; and Victoria, conqueror. Answers also received from M. HERBERT, WHITE VIOLET, POLYANTHUS, A. A. FALCONER, A. NEWDICK, OSIERA, F. W. ANGUS, GUINEA PIG, M. OGILVIE, E. S. SEAVILL, E. B. CAREY, NELLIE MAUD, HEARTSEASE,

PANSIE, TEA-ROSE, L. E. WILKINSON, Moss ROSE, STUMPIE, STUART, CETEWAYO, BELLE, and L. HILSON. NATURAL HISTORY.

(With Answers by the Editor of the "Live Stock Journal and Fanciers' Gazette.")

OLD DAME HUBBARD wishes to know on what Cardinals feed, and do they require to be kept especially warm.[They want no special warmth. The great thing is to keep them singly, or in pairs only. Seeds chiefly, with a little animal or insect and soft food are their proper diet.]

UL, when the Temple of God built by Solomon was completed (1 Kings vi. 38); (b) Tabitha, or Dorcas (Acts ix. 36-41); (c) The Weasel (Lev. xi. 29); (d) Phurah, servant of Gideon Judges vii. 11); (e) Yokefellow (Philippians iv. 3); Bless Them Which Persecute You (Rom. xii. 14).-2. The man Abraham, his youngest son was Shuah (Gen. XXV. 1, 2; 1 Chron. i. 32); His brother Haran died in their native city, Ur, of the Chaldees (Gen. xi. 27, 28); His father, Terah, died in Haran (Gen. xi. 32); The merchants of Haran traded with Tyre (Ezek. xxvii. 2, 23); And Haran was destroyed by the predecessors of Sennacherib, king of Assyria (2 Kings xix. 12; Isa, xxxvii. 8-12).-3. Abdon (a) One of the messengers sent by Josiah to inquire of the prophetess Huldah (2 Chron. xxxiv. 20, 22; called Achbor in 2 Kings xxii. 12); (6) A Judge of Israel (Judges xii. 13, 14), whose forty sons and thirty nephews or grandsons rode on ass colts (called Bedan by Samuel, 1 Sam. xii. 11); (c) A city of Asher, given to the children of Gershon (Josh. xxi. 27, 30; 1 Chron. vi. 74), the eldest son of Levi (Gen. xlvi. 11; Ex. vi. 16; Numb. iii. 17; xxvi. 5,7; 1 Chron. vi. 1, 16).-4. Rimmon (a) A rock, where 600 Benjamites, who had escaped from the other tribes combined, found refuge for four months (Judges xx. 45-47; xxi. 13); (b) A city given to the family of Merari (1 Chron. vi. 77), who went with Jacob into Egypt (Gen. xlvi. 5, 11); (c) A god of the Syrians of Damascus (2 Kings v. 18).-5. Bethel (a) Where Jeroboam set up an aftar, on which he sacrificed to the golden calf, making priests of men not of the tribe of Levi (1 Kings xii. 26—33); (b) To which belonged Hiel, who rebuilt Jericho, and brought upon himself the curse pronounced by Joshua, being bereft of his sons (1 Kings xvi. 34); (c) The house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel (Jer. xlviii. 13); (d) It was to come "to nought" (Amos v. 5); (e) Where was an oak, under which was buried Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, over whom Jacob's family mourned (Gen. xxxv. 8, also marginal reading).-6. Ramah, where all Israel mourned for Samuel (1 Sam. xxv. I; xxviii. 3); where the captives were assembled and bound, ready to be taken to Babylon (Jer, xl. 1; xxxí. 15— 17), and which is connected by St. Matthew with the weeping of the mothers over the children of Bethlehem slain by Herod (S:, Matt. ii. 17, 18).-7. (a) "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him "(Psalms ciii. 13); (b) "O, that Thou wouldst bless me indeed;" prayer of Jabez, who was more honourable than his brothers (1 Chron. iv. 9, 10); (c) "Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see" (Rev. iii. 18). First letters-L. O. A. :— "Love one another " (St. John xv. 12, 17; Rom. xiii. 8; 1 Pet. i. 22; 1 John iii. 11; iv. 7, 11; 2 John 5), &c-8. "Quit you like men' (1 Cor xvi. 13); used by the Philistines when the Ark of God was brought to the battle-field by Hophni and Phinehas (1 Sam. iv 9).