any remark, or indicate in any manner the least hint of a desire to be picked up.

16. "I see you," cried Miss Pecksniff to the ideal inflictor of the runaway knock. "You'll catch it, sir!" Still Mr. Pecksniff, perhaps from having caught it already, said nothing.

17. “You're round the corner now," cried Miss Pecksniff. She said it at a venture, but there was appropriate matter in it too; for, Mr. Pecksniff, being in the act of extinguishing the candles before mentioned pretty rapidly, and of reducing the number of brass knobs on his street-door from four or five hundred - which had previously been juggling of their own accord before his eyes in a very novel manner - to a dozen or so, might in one sense be said to be coming round the corner, and just turning it.

18. With a sharply-delivered warning relative to the cage and the constable, and the stocks and the gallows, Miss Pecksniff was about to close the door again, when Mr. Pecksniff — being still at the bottom of the steps-raised himself on one elbow and sneezed. voice!" cried Miss Pecksniff. "My parent!"

"That

19. At this exclamation, another Miss Pecksniff bounced out of the parlor, and the

two Miss Pecksniffs, with many incoherent expressions, dragged Mr. Pecksniff into an upright posture. "Pa!" they cried in concert. "Pa! Speak, Pa! Do not look so wild, my dearest Pa!"

20. But as a gentleman's looks, in such a case above all others, are by no means under his own control, Mr. Pecksniff continued to keep his mouth and his eyes very wide open, and to drop his lower jaw somewhat after the manner of a toy nut-cracker; and, as his hat had fallen off, and his face was pale, and his hair erect, and his coat muddy, the spectacle he presented was so very doleful that neither of the two Miss Pecksniffs could repress an involuntary screech. "That'll do," said Mr. Pecksniff. "I'm better."

21. "He's come to himself!" cried the youngest Miss Pecksniff. "He speaks again,” exclaimed the eldest. With these joyful words they kissed Mr. Pecksniff on either cheek and bore him into the house. Presently, the youngest Miss Pecksniff ran out again to pick up his hat, his brown paper parcel, his umbrella, his gloves, and other small articles; and, that done, and the door closed, both young ladies applied themselves to tending Mr. Pecksniff's wounds, in the back parlor.

CHARLES DICKENS (1812-1870).

Where is Wiltshire? At what time of day did the events described take place? At what season of the year? What followed the sunset? Describe the village forge. (Read Longfellow's poem upon the Village Smithy.) Describe the course of the wind. How did the wind affect Mr. Pecksniff? What is meant by "bright short-sixes (*)?" What did Mr. Pecksniff's daughters do?

III.

There, where those boughs of black-thorn cress,

Behold that oval ball of moss;

Look all the forest round and round,
No fairer nest can e'er be found;
Observe it near, all knit together,
Moss, willow-down and many a feather,
And filled within, as you may see,

That doth all other nests exceed,

Propped with the black-thorn twigs beneath,
And festooned with a wood-bine wreath!
Look at it near, all knit together,

Moss, willow-down, and many a feather!
So soft, so light, so wrought with grace,
So suited to this green-wood place,
And spangled o'er as with th' intent
Of giving fitting ornament,

With silvery flakes of lichen bright,
That shine like opals, dazzling white!

V.

Think only of the creature small,

That wrought this soft and silvery ball,
Without a tool to aid her skill-
Naught but her little feet and bill;
Without a pattern whence to trace
This little roofed-in dwelling place ;
And, does not in your bosom spring
Love for this skillful little thing?

VI.

See, there's a window in the wall!
Peep in, the house is not so small,
But snug and cosy, you shall see

A very decent family!

Now count them-one, two, three, four, five,

Nay, sixteen merry things alive

Sixteen young chirping things, all set

Where you your little hand could not get !

I'm glad you've seen it, for you never

Saw aught before so soft and clever!

MARY HOWITT (1804-- -).