10 



THE CAGED LADY-BIRDS. 



A FRAGMENT. 



HAVING given the natural history of the Lady-bird, we will 

 narrate a short "record of the heart/' in which one of these 

 parti-coloured favourites of childhood happened to play a more 

 than usually important part. We picked up the story in the 

 course of a ramble for the purpose of collecting insects. 

 So far, therefore, it comes connected with our main subject,, and 

 if (however true) it should appear to some improbable,, and 

 silly even as an old nurse's tale, it follows not unaptly on a 

 nursery rhyme. 



One evening last June, as we were strolling in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Highgate, wholly occupied in examination of the 

 hedges beside us, and never thinking of a heavy thunder-cloud 

 behind, which hung threateningly over the sun-lit spires of 

 the metropolis, a huge rain-drop, spreading to half-crown 

 diameter, suddenly darkened the dust at our feet. The fall 

 from the clouds of the coin itself could scarcely have surprised 

 us more. Down came a second then patter patter a 

 hundred more of tokens similar, largesse of Heaven's 

 overwhelming bounty, from which it was high time to seek 

 escape. But how ! Ours was no high-way, but a bye-way, 

 far from sight and sound of friendly omnibuses. No tree 

 was at hand with head large enough to make an umbrella ; 