-9. Ahijah, who lived in Shiloh (1 Kings xiv. 2—4). which is pointed out by Jeremiah as an example of God's indignation against sin (Jer. vii. 12, 14; xxvi. 6).-10. Gibeon, where lived Hananiah, who made the Jews believe a lie, and died, in consequence, within the year (Jer. xxviii. 1, 1517); and where Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the murderer of Gedaliah, and his adherents (2 Kings xxv. 23-25; Jer. xli, 2, 3), was discovered by the men who went to fight against him and rescue the captives (Jer. xli. 11, 12.)——— 1. Dor, the king of which was smitten by Joshua (Josh. xii. 23), and where was stationed one of Solomon's purveyors, the son of Abinadab, who married Taphath, daughter of Solomon (1 Kings iv. 11); Dor reversed becomes Rod, an instrument of comfort, and symbol of the Lord's pastoral care of His people (Ps. xxiii. 4), and also of God's anger against the wicked (2 Sam. vii. 14; Isa. x. 5, &c. &c.)-Texts far too numerous to mention.-12. (a) Saul's armour was put by the Philistines in the house of Ashtaroth (1 Sam. xxxi. 10), and his head was plac. d in the temple of Dagon (1 Chron. x. 10); (6) Ahaziah, king of Judah, was told by Elijah that he should not recover, for sending to inquire of Baalzebub, the special god of Ekron, a Philistine city (2 Kings 1. 2-6); (c) Samson was taken into the Temple of Dagon, to make sport for the Philistines, and was buried beneath its ruins (Judges xvi. 23-30).-13. (a) Shimei, who had been commanded by Solomon not to leave Jerusalem on pain of death (1 Kings ii. 39 -46); (8) Shimei, who did not take part in the conspiracy of Adonijah (1 Kings 1.8); (c) Shimei, son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi (Ex. vi. 16, 17; Num. iii. 17, 18; 1 Chron. vi. 16, 17; xxiii, 7), who with Simeon, his brother, slaughtered the men of Shechem when defenceless (Gen. xxxiv. 20-26), which brought upon them the curse of Jacob (Gen. xlix. 5-7).-14. (a) Fortunatus, who ministered to St. Paul (1 Cor. xvi. 17); (0) Abib, when the Israelites were brought out of Egypt (Ex. xiii. 3, 4; xxiii. 15; xxxiv. 18; Deut. xvi. 1); (c) Yarn, linen im ported by Solomon (1 Kings x. 28; 2 Chron. i. 16); (d) Sin, the strength of Egypt, upon which God's fury was to be poured out, and which was to have great pain (Ezek. xxx. 15, 16); (e) A bekah, or half shekel, paid by every man above twenty years of age (Ex. xxxviii. 26); (f) The fox, the name of which was applied by Jesus to Herod, to whom He sent, saying, "Go ye tell that fox," &c. St. Luke xii. 32).-F orgive A nd Y e S hall Be Forgiven (St. Luke vi. 37). -15, Caleb, who married Ephrath, or Ephratah (1 Chron. ii. 19, 50), the name originally applied to Bethlehem (Gen. xxxv. 19; xlviii. 7; Ruth iv. 11; Micah 2); Ephrath was the mother of Hur (1 Chron. ii, 19, 50), the father of Bethle hem (1 Chron. iv. 4).-16, Rahab, the harlot (Josh. ii. 1-3; vi. 17-25; Heb. xi. 31; James ii. 25) of Jericho, who became the mother of Boaz, or Booz, from whom descended the house of David (Matt. i. 5, 6), spelt Rachab in the New Testament.-Rahab, poetical name applied to Egypt (Ps. lxxxvii. 4; lxxxix.

