THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 3 



country, or anything about it. But by the time he was 

 ready to go down to breakfast, the fresh air and clear 

 morning sunlight began to exercise an exhilarating effect 

 upon his spirits. Hal was whistling a lively tune out 

 under the Elm, and Rose was singing as she sat at work 

 on the front doorstep. 



" Good morning, Tom," said she ; " are you rested yet ? 

 Mother has saved breakfast for you, and I guess that by 

 this time you must be very hungry." 



" Have you had breakfast already ? " asked Tom. 



" O yes, of course," said Rose, with a merry laugh, " sev- 

 eral hours ago. But never mind. You will soon grow ac- 

 customed to country hours, and rise with the earliest." 



Tom ate his breakfast with a good appetite, and then 

 went out under the Elm to see what his cousin Hal was 

 doing. 



Hal was sitting on a large flat rock, and seemed to be 

 very busy over something, but he looked up as Tom ap- 

 proached. 



" Come and help me, Tom," said he ; "I caught my net 

 in the bushes yesterday, and am trying to mend it." 



" Your net, Hal ! Are you going fishing ? " 



" O no, not to-day. Besides, do you suppose I could 

 catch fish with this gauzy thing.? You will learn better 

 than that before you have been here many weeks." 



" What are you going to do with it, then ? " 



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