10; see marginal reading: Isa. li. 9).-17. (a) Hur, one of the five kings of Midian, who all fell with Balaam in the war with Israel (Num. xxxi. 8; Josh. xiii. 21, 22); (b) Hur, father of Uri, father of Bezaleel, chief artificer of the Tabernacle (Ex. xxxi. 2, 11; xxxv. 30-35; xxxvi. 1, 2; xxxvii, £; xxxviii. 22; 2 Chron. i. 5); (c) Hur, who with Aaron held up the hands of Moses, by which means the Amalekites were defeated (Ex. xvii. 10-12); (d) Hur, father of Rephaiah, who helped in the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. iii. 9).-18. Hebron, where Abner, who had fought against David, was buried, the king following the bier clothed in sackcloth, and weeping (2 Sam. ii. 9-17, 25-31; iii. 31—35); The young warrior, David, sent a gift to the inhabitants of Hebron (1 Sam. xxx. 2631).-19. Salma, or Salmon, the father of Boaz (Ruth iv, 20, 21; 1 Chron. ii. 11, 51, 54), and husband of Rahab or Rachab of Jericho (Matt. i. 4. 5; Luke iii. 32); Zalmon, a hill near Shechem, where Abimelech and his followers cut down Loughs with which to set the tower of Shechem on fire (Judges ix, 48; called Salmon in Ps. lxviii. 14).-20. Ethan, Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol, or Zerah, men noted for their wisdom, who, however, came short of the wisdom of Solomon (1 Kings iv. 31; 1 Chron. ii. 6).-21. (a) Uz, where Job lived (Job i. 1), pointed out as exemplary by James (v. 10, 11); (b) Lehi, where Samson burst his bonds, slaying 1,000 men with the jaw-bone of an ass, from which, to save him from death by thirst, water flowed (Judges xv. 14—19); (c) Abel-Mizraim, the threshing-floor of Atad, where Joseph, with his company, mourned for his father, who had died in Egypt (Gen. 1. 7—11); (d) Ishbosheth, son of Saul, murdered by Rechab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon, who were put to death by David, who buried Ishbosheth's head in the grave of Abner (2 Sam. iv. 5-12), Saul's uncle (1 Sam. xiv. 50; Chron. ix. 39).-Initials of above names, UL A I-Ulai, a river on the banks of which Daniel had the vision of the ram and the he-goat (Dan. viii. 2, 16) explained to him by Gabriel.-22, (a) Lydia, who entertained Paul and Silas (Acts xvi. 14, 15, 40); (5) Lydia, to be brought to ruin with Egypt, with which it was allied (Ezek. xxx. 4, 5).-23, No, of Egypt (Jer. xlvi. 25; Ezek. xxx. 14-16; Nahum iii. 8); So, King of Egypt (a Kings xvii. 4.-24. Ur, father of Eliphal, one of David's valiant men (1 Chron. xi. 35). Add to it the letter i, which gives Uri, one of the porters of the Temple (Ezra x. 24), who had taken a strange wife (verse 18), and who, with others, had to appear before Ezra and his assistant judges (verses 10-17). Add again, Jah, a name by which God is to be praised (Ps. Ixviii. 4), which gives Urijah, the name of a prophet slain, for prophesying against Jerusalem, by Jehoiakim, who cast his body into the grave of the common people (Jer. xxvi. 20-23).-25. Manasseh (a) son of Joseph (Gen. xli. 51); (b) King of Judah, who called his son Amon (2 Kings xxi. 18; 2 Chron. xxxiii. 20).-Amon, a god of Egypt (Jer. xlvi. 25); I will punish the multitude (marginal reading, the Amon) of No, and Pharaoh and Egypt, with their gods.-26. (a) Nathan the prophet, who wrote a book or history of the acts of David (1 Chron. xxix. 29) and of Solomon (2 Chron. ix. 29); (b) Nathan, son of David by Bathsheba (2 Sam. v. 14; 1 Chron. iii. 5; xiv. 4); (c) Nathan, the father of Igal, one of David's mighty men (2 Sam. xxiii. 8, 36).-27. Saul and Jonathan, whose bodies were fastened by the Philistines to the wall of Bethshan (1 Sam. xxxi. 10, 12; 2 Sam. xxi. 12), and afterwards buried first under a tree at Jabesh (1 Sam. xxxi. 13; 2 Sam. ii. 4), by the men of Jabesh Gilead, and then by David (2 Sam. xxi. 12-14) in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father, in Zelah of Benjamin.-28. Jonathan, the son of. Shammah, or Shimeah, the brother of David, who slew a giant or man of great stature of Gath, whose fingers and toes were four-and-twenty (2 Sam. xxi. 20, 21; 1 Chron. xx. 6, 7); he bore the same name as Jonathan, the friend of David, his uncle (1 Sam. xviii. 1; xix. 2; XX. 11-17).-29. Huz and Buz, sons of Nahor, brother of Abraham (Gen. xxiii. 20, 21), who is commended in Heb. xi. 8, 10; Uz, ' son of Aram, son of Shem (Gen. x. 22, 23), and therefore great grandson of Noah (Gen. x. 1), commended Heb. xi, 7).-30. Isaiah, Daniel, David (called a prophet, Acts ii. 29-30), Obadiah-1 ̊D Ď O-Iddo, who had visions concerning Jeroboam (2 Chron. xiii. 22; ix. 29).—3t. On, in Egypt, to which belonged Asenath, wife of Joseph, and mother of Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. xli. 45, 50-52; Gen. xlvi. 20); No, city of Egypt (Jer. xlvi. 25; Ezek. xxx. 14—16). -32. Nergal, idol set up in Israel by men of Cuth (2 Kings xvii. 24, 29, 30); Ner, father of Kish, father of Saul (1 Chron. viii. 33; ix. 39)-33. (a) Nadab, ¡ eldest son of Aaron, a priest (Ex. xxviii. 1, 41; xxix. 9; xxx. 30; Lev. viii. 1333; Num. xviii. 1, 2), who was punished with death for offering strange fire! before the Lord (Lev. x. 1, 2; xvi. 1); (6) Abana, river of Damascus (2 Kings v. 12); (c) Amnon, David's firstborn (2 Sam. iii. 2; 1 Chron. iii. 1), who was assassinated by Absalom's servants (2 Sam. xiii. 28, 29); (d) Eliam, father of Bathsheba (2 Sam. xi. 2, 3); (e) Hen (Zech, vi. 14)) Balak (Num. xxii. 16-18, 38; xxiii. 8, 11, 20, 23, 26; xxiv. 10-13),-Na D ab, Ab A na, Am N on, El I am, HEn, Ba L ak-Daniel.-34. David, who gathered together the bones of Saul and Jonathan, his son, and the seven men of Saul's family who were hanged by the Gibeonites (2 Sam. xxi. 7-9, 12-14-35. Gaal, who aided the Shechemites against Abimelech (Judges ix, 26, 31, 39), who had killed his seventy brethren that he might reign (Judges ix. 5, 6). Gaal was thrust out of Shechem Judges ix. 41). Change Gaal to Baal, gives the first part of Baalberith, out of whose house Abimelech was aided with seventy pieces of silver (Judgesir. 4).—36. Uz, where Job lived (Job i. 1); Uzza, slain for touching the ark (2 Sam. vi. 7; 1 Chron. xiii, 10), called Uzzah; also as a judgment on Israel (1 Chron. xvii. 13).

A Guinea Book and an Officer's Medal of the LITTLE FOLKS Legion of Honour will be given for the best short and original Description of this picture. A smaller Book and an Officer's Medal will be given in addition for the best Description relatively to the age of the Competitor; so that no Competitor is too young to try for this second Prize. To avoid any possibility of mistake, and for the guidance of new Competitors, the ful: Regulations are given :

1. Each Description must be limited to 500 words in length, and should be written on one side of the paper only.

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3. All Descriptions must be certified as strictly original by a Min

4. All Descriptions

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5. In addition to the
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and will be awarded
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6. Competitors are requested to note that each envelope containing a Description sent in competition in connection with this illustration should have the words "History Wanting Words" written on the left-hand top corner of it.

plainly made it understood that she was only receiving her upon sufferance. Pen quite understood that she was going from one indifferent home to another.

It was a long journey, and she had plenty of time for reflection. She was feeling very angry with Fate, that had robbed her of parents and friends, leaving her utterly and entirely alone in the world. Fate alone, she believed, was at the bottom of all her misfortunes. She knew now that she had done unwisely in deserting Mr. and Mrs. Bertram for that false friend Mrs. Manners; she was even sorry for having distressed them, and conscious of an unwilling feeling of shame for the return she had made them; but underneath everything there was a very strong layer of self-pity and self-excusing. Why should she be placed in such circumstances? She alone, of all the girls she had ever known, had no relative living but one who openly declared her indifference to her.

Then her thoughts travelled back to the days when her father was alive, and all this care and unhappiness was unthought of; her old grandfather, too, who had made so much of her, praised her, and thought her so clever. If they had been there still to encourage and admire her, she might really have turned out clever; but now, with no one to care or to help, what chance had she? It was a hard fate.

People had said she was a genius more than once, but there was no one now who cared about her sufficiently to find out and train her talents.

What could be expected of any one under such circumstances? Then Pen fell to thinking over this matter of genius, which lately the drudgery of life had driven out of her mind. It was true that she had but the roughest, haziest notion of the very meaning of the word, except that she knew great people were spoken of as geniuses, and therefore she believed that a genius did strange or eccentric things, different from the rest of the world. Although she was despondent about it, she had not wholly lost faith in herself, and she suddenly remembered, to her inexpressible comfort, having read in one of Mr. Bertram's books that "genius lies hidden in obscure places;" and perhaps, after all-so the thought flashed through her mind -these very hardships and disagreeables were the circumstances out of which her genius was to spring. Certainly, a Yorkshire farmhouse was obscure enough. Pen shut her eyes, and, leaning back in the carriage as the train whirled on, fell into a reverie of a very pleasing and comforting sorta contemplation of her early history. Penelope Giffard the great-here was a blank-had the unusual misfortune to lose both father and mother in early childhood, and be brought up by a stepmother and stepfather, who, though very kindly disposed, took no particular interest in her, and, of course, never saw any difference between her and other children. She was afterwards buried in an obscure country farmhouse, among a set of relatives who were too rough and coarse to understand her character, &c., until they were astonished to find that the relation they had snubbed and despised was a genius. On flew Pen's thoughts, travelling regardlessly over every obstacle till she found herself rich and famous, looking down with a lofty contempt upon all those who had ever offered her a slight or unkindness.

It was a pleasant dream, so pleasant that Pen forgot all her present perplexities in dwelling upon it, until it was rudely dispelled by the sight of a rough head thrust through the window, and the sound of a rougher voice asking, "Be you Mees Givvard?"

"Yes, I am," Pen answered haughtily. "What do you want?"

"To take you back to the farm. Mrs. Lankester, she sent me," the man replied, in a free-and-easy fashion that Pen very much resented. "If these are Yorkshire manners," she thought to herself, "they're not much to boast of."

"There's yer baggage, all safe and sound," he

Into that!" remarked Pen in disdainful astonishment. "It's only a common cart."

"You're a proud young lady," the man returned, with a sort of contemptuous smile that made Pen long to bang his unkempt-looking head. "Our girls ain't a bit proud. They're makin' hay now in the home meadows, along with my girl and a lot more of 'em. You ought to see 'em all together, so pleasant like."

Pen ventured on no reply, but seeing that there was no other vehicle anywhere in sight, she asked how far it was to the farm.

"A matter of seven mile or so," was the reply; upon which Pen, not without some disgust visible in her face, climbed into the cart, followed by her escort, and they started on their journey.

"What a very impertinent fellow!" Pen thought, edging as far away as she could from her rough companion, which caused him to smile, and remark in his broad north-country dialect that he hoped she didn't object to the smell of tobacco, because that was his particular weakness. "Surely this fellow isn't one of them," Pen thought in alarm; "and yet he could not take such liberties if he were a servant."

66

'Maybe you'd like to join the haymakers till tea-time?" her companion said presently. "If so, I'll put you down alongside of the meadow, and take your baggage on."

"I don't mind which I do," Pen replied loftily. Accordingly Pen was set down by the meadow, where, at a little distance, she could see a group of girls and women in sun-bonnets and short petticoats, tossing the hay about with their rakes. Pen walked erect and dignified across the cut grass, determined to show these country bumpkins that she, at any rate, was not used to such informal

treatment.

She was presently observed and stared at by most of the girls. One of them came forward readily, holding out her warm brown hand.

"I suppose you are Cousin Pen? Have you come to help, or only to look on? We shall be going home soon."

"I didn't come," replied Pen coldly; "the man put me down here. It was his choice, not mine." "Oh! but it's great fun," returned the other, just as several more of the haymakers came up.

"It's Cousin Pen," said the first one, a small dark-haired girl, with merry brown eyes.

"You needn't tell us that," said one of the others ungraciously; "we can guess that as well as you,

Jenny. Will you have a rake, Cousin Pen? I'll lend you my bonnet, if you like," she added.

"No, thank you," said Pen, with ill-concealed disgust, and a glance at the cotton bonnet which spoke volumes. "I'll look on till you are ready to go home. Pray don't stop for me."

Thus snubbed, the Lankester girls-for Pen could see they were sisters-turned rather awkwardly away, and resumed their work.

Jenny, who was rather different from the rest, being smaller, more neatly built, and more sprightly altogether, remained behind for a moment. “I'd go straight home with you if you'd ask me to take you. If I offer, the others won't like it, because I'm the youngest but Susy there."

"I don't care about going till the others do," rejoined Pen, feeling truly that "going home" to the strange and dreaded might as well be deferred as not. "I'll sit here and watch you."

"Very well," Jenny replied, evidently hurt. Presently another girl came sidling up to the place where Pen was seated. She was a heavybuilt, round-faced girl, with very fair, almost white, hair. Her face was very red with the exercise, and Pen mentally compared it to the sun in a mist. "You've come from London, haven't you?" she asked, with a broad Yorkshire dialect.

"Yes," Pen replied.

One of

"It's a mighty grand place, they say. our girls in the village went there, and every time she came home she had on something new. Her dresses were so fine, with frills and puffs and pleats, that all the girls tried to walk behind her to find out how they were made, but 'twasn't no good. It was just a puzzle.”

"Indeed!" Pen replied laconically.

"You'll find it different down here, I expect," returned the other. “They're simple sort of folk round about. Do you s'pose you'll like it?"

"I suppose you are not a Miss Lankester?" Pen asked.

"Me? Oh, no!" the girl replied, with a titter, which led Pen to jump to the conclusion that neither was she any particular friend of the Misses Lankester.

66

You know them, I suppose? What sort of people are they?"

"Oh, yes, I knows 'em," the girl replied. "Mrs. Lankester, she's rather hoity-toity-proud-like—and so's Jenny."

"I'm surprised to hear that," said Pen. "I thought she was very homely."

"Oh! she makes believe she is, but she holds her head high,” replied the girl, with a slight toss of her head. "Folk say that she makes out she's a deal higher than Mr. Lankester, and that she